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teeth straightening cost
How many times a year should I have my teeth cleaned?
Scaling and polishing are professional cleaning of the plaque and calculus i.e. the dirt accumulated between your teeth and gums. On average, one needs to get their teeth professionally cleaned every 6 months to a year depending on the recommendation of your treating dentist.
When should I take my child to the dentist for their first check-up?
It is very important to get periodic dental check-ups from the beginning. In the case of children, it is suggested that you get a periodical dental check-up once the first tooth erupts in the mouth. This helps your kid get familiarised with the doctor and the dental setup, thus making their other appointments fear-free.
What is in amalgam (silver) fillings, and are they safe?
Dental amalgam or silver-filling is a mixture of mercury, silver, copper, tin, and zinc used to fill cavities in teeth. Dental amalgam is approximately half (50%) mercury, by weight. These fillings may release small amounts of mercury in the form of a vapour (gas). It mainly depends on the number and age of existing fillings and the function the tooth performs. People with multiple dental amalgam fillings may have slightly higher mercury levels in their blood or urine. Studies on people with dental amalgam do not show conclusive evidence that dental amalgam causes harmful health effects in the general population.
What are the options for teeth whitening?
The following are the different options for teeth whitening:
• In-office bleaching: Best option as it is done in a dental office by an experienced dentist.
• At-home bleaching: Trays are fabricated and the bleaching gel kit is given to the patient with proper instruction by the dentist. Here, the procedure and results are completely in the hands of the patient.
• Whitening toothpaste
• Whitening strips
• Whitening pens
• In-office bleaching: Best option as it is done in a dental office by an experienced dentist.
• At-home bleaching: Trays are fabricated and the bleaching gel kit is given to the patient with proper instruction by the dentist. Here, the procedure and results are completely in the hands of the patient.
• Whitening toothpaste
• Whitening strips
• Whitening pens
I have a fractured tooth, specifically a broken molar, but surprisingly, I don’t experience any pain in that tooth. I am afraid of doing root canal treatment. What should I do?
Suggest you visit a dentist and get an X-ray done. If the roots of the molar are intact, the dentist can do a root canal followed by a crown/cap and save the tooth. If the root is cracked or broken, you will have to extract that molar. Root canal treatment is not at all painful if done by an experienced dentist with the latest technology and instruments. For any reason, if you have to extract the molar then a dental implant is the best option to replace a tooth.
I am a 92-year-old young man. I do not have molars in my lower jaw. I have been using a partial denture for the past five years. Can I get implants done? What will be the cost?
You will have to visit a dentist who specialises in dental implants. The dentist will take your X-rays or CBCT scan and then decide whether implant surgery can be done. I recommend you go for dental implants if you have sufficient bone for the implants. Dental implants are the best option for missing teeth. Implant price depends on many factors mainly -the brand of dental implant used, the experience of the dentist doing the surgery, the facilities and equipment at the dental clinic, the type of prosthesis used on the implants, etc.
My daughter is 14 years old and has overlapping front teeth. She got braces fixed by a reputed orthodontist in Pune. She had severe pain for over a week and her lips and cheeks became sore. Finally, we had to get them removed. She is very scared of dentists.
Usually, orthodontic treatment is never painful, however, it may be a rare situation that something like this would have happened. I recommend you get aligner treatment done. Aligners can correct malocclusion very effectively and aligners in many cases are better than conventional braces. The treatment duration is shorter and there will be no soreness to the gums and cheeks. Visit a dentist who specialises in aligner treatment. I recommend you go for Invisalign Aligners or Illusion Aligners. Both are US FDAcertified and reputed brands with guaranteed results.
My mother has been wearing dentures for the past 20 years. Now her denture keeps moving and she is having difficulty while eating. What needs to be done?
Ideally, the life of a denture is just around four-five years. A denture needs to be relined or changed in this span as the underlying bones undergo resorption and remodelling if there are no roots to support the bone. You need to visit a dentist and make a new denture for your mother. If she has a decent quality bone and no controlled systemic illnesses then I recommend you to get implants done and get her an implant-supported denture.
