Joseph Wineman DMD

That depends. Some dental offices have a ceramic mill and you could walk out with your permanent crown in about 2 hours. No need for a temporary and second trip back to the office. CEREC, E4D and others can make this happen. Other offices will have a two visit system. The first visit the dentist will prepare the tooth for the crown and you leave with a temporary crown that is temporarily cemented to the tooth. The dental team captures the prepared tooth with a digital scanner or a conventional impression with some sort of dental material--Poly ether, Polyvinyl, or something else. The second visit can be 7-14 days later when the temporary crown is removed, the prepared tooth is cleaned off and the permanent crown tried in and adjusted if needed. After the patient approves the fit of the crown and the shade/color of the tooth, the crown is permanently cemented in place. So the answer is anywhere from 2 hours to 2 weeks. Hope this helps.

Fluoride toothpaste is indeed safe. If the child cannot spit then you should use children's toothpaste without fluoride. For those who can spit the foam out, a small dab of toothpaste is all that is needed. Children over the age of 6 and all adults can use fluoride toothpaste whenever they brush. As always, brushing should take about 2-3 minutes to make sure every surface of the teeth gets cleaned. Don't forget to floss.

Invisalign can correct most malocclusions with the proper setup for treatment and complete compliance by the patient. It is impossible to provide any "spot-on answers" without a complete workup. If you want to "straighten" your teeth, please make an appointment to see an orthodontist who can answer your questions.

Antibiotics will not "kill" the infection. The offending tooth must be treated. You have a dental infection that must be treated by a dentist either extracting the tooth or getting a root canal. The upper jaw is very well vascularized and you run the risk of developing a severe medical
emergency problem if left untreated. Find a local dentist and have the treatment done ASAP.

The answer is it depends. It is both a physical and emotional decision to have all your remaining teeth removed/extraction. As long as the dentures are fabricated with the proper border extension, occlusal scheme and vertical dimension, dentures can be comfortable. If you are having teeth removed and the new "immediate" denture inserted the same day, you may be disappointed. Lower dentures are hard to learn to control. Upper dentures usually have some suction when placed. Dental adhesive may be needed to obtain a good to great fit. COntinue to visit your dentist for additional adjustments and chairside and/or lab relines of your new dentures in the future. In the end you may decide to have a few implants placed to help retain and support/stabilize your dentures.

When dentures are custom made it is possible to make them look like "natural" teeth. It does cost more to use better materials in the denture fabrication (Better teeth, better acrylic, more customization of course these are an upgrade and will cost you more out of pocket.)
Please remember that a basic denture can improve your overall appearance especially if you are missing multiple teeth. But remember dentures are not attached to your jaws but are retained with proper fit and perhaps some adhesive. Hope this helps and answers your question.

Sedation is not needed for every tooth extraction. If you are having a complex surgical extraction then it may be a good option to make the experience less traumatic for you. If the dentist gets you really numb, you'll be fine.

Thanks for the question: When you are in active Invisalign treatment, the teeth are being reposititoned within the jaw bones so the teeth are moving and will be a bit mobile (weak). At the end of the treatment you will begin the retainer phase of your orthodontic treatment. In our office, we suggest you wear the retainer for 24/7 just like the aligners for up to 6 months, then wear the same retainer at night. During the retainer phase your teeth will again become stable in the bone.