Dental Blog | Professional Oral Health Tips & Advice

Common Questions About Dental Crowns

By Smiles of Virginia Family | February 9, 2017

Questions and Answers about Dental Crowns Why don’t you use digital impressions? Answer: When Dr. Oestervemb was teaching at the University of Iowa College of Dentistry, he had all the different digital impression system available to work with and he was not very impressed with how the crowns fit. Research has also shown crowns made using digital impressions in-office (same

Common Questions About Tooth Extractions

By Smiles of Virginia Family | February 9, 2017

Questions and Answers about Dental Extractions QUESTION: WHAT IF I AM NERVOUS/HAVE ANXIETY ABOUT HAVING A TOOTH REMOVED? A: If you are nervous about getting your tooth extracted, we offer options to help with anxiety, such as laughing gas (nitrous oxide) or, for more severe anxiety, IV sedation. Just let us know, and we will be happy to go over

Dental Implants: Questions And Answers

By Smiles of Virginia Family | February 9, 2017

Dental Implants: Frequently Asked Questions QUESTION: HOW LONG DO IMPLANTS TAKE? A: In general it takes about 2 months of healing time before we can place the crown on top of the implants. If your bone is less strong (like putting a screw into a porous wall) we sometimes have to have a longer healing period. QUESTION: ARE DENTAL IMPLANTS EXPENSIVE?

Full Mouth Dental Reconstruction

By Smiles of Virginia Family | February 9, 2017

Answers to Common Questions about Full Mouth Dental Rehabilitation/Reconstruction QUESTION: WHY DO I NEED FULL MOUTH REHABILITATION? A: There are several reasons why you might need full mouth rehabilitation. These include replacing missing teeth as a result of cavities, trauma, or gum tissue disease. Sometimes severe wear due to grinding your teeth or acid erosion means we have to rebuild what

Implant Supported Overdentures – Questions And Answers

By Smiles of Virginia Family | February 9, 2017

Implant Supported Overdenture: Frequently Asked Questions QUESTION: WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN IMPLANT-SUPPORTED DENTURE AND AN IMPLANT-RETAINED DENTURE? A: The difference between an implant supported denture and an implant-retained denture is the implant-supported denture is only stabilized by implants, normally 2-4 in the front, to keep it from moving but the gums/soft tissue still support the denture. An implant-retained

IV Sedation: Your Questions Answered

By Smiles of Virginia Family | February 9, 2017

IV Sedation FAQ QUESTION: HOW IS IV-SEDATION DIFFERENT FROM ORAL SEDATION (TAKING PILLS)? A: Oral sedation, taking pills, will have many of the same effect as IV sedation, however oral sedation takes a longer time to take effect, is less predictable and often does not make you as relaxed as I.V. sedation. If you have serious anxiety oral sedation may not

Mouth Guards For Sports

By Smiles of Virginia Family | February 9, 2017

What sports do you recommend mouth guards for? ANY COLLISION OR CONTACT SPORTS REQUIRE THE USE OF AN ATHLETIC GUARD/ MOUTH GUARD. Some examples of high-risk sports include: Boxing Basketball Football Ice hockey ATHLETIC GUARD USE CAN BE BENEFICIAL FOR OTHER NON-CONTACT SPORTS SUCH AS GYMNASTICS AND SKATING. On a national level, all states generally mandate mouth guard use in

Night Guards

By Smiles of Virginia Family | February 9, 2017

Night Guards: Frequently Asked Questions QUESTION: DO I HAVE TO WEAR IT EVERY NIGHT? A: This depends on the indication for the night guard. In general, you need to use it every night for maximum effect. QUESTION: IF I STILL GRIND MY TEETH WHEN I WEAR MY NIGHT GUARD WON’T I STILL WEAR MY TEETH DOWN? A: The night guard is made

Nitrous Oxide Common Questions And Answers

By Smiles of Virginia Family | February 9, 2017

Nitrous Oxide: Q&A QUESTION: DO I HAVE TO HAVE SOMETHING OVER MY FACE? A: Nitrous oxide is an odorless gas that we mix with oxygen and administer through a mask that covers your nose. This mask also has a scavenger system attached to it to prevent us from inhaling it. QUESTION: HOW LONG WILL I BE SEDATED FOR? A: Unlike oral or

Oral Cancer Screening

By Smiles of Virginia Family | February 9, 2017

Oral Cancer Detection: Frequently Asked Questions QUESTION: HOW MANY PEOPLE DIE FROM ORAL CANCER? A: About 36,500 people will be diagnosed with oral cancer each year and about 7,900 will die from the disease per year. About 61% of those with the disease will survive more than 5 years. QUESTION: DO YOU USE VELSCOPE? A: VELscope is a light that claims