Dental FAQs

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How can I prevent tooth decay and gum disease?
Good oral hygiene starts at home, though it needs to be supplemented by regular visits to your dentistry practice. Regular dental visits, along with a thorough home care regimen, are key to a lifetime of good oral health. General dentistry of this type can prevent the need for cosmetic or restorative dentistry later in life.
Steps you can take to prevent tooth decay and gum disease include:
Thorough brushing:

Brush at least twice daily using a soft-bristle toothbrush and an ADA-accepted fluoride toothpaste. This helps prevent tooth decay, gum disease, and the need for costly cosmetic or restorative dentistry in the future.

Proper flossing:

Flossing is crucial to the health of your teeth and gums and the prevention of gum disease. When flossing, use an 18-inch strand of floss. Ease the floss between each tooth; then, sweep it up and down several times while curving around the tooth at the gum line.
Don’t forget to floss behind your last tooth and to floss bridges and artificial teeth with the aid of a floss threader.

Digital X-rays
A dental cleaning (prophylaxis), which includes:

– Scaling plaque
– Polishing teeth
– Flossing
– Assessing your mouth’s cleanliness
– Providing oral hygiene instructions.
If you wish to learn more about proper brushing and flossing techniques, ask your dentist about it at this stage of the visit.

Following the clinical dental exam, your dentist will discuss a detailed treatment plan, if necessary. One of our friendly treatment coordinators will schedule a follow-up visit for you.

How does fluoride help prevent tooth decay?
Fluoride helps reverse and prevent tooth decay in three ways:

Promotes Tooth Remineralization. Acids can demineralize a tooth — that is, create a weak spot that develops into a cavity.
Fluoride helps promote the opposite process, called remineralization, which can reverse the very early stages of tooth decay.
Helps teeth become more resistant to tooth decay. Fluoride actually strengthens teeth, giving them natural protection against future tooth decay.
Inhibits oral bacteria’s ability to create tooth-attacking acids
Fluoride disrupts bacteria’s ability to metabolize sugars, the process that leads to the attack of tooth enamel.

What are the stages of gum disease? How is gum disease treated?
Gum disease has several stages.

The initial stage is called gingivitis and is an infection of the gingival (gum tissue). In this stage, gums become red, swollen, and prone to bleeding.
The underlying bone is unaffected.
In later stages, however, gum disease can lead to bone loss and the loosening or even loss of teeth.
Gum disease treatment varies according to the stage of the disease.
At its mildest stages, gingivitis can be treated by clearing plaque and tartar deposits from the gum pockets.
Severe gum disease, on the other hand, might require treatment that includes surgery and bone and gum grafts.

What causes sensitive teeth?
Sensitive teeth can be caused by a range of factors.

The porous part of the tooth, called dentin, is the region that registers pain, and dentin can become exposed due to:
Fractured or chipped teeth
Teeth injured by clenching or grinding
Receding gums caused by gum disease or improper brushing

How can sensitive teeth be managed?
Pain from sensitive teeth often comes and goes, but if you experience constant pain, you may have a more serious problem.
There are many effective treatments for sensitive teeth, including:

A soft-bristle toothbrush to prevent gum irritation.
Toothpaste designed to insulate the nerve that registers pain.
A fluoride rinse or gel, available at Maidstone Dental.
If you have sensitive teeth, visit Maidstone Dental to discuss your symptoms.
We can help determine the cause of your pain and develop a course of treatment.

What are the causes of bruxism (teeth grinding)?

Teeth grinding can be caused by a range of factors; often, both emotional and physical factors are involved.

Causal factors can include stress, sleep disorders, an abnormal bite, and crooked or missing teeth.
Bruxism can cause serious pain and headaches, as well as dangerous wear on the teeth.
In severe cases, restorative dentistry techniques such as inlays or porcelain crowns are needed to rebuild teeth damaged by bruxism.
Therefore, it is crucial to seek treatment for bruxism early to avoid waking up with headaches or jaw pain.

How can bruxism be treated?
Once the cause or causes of bruxism are determined, your dentist can develop a course of treatment.
Treatment methods may include:

Relaxation techniques if stress is at the root of the problem
Physical therapy
Muscle relaxants
A plastic tooth guard to wear at night during sleep

How do I keep my child’s teeth healthy?
Following a few simple guidelines can help keep your child’s teeth strong and beautiful for life:

Start oral care early!
- Oral care should start soon after your child is born. After feeding, clean your child’s gums using gauze or a clean, damp cloth. As soon as your child’s teeth appear — as soon as four months after birth — they should be brushed.
- Each day, brush your child’s teeth with a soft, wet toothbrush and a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste (only recommended if the child does not swallow the toothpaste).
- Prevent nursing-bottle mouth:
- Nursing-bottle mouth, also known as baby-bottle tooth decay or baby-bottle syndrome, can cause a baby’s front teeth to rapidly decay, which can lead to a lifetime of dental difficulties.
- Preventing nursing bottle mouth is easy. If you give your baby a bottle at nap or bed time, simply fill it with plain water rather than formula, milk, or juice—never let your child fall asleep with a bottle filled with a liquid other than water In addition, check your child for brown spots near the gums because they are a warning sign for tooth decay.
- Take your child to the dentist:
- General, preventative dentistry should start early.
- A child’s first dental visit should take place 1 year after the appearance of the first tooth .
- Regular fluoride treatments, administered by a dentist, are especially helpful in strengthening enamel and arresting tooth decay for children.
- Contact MAIDSTONE DENTAL today to schedule an appointment for your child.
- Take advantage of dental sealants. Dental sealants are a popular and effective way to protect your child’s teeth against cavities.
What are dental sealants?

Dental sealants are a coating painted on the grooved, hard-to-reach surfaces of the back teeth.
- Pits and fissures on these surfaces are particularly susceptible to tooth decay.
- Dental sealants can be used to seal out cavity-causing bacteria from damaging the teeth.
- Dental sealants are quickly applied at MAIDSTONE DENTAL.
- After cleaning the chewing surfaces of teeth, the sealant is placed.
- The sealant material bonds directly to the tooth and hardens with the aid of a special curing light.
- Dental sealants hold up well under the force of chewing, and they provide protection against cavities.
Because fluoride is effective in preventing decay from forming on the smooth surfaces of teeth, and dental sealants protect the grooves of teeth, these treatments are best used in conjunction.
The first permanent molars emerge when a child is about 6. A dental sealant treatment performed shortly after these first permanent teeth emerge protects the teeth from developing cavities.
Another good time for applying sealants occurs when a child is about 12, when the second permanent molars emerge.
We may also recommend sealants for adults who are at a particularly high risk of tooth decay.

Do you offer tooth-colored fillings? Can they replace my old metal fillings?

The placement of tooth-colored composite fillings is one of the most commonly performed general dentistry procedures at Maidstone Dental.
In addition to filling new cavities, these beautiful restorations can replace old metal fillings that have blackened, fractured, popped out, or that simply take away from the beauty of your smile.

If I am missing one or more teeth, what are my options?
Patients today have an array of options for replacing missing teeth. Dental bridges, dentures, and dental implants all have their advantages and disadvantages, though modern cosmetic and restorative dentistry has come to favor dental implants because they look and function just like real teeth. If you have lost a tooth or several teeth, we urge you to seek treatment. Adjacent teeth can shift into the gap left by a lost tooth; in addition, a missing tooth can lead to bone loss, hygiene problems, difficulties with speaking and eating, and much more. Today’s dental restorations are better than ever, and they can give you a strong bite and a beautiful smile. Contact MAIDSTONE DENTAL today for a consultation to learn more about your options for tooth replacement.

Who is a good candidate for dental implants?

Nearly anyone who is missing one or more teeth, and desires a superior, long-lasting aesthetic result is a good candidate for dental implants. However, patients must have enough bone to support and stabilize the implant. Some individuals who have suffered bone loss as a result of gum disease or another condition may need bone grafting before a dental implant can be placed successfully.

How can I finance my general, cosmetic, or restorative dentistry treatments?

MAIDSTONE DENTAL offers financing options like CARE CREDIT (allows patients to spread the cost of their general or cosmetic dentistry over time). We also accept payment by a variety of methods, including payment through dental insurance.

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