Why is it important that a registered dental hygienist perform all of your hygiene needs?
One of the most important aspects of good dental health is regular dental check-ups and cleanings. A highly competent registered dental hygienist is the only way to consistently receive the quality of hygiene care for your long term dental health.
Hygienists are specifically trained in hygiene procedures at approved schools. They graduate with degrees and must pass state regional board exams similar to dentists. They are the most qualified to provide dental cleanings and hygiene care.
Unfortunately one of the most popular practices among other dental practices is hiring dental assistants to provide hygiene care. Many pediatric dental practices do not provide adequate hygiene care either. And many general dentists also provide dental hygiene themselves. In our experience all of these options never provide the level of care or consistency a hygienist does.
I am very confident you will not receive better hygiene care anywhere than here at Sandy Family Dentistry. Nor will you find more qualified and experienced hygienists.
Are online reviews and marketing a good way to find a dentist?
Yes and no. It is very popular today for dentists to pay a company to solicit online reviews. While most of those reviews are real and helpful, the negative reviews in most cases can be filtered out.
It is also very popular for dentists to heavily market themselves online using search keywords that favor them. And pay per click campaigns which rank dentists high on the first page of your internet search. This doesn’t always mean that dentist is the best one around. He is just willing to pay a lot to be ranked high.
We have found that the best way to find a good dentist is still a referral from a friend or professional. And we have always been able to depend on that here. Fortunately we have never had to heavily market ourselves or solicit reviews.
Our excellent service and care of our patients has always been enough.
Is there really such a thing as a “tooth in a day” with implants?
Yes, in some cases. Realistically, only approximately 10 % of cases of one or more missing teeth can be restored with an implant and crown in a day. And even in those cases it’s a temporary crown that can’t be permanently restored for 4 to 6 months.
One of the more popular contemporary implant procedures is what is called, “All-on-4 full mouth rehabilitation”. This is a procedure that helps people avoid full dentures.
Edentulous and partially edentulous patients can have the procedure done same day and leave with temporary teeth. After any remaining teeth are extracted, four implants are placed in the upper maxillary arch and four on the bottom mandible arch. A temporary upper and lower bridge is then permanently affixed to those implants that same day.
All of these implant procedures can be done through Sandy Family Dentistry. In conjunction with oral surgeon Dr. Creed S. Haymond and Treasure Dental Studio, Dr. Lewis has done and can offer you all of these restorative options.
Are “same day crowns” better than traditional crowns?
No. They can be the same type of crown and only differ in the method the crown is made. Traditional crowns are where an impression is taken, digital or with impression material, and then sent to a lab. The same day crowns are milled in the dental office.
Dr. Lewis had the opportunity to evaluate the first CAD-CAM crown milling machines and software back in the early 1990’s long before they became public. Obviously at that time they had years of work yet to do to get them accurate enough for clinical use. Over the years we have kept up with the technology which is often referred to as “same day crowns”.
In the right hands same day crowns can be accurate. However, there is still a human element that can ruin the fit and longevity of the crown despite the technology. A dentist that produced poor traditional crowns will most likely still produce poor same day crowns. Traditional crowns are made by skilled lab professionals. The dentist or unskilled dental assistant becomes essentially the lab professional with same day crowns. They do not come out of the milling machine ready to cement. Also, at this time most milling crown machines are limited to only one type of crown material as opposed to the many options for traditional crown methods.
These in office crown milling machines and software cost the dentist well over a 100,000 to purchase and maintain. And unfortunately many dentists may be pressured to over diagnose treatment to justify the cost.
In Dr. Lewis’ opinion traditional crown methods still provide the overall best options for you when all things considered. He also uses an in house lab which provides much higher quality end product for both functional and esthetic needs of his patients.
What type of toothbrush should I use?
The brand of the toothbrush is not as critical as the type of bristle and the size of the head. A soft toothbrush with a small head is recommended because medium and hard brushes tend to cause irritation and contribute to recession of the gums, and a small head allows you to get around each tooth more completely and is less likely to injure your gums. It’s unnecessary to “scrub” the teeth as long as you are brushing at least twice a day and visiting your dentist at least twice a year for cleanings.
Is one TOOTHPASTE better than others?
Generally, no. However, it’s advisable to use a fluoride containing toothpaste to decrease the incidence of dental decay. We recommend our patients use what tastes good to them as long as it contains fluoride.
How often should I floss?
Flossing of the teeth once per day helps to prevent cavities from forming between the teeth where your toothbrush can’t reach. Flossing also helps to keep your gums healthy.
What’s the difference between a crown & a cap?
These are restorations to repair a severely broken tooth by covering all or most of the tooth after removing old fillings, fractured tooth structure, and all decay. The restoration material is made of gold, porcelain, composites, or even stainless steel. Dentists refer to all of these restorations as “crowns”. However, patients often refer to the tooth-colored ones as “caps” and the gold or stainless steel ones as “crowns”.
What’s the difference between a bridge & a partial denture?
Both bridges and partial dentures replace missing teeth. A bridge is permanently attached to abutment teeth or, in some cases, implants. A partial denture is attached by clasps to the teeth and is easily removed by the patient. Patients are usually more satisfied with bridges than with partial dentures.
Do I need to have a root canal because I have a crown?
No. While most teeth that have had root canal treatments do need crowns to strengthen the teeth and to return the teeth to normal form and function, not every tooth needing a crown also needs to have a root canal.
