DENTISTSECRETS Q & A DECEMBER 2009

Thankyou to everyone that has asked us about their dental care. We do apologise that we are unable to answer your questions personally, and we apologise if your qustions have not been answered in this Q&A. Please keep reading fututre editions as we aim to answer all of the important dental queries that you send to us in due course.

(Please note that your questions will be rewritten, not only for brevity in these issues, but to make some questions more easy to understand for other readers ).

Dentistsecrets guarantees strict confidentially for all information received.

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Q1. My daughter is 15 and prefers to go into the dental surgery on her own. She had her first appointment at a new surgery last week. They took X-rays which annoyed me because she had Xrays taken only a couple of months ago at our old surgery and everything then was fine. When I complained that she had already got X-rays, the dentist said they were “routine X-Rays for their records” and that this was normal. Is this right?

A. Firstly, if your daughter is 15, although it is fine that she goes into the surgery on her own, she is not old enough to give consent for any treatment to be carried out. The dentist must get permission from a parent or carer before they do any treatment or any tests (and that includes taking any X-rays). Secondly, before taking any X-rays and exposing patients to unnecessary and potentially harmful radiation,the patient or their carer should be aware of the reasons for doing any diagnostic tests. A dentist should also check whether there are already any X-rays that will show the information that they need - if so it is possible to have this information transferred. If your daughter had “routine X-rays” taken, these were probably what is called “bite-wings” which are taken to look for decay in between the teeth where the dentist can’t always see. It is probable that her old X-rays would have been recent enough to be useful and should have at least been considered. The dentist should definately not have taken new X-Rays without asking you first.

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Q2. My husband says that I have smelly breath – should I see my dentist?

A. Bad breath (halitosis) is pretty common in the morning when you wake up. It goes quickly if you eat; brush your teeth; rinse your mouth; or clean your tongue., So, if this is you’re your husband is referring to – don’t worry.

BUT……………..

Some bad breath can be caused by:

· poor tooth cleaning

· infection in the mouth

· gum disease

· mouth cancer

· untreated, rotten teeth

· food packing between teeth

so, yes go see your dentist for a check-up and tell them what your husband says.

BUT …………….

bad breath can also be caused by:

· stomach complaints,

· tonsilitis

· some medications,

· dry mouth syndrome,

these are only a few examples…….so, if your dentist cannot see any obvious cause, a trip to your doctor could also be worthwhile.

BUT ………….

do remember bad breath can also be caused by some FOODS such as garlic, onion and spices, or can be the result of smoking or drinking alcohol - so cutting these out will solve any problems.

And also remember DON’T try to cover any possible odours by continually sucking strong smelling sweets such as mints. If they contain sugar , this can cause an increase in tooth decay by creating a massive acid attack on the teeth. Sugar-free sweets will not cause this damage and, in fact, chewing sugar-free CHEWING GUM , particularly after meals may actually be good for your teeth.

Be careful using breath freshening mouthwashes too - they often contain alcohol, so read the label before you buy. Some also cause irritation in the mouth

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Q3. My dentist says one of my teeth need root canal treatment.I haven’t had any pain and she says this is going to be expensive. Is this a scam like in your books?

A. Yes, it could be

SO ……

1. If you don’t think this dentist is trustworthy, ask to see any X-rays that she has taken of this tooth that prove it is dead (or non-vital) and does need root canal therapy. She should be able to set your mind at ease.

2. If you are still not sure having asked - ask another dentist to look at your X-rays and give you their opinion.

BUT…….

3. It IS possible to have a tooth die and it give you no pain or other symptoms. Your dentist may have spotted an untreated chronic abscess and A CHRONIC DENTAL ABSCESS OFTEN HAS NO PAIN.

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Q4. Is there any way to get my teeth white like on TV?

A. A thorough professional clean will get your teeth as clean and white as is natural and in our opinion is the safest way to improve your tooth colour.

BUT, VERY BRIEFLY………..

Whitening toothpastes can help remove surface stains and polish the teeth so they look brighter, but they cannot change the tooth colour.

2. Chemical whitening treatments can alter natural tooth colour, but don’t work successfully on all teeth – this is too big an answer to do in detail here - if you read our issue “Tooth Whitening, Is it whiter than white?” Tooth whitening products, options, problems and complications are covered in much more detail and we hope that will help.

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And finally for this time:

Q5. I just finished treatment at the dentist and the bill is huge. Do I have to pay it?

A. Yes - if the work has been carried out and is all OK you have to pay for it,

BUT……

In future, before any dental treatment is carried out, your dentist should always let you know the expected cost and when possible (for more complicated treatments) they should give you a choice of different options and budgets that will solve your problems.

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