Jeidy Martinez-Pena

The answer is a based on a multi-factorial causes that occur through time. With time, our bite changes (gaps between the upper and lower teeth) due to either losing bone, grinding our teeth or just from simple removal of teeth. Our teeth have memory and tend to re-position to their previous location thus creating gaps. Also, after simple removal of teeth, they love to be with companion and tend to shift this causing gaps. Best treatment is to keep a mouth piece of appliance called either a tooth reatainernor night guard.

Every 6 months should a cleaning be done.

By visiting a general dentist he/she can diagnose the need of braces and fillings. They can provide a variety of options for alignment of teeth.

A panoramic X-ray can be taken at the dentist office, it will diagnose any missing teeth or any anomaly of not having a tooth present. It also checks for any bone condition.

Pain, swelling, cold/heat sensitivity, halitosis (bad breath) can all be some of the symptoms of a dental infections. It can easily be spread out mainly through bone and dental cavities.

Our teeth have a color based on our genetic dentine. With time, our intake of food stains extrinsically our teeth, which can be removed via tooth whitening (in office and retouch at home whitening system). On the other hand, intrinsic stains (which are genetically predetermined) CANNOT be removed via tooth whitening; but via veneers the color of the entire tooth can be changed.

Gums (gingival tissue) can bleed due to bacterial presence. Without a dental cleaning, any patient may experience gum bleeding because of bacteria. Diabetic patients are prone to bleeding due to the higher sugar level in their blood, which means higher food for bacteria, thus needing more frequent cleaning.

Halitosis (bad breath) could mean a variety of causes:

1) not having the tongue clean
2) not having a dental cleaning
3) having an uncontrolled bone loss
4) a recurrent tooth cavity
5) a gastro intestinal condition undiagnosed