Dr. Eric Paul Buck, DDS

Yes especially the first few weeks.  Use the wax that the orthodontist gave you to cover the brackets around the sores and rinse with warm salt water.  If they are diagnosed as canker sores, your doctor can prescribe steroids or anti viral meds to help.
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Yes.  Either with composite filling material, veneers, or crowns.  These will need to be replaced after several years, however.  Sometimes repositioning the teeth to close the spaces with orthodontics is the best solution.

An implant is the best option. Probably the most expensive, but will last the longest with no chance for decay or little chance of fracture. And it is fixed in the mouth. Closest to feeling like a real tooth.

I believe you mean composite fillings. No, these are not toxic and, after removing the decay from the tooth, will protect you tooth for years to come. If you did mean ceramic filling, then this is called an onlay. This material is not toxic either and will typically replace to the chewing surface of your tooth to make it structurally stronger.

Zirconia is the strongest ceramic material in dentistry. And if your dentist is lengthening your teeth, then this may be the best material. However, zirconia can appear a bit opaque. Explain your concerns with your dentist and the lab tech. There are esthetic, more translucent zirconia materials available these days. Or, they can use zirconia as the base material and layer a different, more esthetic ceramic on top of the zirconia. Nothing is forever, so unless you do not plan on talking or chewing on these restorations, you will probably have to replace them at some point. Zirconia is strong, but can still break.

Yes, more than likely you will need local anesthetic in order to be comfortable. The doctor can remove the decay without anesthetic, but it may be unbearable for you to get through the appointment. It's much easier to get anesthetized, then be comfortable than to tolerate the pain of removing a cavity.

Eric Buck, DDS

While dentures are normally associated with older people, most people, including older people, do not need dentures. Amazing things can be done in dentistry and many teeth are able to be saved that couldn't be saved years ago. Dentures lower your quality of life. Visit your dentist and do everything you can to keep your natural teeth. And if you do lose a tooth, replace it with an implant so you don't cause excessive work on the remaining natural teeth.

No, lemon juice is an acid, and whitening gels are bases. Lemon juice will only weaken and break down your enamel and cause cavities. See your dentist for the best whitening options for your teeth.

It's typically necessary if you are going to get an implant or denture in the future. Bone shrinks when a tooth is removed. And it's necessary to replace the tooth or teeth with something to distribute the load when chewing. Otherwise, you'll lose more teeth in the future because less teeth cannot handle the load it requires when chewing, unless you plan on eating yogurt and soup the rest of you life :)

Depending on the complexity of the canal system within the tooth and the severity of the infection, it typically takes 1-3 appointments. Then you will need to have a crown placed on the tooth to prevent fracture and replace the lost tooth structure which typically requires 1-2 appointments depending on if your dentist can mill the crown in office the same day.

Eric Buck, DDS

Breast feeding is best for development of the jaws and tongue placement, but there are specific bottles that have nipples that can create a similar effect. The key is the tongue needs to be placed in the roof of the mouth when swallowing to expand the upper jaw which promotes better breathing and swallowing habits as they grow and start eating solid foods. My advice would be to visit with a pediatric dentist or orthodontist to discuss the best options. Many pediatricians do not understand these concepts as well as those in the dental community. The decisions you make now will affect the growth and development of your child so you are wise to seek the advice of those professionals. Lastly, in regards to bottles, do not put your child to bed with a bottle that has anything other than water. Milk, juice, and other liquids will cause tooth decay very rapidly and significantly as your child gets teeth.  

Eric Buck, DDS

No, it's very unlikely that it would indicate an infection. Talk with your dentist to determine what might be causing it.

Eric Buck

Yes, as a diabetic, you are at a higher risk for periodontal (gum/bone) disease. Bleeding gums is not normal and means there is bacteria and toxic waste under your gums causing inflammation. You could also have bone loss which creates a pocket where more infection can develop. Eventually, you will lose your teeth due to this bone loss.  Get to your dentist so they can measure your bone levels and assess the health of your gums. Typically, we recommend our diabetic patients to have their teeth cleaned every 3 months because they are at such a high risk for developing periodontal disease. Hope that information helps.   
Eric Buck

Typically, your dentist or orthodontist will want to see you once a month. Your brackets will stay on your teeth. They will change the wires and elastics. 
Eric Buck

Visit your dentist as quickly as possible. It will not get better on it's own and a severe infection can set in that can affect other teeth. There are no home remedies you can perform to prevent the infection. Your dentist may be able to save the tooth if it doesn't break any further.   
Eric Buck

An abscessed tooth is a tooth in which bacteria has entered the tooth and followed the path of least resistance through the canals inside the roots of the tooth where the nerves and blood supply used to reside.  The bacteria then begin to proliferate at the tip of the root or roots destroying bone and causing inflammation.  If the source of the infection is removed then the body can then heal the area and the bone will regenerate.  This can be done with either root canal therapy in which the canals inside the root are cleaned and disinfected or the tooth is removed.  Pain typically begins when the inflammation and pressure from infection reach a point where there is nerve innervation and irritation.  The infection will not go away on it's own so yes, pain typically will ensue given enough time.  Secondary serious infection can develop as the infection continues to grow into spaces between muscles causing eye and sinus issues in the upper arch and airway issues in the lower arch.  Much more serious cases involve neurologic and brain infection.  You dentist can assess clinically and take radiographs to determine if a tooth is infection and if an abscess is present.  Hope this helps! 
Eric Buck

Yes, the bacteria will definitely start to infect the other teeth, soft tissue, airway, etc. with enough time.  The infection needs to be mechanically removed due to the fact that the bacteria have already eaten away the transport system (ie blood vessels) that would normally carry the antibiotics to the inside of the tooth.  Good oral hygiene such as flossing and brushing will help reduce the bacterial load in the mouth, but the infection will not go away with just antibiotics.  Get in to see your dentist to remove the source of the infection as soon as possible. Eric Buck, DDS5142 Blazer ParkwayDublin, OH 43017
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Usually one tooth is crooked because there isn't enough room for the tooth to fit.  Therefore all the teeth in the arch need to expand in order to have room for it to fit.  If there is room for the tooth then the braces would just need to move it to put it in alignment and other teeth would not need to be repositioned.  You can utilize clear aligners (ie Invisalign, Clearcorrect, etc.) or traditional brackets and wires to move the teeth.  Visit your dentist for further explanation and treatment options.  Hope that helps! Eric Buck

Baking soda may take off some external staining, but the main reason to use baking soda is to reduce the amount of acidity that the bacteria release in your mouth which causes weakening of enamel and subsequent cavities. So baking soda will help prevent cavities. Dark teeth need a bleaching agent that penetrates through the enamel crystalline structure and oxidizes the intrinsic stain in the tooth. No matter what you have read on the Internet, there is no legitimate research that indicates whitening agents will damage your teeth. Color of the tooth comes from the inside because enamel is translucent. In office treatments or custom bleaching trays will provide the best results because those bleaching agents penetrate deeper which will brighter your teeth. See your dentist because they will be able to make your smile look the best.

Probably not your toothpaste (although some people are sensitive to sodium lauryl sulfate which is in most toothpastes). It could be from mouth breathing and the drying out of the mucosal tissue inside your cheeks. It can also happen if you are contracting your cheek muscles while you sleep. People usually do this if they grind or clench due to sleep apnea, GERD, or some medications that cause grinding/clenching. There are other diseases that can cause this as well such as leukoedema, leukoplakia, pre-cancerous dysplasia, vitamin B deficiency, etc. so you should have your dentist take a look to get a diagnosis.