Why do dentist use “Novocain” anesthetics with epinephrine when I heard it can have bad side effects?
The epinephrine in the anesthetic actually makes the anesthetic it less toxic by allowing for slow release of the anesthetic. Without it the anesthetic gets processed through the body too quickly and for some can be dangerous.

I have tooth pain that never seems to go away and the dentist can’t figure out where it is or what is causing it?
Tooth pain is difficult to diagnose because it can be cause by many diffident factors other then decay.
Sinus infection at times can cause top teeth to hurt mimic a deep cavity or abscess.
So can grinding your teeth. Sometimes the best way to diagnose

Does everyone’s wisdom teeth need to be extracted?
No not everyone’s. However if you have wisdom teeth and they are not straight or there is no room for them in your mouth. they need to come out. That is the majority of the population

If I have controlled diabetes why do I have to go to the dentist more often?
Diabetics, even controlled diabetics, have decreased ability to heal. That diminished capacity is exacerbated in the gums, feet and eyes.
In a diabetic, a cavity that would take a long time to progress in a healthy person, can progress quickly into the need for root canal. Gum disease can progress just as quickly.
As a diabetic, you need to be able to chew your food so as you can digest it properly.
Without teeth, you cannot chew as efficiently therefore cannot digest as well. That causes too many spikes in your blood sugar making it difficult to control.
As part of a diabetic’s regimen they should make visits to the eye doctor, foot doctor and dentist more frequently.

My dentist says once I get my tooth extracted I can get an implant in the future when I can afford it.
This is true up to a point. The optimal time for placement of an implant after extraction is from 8 – 11 months. After that period the bone starts to diminish in quality and size. Eventually the bone recedes enough so as a bone graft is needed to allow ample bone for the implant to integrate( fuse) to the bone.

I heard implants are better then my own teeth. So why not just get your teeth pulled one by one and get them replaced by implants.
True implants cannot get cavities. They are prone to gum disease and the crowns affixed to the implants do break sometimes. Also there are instances where an implant crown is difficult to keep clean
Implants are called prosthetics. Another term for prosthetic is replace net. replacement is never as good as the original( your own )
Think of a prosthetic limb. They don not function as swell as the originals.

Does every tooth needing a crown need a root canal?
No, a root canal is only needed if the dentist feels there is an infection in the tooth or the tooth hurts.

My tooth is broken and it does not hurt does that mean my dentists can just fill the tooth.
That depends on many factors however the rule of thumb is that typically if a tooth is broken it should hurt. Just like any other body part that is injured.
If it does not hurt that could mean the nerve is dead and most likely you w2uill need a root canal and a crown.

How come my insurance covers so little of my treatment?
Dental insurance should not really be called insurance, but dental assistance. The benefit package is three tiered. The first is the allowance of money per procedure. The second is the type of procedure allowed and third is for a yearly maximum, the amount of money they will give you toward treatment per year.
Dental maximums have not changed in twenty-five years. They were $1000-1500 dollars then as they are now.

Do silver fillings have mercury?

Yes they do. Silver filling is called in amalgam. The term amalgam means combination of diverse things. In metallurgy it is a compilation of several metals to make another.
That being said, the mercury is a binder. It is only detectable when the filling is being placed and when it is being removed.
Think of it this way, when you make bread you combine eggs, butter, with flour. The butter is obviously detectable when you are making it. Then when the breads is made you do not detect the hint of butter until, you taste it.
In addition, the amount of mercury is so small that it will not harm you unless you have an allergy to that metal

What is the difference between holistic dentist and a regular dentist?
Holistic dentistry condors up images of “natural fillings and treatment”
That is a bit of a misnomer. All dentists are sort of “ natural dentist” Both holistic dentist and general dentist use crowns with no metal, use compositor or bonded fillings.
There are only so many materials to” build a house with”. And all builders use the same materials metal, wood and steel.

The only difference is that holistic dentist claim to be able to cure your ills through he removal of silver fillings and supposedly have the ability to measure the amount of mercury you have emanating from fillings.
As I said before, unless you are allergic to the metal your ills will not be cured.
The measuring of mercury vapor emanated form the fillings has no scientific basis.

Why do my crowns have a dark line around them that looks like a cavity but its not.
That dark line could be either the color of the tooth itself shining through the gum.
This typically happens if the tooth was dark after a root canal and the gum in the area is thin
It could also be a crown with metal under the porcelain and the metal is showing.
Both can be resolved of they are a cosmetic concern. However, it is not a good idea to re- crown a tooth outside the “smile line “ just for that reason. By that I mean if you see it when you smile or laugh remedy the situation. Otherwise leave be.
Why does my dentist warrantee his work for a period of years when my friends does not. Putting warranties on dental restorations is like putting a warranty on hoe long your shoe will last and stay new looking. It depends on son many factors out of our control.
We all have expectations of our work lasting a long time. But most dentists do not warrantee their work. However, that being said, most dentist will retreat a tooth if it fails within a certain period of time, say a year.
A better question to ask you dentist is how long do you find this restoration (filling, crown, and lasts on your patients in your practice.
Trust me, he will know.
In our practice, of the people that have been in the practice, coming regularly for their maintenance, about 90 percent keep their crown over twenty years, the fillings about fifteen.

Once I have been treated for gum disease can I resume my normal oral hygiene routine?
Unfortunately gum disease, like diabetes and a host of other medical conditions, cannot be cured only controlled. Once you have been diagnosed and treated your dentist will have a different schedule for maintaining your gum health.

If I have an infection why cant the dentist just give me an antibiotic like my medical doctor?
Dental infections are typically caused by bacteria in the tooth or gum. The problem is that the tooth and the gum keep producing the bacteria continuously unless you stop, or remove, the source of the bacteria the infection will; not be resolved.
Typically a infection in the rest of your body is caused by a single source inoculating you with the bacteria. It does not keep producing or reseeding the bacteria.

Why is it important to save baby teeth?
Baby teeth not only help nourish the child but allowing adequate chewing they also help the space for the permanent teeth and aid in proper jaw development.

Why is the fee my insurance allows for a procedure typically less then what the dentist charges?
The insurance company bases its fees ( called ucr, usual and customary) on a statistical analysis of fees based on several years , zip code and other data. it is most the time not usual and not customary.
Since it is based on data that is old by the time it is gathered and processed

How come my insurance company gives a maximum on my yearly spending?

Unfortunately. Dental disease is so prevalent, most people has some form of it. That there is no ‘group of healthy people” to help offset those that need care.
The insurance companies try to “stretch that maximum by making their “ customary fee’ for each procedure a lower dollar value, thus allowing for more procedures for their maximum

Why is there such a wide range of fees for dental implants?
Dental implants, like implants that are used for joints, are specific to the type of bone in which it is being used and the stresses it will have to incur.
Implants, like any other commodity, can have their per unit cost decreased by buying one size in bulk from manufacturers. The problem is one size does not fit all. And even though they will work most the time they do not work all they time not all the time