Dr. Adrienne Rupright, DDS

No need for a full replacement unless the current dentures were considered to be healing dentures. More than likely, if they are ill- fitting, you need a reline.

Absolutely! In fact, you should sleep in implant retained dentures to help with sleep apnea. Take them out and clean them well after sleeping. Use a denture cleaner while you get ready in the morning.

Six implants per arch is the ideal minimum. Old school of thought was two,
then it went to four and now is six. It’s insurance in case one implant
fails there will still be enough support and biting forces spread between
the other implants.

If the dentures are new without extractions, I give out coracaine. It is an adhesive with a topical agent to help sore spot. Usually, there is an area of positive acrylic that needs to be adjusted. Have your dentist adjust sore spots. You need to wear your denture for the dentist to see the sore area better and the corresponding area of denture. Coracaine is made by GC America. I have it purchased off Amazon before.

The longer you wait, the bigger the cavity gets. Remember, it is bacteria eating away at your tooth structure. Would you leave bacteria eating the skin of your hand? Get your filling done when diagnosed.

A tooth that has been root canaled should not hurt with a cleaning. If the tooth in question is sensitive, check your bite. If your bite is still high, the periodontal ligaments (PDL) that hold the tooth in the bone can still be inflamed/bruised feeling. If bite is fine, have your endodontist reevaluate to ensure all canals have been filled to apex or 1mm from the apex.

No, not all cavities/fillings require a root canal. Not all crowns require a root canal. If a root canal is necessary, a crown is required.

Flossing does NOT cause black triangles. You have open spaces that get filled with build-up. When you floss, you keep the gingiva happy, remove series from the space and it now looks open. You get black triangles several from having bone loss due to gingivitis or periodontitis or the contact of adjacent teeth is closer to the incisal edge and the gingival tissue cannot properly fill the space. Absolutely floss or it will get worse.

All dental offices should be open for emergency patients. Some will see new patients and some will not. My state has allowed dental offices to be operational since April 27th. Check your state site to see if your governor has released dentists to work.

Your teeth will lighten, but more than likely not "whiten." Teeth have a variety of colors within them like blues, grays, reddish/orange within the dentin layer just under the enamel layer. Anything that will stain a white shirt will also stain your teeth. Using a good electric toothbrush will help eliminate extrinsic stain. I recommend using the chairside bleaching (aka laser whitening) because your teeth will get as light as you want them to be in the one session and touch up with trays once a month there after. Otherwise, the entire time you are using trays for two weeks minimum, you will not be able to eat or drink anything g that will stain a white shirt. The napkin test advertised on tv is not ideal. Not one human should have teeth that white! Your tooth shade should match the whites of your eyes for the ideal "whiteness." Anything lighter than the whites of your eyes looks like a neon sign or Ross from "Friends."

Invisalign aligners are typically replaces every two weeks. Depending upon movements, aligners can be replaced every three or four weeks. I inform patients to judge by how easy the aligner moves in and out and how easy it is to floss between teeth. I would not recommend moving faster than two weeks. Always, always save your past/old aligners! On occasion, if your teeth are not tracking, you will need to use previous aligners to get back on track.

No, not all toothaches mean infection. Often, it is bite-related; if your bite/occlusion is high or an excursive (side to side) interference is present. A toothache could be the result of a small crack in the tooth. First, is it sensitive to cold, hot, and biting? Second, does the tooth ache without any food or liquid present? Or only while eating or drinking? Third, how long does it ache? Fourth, has a filling come out or chipped? These are key questions to lead to a proper diagnosis as well as taking a radiograph.

You are not stuck with discomfort forever! You will need to find a neuromuscular (or physiologic) dentist in your area. The crackling sound is the result of the disc being trapped within the tempromandibular joint (TMJ) resulting in dysfunction or disease of the TMJ, also known as TMD. A mandibualr orthotic will need to be fabricated only after a proper ulfTENS (ultra low frequency transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) and/or EMG bite is taken. The ulfTENS allows the muscles to relax to their
physiologic rest position. Depending on the extent of dysfunction, the popping/clicking or crackling might not completely go away due to torn ligaments or a hole worn into the disc itself. The past president of ICCMO (International College of Craniomandibular Orthopedics), Curtis Westersund, has a great YouTube video: TMD Explained by Dr. Curtis Westesund.

Bottom line, see a neuromuscular dentist for your head and neck muscles being problematic to your joint.