EXPERT
Dr. Richard Raymond Pence, DDS MAGD
Dentist
Dr. Richard Pence is a Dentist practicing in Denver, NC. Dr. Pence specializes in preventing, diagnosing, and treating diseases and conditions associated with the mouth and overall dental health. Dentists are trained to carry out such treatment as professional cleaning, restorative, prosthodontic, and endodontic procedures, and performing examinations, among many others.
53 years
Experience
Dr. Richard Raymond Pence, DDS MAGD
- Denver, NC
- UNC School of Dentistry
- Accepting new patients
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Can I drive after dental implant procedure?
You usually have a choice with implant surgery. You can be sedated for it if you are very anxious. You can just have local anesthetic, if dental visits don't bother you (I've had READ MORE
You usually have a choice with implant surgery. You can be sedated for it if you are very anxious. You can just have local anesthetic, if dental visits don't bother you (I've had 10 implants placed without sedation). If you choose sedation, you can't drive afterward. If you choose only "numbing the area," driving is just like after a filling, so it's okay.
How can I remove tooth decay myself?
The only type of decay damage that is reversible is very early, small cavities. To do that, you use Fluoride toothpaste (with ADA seal), stop drinking sugary or acidic beverages READ MORE
The only type of decay damage that is reversible is very early, small cavities. To do that, you use Fluoride toothpaste (with ADA seal), stop drinking sugary or acidic beverages (which is about everything, even some popular bottled waters, like Dasani and Pelligrino) Tap water is okay, and most store brand bottled waters are okay. Unsweetened tea (no lemon) is okay. Coffee isn't too bad. Don't eat sweets, except with a meal. Stop snacking. Brush regularly (after meals, not when you just get up) and use UNWAXED dental floss to clean in between teeth, where the brush can't go. This isn't easy to do, but it gives your teeth a chance, and it's overall healthier.
What is the best mouthwash for bad breath?
Mouthwash is only a temporary (lasts about 20 min) cover up for bad breath...which can be caused by tooth & gum problems, sinus drainage, or certain foods (garlic for me!) that READ MORE
Mouthwash is only a temporary (lasts about 20 min) cover up for bad breath...which can be caused by tooth & gum problems, sinus drainage, or certain foods (garlic for me!) that linger from stomach. You have to address each of the causes. Get regular dental cleanings, use floss (unwaxed), brush after eating, clean the back of your tongue (some use a tongue scraper). Beware of some of the odors in what you eat. Use a mouthwash occasionally (do not use regularly) and pick one that says it decreases sulfur causing bacteria on the label.
Can you reverse small cavities?
If the decay hasn't gotten through the hard enamel and into the softer dentin, those small cavities are reversible. They typical cause of the decay is acid bacteria and such things READ MORE
If the decay hasn't gotten through the hard enamel and into the softer dentin, those small cavities are reversible. They typical cause of the decay is acid bacteria and such things as drinking soft drinks, energy drinks, eating sugary snacks can cause the decay to continue. So, if you avoid those things, and use floss (unwaxed), brush regularly...you can reverse the damage. Fluoride toothpaste (with the ADA Seal on the box) can help remineralize the damage.
Do gaps between teeth widen with age?
Yes, they can widen, because teeth can move over time. They do not always do that, but it does happen.
How long does it take to put a crown on an implant?
Takes me 30-50 minutes, typically
Will a deep cleaning stop gum disease?
Deep cleaning will clean out the bacteria under the gums that cause the gum disease, and the gums get healthier. It does not stop the problem, as more food and bacteria will go READ MORE
Deep cleaning will clean out the bacteria under the gums that cause the gum disease, and the gums get healthier. It does not stop the problem, as more food and bacteria will go back under the gums like they did in the first place. The only way to stop the gum disease is to stop the cause of the disease. (Think having an infected splinter in your finger, and taking antibiotic, but leaving the splinter.) You have to be able to keep the plaque and bacteria from hiding from your cleaning of your teeth. Sometimes the deep cleaning can get the gums
healthy enough that just doing a good job at home of using floss and brushing regularly, and seeing the dental hygienist is enough to stop the disease.
healthy enough that just doing a good job at home of using floss and brushing regularly, and seeing the dental hygienist is enough to stop the disease.
Will brushing your teeth help a toothache?
Brushing your teeth, even with a desensitizing toothpaste like “Sensodyne,” only helps the enamel and roots (the outer surface), and a toothache is usually from infection deep READ MORE
Brushing your teeth, even with a desensitizing toothpaste like “Sensodyne,” only helps the enamel and roots (the outer surface), and a toothache is usually from infection deep in the tooth, where the nerves are. Cure for a toothache usually means either cleaning out the infection and sealing up the roots (done by an “Endodontist”), or removing the tooth. If the toothache isn’t too bad, sometimes a filling will help.
How safe is dental anesthesia?
The anesthesia normally used by dentists is called “local” anesthesia, which means the anesthesia stays just in the area where it is given, and is considered much safer than “general”anesthesia READ MORE
The anesthesia normally used by dentists is called “local” anesthesia, which means the anesthesia stays just in the area where it is given, and is considered much safer than “general”anesthesia which affects the whole body.
Can you eat with a flipper tooth?
Yes, but it takes getting used to, and finding out what foods will give problems. It does a nice job of letting you know that you don’t want to go through life with one.
Should you clean your Invisalign with a toothbrush?
Soft brush, no toothpaste, perhaps some hydrogen peroxide to wet the brush occasionally
Do gums tighten after scaling?
Yes, the inflammation decreases, as does any swelling. But, if your gums have receded, they do not grow back. Best you can do is keep from losing any more gum or bone.
How should I sleep with tooth pain?
Difficult! You can take, if you don’t have stomach or bleeding problems, 4 regular aspirin at one time, 20 min before bed, with 8oz glass of warm water. That’s equal to a half READ MORE
Difficult! You can take, if you don’t have stomach or bleeding problems, 4 regular aspirin at one time, 20 min before bed, with 8oz glass of warm water. That’s equal to a half grain of codeine. You could repeat in 6-8 hours, but you can’t keep doing that. Just a couple of times, or you could have complications. Untreated tooth pain can lead to serious problems also.
Can I go to work after a deep cleaning?
Normally, you can go to work. You'll have soreness of the gums for a couple of days and possibly sensitivity to cold drinks, but that's all. More annoying than painful.
Are you awake during oral pinhole surgery?
Optional. If you have dental anxiety, I’d choose sedation
What happens if a filling fails?
Fillings can fail because they can break, like natural teeth, from trauma, such as chewing ice. They can fail because of decay, such as in the mouth of someone who drinks a lot READ MORE
Fillings can fail because they can break, like natural teeth, from trauma, such as chewing ice. They can fail because of decay, such as in the mouth of someone who drinks a lot of soda. The failed fillings can be replaced, usually with a slightly larger filling. Super strong fillings can be made that equal the strength of a natural tooth, and are called “inlays”, but are much more expensive
Can teeth fall out during a deep cleaning?
Possibly. The patient's gum disease would have to be so severe that there would very little or no bone left to hold the tooth in the jaw. The tooth would have been extremely loose READ MORE
Possibly. The patient's gum disease would have to be so severe that there would very little or no bone left to hold the tooth in the jaw. The tooth would have been extremely loose before.
Can a failed dental implant be replaced?
A failed implant (I had one replaced) can be replaced if there is adequate bone remaining, or if bone is inadequate, it can still be grafted to have enough bone to hold the replacement. READ MORE
A failed implant (I had one replaced) can be replaced if there is adequate bone remaining, or if bone is inadequate, it can still be grafted to have enough bone to hold the replacement.
What can you not do after dental implant surgery?
The first few weeks after implant placement are critical, and it is important to continue to avoid pressure on the area for a few months until the implant is fully integrated.
Can you get a partial denture for one tooth?
Yes, you can get a partial denture for one tooth. Often, it's a missing front tooth. We have a nickname for those inexpensive 1-tooth partial dentures: "flipper".
