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QUESTIONS ABOUT MY FIRST APPOINTMENT 1. I don’t have dental insurance. How much is my dental treatment? We accept some dental insurance, Medicaid for those under age 21 (Medicaid does not cover dental for people > than age 21), and All Kids insurance. For those who do not have dental insurance, our prices are based on your income. That is why we need proof of income so that you, the patient, can get the best price for our dental services. If you cannot provide us with proof of your income then we have to charge you our regular prices. 2. What do I need to bring on my first appointment? Picture ID, proof of income or dental insurance card 3. What can I expect from my first dental appointment? If you are a new patient, we will need to make you a chart. You will need to fill out paperwork that includes your contact information and medical history. Let the dentist know any major illnesses, injuries, surgeries in the past, current medications, and drug allergies. The dental assistant will take a panoramic X-ray of all of your teeth. The dentist will diagnose what you need from your X-ray and dental exam. We do not provide any treatment on the first visit because we do not know what your needs are until the initial exam. We already have a booked schedule of patients coming in for extractions, fillings, cleanings, etc. We will schedule you an appointment to come back in for treatment once we know what you need. Estimated wait time for new patients is approximately one hour for paperwork. 4. Can I get my teeth cleaned on the first appointment? Generally no, but it is up to the dentist and hygienist’s availability. On your first visit you need to see the dentist. If you have a lot of cavities or teeth that are infected, you do not need to get your teeth cleaned because it can hurt. Once you have seen the dentist and a cleaning can be done, then we will see if we can work you into the hygienist’s schedule. 5. My tooth hurts badly. Can I get it pulled when I come in for my exam? NO! When a tooth starts to hurt, keeps you up at night, and is swollen, it is generally infected. The infection interferes with the anesthetic that the dentist uses to numb the tooth. So, if your tooth is infected you will not get numb for the extraction. You do not want the dentist to pull a tooth that cannot get numb. Our dentist will place you on an antibiotic for ten days to take care of the infection and a limited amount of pain medication will be prescribed by the dentist. Once the infection is gone, the pain will go away. The antibiotic will stay in your system 4-5 weeks so you will not need another antibiotic. You will need to make the pain medication last as long as possible because we will not give you anymore until your extraction appointment. You can supplement the pain medication with over the counter remedies, such as Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or naproxen sodium (Aleve). These are good medications that help with inflammation. Make sure that you take these on a regular basis so that it stays in your system. If you cannot take these medications, then take Tylenol. Please do not take aspirin or Goody's powder because these medications thin your blood and it will be hard to stop bleeding the day of your extraction. You will start to feel better temporarily but DO NOT MISS YOUR APPOINTMENT FOR THE EXTRACTION!! If you miss your appointment and do not get the tooth out, the pain will return and you will have to wait another 4-6 weeks for an appointment. 6. Can I be put on a payment plan? We charge a fee for the services performed the day of your appointment. Since we already have reduced prices according to your income, we do not have payment plans. 7. My return appointment is 4-6 weeks away. Can I come in any sooner? We serve many patients. A four to six week wait is normal. However, you can call in and see if we have any cancellations. You must arrive within 15 minutes of your appointment time. If you are more than 15 minutes late then we may have to reschedule your appointment. If you need to call and cancel your appointment, you must call the front desk 24 hours in advance. If you do not show up for your appointment without calling to cancel it, then you will have to wait another 4-6 weeks for a return appointment. QUESTIONS ABOUT CLEANINGS, DENTAL HYGIENE, AND BLEACHING 1. How often should I get my teeth cleaned? If you have healthy teeth and gums, you will need your teeth cleaned and examined once every 6 months. If you have gum disease (periodontal) disease, heavy nicotine stains, or heavy calculus buildup, we may request that you come in every 3 months for a deep cleaning (debridement). 2. Does cleanings and/or bleaching take the enamel off my teeth or cause my teeth to break? No. Generally a tooth will only break from tooth decay, decalcification or from trauma to the teeth. 3. I have a bad breath. Can I do anything about it? Bad breath can come from a variety of things. Foods that we eat or substances that our body can’t break down can cause bad breath. Bacteria in our mouth, infection or tooth decay can also cause bad breath. The best thing to do is to brush twice a day and be sure to “brush your tongue”. 80% of bacteria that lives in our mouth are on the tongue! You can also buy a tongue scraper over the counter at a drug store. Also see your dentist regularly to stop any decay or infection. 4. Do whitening strips work really make my teeth whiter? Yes and No. You need to see your dentist first because what appears to be a stain may be decay. Whitening strips will not help tooth decay. In fact, your teeth will probably become very sensitive and chalky. Also, if you have a lot of white fillings in your front teeth, the bleach will not bleach the fillings or any porcelain crowns, it will only work on the natural tooth. Ask your dentist if whitening strips can help you. If you have sensitive teeth, whitening can make them more sensitive. 5. How many times should I brush my teeth? You need to brush your teeth twice a day. In the morning when you get up and at night before you go to bed. It may be more important to brush at night because at night while we are asleep our body basically rests. Our salivary glands do not produce as much saliva which causes us to have and this makes us have extremely dry mouths at night while sleeping. The dry environment sets up a perfect environment for tooth decay to start. 6. What causes tooth decay or a cavity? Tooth decay comes from an imbalance of one of 3 things: poor oral hygiene, high levels of bacteria in our mouth (specifically Streptococcal Mutans), and a diet high in carbohydrates or sugar. So, if you brush 2 times a day and have a healthy diet you may still be susceptible to tooth decay if you have high levels of the bacteria in your mouth. QUESTIONS ABOUT FILLINGS 1. Do you place white fillings (composites) or the silver fillings (amalgam)? We place white fillings most of the time. We will use amalgam if a composite filling will not stay on the tooth. 2. What is a filling and why do I need it? A filling is needed if you have tooth decay in a tooth. Tooth decay can form in the deep grooves of a tooth, the chewing surface between teeth or around the gum line. Once tooth decay starts and passes thru the enamel, you need to have it removed before it gets to the nerve and blood supply. A filling consists of removing the tooth decay and replacing the decay with a “filling”. Simply brushing your teeth does not remove the decay. Only your dentist can remove the decay. If the decay is not removed, the decay or cavity only continues to get bigger. Generally, tooth decay doesn’t hurt so many do not think about it until it does. Do not wait until it hurts, the decay has grown close to the nerve and more expensive treatment is needed. 3. Can you fill a tooth if it is abscessed? NO!! The decay with bacteria has gotten to the sterile nerve and sterile blood supply. Bacteria are introduced to an area that is supposed to be free of bacteria. If you place a filling on top of an infected nerve, the tooth will hurt worse because the bacteria are enclosed in the filled tooth. The only option is a root canal if you want to preserve the tooth; otherwise, an extraction will be required. 4. Can you replace a large filling that has broken? Yes, if the filling is not greater than ¾ of the tooth. If you have a large filling to come out you would be better off getting a crown on that tooth. If it is a back molar, it is better to get these teeth crowned because most of your chewing forces are on these teeth. Ask your dentist if the tooth can be filled or crowned. 5. I had a filling come out and it needs replacing. What do I need to do? If you are an existing patient of any of our QOL Dental sites, call the front office and schedule an appointment for a filling, ask to see if we have any cancellations for fillings. If you have never been seen at QOL then we will have to do an exam and X-ray first. We will not be able to do the filling the same day because we already have patients scheduled for fillings. We will make you an appointment to return for a filling if the tooth can still be filled. QUESTIONS ABOUT EXTRACTIONS 1. Can I have more than one tooth pulled? Yes, if they are on the same side. We will only pull teeth either on the right side or the left side. This way you will have one good side to chew on while the extraction site on the other side heals. 2. How many teeth will the dentist pull per visit? Generally the dentist will pull four to five teeth if you can pay for them that day. If it is your last visit, you will be expected to pre-pay for the extractions the day of your appointment. 3. Will I get pain medication after the extraction? Yes, the dentist will prescribe Lortab(hydrocodone) that should last you 4 days if it is taken every 6 hours. Supplement with Ibuprofen when you are not in pain. Once you run out the dentist will not prescribe anymore Lortab. Tramadol (Ultram) or Ibuprofen will be prescribed if you call needing pain medications. 4. I’ve had a tooth pulled and I feel like there is still a tooth in my socket. Once a tooth is extracted, the bone that surrounds the tooth is still present. You will feel the bone inside the socket until the gum tissue heals over the open socket. 5. What is a dry socket and how can I prevent it? When a tooth is extracted a blood clot forms inside of the socket. This clot allows the socket to heal properly. A dry socket forms when the blood clot comes out of the socket. Spitting, drinking through a straw or smoking causes the blood clot to dislodge from the socket and come out. 6. My tooth is broken off at the gum. Will the dentist have to surgically remove the tooth? Possibly, but most of the time we are able to get the tooth out without using a drill. 7. Do you extract wisdom teeth? If the tooth is fully erupted, we are able to extract. If the wisdom tooth is covered by bone on any gum tissue, then we will have to refer you to an oral surgeon. In some instances, we may have to refer you to an oral surgeon because of the shape of the roots.
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