Shoreline Dental Associates, PC

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Family Dentistry
Shoreline Dental Associates, PC

Q. Why do you say you cater to cowards?
Q. How is this different than any other dentist?
Q. I have a child who is deathly afraid of having dental work. How can you help her?
Q. What should I do before a dental appointment to help my child? (Should I feed her before an appointment?)
Q. How old should a child be for their first dental appointment?
Q. Should I pull my child's loose baby teeth or just let them fall out?
Q. How old should a child be to have braces?
Q. Do you put on braces?
Q. What is a Sealant?

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Q. Why would I see you and not an orthodontist for braces?
Q. How can I keep my child's teeth from looking scarred from braces?
Q. Do you put Braces on adults? How does that differ from children?
Q. Is it possible to straighten adult and have them stay straight?
Q. Will I need to wear a retainer? For how long?
Q. Do you whiten teeth?
Q. How long does teeth whitening take? How expensive? How long does it last?
Q. I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and I've read that it's better to take out old amalgam fillings. Do you do that? Will my insurance cover it?
Q. I don't have dental insurance. Do you offer payment plans?
Q. I've read that there's a lot happening in cosmetic dentistry. Can you explain?
Q. What is periodontal disease and what can I do to stop it.

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Q. I hate to floss. My gums get sore and bleed every time I floss. Am I really putting my teeth at risk as long as I brush twice a day? What happen if I don't?
Q. I just turned forty and suddenly all of my dental work seems to be either falling out or changing. I have two new cavities, and I haven't had a cavity since I was a kid. What's going on?
Q. What's a bridge?
Q. I was just told I need a root canal. What is it? How expensive? Do you do them?
Q. I just moved here and had a root canal done in my hometown. They put a cap on the tooth and lately I notice that food keeps getting caught along the bottom edge of the cap near the gum line. Will I need a whole new root canal or should I just ignore it and brush after meals?
Q. My husband's jaw clicks when he eats. Lately it's been getting worse. Does that mean his jaw is out of alignment? Can it be fixed, and if so, whom should we see?
Q. My neighbor's son lost a front tooth in a bike fall. I've read there's a way to save a knocked out tooth. What should I do if that happens to my child?
Q. My son chipped a front tooth. Will it require a cap? (It's a baby tooth)
Q. My toddler's eyeteeth are pointed like fangs. Can these be filed down a bit without him? Will his permanent teeth come in like this?
Q. My husband and I are shopping for dental insurance. What should we look for in a policy? What's the average monthly cost? What carriers do you take?

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Q / A Why do you say you cater to cowards?
We realize that just the thought of dental work creates anxiety in most people. We have available nitrous oxide (laughing gas) to try and relax people. Head phones for those who do not like the sound of the drill. We also have available a special air abrasion machine that can replace the drill in certain circumstances. Most importantly we try to take our time and explain all procedures before we do them. This usually lessens the fear of the unknown.
Q / A How is this different than any other dentist?
Most dentists do not use nitrous oxide or have an air abrasion unit.
Q / A I have a child who is deathly afraid of having dental work. How can you help her?
The most helpful thing is just spending time with a child and explaining everything before we start work. This takes away the unknown. We also let all our patients know that they can stop us at anytime and we won't precede until they are ready.
Q / A What should I do before a dental appointment to help my child? (Should I feed her before an appointment?)
Make sure your child gets plenty of rest the night before the appointment. Usually children under 6 do best in the morning. If they ask questions tell them the truth about what to expect but don't scare them. Try to have them eat lightly before their appointment. Some food is good but not a heavy meal.

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Q / A How old should a child be for their first dental appointment?
I like to see children around the age of 3.5 years old. My technique with children is to explain things before we do any work. This takes the fear of the unknown away. If there are obvious problems, then I will see them at any age.
Q / A What is a Sealant?
Teeth have what we call pits and fissures in them. In some cases these are very deep and a toothbrush is unable to get into these small deep grooves to clean them. This is the most common place for decay to start. To prevent the decay from starting, we place a tooth colored filling material into the pits and fissures. This prevents food from getting into them and starting decay. This however, does not prevent decay from starting in between the teeth. Flossing is needed to prevent that.
Q / A Should I pull my child's loose baby teeth or just let them fall out?
In most cases it is best just to have them come out on their own. If however, you suspect something is not right, then by all means we would like to see them
. Q / A How old should a child be to have braces?
This time varies greatly depending upon the condition being treated. Cross bites need to be treated as soon as possible most of the time. Without early treatment the bones do not grow correctly resulting in much longer and costly treatment later on. Usually most treatment begins when almost all the permanent teeth (except 3rd Molars) are in. The girls usually begin treatment around 10 to 12 year of age and the boys 12 to 14.
Q / A Do you put on braces?
Yes, we have been doing braces for over 20 years now. We do both the traditional braces (Bands, Brackets and Wires) and Functional appliances, which are used to correct lower jaw to upper jaw relationships without surgery. I have spent over 500 hours of continuing education on braces. Including time at the United State Dental Institute, Cranio-Facial Pain Center of Washington, DC.

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Q / A Why would I see you and not an orthodontist for braces?
You always have the choice of seeing an orthodontist. Most parents like the connivance of going to one place to get things done. Going to multiple offices is always time consuming. Our office also can stay on top of the routine things such as cleanings. This is extremely important when wearing braces.
Q / A How can I keep my child's teeth from looking scarred from braces?
The most important way, is simply brush your teeth effectively. We spend a lot of time in our office showing the kids how to brush. They all know how to do it. Also I like to have the kids brush with a high fluoride content toothpaste. We also recommend a special mechanical tooth brush (Rotodent) for those that cannot seem to get things done.
Q / A Do you put Braces on adults? How does that differ from children?
Yes we treat lots of adults. Adults generally take longer because we cannot take advantage of any growth. They also must wear retainers longer.
Q / A Is it possible to straighten adult and have them stay straight?
Yes, but in most cases they will have long term retainer wear.
Q / A Will I need to wear a retainer? For how long?
Yes, you will almost always need a retainer. I recommend that a child wear one full time for the first 30 days and then at night for 18 months. An adult depending upon what was done will most likely be wearing one for years.

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Q / A Do you whiten teeth?
Yes, we use 2 different methods. One, a powerful in office bleaching that starts the process. It takes about 1 hour for the upper teeth and the same for the lower. We also make special trays for the upper and lower teeth, so that you may bleach them further at home. We have found this combination works the best.
Q / A How long does teeth whitening take? How expensive? How long does it last?
Initially one hour for the upper (arch) teeth. Then we wait about one week then start with the home bleaching trays. They are used at least for 4 hours per night until you reach the desired shade. We have to watch the teeth to make sure they do not become sensitive. If they do we must stop. As of Jan 1, 1999 we charge $300.00 per arch. The time it will last is dependent upon how much coffee, tea and smoking you do. These all apply a surface stain. You can always do a touch up bleaching with your trays for these stains.
Q / A I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and I've read that it's better to take out old amalgam fillings. Do you do that? Will my insurance cover it?
It is our policy not to remove any fillings that are in good shape. However, if a filling needs to be replaced because of decay or it is broken then you have the option of filling it with a tooth colored (composite), gold or ceramic material and not use a mercury containing filling material. Payment by your dental insurance will depend upon its coverage limitations.
Q / A I don't have dental insurance. Do you offer payment plans?
Yes, please ask at the front desk.
Q / A I've read that there's a lot happening in cosmetic dentistry. Can you explain?
There has been an explosion of new materials in the past few years. These newer materials can provide you a wonderful new smile. Such things as bleaching, new composite (tooth colored) for not only the front teeth but the back teeth as well. Porcelain veneers and all ceramic crowns are the big changes. These all provide very life like restorations.

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Q / A What is periodontal disease and what can I do to stop it.
Periodontal disease is a bone dissolving, puss producing disease. It is an infection. Left untreated it will simply dissolve away the bone that holds your teeth in and they will literally fall out or have to be extracted. Prevention is by having good home care, having your teeth specially cleaned on a regular basis, use of antibiotics, mouth rinses, and sometimes surgery.
Q / A I hate to floss. My gums get sore and bleed every time I floss. Am I really putting my teeth at risk as long as I brush twice a day? What happen if I don't?
If your gums bleed and you are flossing correctly it means you have gingivitis. Healthy gums do not bleed. There is a standard saying in dentistry, that is floss the ones you want to keep!!!!!! Your chances of having decay between the teeth are greatly enhanced by not flossing.
Q / A I just turned forty and suddenly all of my dental work seems to be either falling out or changing. I have two new cavities, and I haven't had a cavity since I was a kid. What's going on?
Most likely the fillings that you had put in as a child are just wearing out. They will wear and break just like everything else.
Q / A What's a bridge?
A bridge is an appliance that replaces a missing tooth (or teeth) but is cemented in place. It does not come out and therefore feels and looks more natural.
Q / A I was just told I need a root canal. What is it? How expensive? Do you do them?
A root canal or endodontic therapy consists of cleaning out the old nerve chamber and reshaping it to receive a filling material to replace where the nerve once was. We do endodontic therapy just about every day. Costs range from around $300 to $500 depending upon how many roots are involved. After the root canal is completed the involved tooth will need usually 2 more different procedures. One, a build up of some sort and then a crown.
Q / A I just moved here and had a root canal done in my hometown. They put a cap on the tooth and lately I notice that food keeps getting caught along the bottom edge of the cap near the gum line. Will I need a whole new root canal or should I just ignore it and brush after meals?
The first thing we need to check is if there is decay along the edge of the cap. The tooth will not hurt because endodontic treatment has been done on the tooth. If there is decay, and it goes under the crown, the crown will have to be redone. The root canal usually will not have to be redone.

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Q / A My husband's jaw clicks when he eats. Lately it's been getting worse. Does that mean his jaw is out of alignment? Can it be fixed, and if so, whom should we see?
The clicking sound is caused by a cartilage disc being displaced in the temporo-mandibular joint. Long term clicking will result in a degenerative arthritis in the joint, headaches, earaches, muscle pain and limitations of motion. I have taken a lot of advanced training in the treatment of these temporo-mandibular joint (TMJ) problems.
Q / A My neighbor's son lost a front tooth in a bike fall. I've read there's a way to save a knocked out tooth. What should I do if that happens to my child?
Wash the tooth off but do not brush it. Have the child hold the tooth under their tongue. If not possible, place in a glass of milk. Call immediately as time is very critical for reimplantation.
Q / A My son chipped a front tooth. Will it require a cap? (It's a baby tooth)
We would have to see the tooth as to how much of the tooth is left, the age of the child and position of the permanent tooth underneath it.
Q / A My toddler's eyeteeth are pointed like fangs. Can these be filed down a bit without him? Will his permanent teeth come in like this?
We can usually just round them off with no trouble. The shape is determined by genetics, so the adult tooth can be pointed also and we can reshape it easily.
Q / A My husband and I are shopping for dental insurance. What should we look for in a policy? What's the average monthly cost? What carriers do you take?
To make things cost effective you should look for a policy that pays at least 50% on routine things like fillings, crowns, extractions, X-rays. Cleanings and exams should be reimbursed at an 80 to 90% rate or more. Monthly costs will very depending upon % coverage's and yearly deductible. We accept most standard insurance. We do not accept Medicaid, HMO's, PPO's and other dental health maintaince organization insurance.

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