December 17,2008
The next time you start to get sensitivity on a tooth, call your dentist. Do not wait for the weekend and things to get worse. The situation could get worse and usually does. It is important to handle
all situations regarding your mouth. Do not put off treatment recommendations either. If you have a crack in a tooth, get it fixed cause the worse thing that can happen is that the tooth breaks and causes pain
January 14, 2009
A patient yesterday, had pain when he was chewing. This symptom is a classical example of a fracture or crack in the tooth. Cracks typically occur when a tooth has a larger filling. The filling has weakened the tooth and when a patient chews, the tooth will get stressed and produce a crack. The solution is to remove the filling and place a temporary crown on the tooth. If the pain persists, then a root canal is indicated. If the pain stops, then a permanent crown may be done!
January 22,2009
Today a patient complained about the cost of dentistry. I agreed that dentistry can be expensive, especially if extensive treatment is needed. He wanted to have the treatment but due to his recent economic situation,he could not afford it. I asked him if he afford to make payments and his answer was yes! I went on to explain to him that we use a company called Care Credit and $3000 dollars worth of treatment got alot easier without paying interest.
February 1,2009
I saw a patient last Monday morning that had not slept at all the night before. Her face was a little swollen and she missed the last two days of work because of the flu. I noticed a broken tooth on the lower right side of her Jaw. It was the same tooth we had spoken about seven weeks ago. In December, I had told her that her tooth was not healthy and that we needed to fix it. She said that due to the holidays, she could not afford to fix it and it would have to wait. We could not wait any longer. I got her signed up with Care Credit(0% for 6 months) and we took care of her infection and fixed her tooth. Unfortunately, it cost her an additional $600 more than the original estimate because she did not take care of the problem when I first told her.
February 22, 2009
When your visiting the dentist, Don't be afraid to ask any question. It is important that you understand your treatment and the procedure to be done. When I treat my patients , they know each procedure and what is going to happen. They know if it is going to feel uncomfortable; how long the procedure is going to take; and what is being performed. Do not let your dentist work on you without your consent. You should know the costs involved and what might happen during the visit also.