Dr. Jeffrey Russell Yost, D.D.S.

If your filling is new and was just recently placed, the filling may just be a little too high. If this is the case, a quick and simple adjustment of the filling (lower the height of it), is very likely to eliminate your pain. If the filling is older, it could be cracked or have a cavity under it, and may need to be replaced. Finally if the filling is really large in size, there may not be enough tooth left to support it. If this is the case, the tooth may need a crown. See your dentist to evaluate the cause and solution to your chewing pain.

A root canal should NOT be painful at all. As long as you are given proper and sufficient numbing medicine beforehand, a root canal, an extraction, or any other dental procedure should be completely painless. I completed root canal procedures on 3 patients earlier this week, and they were all completely comfortable and pain-free through the entire procedure. Good anesthesia is the key. Good luck!

He should NOT need an antibiotic if the baby tooth is just being removed because it did fall out on its own. If that is the case, there should not be any infection present to treat with an antibiotic. If the tooth is infected, your dentist will determine if an antibiotic is necessary.

YES. You will need (and want) local anesthesia for a root canal. The goal of anesthesia when properly and adequately administered is diffuse and profound numbness. At that point, a root canal, filling, or even an extraction should be able to be performed painlessly.

Absolutely! Teeth whitening is a very effective and safe way to reserve teeth yellowing. Teeth whitening can be completed by one of three different methods: over-the-counter trays or strips like Crest White Strips; custom-made whitening trays made by your dentist; or in-office whitening completed at your dentist's office. Each method have different advantages, so talk to your dentist to find out which way is best for you.

Patients often cringe at the thought of getting a teeth cleaning, but this does not have to be the case. First you must determine exactly what it is that makes you dread getting your teeth cleaned. Some patients don't like the SOUND of the scraping. If this is the case, bring your headphones/earbuds, and listen to your favorite music during the cleaning. If it is the FEELING of the scraping, you can ask for novacaine, topical numbing gel, or even a numbing mouth rinse. If it is the THOUGHT of the scraping, try nitrous oxide (laughing gas) or possibly even a valium to reduce your anxiety.

No. A filling does not need to be replaced just because it reaches a certain age (5 years old, 10 years old, etc.) A filling done well can last a LONG time. However, if the filling starts to leak so bacteria can get under the filling, it is time to have the filling replaced. The filling also needs to be replaced if part of the filling (or part of the tooth around the filling) chips/breaks. Your dentist checks for these problems during the oral exam and will inform you when it is time to have an old filling replaced.

Sorry to hear about your broken tooth. The pain can be simply due to exposed dentin. This part of the tooth is normally covered by enamel, and if exposed, it is very sensitive (or painful) to air or water. Depending on the size of the break, a filling or dental crown can fix your tooth and cover the exposed dentin. However, if the break is more serious and extends down to the nerve of the tooth, you may need an antibiotic followed by an extraction or root canal to stop the pain. You need to see your dentist as soon as possible and get an x-ray taken of the tooth. This will enable your dentist to see how severe the break is and to determine what your options are. In the mean time, ibuprofen is the best over-the-counter pain medicine to take for tooth pain. However, if the tooth is broken down to the nerve, this will not work as well, so get to your dentist as soon as you can.

Flossing and using a waterpik are both effective ways to remove plaque bacteria from your teeth and gums. Using string floss can be cumbersome and difficult for many people, and in some cases, can be useless or damaging if done improperly. A waterpik is easier and it does all the work for you. So although flossing may technically clean better if used properly (like done by your dental hygienist), a waterpik will most often do a better job for most people, because it is so much easier to use.

Bad breath comes from 1 of 3 sources: the mouth, the sinuses, or the stomach. In the mouth, bad odors can come from tooth cavities, infected teeth/gums, or bacteria embedded in the tongue. These causes of bad breath can all be treated by your dentist. Bad odors can also come from the sinus (sinus infection, sinus congestion, sinus drainage) which can be treated by your ENT. Finally, bad odors can come from the stomach (reflux) which can be treated by your internist or GI doctor.

Once you get your braces off, it is very important to continue to wear your retainer. If you stop wearing your retainer, your teeth absolutely will start to move. Also, as you continue to wear your retainer, it will get looser and not fit the teeth as tightly as it originally did. This will also allow your teeth to move. To avoid any tooth movement from a loose retainer, you need to replace your retainer (if it is a plastic retainer) or have it tightened (if it is a wire retainer).

I would avoid having TMJ surgery if at all possible. After TMJ surgery, you usually have reduced and limited opening of your mouth (which can make eating more difficult), and most often open the door to future surgeries.

TMJ surgery should be limited to only the very most severe cases such as where pathology (tumor, cyst, etc.) is present or complete destruction of the condyle. Most popping can be eliminated by the use of orthopedic appliance therapy which is a mouth guard that moves the jaw down and forward. I had a patient who was too embarrassed to eat with clients, because his jaw popped so loudly. After wearing a custom appliance, he said the jaw popping was completely gone in one month.

So if I were you, I would rule out all possible non-surgical options before I would see an oral surgeon.

I'm not sure what caused your gums to hurt after your last dental cleaning. Perhaps there was more gum inflammation or tartar than your normally have.
However, regardless of the cause, the best cure is usually warm salt water. After a dental cleaning when we anticipate that the gums may be more sore than normal, we recommend rinsing with warm salt water 3-4 times a day for the next 2-3 days. Take a juice glass of warm water and add a teaspoon of salt. Stir. Rinse for 30-60 seconds and spit out. The salt water is very soothing to sore gums and helps promote healing of inflamed, tender gums. You can also take Ibuprofen (an anti-inflammatory) if needed for the pain during this time.

Bleeding gums can be very painful. If you have just started flossing, it is completely normal for them to bleed and hurt even more. This happens because your gums are not used to the pressure from the floss. If you continue flossing, the bleeding should lessen and stop after 7-14 days.
Here area some things you can do to help your gums:
1. Get a professional teeth cleaning-this will remove bacteria and tartar that cause your gums to bleed.
2. Brush 2-3 times a day, and floss EVERY day.
3. Rinse with an anti-bacterial mouth rinse like Listerine to further kill the bacteria that cause gum inflammation.
4. While your gums are still sore and bleeding, rinse once a day with warm salt water - this helps to soothe sore gums and promote healing of the gums.
5. Finally, if needed, take Ibuprofen for the pain. Ibuprofen is an anti-inflammatory, and it is inflammation that causes the gums to hurt.