Dr. Paul R Brand DDS?

Dr. Paul R Brand DDS

Dentist

13 Town West Rd Plymouth NH, 03264 Show map

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About

Dr. Paul Brand is a Dentist practicing in Plymouth, NH. Dr. Brand specializes in preventing, diagnosing, and treating diseases and conditions associated with the mouth and overall dental health. Dentists are trained to carry out such treatment as professional cleaning, restorative, prosthodontic, and endodontic procedures, and performing examinations, among many others.

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Dr. Paul R Brand DDS

Dr. Paul R Brand DDS's Expert Contributions

My Answers

Should I take pain medication before a root canal?
The only thing you should consider taking is a dose of an NSAID-type (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) med (Ibuprofen, Aleve) as long as you don't have any restrictions against taking this medication. The dentist or endodontist will then advise you whether to continue taking the NSAID or another medication. Narcotic or opioid-type medication not only won't help, but it's also a poor choice considering the risks of opioid meds. READ MORE
Do interdental brushes cause black triangles?
No, they most certainly do not cause black triangles - those develop from either the normal recession of gums that occurs over time or in the case where surgery is indicated to treat serious periodontal disease. Interdental brushes like Sof-piks actually enhance the health of your gums by removing harmful bacterial plaque, but make sure you use soft ones - some generic interdental picks are not soft and would potentially injure your gum tissue. READ MORE
How long after dental bonding can I eat?
There's no reason you can't eat immediately after having bonding done - it's as hard as it will ever be when you leave the appt... READ MORE
How can I tighten my loose teeth?
The biggest problem I see is that you can't do it yourself - there is a reason your teeth are loose, and a good dentist needs to diagnose why. It could be that you have periodontal bone loss, meaning that the support around your teeth has diminished. It could also be due to the way in which your teeth fit together (if your bite is imbalanced it can affect the stability of your teeth. Don't kid yourself into thinking that it's a DIY project - you risk losing your teeth if the problem isn't diagnosed and treated correctly. READ MORE
Is it ok to floss more than one time a day?
It is certainly okay to floss more than one time a day, especially if you tend to get food lodged in your teeth that the brush doesn't remove. The reason it's only really necessary to floss once every 24 hours is because the bacterial plaque that forms on your teeth takes a whole day to form, so doing it more often isn't necessary unless there's food there that shouldn't stay between your teeth. The only risk you take is that you may have more healthy gums and teeth than everyone else. READ MORE
How often should I do scaling?
It depends on your periodontal health (gum/bone health) - if you have minimal pocketing (depth of gum crevices) like 3-4 mm, then you would typically need a 6-month scaling; however, if you have deeper sulcus depths, like 4-6mm, then you might need 3-month scaling, which your hygienist/dentist can tell you. READ MORE
Can crowns cause gum disease?
Not sure if your question arises from having crowns already and having gum disease diagnosed, but well-fitting crowns do not cause gum disease. Gum disease typically occurs when the immune system reacts to excess bacteria present around the teeth, which can be aggravated by ill-fitting crowns, but a well-executed crown does not cause it. READ MORE
Can you sleep on your side after jaw surgery?
You should not be asking anyone else about this issue because whatever one of us tells you, the oral surgeon may supersede that by telling you something completely different - do yourself a favor and ask whoever is going to do the jaw surgery. READ MORE
Do dental implants hurt?
I'm not sure what your question is asking - do implants hurt? Are you asking if the procedure to have an implant hurts or if an implant just hurts normally when in function? Either way, the answer would be no, because you are anesthetized to have the procedure done, so it's not painful during the procedure. After the procedure, you would normally take NSAID-type medication like Ibuprofen, so the postoperative period would have minimal discomfort. When the implant is completed, there would not be any discomfort from just functioning on it, as there are no nerves connected to the implant. READ MORE
Can your toothbrush be used to clean Invisalign?
You asked two different questions so I'll try to respond to both. It's not likely that you would be able to cut your gums with a toothbrush unless you scrub horizontally for a long time - the proper way to brush is in small circles, and toothbrushes these days are not hard, stiff bristles like some used to be. As for Invisalign, yes, you can brush your aligners with a toothbrush, inside and out. If your aligners get dingy looking and you want to make them clear again, soak them in a diluted bleach solution for 10 minutes and then brush them - they will be sparkly clear. READ MORE
How do you know if your teeth have shifted?
Something must have prompted this question, so either you're visibly noticing movement occurring in your teeth, or they feel different than they used to. You should ask your dentist if you're not aware of any esthetic changes in the appearance of your teeth. READ MORE
What causes a root canal to get infected?
First of all, you should ask whoever diagnosed that you have a root canal that is infected - they owe you that explanation. There are multiple reasons a completed root canal can get infected - one of them is because the tooth may not have had a final restoration that was secure enough to keep bacteria out of the system and the bacteria traveled into the system from the mouth (a well-fitting restoration does not allow this to happen). Another reason could be if the system was multiple canals, it might not have been possible to locate, clean and fill all the canals, resulting in bacterial not being adequately cleaned out of the system. Also, if the root canal filling material did not fill the system 100%, then some residual bacteria could have resided in part of the canal and not dealt with before finishing the treatment. It is rare to have a well-treated root canal fail unless the restoration was inadequate. Hope this helps. READ MORE
How long does it take for a clot to form after a tooth extraction?
The clot literally forms within minutes after the extraction, but it takes over 24 hours to stabilize, which is why there are usually recommendations to avoid brushing the area, not to rinse too vigorously, don't use a straw, and not to chew on it. READ MORE
Can you have dental implants if you have periodontal disease?
Not only would that be a bad choice, but anyone who would start the process of delivering an implant restoration in the presence of periodontal disease should be avoided. On the other hand, if the perio disease has been treated and is under control, that's a completely different story. READ MORE
How do I get rid of thrush naturally?
The fact that you have oral thrush means that something is out of whack with the balance of your microbiome - you need to treat it with effective means, and it should be done with professional help - including an Rx for something that truly kills the fungal yeast candidiasis (nystatin, for example), which will help to eliminate the infection further down your digestive tract (yes, thrush can travel from your mouth to your esophagus, which is not easy to treat), so don't use home remedies for very long before consulting a dentist or MD about it. READ MORE
How long do stitches stay in after dental implants?
You should be asking your dental practitioner who will be performing the implant surgery because there are numerous ways an implant is placed which determines if sutures are even necessary. READ MORE
How do you clean your mouth after a root canal?
Having a root canal performed doesn't change anything about how you clean your mouth afterward - you should brush and floss every day - just make sure you follow recommendations to restore the tooth properly to keep it from breaking down (some people get a root canal done and fail to follow up with a protective restoration afterward). READ MORE
How often is Invisalign replaced?
Not sure what you mean by how often is Invisalign replaced, but the process actually involves changing your aligners every 1-2 weeks to accomplish the movements necessary to straighten your teeth. Once the entire treatment is completed, then you would go into retainers, which are a stronger version of a clear aligner and those can last several years. READ MORE
Why do I have mucosal sloughing while pregnant?
Is it possible you use a Colgate toothpaste product? READ MORE
What happens if a tooth infection spreads to the jaw?
You need to either have the infection treated (with root canal therapy at the endodontist where they can ensure that the tooth is restorable) or have the tooth extracted (which is less preferable since the loss of the tooth will impact your other teeth eventually. Don't delay dealing with this as more serious infections can also result from infections in the mouth - you don't want the risk of that. READ MORE