FAQS

After a lot of tooth structure has been lost, your choices are limited. You could choose:

Delay treatment
Have the tooth extracted
Try a larger filling
Choose a crown to restore the tooth

Delaying Treatment

If you delay treatment, whether tooth structure was lost due to cavities or breakage, the situation is just going to get worse.
Untreated cavities will grow slowly in the hard enamel, then more quickly through the soft dentin layer.
If decay reaches the pulp chamber, you’ll need root canal treatment to save the tooth.
If tooth structure was lost due to breakage and the tooth breaks more, it will be harder to fix, and we may have no choice but to extract it.

Having the tooth extracted

An extraction is only a short-term solution.
Teeth need each other for support.
When one or more teeth are lost, teeth begin to shift position causing a chain reaction of other dental problems.
Changes to your bite can lead to cavities, periodontal disease, and possibly even more tooth loss.

Trying a larger filling

A filling may be an alternative, but fillings do not add strength to the tooth.
A filling simply fills in the damaged part of the tooth lost to decay.
For a filling to function correctly, there must be enough tooth structure to hold it in place and keep the tooth from breaking when you chew.

Choosing a crown

A crown is an excellent way to restore a damaged tooth.
A crown covers your tooth above the gum line, adding strength and restoring your tooth’s function.
At Grandview Dental Care you can get a crown in one appointment through this use of CAD/CAM machine we call the Cerec machine.

For patients of Grandview Dental Care, we are very accommodating to their needs, and will schedule an appointment at their earliest convenience. In case of a dental emergency after hours, call our office and you will be given an emergency contact number. We’ll return the call as soon as possible, providing as much helpful information as possible over the phone and arranging to see you in person as needed.

If you are not yet a patient of Grandview Dental Care and you have a dental emergency please contact our office at 614-486-7378 so that we may determine the most efficient way to handle the situation.

Dental Implants offer an excellent alternative to the limitation of conventional dentures, bridges, and missing teeth. Dental Implants are changing the way people live. With them, people are rediscovering the comfort and confidence to eat, speak, laugh, and enjoy life.

Dental implants are made of materials that are compatible with human bone and tissue. The impants are surgically placed directly into the jawbone. Small posts are then attached to the implants which protrude through the gums. These posts provide stable anchors for artificial replacement teeth.

Based on patient needs, a single tooth, a partial bridge, or a full set of replacement teeth are fitted to the implants and locked in place over the protruding posts. In appearance and in function, implants are the closest thing to natural teeth and a good alternative to conventional dentures.

As we’ve stated before, patient compliance plays a critical role in the success of your treatment. Having said that, Invisalign is meant to fit your lifestyle not change it. Since you can remove your aligners, you can take them out for a special event or when you have a chewy, gooey, treat.

As with any appliance worn in the mouth, the Invisalign aligners will take some getting used to. You may notice a slight lisp for a couple of days but once you become used to wearing the aligners your speech pattern should return to normal.

The reason that you must remove your aligners when you drink is to insure that your favorite beverage doesn’t get “trapped” between you aligner and teeth for an extending period of time and cause decay or staining.

We advise that you remove your aligners when you drink all beverages except water.

Aligners are made of a firm, clear plastic material that fit your teeth precisely. Some people say they look like a plastic retainer.

This will depend on your insurance plan. If you have orthodontic insurance, your insurance coverage is typically the same for Invisalign as it would be for traditional orthodontics. We encourage you to check with your insurance plan if insurance coverage is a concern.

Your teeth may be sore with a slight ache from the pressure especially for the first few days with each new aligner. Typically the ache can be relieved with a few Ibuprofen tablets.

Patient compliance means that the patient complies with the treatment requirements.

Wear the aligners at all times except when you eat, drink, brush, and floss

Paying attention to the dates when to begin wearing a new aligner.

Insure that you are wearing the correct aligner in your treatment sequence.

Coming in for your regularly scheduled Invisalign appointment so that we can check your progress, insure you are wearing the correct aligner, and give you new aligners.

Patient Compliance. Wear your aligners at all times except when you eat, drink, brush and floss. If the aligners aren’t on your teeth they are not straitening your teeth.

Even if you only remove your aligners for a few hours you can negate progress that has already been made . 4 -5 hours of not wearing your aligners can set your progress back by an entire day.

Your treatment success is dependent on you wearing your aligners.

1. Going to the dentist on a regular basis to ensure that your mouth remains in good health can only contribute to the overall quality of your life.

2. Everyone over the age of 40, should have an annual oral cancer screening examination, including individuals with dentures.

3. Regular visits to the dentist can prevent more serious dental diseases from developing, thus reducing the need for more complicated, and costly, dental care later on. Preventing dental problems costs less than treating them.

4. Dental technology is constantly changing. Don’t let past experiences keep you from visiting your dentist.

5. Regular visits to your dentist can prevent decay and resultant tooth loss, jaw bone loss, and infections.

6. Studies have found a link between periodontal disease and stroke, heart disease, and low birth weight babies. By seeing your dentist regularly we can monitor your periodontal condition.

7. Completing recommended treatment in a timely manner helps to prevent last minute emergency dental needs. At the onset of sensitivity, discomfort, or pain, see you dentists so the situation can be treated before it really hurts. Don’t wait until it hurts!

8. Your smile is a large part of your image. Your dentist can recommend options for enhancing your smile. Whitening is the easiest and most affordable way to improve your smile. Your teeth are the first stage of food digestion.

9. Keep your oral health in good shape to help in properly processing the fuel that your body needs, and to maximize your enjoyment of your meals!

10. Good oral health helps to keep your entire body healthier. So remember to see your dentist twice a year. You’re worth it!

Because your insurance coverage is between you, your employer, and the insurance carrier, your dentist does not have the power to make your plan pay.

If your insurance doesn’t pay, you are responsible for the total cost of treatment.

Sometimes a plan may pay if the patients send in claims for themselves.

The Employee Benefits Coordinator at your place of business may be able to help.

You may also lodge complaints with the State Insurance Commission.

Many carriers refer to their allowed payments as UCR, which stands for usual, customary and reasonable. However, usual, customary and reasonable does not really mean exactly what it seems to mean.

UCR is actually a listing of payments for all covered procedures negotiated by your employer and the insurance company. This listing is related to the cost of your premiums and where you are located in your city and state.

Your employer has likely selected an allowed payment or UCR that corresponds to the premium costs they desire.

UCR payments could more accurately called negotiated payments.

Remember that what insurance carriers call usual and customary is really just what your employer and the insurance company have negotiated as the amount that will be paid toward your treatment.

It is usually less and frequently much less than what any dentist in your area might actually charge for a dental procedure. It does not mean that your dentist is charging too much.

Insurance carriers do not survey local area dentist’s fees to determine usual and customary.

Dental insurance isn’t really “insurance” (a payment to cover the cost of loss)

Dental insurance is actually a money benefit typically provided by your employer to help you pay for routine dental treatment.

An employer usually buys a plan based on the amount of the benefit and how much the premium costs per month.

Most benefit plans are only designed to cover a portion of the total cost.

Yes, and we will be happy to help you receive maximum benefits, however, the agreement of the insurance company to pay for your dental care is a contract between you, your employer, and the insurance company. We know questions can arise on insurance matters. We encourage you to discuss such questions with our business office staff.

The Moderate sedation that is used with IV Sedation is perfectly safe. All of the patient’s protective reflexes and vital functions are intact. (coughing, breathing, heart function, etc)

The level of sedation is precisely controlled and each patient is given only the amount of sedative that they need to be relaxed. We are not rendering the patient unconscious and we have reversal agents for the sedative we use, if the need arises.

In addition the patient is placed on the appropriate monitoring equipment and is observed and monitored until they are awake and moving around. At the end of the appointment they are escorted home by the responsible adult of their chosing.

IV Sedation is the most advanced form of dental sedation. The technique uses a combination of pain relieving and sedative drugs placed directly in to your vein which renders you completely relaxed and unaware of the dentistry that is being performed. This technique requires extensive training and a Conscious Sedation Permit issued by the Dental Board of Ohio. Less than 1% of general dentists in Ohio have a Conscious Sedation Permit. Dr. Thompson has this Conscious Sedation Permit.

What are the alternatives to root canal treatment?Once the pulp of a tooth has become infected, your choices are limited. You could choose to:

Delay treatment
Extract the tooth
Save the tooth with root canal treatment

Delaying Treatment
The Problem with delaying treatment is that an infected tooth will never heal on it’s own which can lead to some very serious problems.

A prescribed antibiotic will alleviate the pain temporarily but the infection will come back if not treated.
As the infection spreads down the tooth and into your jawbone, the pain may become excruciating.
If you put off treatment, chances are it’s going to flare up at the “wrong” time such as on a vacation, before a big business trip, or over the weekend when the office is closed.

Extracting the tooth

An extraction is only a short-term solution.
An extraction does remove the source of infection but it may set off a chain reaction of shifting teeth and other dental problems.
Changes to your bite can lead to cavities, periodontal disease, and possibly even more tooth loss.

Choosing Root Canal Treatment

When the pulp of the tooth has been infected, the only way to save your tooth and keep it in your mouth is to remove the infection with root canal treatment.

A sealant is a plastic material that is applied to the teeth, which hardens, and provides a barrier against plaque and other harmful substances. Sealants are usually applied to the back teeth to help protect the grooves and pits of these teeth that can be hard to clean and are prone to developing cavities.

Fluoride provides a much-needed layer of protection against tooth decay. Children are exposed to fluoride in their drinking water and toothpaste; however, the fluoride they receive in the dental office is a higher concentrate. The combination of these sources helps prevent decay.

Yes. You’ve heard your hygientist say that you should floss at least once a day. Still, two-thirds of Americans choose not to floss.

Here’s the bottom line: When you don’t floss, it can be compared to having a shower but not washing 30 percent of your body, or vacuuming your car, but ignoring the corners and crevices….. and you wouldn’t do either of these things, would you?

If you are a staunch anti-flosser consider the following:

Michael Roizen, M.D., says that daily flossing is “one of the twelve easiest things a person can do to live longer and younger.” He adds that adding an age-reducing behavior to your life – and he counts flossing as one of these behaviors – can make you look and feel up to 6.4 years younger than your actual age. And we all want that!

Flossing daily can help you keep your heart healthy by helping you avoid periodontal disease. People with periodontal disease are 1.5 to 2 times more likely to suffer a fatal heart attack, and 3 times more likely to suffer a stroke.

Diabetics who also have severe periodontal disease have trouble maintaining appropriate blood sugar levels.

Harmful bacteria from periodontal infections can enter your bloodstream from the open sores on your gums associated with periodontal disease. These bacteria have been linked to ulcers, pneumonia, premature births, and the often-deadly infective endocarditis.

Regular flossing can help to keep your breath smelling fresh. Who doesn’t want that?

For more information on the importance of flossing ask one of our hygientist at your next appointment.

Brush

With a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste

Twice a day for 2 – 3 minutes each time

Along the gums – where teeth and gums meet

The outsides and insides of the teeth

The chewing surfaces

The tongue, gently

Floss

Once each day

With waxed or unwaxed floss

Regular brushing is critical to maintaining a  healthy, decay free mouth.   We typically recommend brushing after every meal to guard against cavities.  The carbs in what you eat and drink  feed the bacteria in the mouth, and these oral bacteria can lead to dental cavities.  When you brush with fluoride toothpaste after every meal, you reduce the amount of acid the oral bacteria produce and reduce your chances of developing cavities.

One thing to note is if you are a person that eats several small meals a day, rather than the traditional three meals per day you shouldn’t brush after each small meal.  Brushing more than 5-6 times per day may increase the risk of  toothbrush  abrasion which may damage the enamel of the teeth and harm your gums.

As a general rule of thumb for all patients, we advise brushing at least twice a day, especially before bedtime, since your saliva flow decreases during sleep, and any remaining food particles left in your mouth provide a great environment for those oral bacteria to thrive and do damage to your teeth.

Zoom! Gets your teeth white fast. Whitening removes the stains that currently exist on your teeth. Whitening will make your teeth whiter than they were before.

Your lifestyle and habits determine whether or not stains will reappear on your teeth. Staining activities include drinking coffee, tea, red wine and the use of tobacco products, just to name a few. In addition, each individual has a preference for how white they want their smile to be.

Replacement whitening trays are $75 for both upper and lower, $50 if you just need either the upper or lower.

There are a lot of different teeth whitening options on the market today. The ingredient that causes the teeth to whiten is Hydrogen Peroxide or Carbamide Peroxide and can be found in different concentrations in whitening products.

In order for the peroxide solution to whiten the teeth it must remain in contact with the teeth. With some over the counter systems it is difficult to keep the peroxide solution on the teeth. In Addition, the peroxide solution used at Grandview Dental Care has a higher concentration of whitening ingredients which allows the patient to achieve the desired level of whiteness with fewer applications.

Over the counter whitening systems are made in a one size fits all manner. These systems can be difficult to keep in place and result in the patient not following through with treatment and not getting the desired whitening results.

At Grandview Dental Care we custom fit whitening trays to fit your teeth. This keeps the whitening peroxide solution on the teeth which allows the whitening to happen. In office bleaching can accomplish the desired level of whitening needed in one visit.

Custom whitening trays and In office bleaching offer predictable results. Over the counter whitening products work for some people and not at all for others.

Porcelain laminate veneers last between ten and twenty years. Porcelain, because of its nature, will not stain, nor wear from brushing. Its luster and translucency make it almost indistinguishable from natural enamel.

The veneer is a thin façade of porcelain, like an ultra thin fingernail, which is bonded to the enamel. Once bonded to the tooth, it becomes extremely strong and durable.

We look at the shape of the face, whites of the eyes, skin tones, and even the personality of the patient.

These features, in combination with the patient’s desired smile makeover help determine the final designing of the veneers.

We are exposed to radiation every day from various sources, such as frequent airplane travel and high altitudes, minerals in the soil, and appliances in our homes (like smoke detectors and television screens).

For a comparison of sources of radiation and your estimated exposure, please see the ADA website’s FAQs

Many diseases of the teeth and surrounding tissues cannot be seen when your dentist examines your mouth. An X-ray examination may reveal:

Small areas of decay between the teeth or below existing restorations (fillings)

Infections in the bone

Periodontal (gum) disease

Abscesses or cysts developmental

Abnormalities

Some types of tumors

Finding and treating dental problems at an early stage can save time, money, and unnecessary discomfort. A dental X-ray can detect damage to oral structures not visible during a regular exam. If you have a hidden tumor, radiographs may even help save your life.