Frequently Asked Questions

Visiting the dentist on a regular basis is essential for keeping your smile healthy and beautiful. Your teeth may feel fine, but regular dental health check-up is very important because problems can exist without you knowing.
Professional cleaning once in 6 months confirms the removal of plaque build-up, and most importantly addresses any concealed problems you may have overlooked while caring for your teeth at home. Tiny cavities and initial gum problems can form in areas not easily visible and in hard-to-reach areas of your teeth and may be found only through a professional exam. If left untreated, these cavities can get worse, may need extensive treatment and cost you more time and money. During your routine exam, we will also check to make sure your fillings or other dental restorations are intact and in proper shape. Along with these routine procedures, we incorporate the screening for pre-cancerous and cancerous lesions and other hidden major problems in the dento-maxillofacial complex.

When patients have to undergo root canal treatment, they usually think about pain. In actuality, the pain is felt because of an infection in the tooth, rather than due to root canal treatment. The goal of root canal treatment is to eliminate the pain caused due to infection. The root canal procedure itself is totally painless. The procedure is done under local anaesthesia which numbs the tooth and the surrounding area. Most people are afraid to have a root canal treatment done because they are mainly anxious about having dental work done and hence perceive the procedure also to be painful. At our set up, we carry out RCTs with compassion, total patience and with latest equipment so that you are comfortable and get treated totally pain free.

For a tooth to be root canal treated an access hole is made in the crown and the pulp of the tooth which may be infected or inflamed is removed. Due to removal of the nerve, tooth is hollowed out, compromising the structural integrity of the tooth and making it prone for fractures. By placing a crown (a tooth-shaped cap) on the tooth, there is much less chances of fracture in the future. Moreover, root canal is done often because decay or a crack in the tooth has reached the pulp of the tooth and caused irreversible damage to the nerve of the tooth. Due to this, there is usually a significant amount of damaged tooth structure.  This is an additional reason that a crown is necessary in order to restore the tooth. A post is not always necessary. However, if a significant amount of the tooth is missing, a post and a ‘core’ of filling material may be necessary to support the crown.  Posts can be made of metal or fiber-reinforced resin and are cemented in the canal space of the tooth to aid in replacing the missing tooth structure.

New parents often ask, "When should my child first see a dentist?" Simple answer to this is “when u notice the first tooth”. This is generally at the age of 8 months to 1 year. Such early visits are suggested because toddlers at this age are at the risk of early childhood cavities. Once these develop, the treatment process gets complicated and hence it is strongly recommended to prevent such problems. To prevent early childhood cavities, parents first have to find out their child's risk of developing cavities. But cavities aren't all that parents need to learn about their child's dental health. The age 1 dental visit lets parents discuss:

1. How to care for an infant's or toddler's mouth
2. Proper use of fluoride
3. Oral habits, including finger and thumb sucking
4. Ways to prevent accidents that could damage the face and teeth
5. Teething and milestones of development
6. The link between diet and oral health

After this first visit, the dentist will suggest a schedule of follow-up visits. In the past, dentists typically called for visits every six months. Now, the schedule may vary according to each child's needs and risks. As your child grows, the dental team can help you learn how to prevent common oral problems.

It is recommended that an orthodontic evaluation is done when a child is 7 years old. An orthodontist can best evaluate the clinical situation and suggest the time for your child to get dental braces. This decision generally depends on the severity and the cause of the misalignment of your child's teeth. Traditionally, treatment with dental braces begins when a child has lost most of his or her baby/milk teeth, and a majority of his or her adult/permanent teeth have erupted. This is typically between the ages of 8 and 14. Some orthodontists recommend an interceptive approach, which involves the use of dental appliances called as functional appliances at an earlier age, while a child still has most of his or her baby teeth. These appliances help in correction of any jaw excess or deficiencies. And once the child has most of his or her adult teeth, a second phase of treatment is started — usually with dental braces.

Patients often express concern about pain and discomfort experienced during taking a local anaesthetic, particularly in the mouth. It is actually a very short lived pain and the dentists incorporate many ways of reducing the pain during the process. In our operatory, a prior application of topical anaesthetic is routinely followed for the reduction of pain during the injection. Additionally, finer needles which cause lesser pain are used and the local anaesthetic is given slowly with small volumes given each time. We also use a computer aided Local Anaesthesia delivery system called WAND which will deliver the solution without creating any discomfort to the patient. This facility is used on request only. Along with these factors, if you remain calm and composed during the procedure, injections are minimally painful.

It is strongly recommend that every individual go twice a year to a dentist for a comprehensive check-up for any signs of new problems and assessment of health of existing restorations and treatments done.

There are many factors that determine how often one should have their teeth cleaned. If you have severe gum disease, dentist will recommend cleaning as often as every 2-3 months. If your gums are healthy and you follow a sound oral hygiene program, you may not need teeth cleaning up to six months, or even a year. In some cases, where gum condition is very good, teeth can go two years or more without needing professional cleaning.

1. Brushing your teeth twice in a day is an absolute must!
2. Floss at least once in a day.
3. Use toothpaste that contains fluoride. This will help prevent cavities.
4. Avoid sugary and sticky foods.
5. Avoid tobacco (this can stain your teeth, cause gum disease, and also lead to oral cancer).
6. Clean your tongue with tongue cleaners or even with your toothbrush. By doing this you will remove food particles and reduce the amount of plaque causing bacteria. Tongue brushing also helps keep your breath fresh.
7. Schedule your routine dental check-up. It is recommended that you visit the dentist every six months.

As you are aged, replacing the missing teeth becomes all the more important as your food intake and digestion depends on it. Only a regular and balanced diet helps you keep your general health at optimum. If you have a compromised dentition, with several missing teeth, it is highly likely that you will be compromising on the type of food intake. Further, you would be using the remaining teeth for the regular process of chewing and hence these teeth are more prone for developing problems and you might lose them at faster pace.