Dr. Caprice Marjenin, D.D.S.

It is usually more comfortable to drink cool or cold liquids after an extraction to soothe the inflammation. However, hot drinks are not discouraged in any way.

Only the gingivitis that was directly around and associated with that tooth will go away. If you were diagnosed with gingivitis on other or surrounding teeth, the gingivitis will still be there on those teeth.

Typically no. The only time that there may be some discomfort is if the soft tissue gets pinched slightly. What you can expect to feel is pressure.

I would recommend a follow up with the dentist that performed the root canal. Tapping or percussion sensitivity is normal after a root canal to a point, but typically this resolves within 1 week time. If your tooth continues to hurt, it may be an indication of residual infection or a fracture in your tooth. Always best to follow up :)

Cold sensitivity is fairly common and can have multiple causes: 1) It could indicate that you have a cavity. This, and sometimes sweet sensitivity, are early indicators that there may be an issue that you need to have looked at. 2) Clenching and grinding can put excessive pressure on a tooth and essentially "bruise" the ligament surrounding a tooth and cause inflammation, which results in cold sensitivity that can come and go. 3) Young people tend to struggle with tooth sensitivity more. When we are young, the nerves in our teeth are much larger, making them more reactive to hot and cold stimulus. This may be the culprit if all of your teeth tend to be sensitive, not just one tooth. 4) Receding gums can also cause increased sensitivity on a tooth. With gum recession, the actual root of the tooth (which is the more sensitive part of the tooth) becomes exposed and will quickly tell you that it doesn't like it. 5) Sinus inflammation
and sinus infections can also cause increased sensitivity to cold on the top back teeth. This is especially more prevalent in the spring and fall when allergens are at their peak. Long story short, the cause of your sensitivity could be any one of the above. If you have not seen a dentist in a while, I highly recommend seeing a dental professional to nail down which one of these could be contributing to your discomfort. I would also like to note that if at any point you start having lingering pain to cold, then it is likely a cavity or a fracture that needs immediate attention.

It usually takes 24-48 hours to start to feel the effects of an antibiotic.

I recommend waiting approximately 1 week between a root canal appointment and the appointment with your general dentist to get a permanent restoration placed. This gives your body enough time to heal from the root canal so that there is no discomfort while a permanent restoration is being placed, but a short enough amount of time that you don't have to worry about leakage of bacteria around the temporary material that could cause re-infection.

With each new aligner for Invisalign, your teeth may be tender for 1-3 days as they start to move. Usually during this time, your dentist or orthodontist will recommend some type of over the counter pain medication to help manage any symptoms based on your medical conditions.

A combination of simple therapies can help greatly. I would start with excellent oral hygiene: brushing for 2 minutes 2x/day and making sure to get the gumline. When brushing, position your toothbrush half on your tooth and half on the gums to make sure you are removing the plaque at the area of inflammation. Also, flossing. Even a feable attempt at flossing can help reduce inflammation. Lastly, I recommend a warm salt water rinse 2x/day. The saline rinse will help shrink the tissues. After a couple of days you should start to see an improvement.

This totally depends! I have seen some sealants last less than 6 months and others last for decades. The first variable is how well isolated the tooth was when the sealant was placed. Most sealant products need a very dry environment to be placed. Beyond that, sealants will come off more quickly if you eat a lot of sticky foods or chew a lot of gum.

Unfortunately, no. Braces are only used to help improve the actual position of your teeth or bite, but do not improve the existing condition of your teeth. Long term, if your teeth are in a better position and not crowded/misaligned then your teeth are easier to take care of and it may decrease your likelihood to get more cavities.

Yes! However, only with some commitment to the process. At my office, we use prescription products such as MI paste or Clinpro toothpaste as a medicine on the teeth prior to going to be to help reverse the cavities. Both of these prescription products have an ingredient call tricalcium phosphate (Recaldent) that can "heal" those small cavities. This therapy is recommended for a minimum of 6 months to be effective.

Root planing in and of itself does NOT cause recession. However, most patients are getting scaling and root planing due to periodontal disease, which is characterized by inflammation of the gums. After root planing, once you have removed all of the calculus and the CAUSE of the inflammation, the gums will start to heal. Healthy gums are tight and pink, so as the inflammation improves you may see recession, but in this case, it indicates that your periodontal health is improving.