FAQ
You want to take care of your teeth properly, and we want to give you knowledge to help you do it. At Cornerstone Dental in Burlington, we answer dental health questions all the time. Here are some common questions on dental hygiene, restorative work, orthodontics, and more.
Dental Hygiene
We recommend Canadians to visit the dentist once every six months for a teeth cleaning. Depending on the health status of your teeth, your dentist may recommend more frequent cleanings.
Kids are recommended to visit the dentist six months after the first eruption of their first tooth, or by the time they are one year old. If you notice dental abnormalities, however, please see a dentist as soon as possible.
The Canadian Dental Association recommends flossing at least once a day and brushing at least twice a day. However, it’s ideal to brush after every meal because bacteria from stuck food start acting almost immediately after you eat.
We understand that flossing is a hard habit to maintain. Educate your children so they adapt this habit early. To take away some of the boredom, floss while you’re watching TV or listening to music.
Bleaching agents and surface whiteners can help make teeth appear whiter. Certain foods and drinks (such as coffee and tea) and tobacco can stain teeth. Your natural complexion or choice of make-up also influences how your teeth are perceived.
Cosmetic Dentistry & Orthodontics
Nope! Although the most common recipients for braces are children and teens, adults can undergo orthodontic treatment like braces too. For adults who have more mild misalignment problems, they may prefer the discreteness of Invisalign®.
It depends on the individual state of each patient’s teeth. Some patients can finish treatment in as little as three to six months! As for pricing, this largely depends on your insurance plan, but patients can pay anywhere between $50 and $200 a month, according to Invisalign®.
Gum Disease
Gingivitis is a common, milder form of gum disease often caused by inadequate dental hygiene. You may have gingivitis if you notice bleeding, puffiness, tender, or receding gums. Higher risk of developing gingivitis is associated with smoking, older age, malnutrition, infections, medications, hormones, and poor oral hygiene.
As gingivitis advances, it can cause teeth to loosen and fall out.
Periodontitis is a more advanced and serious form of gum disease. It happens when bacterial infections of the gums are left untreated. The bacteria attack the gums, causing pain, bad breath, receding gums, and loosening and loss of teeth. Your dentist will have to conduct a more thorough examination of the state of your gum disease, and may need to extract teeth.
Restoration
A dental bridge covers the gap made by a missing tooth or teeth. They are anchored by natural teeth or implants on both sides, forming a “bridge” over the gap.
Crowns or “tooth caps” cover damaged, but not lost, teeth. They look almost identical to normal teeth, and can be constructed out of metal, composite, or porcelain.
Inlays and onlays act like fillings. Inlays fill up the space left over from lost tooth structure within the tooth. Onlays are similar but they also provide coverage across the chewing area of teeth.
Bonding involves shaping composite resin to fill in areas of missing tooth structure. The dentist uses light to shape and harden the composite resin in layers, which can also be used to paint over stains.
Other Questions
Wisdom teeth (scientific term: third molars) are the last teeth to emerge and they usually come in your late teens and early twenties. They are the last tooth in all four corners of your mouth. Not everyone has wisdom teeth, or all four wisdom teeth.
It is believed that our ancestors used wisdom teeth to chew and grind plant matter, but as our brains expanded in size, our skulls could not accommodate wisdom teeth as well.
Not everyone has to get their wisdom removed, but many do. Because they grow in so late, there may not be enough room in your mouth for wisdom teeth to grow properly, thus causing them to grow at an inappropriate angle (“impacted” wisdom teeth). Since they are so far in the mouth, it is also difficult to reach them for cleaning, so infections and decay is a risk to wisdom teeth.
Probably not! There is no scientific relationship between wisdom teeth and intelligence. The term “wisdom teeth” is traced back to the 17th century, when it was used to refer to teeth that emerged at a time (late teens to mid-20s) when you are (supposedly…) older and wiser.
Dental anxiety is nothing to be embarrassed about is actually not uncommon among children and adults alike. Cornerstone Dental offers sedation dentistry that can alleviate some or all the stress.
Kids lose their baby teeth at around age 6, and usually acquire all their adult teeth by age 12. Kids can wiggle baby teeth, but forcing them out by pulling is advised against.
Although you should check with your dentist, delays in losing baby teeth are usually not concerning. Dentists, however, can get a clearer understanding of the situation through examining x-rays. Sometimes, baby teeth that don’t fall can impede the growth of adult teeth and cause crowding issues.
Do you have additional questions we didn’t address here? Please don’t hesitate to give our team a call at Cornerstone Dental in Burlington. We look forward to hearing from you!