Frequently Asked Dental Questions - North Dallas, TX

Am I eligible for dental implants?

If you have good oral health, sufficient bone volume, and healthy gum tissue, chances are you are in fact eligible for dental implants. We ask that you schedule an initial consultation first so we can confirm your eligibility. If you have had missing teeth for a long time, it’s possible that your bone volume has decreased, which means it may require a bone graft before it’s eligible for treatment. It’s very important that these conditions are met as they greatly influence your ability to receive dental implants.

I don’t like my denture. Is there a better solution?

If your denture is slipping and sliding inside your mouth or you’re tired of getting it repaired and replaced every several years, you may want to consider implant-retained versions. Instead of relying solely on the shape of your mouth to stay in place, our dental office places a series of dental implants throughout the jaw that eventually anchor a full or partial denture. This denture can be designed to be fixed or removable, depending on your preference.

My tooth hurts. Do I need to have a root canal?

Not necessarily. If the tooth pain is caused by decay, it’s possible that we can remove the decayed portions of the tooth and restore it with either a filling or crown, depending on the extent of the damage. However, if you notice other symptoms, such as a fever, bumps on the gum tissue near the tooth in question, or darkening of the tooth that appears dark yellow, gray, brown, or black in color, you may need a root canal. The best way to confirm this is to receive a detailed X-ray and examination at our dental office.

Should I see a dentist or go to the emergency room for a dental emergency?

If you sustain an oral injury and your jaw is broken or you experience severe bleeding that does not stop, you should get to the emergency room right away. However, if your issue is tooth pain, a chipped or knocked-out tooth, or a damaged or lost restoration, that’s an emergency our dental office is more effective at resolving. In many cases, emergency rooms will not be able to treat your dental emergency unless it is one of the two cases mentioned previously. Instead of wasting time and money on an unnecessary emergency room visit, give our dental office a call.

Is gum disease reversible?

If your gums bleed only when brushing or flossing, you likely have gingivitis. This condition can be easily reversed with improved at-home care as well as a professional cleaning at our dental office. However, if gum disease has progressed past the gingivitis stage, it will need to be treated through scaling and root planing. While gum disease is not reversible at this stage, we can stop it from progressing further and prevent your teeth from falling out as a result of the infection.

What if I feel nervous about my future treatment?

Our dental office does everything it can to keep you at ease and informed prior to your treatment. In the event that you need additional sedation to stay calm during treatment, we recommend nitrous oxide sedation which is available at our dental office. This sedative is fast-acting, so you can easily begin treatment comfortably and leave the dental office without any long-term side effects to worry about.