Grant W. Sims

Go back and consult with the doctor who did it, AND get a 2nd opinion. It is a rare occurrence, but it does happen.

Unlike natural tooth enamel, veneers do not tend to darken with time unless the underlying tooth has a root canal or a post under the veneer.

I would not eat apples while I was in orthodontic treatment unless you cut it up in small pieces and chew the apple with only your back teeth.

An hour, or until the anesthetic goes away so you don't accidentally bite your lip or tongue.

it can, but dilute it 50/50 with water and rice for 1 minute morning and night after eating and brushing and then nothing else to eat to drink.

It's the same medical grade titanium they use in knees, hips, and shoulders. It is considered "biocompatible".

I don't have enough information to properly answer your question. Best to go back to the dentist who made them.

Like most thing with our body, they tend to get worse and not better. Best to go see a dentist and get accurate information.

The both have plusses and minuses and I think that is a conversation you should have with your dentist.

Get an Oral B electric brush and use it after every time you eat something.

Yes, Clear Correct, Invidalign, Essix retainers, and a whole host of thermoplastic removable "retainers". Complete orthodontia still being the gold standard for optimal results.

Could be. The age ranges varies, but 5 years is within the normal time frame.

They should have given you oral and written instructions to care for your surgery. Most people are so dazed after the procedure that they misplace the instruction sheet.

Yes all cases are overseen by a licensed orthodontist.

30 min.

Treatment of "deep pockets" depends on how deep. Usually, the dentist /hygienist/ or periodontist (gum specialist) will use a tiny ruler and record your pocket depth in 6 places around each tooth. The tiny ruler measures your pocket depth in millimeters. Healthy numbers are 1-3mm, a 4 can be maintained by most people with careful, consistent, and effective brushing and flossing and using a rinse that actually kills bacteria. Once the pocket depth reaches 5mm or more, it is harder to maintain and requires "help" from your doctor or hygienist. For pocket depth numbers 5-7mm, we would recommend what is called "deep cleaning" or scaling and root planing. You get numbed with local anesthetic so you are comfortable, and the doctor or usually a dental hygienist will go down under you gums to the bottom of the pocket and clean out all of the buildup of tartar (aka calculus) and plaque. Often laser bacterial reduction and gingival curettage is done to remove infected and inflamed gum tissue. Then after the scaling and root planing, the pocket depths are again measured to see if the numbers have gone down. The idea is to get the numbers down low enough that you can maintain things yourself. Many of our patients come in 3-4 times a year for maintenance visits rather than once or twice a year. If we see that the pocket numbers are being maintained, then that usually does it. If the pocket depths are in the 8-10+ mm deep, we would refer you to the periodontist (gum specialist) and they most likely will recommend gum surgery. Sometimes after scaling and root planing and sometimes surgery in conjunction with scaling and root planing. The goal is the same for all treatments-to get the pockets shallow enough that you can maintain them yourself on a daily basis, and see your dental professional more often like 3 or 4 times a year.

Grant Sims, DDS

Typically, composite bonding is cheaper than veneers, however, like most everything else in life there is a reason something is cheaper. If you are wanting to have the most beautiful, natural looking, and durable restorations, then veneers are worth the extra money. If you want a better looking smile, knowing that the composite is going to chip, crack, stain, and need to be replaced much sooner and require much more maintenance and not look as nice nearly as long as the veneers-then get the composite. Typically, what I see with the composite veneers is that "something" will happen within 2-3 years. That "something" could be a little chip at an edge, they just don't look as "bright and shiny", they may begin to look dull, especially if you are a coffee, wine, or tea drinker. They may not feel as smooth and natural as they did when you first got them. I do realize there is typically a significant difference in the fee of veneers over the composites, but if you were my best friend or a loved family member, I would advise them that if there is any way, even if you have to use one of those third party financing programs, it is worth it to spend the extra money. In my 30 years as a practicing dentist, I have never had a patient tell me that they were sorry they got the veneers, but I have had a good number of patients tell me after about 5 to 10 years later, that they wish they would have spent the extra money on the veneers. I can also speak from personal experience about a sizable chip that happened to one of my front teeth due to an accident that I replaced every 3-6 years because it would chip, discolor, or come off completely. After the third time
replacing the composite, I finally got the veneer-and so far that has been 11 years ago with no problems. Understand though that I do take care of it by not biting my nails, not opening plastic packages with my teeth, biting things I know are hard like crusty bread, bagels, or biting ribs down to the bone. Harder things I have learned to bite to the side, or cut it up into smaller pieces and use my back teeth to chew crusty bread and bagels. That's been my personal and professional experience over the last 30 years and is only my own humble opinion. It's always better to get a second and even a third opinion about something as important as your smile.

Grant Sims, DDS

They sell dental picks similar to the ones dentists use to scrape tartar off of teeth on Amazon, eBay, and many drug stores. Since it is a sharp instrument, just be careful not to damage your gums or teeth. I have seen it happen on people who got over zelous with their "home cleaning".

That depends on how much of your tooth is missing. If it is only a very small cavity a few milimeters across and only a few milimeters deep, then a conservative filling would be better. However, if 50% or more of your tooth is missing, then a crown would be the better option.

Like the name "bridge" implies, there is an anchor at either end with a span or length that is supported by the anchors at the ends. So, if you have space to put 3 teeth for example, you can put one implant an each end to serve as the anchors for the bridge with a "fake tooth" in the center that is not supported by an implant. The bridge will all be one piece, but when it is cemented into your mouth, it will look like you have 3 teeth, but only the end ones will have the implants under them.