Frequently Asked Dental Questions – Webster, MA

What does a dental checkup entail?

Dental checkups are a preventative measure; they’re meant to help us catch potential oral health issues early while they’re easier to deal with. This naturally includes checking the teeth and gums for plaque, tartar, and signs of dental disease. However, it also means looking out for discolored patches, lumps, and other signs of oral cancer. An early oral cancer diagnosis could make all the difference for your odds of survival over the next five years or so.

Can you replace missing teeth?

Yes! There is no reason to leave the gap in your smile empty when there are multiple ways it can be restored. Dental bridges and dentures are traditional solutions that still yield functional, attractive results, but dental implants offer additional stability and longevity. A key part of the replacement process is designing the new teeth so that they match the shape and color of your natural ones; that way, your smile will look complete again without most people even knowing that you had to have dental work done at some point.

Are root canals safe?

Trained dental professionals like our Doctors have plenty of experience using root canal therapy to remove infections, stop oral pain, and preserve natural teeth. The procedure is completely safe and is highly recommended for keeping the smile whole; we don’t want to remove a tooth if it can be saved.

Do I need to have my wisdom teeth removed?

Most of the time the answer is yes, but it really depends on the situation. Typically, there isn’t enough room in the mouth to accommodate extra teeth erupting so late in life, which is why wisdom tooth extractions are often required. But not all wisdom teeth are problematic, and some can be kept as long as they don’t cause dental damage or pain. We’ll check the state of your wisdom teeth and let you know if it most likely needs to be removed.

I’m having a dental emergency! What should I do?

Call our dental office right away. Leaving any sort of dental emergency alone for too long can quickly lead to dire consequences. Severe toothaches could be warning sign of an infection that could spread. A cracked tooth could become even more badly damaged if not promptly repaired. A knocked-out tooth will be lost forever if a replantation is attempted within an hour or two. Our dental office is open late three times a week so that you can get in touch with us when you need us.

Can you treat my gum disease?

Treating gum disease is an important aspect of dental care. It’s important to stop the damage to your gums from spreading any further and to keep the symptoms under control as much as possible, and that’s not something you can do just by brushing and flossing once the disease has become advanced enough. For periodontal issues, our dental office offers scaling, root planing, and antibiotic therapy to both reduce the presence of bacteria in the mouth and help the gums heal.