Frequently Asked Questions

What is dentistry?

Dentistry is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of conditions, disorders, and diseases of the tooth, gums, mouth, and jaw. Often considered necessary for complete oral health, dentistry can have an impact on the health of your entire body.

Who is a dentist?

A dentist is a specialist who works to diagnose, treat, and prevent oral health problems. Your dentist has completed at least eight years of schooling and received either a DDS (Doctor of Dental Surgery) degree, or a DMD (Doctor of Dental Medicine) degree. Dental specializations include:

• Endodontics (root canals)
• Oral and maxillofacial (including pathology, radiology, and surgery)
• Orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics (braces)
• Periodontics (gum disease)
• Prosthodontics (tooth replacement)
• Pedodontics

Why is visiting the dentist so important?

Visiting the dentist regularly will not only help keep your teeth and mouth healthy but will also help keep the rest of your body healthy. Dental care is important because it:

• Helps prevent tooth decay
• Protects against periodontal (gum) disease, which can lead to tooth and bone loss
• Prevents bad breath - brushing, flossing, and seeing the dentist regularly will help reduce the amount of bad-breath causing bacteria in your mouth
• Gives you a more attractive smile and increases your self-confidence
• Helps keep teeth looking bright by preventing them from becoming stained by food, drinks, and tobacco
• Strengthens your teeth so that you can enjoy healthy, beautiful smiles for the rest of your life!

My teeth feel fine. Do I still need to see a dentist?

Your teeth may feel fine, but it's still important to see the dentist regularly because problems can exist without you knowing. Many minor dental problems can be corrected with simple procedures before they begin to cause discomfort. Your smile is important, and your dentist can help keep your smile healthy and looking beautiful. With so many advances in dentistry, you no longer have to settle for stained, chipped, missing, or misshapen teeth. Today's dentists offer many treatment choices that can help you smile with confidence, including:

• Professional teeth whitening
• Fillings that mimic the appearance of natural teeth
• Tooth replacement and full smile makeovers

What should I look for when choosing the right dentist for me?

Choosing a dentist who is a good match with you and your family is important. During your first visit, you should be able to determine if the dentist is right for you. During your appointment, consider the following:

• Is the appointment schedule convenient?
• Is the office easy to get to and close by?
• Does the office appear to be clean and orderly?
• Was your medical and dental history recorded and placed in a permanent file?
• Does the dentist explain techniques for good oral health?
• Is information about cost presented to you before treatment is scheduled?
• Is your dentist a member of the ADA (American Dental Association)?

Dental Cleanings and Regular Checkups

A regular dental checkup is important because they help keep your teeth and gums healthy. You should have a regular dental visit at least every six months or as recommended by your dental professional.

Visiting the dentist every six months gives you the chance to talk with your doctor and receive answers for any questions you may have about your oral health. Checkups are also a great way for you to find out about new treatments that may benefit your smile.

What happens at your dental visit?

There are two parts to a regular dental visit – checkup, or examination and the cleaning, or oral prophylaxis.

At the dental checkup your dental professional will check for cavities. X-rays might be taken to detect cavities between your teeth. The exam will also include a check for plaque and tartar on your teeth. Plaque is a clear, sticky layer of bacteria. If it is not removed, it can harden and become tartar. You cannot remove tartar with brushing and flossing. If plaque and tartar build up on your teeth, they can cause oral diseases.

Next, your gums will be checked. This will be done with a special tool to measure the depth of the spaces between your teeth and gums. With healthy gums, the spaces are shallow. When people have gum disease, the spaces may become deeper.

The checkup should also include a careful examination of your tongue, throat, face, head, and neck. This is to look for any signs of trouble - swelling, redness, or possible signs of cancer.

Your teeth will also be cleaned at your visit, unless it is your first time visiting us. Brushing and flossing help clean the plaque from your teeth, but you cannot remove tartar at home. During the cleaning, your dental professional will use special tools to remove tartar and plaque. This is called scaling.

After your teeth are scaled, they may be polished. In most cases, a gritty paste or soda-salt air polisher is used for this. It helps to remove any surface stains on your teeth. The final step is flossing. Your dental professional will use floss to make sure the areas between your teeth are clean.

How often should I brush my teeth?

According to your dentist and the American Dental Association, you should be brushing your teeth two times a day. Brushing keeps your teeth, gums, and mouth clean and healthy by removing plaque and bacteria. It is also recommended that when you brush your teeth, you use a soft bristle toothbrush and toothpaste that contains fluoride. You should spend at least a minute on the top teeth and a minute on the bottom teeth and remember to brush your tongue; it will help keep your breath smelling fresh!

Choosing the Right Toothpaste and Toothbrush

Your toothbrush will eventually wear out, especially if you are brushing your teeth twice a day for 2-3 minutes each time. Your dentist recommends changing your toothbrush every three months. If you are using an electric toothbrush, be sure to change toothbrush heads every three months as well. Patients with gum disease are encouraged to change their toothbrush every four to six weeks to keep any bacteria from spreading. After brushing, rinse your toothbrush with hot water to kill germs and keep the bristles clean. If you have been sick, be sure to change your toothbrush as soon as possible.

At what age should I start taking my child to see the dentist?

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) recommends that children first see a dentist as early as six months old and no later than one year old. During this time, your child's baby teeth will be coming in and your dentist can examine the health of your child's first few teeth. After the first visit, be sure and schedule regular checkups every six months.

At Cornerstone Family Dental, we love seeing our youngest patients in a stress-free, positive environment. These first visits are an opportunity to familiarize your child with the dental setting and may only be a fun ride in our “big chair”.

How often should I see the dentist?

Children, teens, and adults should all see the dentist for a regular checkup at least once every six months. Patients who are at a greater risk for oral cancer or gum disease may be required to see the dentist more than just twice a year. Your doctor will help determine how often you should visit the dentist for regular checkups.

If I have braces, do I still need dental checkups every six months?

Yes! In fact, it's even more important that patients receiving orthodontic treatment visit their dentist regularly. With braces, food may be caught in places that your toothbrush can't reach. This causes bacteria to build up and can lead to cavities, gingivitis, and gum disease. Your dentist will work closely with your orthodontist to make sure that your teeth stay clean and healthy while wearing braces.

How can I take care of my teeth in between dental checkups?

Be sure to take care of your teeth and gums between regular dental visits. Plaque is always forming on your teeth, but you can manage it by brushing and flossing regularly. Here are some tips for good oral care at home.

• ALWAYS remember to brush your teeth twice a day, for two minutes, and floss at least once a day!
• Make sure to use toothpaste that contains fluoride and ask your dentist if you need additional fluoride therapy. This will help prevent cavities.
• Avoid foods with a lot of sugar (sugar increases the amount of bacteria that grows in your mouth causing more plaque and possibly cavities) and avoid tobacco (this can stain your teeth, cause gum disease, and could eventually lead to oral cancer)
• Do not forget to brush your tongue! By brushing your tongue, you will remove food particles and reduce the amount of plaque causing bacteria. Tongue brushing also helps keep your breath fresh.
• Be sure to schedule your routine checkup. It is recommended that you visit the dentist every six months at a minimum.

How do I schedule my next checkup?

Simply call our practice! Our front desk staff will be happy to help schedule your next dental checkup at your convenience. If you are a new patient, please let us know, and we will provide you with all the information you need for your first dental visit.

What is a cavity?

Cavities, or tooth decay, is the destruction of your tooth enamel, the hard, outer layer of your teeth. It can be a problem for children, teens, and adults. Plaque, a sticky film of bacteria, constantly forms on your teeth. When you eat or drink foods containing sugars, the bacteria in plaque produce acids that attack tooth enamel. The stickiness of the plaque keeps these acids in contact with your teeth and over time the enamel can break down. This is when cavities can form. A cavity is a little hole in your tooth.

Cavities are more common among children, but changes that occur with aging make cavities an adult problem, too. Recession of the gums away from the teeth, combined with an increased incidence of gum disease, can expose tooth roots to plaque. Tooth roots are covered with cementum, a softer tissue than enamel. They are susceptible to decay and are more sensitive to touch and to hot and cold. It is common for people over age 50 to have tooth-root decay.

Decay around the edges, or a margin, of fillings is also common for older adults. Because many older adults lacked benefits of fluoride and modern preventive dental care when they were growing up, they often have several dental fillings. Over the years, these fillings may weaken and tend to fracture and leak around the edges. Bacteria accumulate in these tiny crevices causing acid to build up which leads to decay.

You can help prevent tooth decay by following these tips:
• Brush twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste.
• Clean between your teeth daily with floss or interdental cleaner.
• Eat nutritious and balanced meals and limit snacking.
• Check with your dentist about the use of supplemental fluoride, which strengthens your teeth, and about use of dental sealants (a plastic protective coating) applied to the chewing surfaces of the back teeth (where decay often starts) to protect them from decay.
• Visit your dentist regularly for professional cleanings and oral examination.

What is a filling?

A filling is a synthetic material that your dentist uses to fill a cavity after all of the tooth decay has been removed. Fillings do not generally hurt because your dentist will numb your mouth with an anesthetic. If you need a filling, be sure and talk to your doctor about what type is best for you and your teeth. Dental restoratives, or fillings, include composite, porcelain, and amalgam. Composite resins are a plastic compound and are the most common material due to their beautiful esthetics and high level of strength. Composite and porcelain (also known as ceramic) fillings are great options for restorations on the front teeth where a natural appearance is important but are also able to withstand extreme forces from chewing on the back teeth. Whether a filling is the restoration of choice depends on the location and extent of the tooth decay.

What's right for me?

Several factors influence the performance, durability, longevity, and expense of dental restorations, including:

• The components used in the filling material
• The amount of tooth structure remaining
• Where and how the filling is placed
• The chewing load that the tooth will have to bear
• The length and number of visits needed to prepare and adjust the restored tooth
• The ability to control moisture – some fillings must be placed in a dry field

Before your treatment begins, your doctor will discuss with you all your options and help you choose the best filling for your case.

What is gum disease?

Also known as periodontal disease, gum disease is an infection of the gums caused by plaque and bacteria buildup that is not treated in its early stage. This buildup becomes hard and destroys the bone that supports the teeth. Other causes of periodontal disease include tobacco use, teeth grinding, some medications, and genetics. Gingivitis is the inflammation of the gums, and if left untreated, can progress into periodontitis (advanced gum disease). Advanced gum disease can lead to tooth and bone loss and is a permanent condition. Brushing your teeth regularly and visiting the dentist every six months will help prevent gingivitis and more severe cases of periodontal disease. Common signs of gum disease:

• Red, irritated, bleeding, or swollen gums
• Chronic bad breath
• Loose teeth, or loss of teeth
• Extreme tooth sensitivity
• Receding gum line
• Abscessed teeth

What is the difference between a DDS and a DMD?

The DDS (Doctor of Dental Surgery) and DMD (Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry or Doctor of Dental Medicine) are the same degrees. Dentists who have a DMD or DDS have the same education from an accredited dental school. It’s up to the universities to determine what degree is awarded, but both degrees use the same curriculum requirements.