marconews.com Stories: Tooth Talk

Tooth Talk: The flu, your dentist and you

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 00:44:00 -0000

Q: I know I’m probably being silly, but I’m really concerned about going to the dentist with all this flu stuff going on. Can you give me some more information to make me more comfortable?

Tooth Talk: Discount plans offer alternative

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 01:40:00 -0000

Hello again. This is a further continuation on the ins and outs of dental insurance. This week, I’m going to expand the topic further by talking about something that is not dental insurance, per se.

Tooth Talk: The more you know ...

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 00:37:00 -0000

As promised, I’m continuing to expand on one readers question about dental insurance. This week I’ve chosen to focus on traditional dental insurance which is the most common type available.

Tooth Talk: What to look for in dental insurance

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 16:52:00 -0000

Hey Doc, I have a question. I’m looking at different plans for dental coverage and I’m confused. Can you give me some information about different dental plans and which ones are best? Wow, that’s a tall order, but I will try to help. There are so many different options and so much information is out there that it’s going to take more than one column to answer. Before I can answer your question, there are some things you need to think about, such as how much you want to spend, whether you go to the dentist regularly, your dental needs, whether you want to make co-payments or receive discounted dental treatment, if you are concerned about cosmetics, if you need extensive treatment and whether are you considering treatment for just yourself or your whole family. Like I said, it’s a lot of information to weigh before making your decision.

Tooth Talk: Mixing blood thinners with dental work

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 23:19:00 -0000

Q: I need to have some pretty major dental work done and I’m worried because I take a blood thinner. I don’t want to stop taking it but if I don’t I’m not sure if I can have my teeth fixed. Can you please help?

Tooth Talk: Straight to the point on crooked front teeth

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 00:39:00 -0000

Q: I want to get my lower front teeth straightened because I hate the way they are all overlapped. I was told that to straighten them I would need to wear braces on all my teeth. Why do I have to do all that just to straighten my lower front teeth?

Tooth Talk: Thumb sucking: When is it a problem?

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 23:59:00 -0000

Q: I need some help! My daughter sucks her thumbs and also three of her fingers. I’m worried that this is causing a problem with her teeth. How do I get her to stop?

Tooth Talk: Keeping your crown

Fri, 06 Mar 2009 00:36:00 -0000

Q: I have a cavity under my cap and my dentist says he’ll need to make me a new cap. Why can’t he just use the old one?

Tooth Talk: Overcoming fear

Fri, 06 Feb 2009 02:07:00 -0000

Q: Hey Doc, my husband just took our 3-year old to the dentist and she freaked out. She came home terrified. I don’t want to scar her for life, what can I do?

Tooth Talks: X marks the spot

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 18:14:00 -0000

Q: Why do I need x-rays if nothing hurts? A: Great question! This question gets asked in probably every dental office

Tooth Talk: Toothache: Don’t delay

Wed, 21 Jan 2009 00:37:00 -0000

Q: Hey Doc, I’ve got a tooth that has been bothering me for a while. When it starts up I just take a couple of antibiotics and it goes away. Recently, I noticed a bad taste and bad breath. My insurance doesn’t kick in for another month. Can I wait until then?

Tooth Talk: New year, new smile

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 01:07:00 -0000

Happy New Year Everyone! I’d like to thank The Marco Eagle, it’s readers and all of my patients for their continued support of me and this column.

Tooth Talk: Better safe than sorry

Wed, 31 Dec 2008 22:42:00 -0000

Q: There is an area inside of my mouth that my dentist checks every time I come in for a check up. He told me the last time I was in that he feels it should be biopsied. I don’t notice anything different and I don’t want the inside of my mouth all cut up. He assures me it won’t hurt. I want to do the right thing but I hate needles and don’t want to be healing over the holidays. What should I do?

Tooth Talk: Clarifying antibiotic needs

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 22:40:00 -0000

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about certain people needing to take antibiotics prior to having dental treatment. There have been many changes and much confusion about who needs and who doesn’t need pre-medication with antibiotics.

Tooth Talk: Paying the price for whiter teeth

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 20:36:00 -0000

Q: I just had my teeth whitened at my dentist office and I don’t think they changed much. Plus, now they are really sensitive, what can I do? A: I’m sorry that you’re not happy with your whitening. This is something to look forward to so I understand how disappointing it is when the results are not to your liking. The sensitivity you are experiencing however is fairly normal and should subside in a short period of time. If it doesn’t get better or worsens your dentist may need to put you on a fluoride or a desensitizer.

Tooth Talk: Antibiotics before teeth are cleaned

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 19:08:00 -0000

Tooth Talk: Q: Hey Doc, my wife went to the dentist the other day for a cleaning and was told she needed to take an antibiotic because she had a knee replacement. We never heard anything about this and she was too embarrassed to ask. Is this common? What should she do?

Take the bite out of ice cream

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 16:42:00 -0000

Hey Doc, my teeth are so sensitive I can’t drink anything cold at all even cool water really hurts my teeth. I brush and floss regularly but I haven’t had my teeth cleaned in a while because it is so painful. Any suggestions?

Tooth Talk: If I am afraid of needles, what are my other options?

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 16:22:00 -0000

My dentist told me I need some dental work but I’m really nervous. Believe it or not, I was a nurse but I can’t stand needles! My dentist said he could give me a pill, Valium, I think, to relax me. I don’t know if that will be enough. I’m so nervous and it’s so embarrassing. Do you have any suggestions?

Tooth Talk: How do I go about getting an implant?

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 01:20:00 -0000

Q: I’m interested in getting implants to replace my denture. I’ve seen a few dentists and a couple of specialists for quotes. I’m hesitant to go ahead because all of them have different prices and different plans and each of them insist theirs is the best. How can I decide what’s best for me?

Tooth Talk: Wisdom tips about wisdom teeth

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 17:44:00 -0000

Q: My son is 17 and when he went for his check-up the dentist said he should have his wisdom teeth pulled. Why can’t they stay where they are? Can’t we wait and see if they come in by themselves? Shouldn’t he see an oral surgeon for that?