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About Dr. Randolph Myerson
(Top Expert on this page)

Expertise
I am both an Orthodontist and a Pediatric Dentist, having been trained in both of these dental specialty fields. Orthodontics is the dental specialty that treats problems of tooth, bite and jaw alignment using braces and removable appliances. Pediatric Dentistry is the dental specialty also known as dentistry for children, which deals specifically with the dental problems of this special age group from infants to adolescents. I am also experienced in Forensic Dentistry, the application of dentistry to law enforcement and identification using dental records.

Experience
I have been in the private practice of orthodontics and pediatric dentistry for over 20 years. Prior to that I served for three years on the Cleft Palate and Cranio-facial Reconstruction team at Children''s Hospital of Philadelphia and was an Assistant Professor of Dentistry at University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine. I also served as a dentist in the U.S.Air Force, stationed at Andrews AFB in Washington, DC.

Organizations
I am a Fellow in the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, and a member of the American Association of Orthodontics, as well as a member of the American Dental Association and the Dental Society of the State of New York.

Education/Credentials
I received my BA in Biology from Frankin & Marshall College in 1969, and my dental degree from University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine in 1973. In 1978 I received both my Certificate in Orthodontics from University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, and my Certificate in Pediatric Dentistry from Children''s Hospital of Philadelphia after completing a three year Teaching Fellowship in Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry in 1978.

   

You are here:  Experts > Health/Fitness > Dentistry > Dentistry

Questions Answered By Expert  Dr. Randolph Myerson 
In Category  Dentistry

SubjectDate Asked

Teeth10/9/2008
  Q: A lot of children have had four teeth removed and some by force.To some people the teeth did not ...
  A: There are many legitimate and necessary reasons why some teeth must be removed for orthodontic ...
head gear chin cup issue??10/8/2008
  Q: My 10 year old daughter is wearing headgear..(underbite)... The head gear seems to be wearing the ...
  A: The headgear should not interfere with gingival health and it should fit properly so that it does ...
broken front teeth in a 19 month baby10/7/2008
  Q: My granddaugher fell and broke both of her two front teeth down the middle of both teeth. We took ...
  A: I would not be in favor of using general anesthesia with a 19 month old child...especially outside ...
Front Teeth Capped10/7/2008
  Q: My 4 year-old daughter needs her front tooth pulled and the other 3 capped. The rest of her teeth ...
  A: This certainly sounds like usual recommendations although without doing an examination and seeing ...
Should we remove 5 baby teeth? And which method?10/7/2008
  Q: My son is high-functioning Autistic and has ADHD and is almost 8 years old. His mouth is very ...
  A: Of course, I cannot make any recommendations since I've not examined your child or the x-rays for ...
Treatment Dilemma10/7/2008
  Q: especially after having scrolled through all your other answers & not seeing something similar. Our ...
  A: I'm not sure my answer is going to help you very much. Without examining your teenager and the ...
Shaky teeth.10/7/2008
  Q: i currently have metal braces on my upper jaw. It has been on for about a month and lately i noticed ...
  A: Orthodontic tooth movement can sometimes cause the teeth to feel slightly mobile. This is normal ...
Does my child need a crown?10/6/2008
  Q: Myerson: I have a 6 years old girl whose left molar (the backmost tooth) partially fell off ...
  A: One alternative that may be applicable is to restore the tooth with composite resin. The crown is ...
class 3 underbite10/5/2008
  Q: My two and half year old son has an underbite. Is there anything that I could/should do now to ...
  A: It's a bit early for orthodontic treatment. I would suggest you consider an early orthodontic ...
Baby Teeth Pushed Into Gums - Injury10/4/2008
  Q: and thank you in advance for taking your time to help.... Last night, my 6 year old son slipped and ...
  A: The mouth will look terrible for the next week or so. You need to help your son keep the area ...
toddler's molar10/4/2008
  Q: I noticed my 3 year old's central teeth on her lower jaw were starting to crowed, so while brushing ...
  A: If, indeed, these bumps are situation behind the primary second molars then they are the developing ...
Thumbsucking10/3/2008
  Q: I saw an earlier question asked about thumbsucking. My daughter is 3 years old and has a terrible ...
  A: I am not in favor of using adverse methods to break a thumbsucking habit. I prefer to use behavior ...
extracting permanent teeth for braces phase 210/3/2008
  Q: Dr., My 12 yr old daughter has entered phase 2 of treatment for ortho. She originally had upper and ...
  A: In the correction of maxillary protrusion with an absence of crowding there are basically two ...
what can i do?10/3/2008
  Q: My name is deen,23.When i was 12, i had a toothache and gum disease (i mean i got my cheecks and gum ...
  A: Decay is an infection that destroys the teeth. It requires good, professional treatment to ...
what can i do?10/2/2008
  Q: My name is deen,23.When i was 12, i had a toothache and gum disease (i mean i got my cheecks and gum ...
  A: I suggest that you find a good dentist who can do a complete examination including x-rays. You ...
abcessed tooth10/2/2008
  Q: My daughter is seven and is now being treated for her third abscess tooth. She has good ...
  A: One of the several different bacteria that cause tooth decay is streptococcus mutans. There are ...
8 year old front teeth not coming in all the way10/2/2008
  Q: My 8 year old daughter's two front teeth don't seem to be coming in all the way. They are still ...
  A: Yes, sometimes the gum tissue is thick and fibrous and that can delay the emergence of the teeth. ...
daughters teeth10/1/2008
  Q: I have a burning question that i am hoping you can help me with. My 5yr old daughter has already ...
  A: When the permanent teeth develop they do so in a very confined space so they very often develop in ...
permanent tooth loose9/30/2008
  Q: My daughter,Rachel is 8 years old and has one of her permanent teeth loose in the bottom front. She ...
  A: If, indeed, that is a permanent tooth which is loose I would recommend that you schedule an ...
toddler molar9/28/2008
  Q: My son is 26 months old, and he is complaining of pain on is left side near the molar area.. for as ...
  A: An impacted molar is one which cannot emerge successfully because of some physical interference in ...
baby teeth9/28/2008
  Q: My little sister is going to turn 7 years old in December. She has not lost one tooth at all. Can ...
  A: It's not normal, but it's also not necessarily a problem. The timing of tooth emergence is quite ...
Overbites & Elastics9/27/2008
  Q: When I first got my braces on, I was told that I was going to need elastics to move my overbite. My ...
  A: Elastics generally will not pull the lower jaw forward. Instead, they serve to pull the lower teeth ...
loose baby tooth due to a fall9/26/2008
  Q: My 4 year old fell and hit one of his upper molars. He said it hurts to bite on it, but I noticed ...
  A: I presume you are referring to an upper front tooth which is an incisor. (The molars are the very ...
3yo foster child with overbite9/25/2008
  Q: 5 weeks ago we got a sweet, 3 1/2 year old girl through the foster care system. She was still using ...
  A: I understand your eagerness to consider early treatment but I can hardly imagine how a child of this ...
orthodontic: Molar extraction?9/24/2008
  Q: I am 25 years old and I have been thinking about having braces. I have all 4 wisdom teeth out but ...
  A: First, let me say that without detailed diagnostic information I am not in a position to make any ...
Removal of tooth in 2 yr old9/24/2008
  Q: Myerson, My daughter recently fell causing her front tooth to be completely embedded in her gum (it ...
  A: From the minimal information available to me it sounds like the tooth should be removed. Since it ...
overbite9/23/2008
  Q: I'm 19 years old having an overbite problem,i got braces when i was 16 yrs. old on my lower teeth ...
  A: Generally, orthodontic treatment of only one dental arch does not often produce a satisfactory ...
Moving jaw of adult9/23/2008
  Q: I have a very loose lower back molar, due to bone loss. I'm hoping to do some bone regeneration. ...
  A: If, indeed, your orthodontic treatment could be successfully accomplished without surgical ...
Retainer for 7 year old9/22/2008
  Q: My daughter saw a orthodontist for a initial consultation as recommended my our family doctor ...
  A: It's quite possible that the edge-to-edge alignment of the teeth is causing the gum recession and ...
Tonsil Removal for Othodontic Treatment9/22/2008
  Q: My daughter, age 7, has just been evaluated by an orthodontist. She has only lost the bottom 4 front ...
  A: Functional jaw orthopedics uses appliances that alter abnormal oral musculature so that the teeth ...
Tonsil Removal for Othodontic Treatment9/22/2008
  Q: My daughter, age 7, has just been evaluated by an orthodontist. She has only lost the bottom 4 front ...
  A: 1. The decision to remove tonsils and/or adenoids must be left to the medical profession and should ...
Bad Taste in Mouth9/21/2008
  Q: Last Tuesday I got my three wisdom teeth removed,they were all impacted.I am now on my 5th day and ...
  A: What you are experiencing is not unusual following removal of impacted wisdom teeth. The bad taste ...
dark baby tooth9/19/2008
  Q: My daughter is 2 1/2. A few weeks ago she pulled out her bottom front tooth, root and all with her ...
  A: The darkening of this tooth could mean that the nerve of the tooth has died from the previous ...
Cap fell off9/19/2008
  Q: My 23 month old daughter had tooth decay on her four front teeth, probably from a combination of ...
  A: It doesn't take much of a jolt to the tooth for the cement bond to break and the cap to fall off. ...
2yr old tooth extration9/19/2008
  Q: so I took my son to the dentist today because he has tooth decay from sleeping with his bottle b4 I ...
  A: Yeah...words are real important. Funny how the phrase "two teeth come out" can actually mean "two ...
2yr old tooth extration9/19/2008
  Q: so I took my son to the dentist today because he has tooth decay from sleeping with his bottle b4 I ...
  A: Following the removal of two or more upper incisors (front teeth) I recommend placement of a ...
Crown and Root Canals for our child9/18/2008
  Q: I have a 4 year old daughter and she has cavities in 2 of her premolars. I saw them and they look ...
  A: I think that you will never speak to your friend again when the tooth breaks and has to be taken out ...
Crown and Root Canals for our child9/18/2008
  Q: I have a 4 year old daughter and she has cavities in 2 of her premolars. I saw them and they look ...
  A: Root canal treatment for primary teeth is very much different from treatment of permanent teeth. ...
Childs teeth9/17/2008
  Q: We took our 21 month old girl to her 1st visit to the dentist about 5 weeks ago and everything was ...
  A: My advice would be to take her to a pediatric dentist, someone who is trained and experienced in the ...
Rapid Palatal Expander9/16/2008
  Q: My daughter is 4 and our pediatric dentist has recommended the Rapid Palatal Expander for her. I ...
  A: You've already mentioned all the reasons to not do this at age 4. You need to ask the orthodontist ...
"deep bite"9/16/2008
  Q: Randolph, My 11 year old daughter is getting spacers in October, then braces and a night appliance ...
  A: "Deep bite" refers to the vertical positioning of the upper and lower front teeth. When you view ...
root canal9/16/2008
  Q: MY four year old is scheduled to have two root canals on her top two, front baby teeth. What impact ...
  A: As long as the root canal treatment is done properly there should be no short term or long term ...
Composite Filling coding9/15/2008
  Q: I just took my son in to have cavities filled. The dentist told us at his last cleaning that he had ...
  A: The most reasonable explanation is the one given you by the dental office. For that O and B to be ...
bump on gums9/14/2008
  Q: I have a 16 year old daughter who just got a root canal done 2 weeks ago. Since then, she took pain ...
  A: It could be the remnants of the original infection, or it might be an excess of the root canal ...
Cavity in a 5 year old9/14/2008
  Q: I have noticed a very small cavity right between my 5yr olds two front teeth but in the back. What ...
  A: Cavities never get better by themselves, so cavities should be restored as soon as possible before ...
Abscessed baby molar tooth9/13/2008
  Q: My 8 years old child had an abscess on her "B" tooth which had been treated many times in the past ...
  A: When these baby molars are lost as early as this it is very important that a space maintainer is ...
pedi dental care9/13/2008
  Q: I took my three yr old son 2 two diff. dentist one says to have 4 front teeth extract with (no ...
  A: "Capping" the molars means placing stainless steel crowns which is what the dentist is recommending ...
pedi dental care9/13/2008
  Q: I took my three yr old son 2 two diff. dentist one says to have 4 front teeth extract with (no ...
  A: My sense is that this article makes assertions that are not based on science. There are also ...
pedi dental care9/12/2008
  Q: I took my three yr old son 2 two diff. dentist one says to have 4 front teeth extract with (no ...
  A: I really can't speak to the issue of the crowns and root canals since it would require an ...
7 year old daughter9/12/2008
  Q: My 7 year old daughter just received her 2nd crown on a baby tooth. Can you please tell me what the ...
  A: Decay can progress rather quickly to the point where the tooth might require a crown. Sometimes the ...
Use of Soother9/11/2008
  Q: My just-turned 4-year-old has used a soother since she was 3 months old and still likes to use it at ...
  A: The fact that several dentists did not register concern about the open bite caused by the soother ...
broken front tooth9/11/2008
  Q: Yesterday my 11 year old daughter tripped and fell over someone's backpack at school. She broke her ...
  A: Absolutely. I generally wait 4-6 weeks following the trauma before going back to the tooth for ...
Dentist wants to remove 2yo front teeth9/10/2008
  Q: My 2 yo fell and hit his mouth. his teeth were wiggly so I took him to the dentist. They took an ...
  A: If the teeth are fractured and are not properly treated (in this case removed) they will become ...
broken front tooth9/10/2008
  Q: Yesterday my 11 year old daughter tripped and fell over someone's backpack at school. She broke her ...
  A: I would recommend that the broken surface of the tooth be covered with a sedative, insulating ...
Loose spacer9/10/2008
  Q: My daughter is 5 years old and has had quite a bit of dental work done over the past year. She has ...
  A: A loose space maintainer needs to be recemented as soon as possible since it will not maintain the ...
Discoloration of Primary Teeth9/10/2008
  Q: My 2 year old seems to be getting some discoloration on her front teeth. Do not believe nay trauma. ...
  A: Usually any intrinsic staining seen in the primary dentition will not necessarily occur in the ...
Pediatric Dental Issue9/9/2008
  Q: My 4 year old daughter fell about 6 months ago and hit one of her front teeth. That tooth did fine ...
  A: The decision regarding extraction must be made on the basis of the radiographic examination so I ...
toddlers continuously chipping front teeths -amelogenesis imperfecta?9/7/2008
  Q: My 22-month-old son chipped the two upper teeth that are the next teeth after the two front teeth. I ...
  A: This certainly may be ai but it also may be caries or decay. Usually ai affects more than just two ...
How much does the face change after braces?9/6/2008
  Q: I am quite the hypochondriac and got my braces when i was 19. I am now 22 and have been reading some ...
  A: All the possibilities that you've suggested in your question can certainly happen in extreme ...
Broken Teeth9/6/2008
  Q: Randolph, My 8 year old daughter's front teeth were broken in a sledding incident last winter. The ...
  A: I would recommend that the teeth should be thoroughly evaluated once again to determine if they are ...
No root or base on tooth9/6/2008
  Q: My son is going to be nine this month and today I looked at his fourth tooth from the front on the ...
  A: Hard to know exactly from your description without an examination, but it sounds like normal, early ...
Oral trauma/ darkening tooth9/5/2008
  Q: Dr. Myerson, My 4 year old son fell in a store on Aug. 15th, hitting his face on the floor and ...
  A: The discoloration of the traumatized tooth could signify that the tooth has become non-vital. ...
dental treatment under general anaesthesia for two year old9/4/2008
  Q: My two your old son has quite bad dental cavities on his top two teeth. I have been told this is ...
  A: Extraction of the two front teeth, while not the treatment of choice (saving them is preferable) ...
palate expanders9/4/2008
  Q: I have a 9 year old and recently had a consultation with an orthodontist. Currently my daughter has ...
  A: In certain situations it is possible to pursue orthodontic treatment in either a non-extraction mode ...
granddaughter's tooth9/4/2008
  Q: My grand daughter is 9 months and has two bottom teeth in the correct places and 1 top tooth that is ...
  A: The complete absence of teeth is an extremely rare occurrence and is usually associated with other ...
Toddler Cracked tooth9/4/2008
  Q: I have a 17 month old who recently cracked/split her front tooth. I took her to a pediatric dentist ...
  A: If it is not possible to complete the proper root canal treatment at this time there is a ...
Retainers8/13/2008
  Q: my husband has recently had his braces removed and has had a dental retainer for about a month now. ...
  A: My experience in repairing retainers has not been too successful since a quick repair usually does ...
Pulling Teeth8/13/2008
  Q: My 8 year old son is having two teeth pulled. they are cavity filled and we are being told that they ...
  A: There is no stock answer to your question since it all depends on the bite arrangement, the tooth ...
perm tooth extraction for braces8/13/2008
  Q: My 10 year old daughter is finishing up Phase 1 for her braces. She had an expander and four braces ...
  A: In crowding cases there are two possible ways to proceed...extraction or non-extraction. If ...
baby tooth root canal8/13/2008
  Q: My son is almost 6 years.Recently I had had his upper left molar tooth removed due to having ...
  A: The ultimate goal of a primary tooth root canal is to preserve the tooth until such time as it ...
baby tooth root canal8/13/2008
  Q: My son is almost 6 years.Recently I had had his upper left molar tooth removed due to having ...
  A: When a baby tooth like the upper molar is removed early it should be replaced with a space ...
3 year old requires a filling8/12/2008
  Q: I was so happy to find this site to ask my question! Yesterday was my 3 year old son's first visit ...
  A: There is no alternative to cleaning out the decay and restoring the tooth with a filling material. ...
FRONT TOOTH DAMAGE8/12/2008
  Q: Whilst on holiday my 2yr old son had a fall and loosened his front teeth. AS SOON AS WE RETURNED I ...
  A: The discoloration that you are to look for is the teeth...not the gums. A darkening of the injured ...
hereditary partial anodontia8/12/2008
  Q: I'm very happy to find this resource. Thank you for offering your expertise. A quick google search ...
  A: Using wisdom teeth to fill in the space is a wonderful idea in theory. In practice, however, the ...
Toddler - alternative to anaesthetic?8/10/2008
  Q: Toddler - alternative to anaesthetic? Dear Dr Myerson, I have a 22-month old daughter with baby ...
  A: A pediatric dentist has the same basic dental training as a general dentist. In addition, however, ...
Possible Malpractice on my 3 yr old8/10/2008
  Q: Back in February I noticed my son had some discoloration on his four front teeth so brought him to a ...
  A: Please understand that I am not making a judgment here about the dentist or your son's treatment. I ...
versed sedation for a 23 month old8/9/2008
  Q: My 23 month old daughter has two small cavities on one of her front teeth, one is in between the two ...
  A: Here's my take...At 23 months of age I can reasonably assume that your daughter will have a poor ...
Braces (childrens) and teeth extraction8/9/2008
  Q: I read the answer you gave to the mother of the 11 year old who's orthodontist wants to extract 2 ...
  A: The reason for removing teeth is to provide space so that the other teeth which are crowded can be ...
Toddler - alternative to anaesthetic?8/8/2008
  Q: Toddler - alternative to anaesthetic? Dear Dr Myerson, I have a 22-month old daughter with baby ...
  A: You certainly have a very difficult situation here. You must work with your child's cardiologist ...
swelling after dental procedure8/8/2008
  Q: My 4 year old son had 4 fillings done and a crown, Aug.5. The crown was on the right side upper ...
  A: It sounds like your child's dentist is right on track here. The problem was probably the result of ...
son has 21 milk teeth8/8/2008
  Q: my son has 17 milk teeth at the moment and the dentist said that he would loose the extra tooth as ...
  A: While an extra primary tooth is not common it is certainly something we see from time to time. It ...
orthodontia and bruxism8/8/2008
  Q: How do orthodontists/dentists address bruxism in patients who are undergoing orthodontia? I am a ...
  A: In some cases the aligner is sufficient to provide relief from the bruxing. It sounds like that ...
missing tooth8/8/2008
  Q: One of my adult teeth did not come down, so I am missing a tooth on the top near the front of my ...
  A: In this situation I usually take a plastic denture tooth (they can be obtained by your orthodontist ...
4 yr old w/ black tooth8/7/2008
  Q: My son just turned four. Several weeks ago, he fell face first into a stone stair and his front ...
  A: The tooth has most likely become non-vital as a result of the injury. That means the nerve of the ...
18 primary teeth?8/7/2008
  Q: I have a three year old daughter who has all ten primary teeth on the bottom but only 8 up top and ...
  A: Although I've never seen this, it's quite possible that the two teeth are missing. I would suggest ...
Demerol8/6/2008
  Q: I recently took my two year old son to the dentist because I noticed two spots on his top front ...
  A: An injection of demerol has been used for many years both safely and effectively with young children ...
orthodontist/phase one8/6/2008
  Q: I have had two opinions for my 10 year old son. Both Orthodontists recommended phase one treatment. ...
  A: Phase 1 treatment simply refers to orthodontic treatment done during the mixed dentition before all ...
reverse pull head gear8/6/2008
  Q: My daughter is 10 and has finished w/ her pallette expander for her underbite, which did not fix the ...
  A: I generally favor the use of palate expansion combined with reverse pull headgear in the treatment ...
6-year-old female with recently noticed underbite.8/5/2008
  Q: I have a question regarding my daughter. She just turned 6 and I have noticed that she has an ...
  A: There are two types of problems which contribute to what you refer to as "underbite". The first is ...
Overbite correction with braces8/4/2008
  Q: Dr. Myerson, I have an 11yr, 10 month old son who saw an orthodontist for a screening visit and ...
  A: Overbite refers to the vertical overlap of the front teeth. Your son has an 80% overbite. This ...
palate expander8/4/2008
  Q: My daughter has a very slight cross bite. Her dentist asked that she see an orthodontist for a ...
  A: Not all expansion treatment will result in a space developing between the front teeth. A very ...
Orthodontic extrusion v. crown lengthening8/4/2008
  Q: I have a badly damaged top molar (tooth # 3) that needs RCT and crown lengthening prior to putting ...
  A: Orthodontic extrusion of a single upper molar is not as simple as it might be for an incisor. If ...
jaw expander8/4/2008
  Q: My dentist has suggested I wear a jaw expander before proceeding with braces due to the fact I have ...
  A: Current thinking among orthodontists is that maxillary expansion after the age of 16-18 years of age ...
Cavities in a 4 year old8/1/2008
  Q: My daughter is 4 years old, just went to the denist who informed us she has 3 minor cavities and ...
  A: Even with excellent brushing, fluoride and great diet those three minor cavities will generally ...
Oral Sedation for dental work on kids?7/31/2008
  Q: My 4 yr old daughter has 2 sets of "kissing cavities" on her bottom back molars and 2 other cavities ...
  A: Doing this amount of treatment without sedation risks having an unfavorable experience at the dental ...
tooth extraction and spacer7/31/2008
  Q: My 7 years old daughter has cavities in two adjacent molars (baby teeth). They have been repaired a ...
  A: The removal of a primary tooth is a very routine and simple procedure. Unless your daughter has a ...
todder tooth extraction7/30/2008
  Q: He was evaluated and has had 2 fillings on the tooth, both of which have fallen out within 4-6 weeks ...
  A: That needs to be determined based on the prognosis for successfully completing the root canal ...
abscessed tooth7/29/2008
  Q: If someone had an abscessed tooth and got on antibiotics to keep in under control and to keep the ...
  A: The antibiotic is only a temporary and limited way of controlling the infection and once the ...
root canal recommended for 13 yr. old7/28/2008
  Q: My 13 yr. old son sufferred trauma to his front left tooth. His braces were knocked up and off his ...
  A: The risk in waiting is that your son may develop an infection with pain and swelling which could ...
crossbite7/28/2008
  Q: My 6 year old has been recommended to get a palatal expansion by his new dentist. It appears that ...
  A: I always recommend waiting until the first permanent molars are in before starting expansion since ...
Pulling Teeth7/28/2008
  Q: Myerson, My question is my son is 20 months old. His has been in the process of teathing for the ...
  A: I can't discuss the particulars of this treatment plan since I've not done an examination or seen ...
chipped upper incisor tooth /child 8 1/2 years old7/28/2008
  Q: I AM DEVASTAITEED EVER SINCE MY SON HAD A GOLF ACCIDENT WHEN ON LAST THURSDAY HE HIT THE GOLF BALL ...
  A: It is certainly a good sign that there is no pain or discomfort. Keep in mind that it could be ...
crown vs. spacer on baby molar7/28/2008
  Q: Good morning! My daughter (age 4) went to our family dentist and we found out she has a large chip ...
  A: The best approach is to preserve the tooth by placing a crown. Extraction and placement of a space ...
Cavaties and Braces7/27/2008
  Q: I have had braces on for five years and am getting them off next week, I went to the dentist today ...
  A: Of course, without doing an examination I can't possibly know if any of these spots are actually ...
chipped upper incisor tooth /child 8 1/2 years old7/26/2008
  Q: I AM DEVASTAITEED EVER SINCE MY SON HAD A GOLF ACCIDENT WHEN ON LAST THURSDAY HE HIT THE GOLF BALL ...
  A: I sounds to me like you did everything correctly and the dentist did all the proper treatment and ...
childrens second teeth7/26/2008
  Q: My son has had 6 milk teeth fall out. All second teeth have grown in naturally except one that fell ...
  A: Often due to crowding of the dentition a permanent tooth which should have emerged will not have ...
root canal7/26/2008
  Q: My 3 year old has two very bad cavities in the far back, bottom teeth. Sorry I don't know what the ...
  A: Here's a case where you should take the advice of the dentist who has had four years of extensive ...
jaw cracking7/26/2008
  Q: I have had a clicking in my jaw since my dentist extracted all 4 wisdom teeth in 1990. Hasn't hurt ...
  A: You have a problem with the temporo-mandibular jaw joints (TMJ) which is not likely to get better ...
Dental Night Guards7/25/2008
  Q: Are dentists able to prepare a night guard that securely stays in place and will not come out while ...
  A: A properly fabricated night guard appliance should not only be comfortable but should remain in ...
permanent retainer on bottom teeth7/24/2008
  Q: I've had a permanent retainer (just a metal bar)on my bottom teeth for about 7-8 years. Lately it's ...
  A: The cost of repair could be anywhere from $25 to over $100. The decision as to repairing vs. ...
Crowns for kids7/24/2008
  Q: My daughter is going to be 4 in August. She just had her first dental appointment and was found to ...
  A: Of course the smallest possible restoration of decay is the best course of action. Frequently, ...
missing premolars7/24/2008
  Q: which they say is hereditary. They also said that it might be too late to correct. Is this true and ...
  A: I really don't understand the "too late to correct" comment. We see four missing premolars from ...
Fused teeth7/24/2008
  Q: My two year old daughter has her lower front teeth fused in pairs, but with no fusion line - they ...
  A: There's no indication that fusion of the permanent incisors is correlated to fusion in the primary ...
27 month old toddler loses front tooth in fall7/24/2008
  Q: My 27 month old fell against a bureau today with a pacifier in his mouth and knocked out one of his ...
  A: Generally, the early loss of a single primary incisor does not result in any problems with speech ...
intrusion of teeth in 3 y/o7/24/2008
  Q: my son will be 3 in a few months. He fell at the park hitting his mouth on a metal bar where his ...
  A: It will take two or three days for the gums to look better. You need to keep the area clean by any ...
Crowns for kids7/23/2008
  Q: My daughter is going to be 4 in August. She just had her first dental appointment and was found to ...
  A: It would be a mistake to withhold dental treatment of those front teeth. Over the next few years ...
hypoplastic teeth7/22/2008
  Q: My 4 year old son's teeth roots are dissolving. He has lost 2 already. He was born 10 weeks early. ...
  A: This is certainly an unusual and rare situation. I am aware of only one report in the literature of ...
tooth extraction for a 2 year old7/22/2008
  Q: My son has extensive decay on the front four teeth and they are absessed and chipped, he has been ...
  A: My experience with chloral hydrate, hydroxyzine and nitrous oxide has been very good. I find it to ...
daughters implants7/22/2008
  Q: at 1.5 my daughter had an emergency frenactmy, and decay in her 2 front teeth caused by bacteria by ...
  A: Stainless steel crowns are safe and strong and with proper care should last until the teeth would ...
missing tooth in a 2 year old7/22/2008
  Q: My son is 2 years and 3 months old. He is missing one of his front bottom teeth. It just never ...
  A: There is some room for concern in this situation. The tooth may have developed but is still ...
Molars Separating due to Extraction7/3/2008
  Q: Randolph, Thanks for being here and answering the patients questions. I will try to be short and ...
  A: 1. The degree of efficiency in chewing is completely dependent on how well the teeth are ...
Misalignment after RPE and reverse pull7/3/2008
  Q: My son is 13 1/2 years old. He just completed (yesterday) RPE (12 turns) and reverse pull with a ...
  A: One of the possible effects of expansion in certain growth patterns is a vertical increase that can ...
palatal expanders7/3/2008
  Q: My 10 year old son has been diagnosed with overcrowding and his pediatric dentist sent him to an ...
  A: The palatal expander appliance is an excellent method of increasing the skeletal width of the ...
extraction for orthodonics7/2/2008
  Q: I have a 10 year old daughter that has extreme crowding. She saw one orthodontist and he ...
  A: You're asking me to make a judgement without actually seeing your daughter or examining xrays. That ...
11-year-old's roots dissolving7/2/2008
  Q: My 11-year old daughter has received regular dental care her whole life. At her last regular exam, ...
  A: It would be very helpful to get copies of those previous panoramic films since they may shed some ...
cleft palate and invisalign7/2/2008
  Q: to make my long hx short, I was born w/ a unilateral cleft palate. I had braces, teeth have moved ...
  A: Invisalign may not be the best approach for you. The implant cannot be moved by Invisalign or ...
herbst7/2/2008
  Q: My son has had braces for almost 2 years (he is 11). The ortho that we were using died and we are ...
  A: All three approaches are valid, acceptable ways to treat a class 2 malocclusion with overjet and ...
Tooth Discoloration after trauma7/1/2008
  Q: My 3 1/2 year old son fell nearly 4 months. He experienced some dental trauma to his two top front ...
  A: The first thing that comes to mind is a surface stain caused by a food, beverage or medicine. ...
general anesthesia7/1/2008
  Q: my two-year old daughter has extensive bottle rot decay on her front teeth. I have taken her to two ...
  A: I would certainly recommend having the dental treatment done before there is a significant infection ...
Internal resorbtion7/1/2008
  Q: I brought my 11 month old son to the dentist today because I noticed that when his top tooth popped ...
  A: It certainly sounds like the tooth has internal resorption which is a process where the tooth is ...
Delayed front tooth7/1/2008
  Q: my son had a bad fall when he was a toddler. His front tooth died as a result of trauma and his gum ...
  A: I would not anticipate any damage to the tooth as it remains in the gum. The problem is that it ...
Injured baby tooth7/1/2008
  Q: My daughter 5ys old going to be 6yrs by this november fell and hurt her top front tooth (one)about a ...
  A: I've not done an examination and I haven't seen an x-ray so I can't make any comment regarding the ...
Lost baby tooth-purple root showing6/30/2008
  Q: My 6 year old son just lost his second tooth in a week. The first one just had a hole appearance. ...
  A: Without an examination I can't actually know what it is that you are questioning. It may just be ...
baby tooth injury6/29/2008
  Q: My three year old hit his mouth and two of his teeth are moved (they are baby teeth) and we took him ...
  A: This is something that should be evaluated by a pediatric dentist, perhaps as soon as Monday morning ...
no lateral teeth6/27/2008
  Q: We were just told that our daughter who is nine has no lateral teeth whatsoever, nothing on the ...
  A: Actually, missing upper lateral incisors are the most common missing teeth in girls. Orthodontic ...
order of tooth loss6/26/2008
  Q: My 6 year old was a very late teether as a baby. Right when she turned 6 she lost her lower two ...
  A: The first teeth to exfoliate are the two lower central incisors. Next come the two upper central ...
special kid requires root canal treatment6/25/2008
  Q: my niece is 7 years old and she is a special kid, she developed brain fever the very second day she ...
  A: It is quite common for a pediatric dentist to use sedation or general anesthesia for the complicated ...
15m old's tooth eruption6/25/2008
  Q: My 15m old son has his upper central and lateral incisors, and his lower central incisors. I've ...
  A: That eruption pattern is not the usual and expected order of appearance of the primary teeth but we ...
3 yr old needing extractions under GA6/12/2008
  Q: My son is about to turn 3 and recently saw a new Pediatric Dentist this week who advised us that he ...
  A: Delaying these procedures can lead to significant infections that can threaten the development of ...
route canals.6/12/2008
  Q: is it painful for a 14 year old to have one.How long does the pain last if so?
  A: The discomfort associated with a root canal procedure could vary from none at all to significant. ...
cavity6/11/2008
  Q: "i have a cavity just started stage need to know what strong toothpaste will cure it thanks in ...
  A: It seems we have a disagreement regarding that cavity. If it is truly a cavity then waiting will ...
cavity6/11/2008
  Q: "i have a cavity just started stage need to know what strong toothpaste will cure it thanks in ...
  A: There is no cure for a cavity. It must be cleaned out and a proper filling placed. This must be ...
Inverted Mesioden6/11/2008
  Q: My 8 year old son has an Inverted Mesioden. The oral surgion said it is hard to know how deep the ...
  A: Typically conventional periapical films plus a panoramic film will give some indication as to the ...
2 yr old with extra tooth??6/10/2008
  Q: My 2 year old son had about an eighth inch space between his 3rd & 4th bottom incisors... in the ...
  A: Very often these extra teeth need to be removed at some point so that they don't interfere with ...
2nd teeth delay6/9/2008
  Q: My 6.5 yr old great-grandaughter lost her 2 front (primary)teeth 3.5 months ago & is showing no sign ...
  A: Sometimes there is a delay in the emergence of permanent teeth once the primary teeth are gone. If ...
Over-crowding6/9/2008
  Q: Why is over-crowding of teeth such a common problem these days? One would have thought that, ...
  A: You ask a very interesting question and you are on the right track with your suggested answer. Yes, ...
overcrowding6/3/2008
  Q: My 6 year old daugher's baby teeth have no space between them. The dental hygeinest always points ...
  A: In ideal situations there should be spacing between all the primary teeth. The permanent teeth ...
Calcification due to poor brushing - any hope?6/3/2008
  Q: My 15 year old daughter just had her braces removed after over 2 years. She's got some ...
  A: The damage you are describing is called "decalcification" which is the loss of calcium from the ...
Missing permanent teeth6/2/2008
  Q: At a recent visit to the dentist, we were informed that my son who is 6.5 years old is missing 12 ...
  A: Sometimes the same teeth on different sides of the dental arch appear at slightly different times. ...
Missing permanent teeth6/1/2008
  Q: At a recent visit to the dentist, we were informed that my son who is 6.5 years old is missing 12 ...
  A: Dental x-rays are a very accurate way to determine exactly what is developing at a particular time. ...
2 year old had his tooth extracted5/31/2008
  Q: Well we've had an ordeal. About 2 months ago my son had a fall and unbeknownst to us, he had broken ...
  A: Maintaining space is very important to prevent problems with the permanent teeth. It's too bad the ...
My 17 year old sons mouth5/30/2008
  Q: Myerson; Thank you for taking your time to read my question. Basically, I am trying to determine the ...
  A: My feeling is that expansion at the age of 17 yrs should be surgically assisted. I also feel that ...
treating a crossbite5/29/2008
  Q: My daughter is only seven and she has a crossbite of her upper anterior teeth. Should she get a ...
  A: Most crossbites should be corrected early since they tend to interfere with proper bite and jaw ...
amalgam5/26/2008
  Q: Two of my children, ages 5 and 7, have both been found to have cavities between their baby teeth ...
  A: The use of amalgam is rather controversial and the available information is confusing so I've not ...
gums5/24/2008
  Q: I scratched my gums and the area got white is that normal? Also does the gum grow back or is that ...
  A: The first stage of gum healing appears white so that is quite normal. Whether it will heal properly ...
chipped tooth and braces5/24/2008
  Q: I have a 10 year old son with bucked teeth. His two front teeth stick out quite a bit. Heres my ...
  A: It's really not possible to tell the difference between the two causes of bonding failure. It's ...
chipped tooth and braces5/23/2008
  Q: I have a 10 year old son with bucked teeth. His two front teeth stick out quite a bit. Heres my ...
  A: The decision when to start braces very much depends on the details of the bite problem and the stage ...
6 1/2 yr gums5/23/2008
  Q: my 6 yr old has 2tiny bubbles on the back of her gums behind the last tooth on her right side.Where ...
  A: What you've described could be anything from a simple irritation that requires no treatment at all ...
Extra front tooth?5/21/2008
  Q: It was discovered my 8yr old son had an extra front tooth in his gum. Seven months ago he had ...
  A: The decision to wait vs. orthodontic intervention depends on a number of factors including the ...
teeth5/20/2008
  Q: I might have a chance to get braces. My question is this. I am 35 years old with a long history of ...
  A: You should have your teeth cleaned and a complete examination. If you require any dental work you ...
12 year molars5/19/2008
  Q: My daughter is 17 years old and still does not have her 12 year molars. Every since she was 14 our ...
  A: It seems to me that a simple panoramic x-ray will determine the presence or absence of the permanent ...
new teeth filling5/18/2008
  Q: im 14 years old. I got my braces off in august of 07 and i have a tiny gap in my 2 front teeth. Yes, ...
  A: That's certainly a possibility although I question whether the whitening toothpastes actually make a ...
Wisdom teeth5/17/2008
  Q: I am 12 years old. I have already developed my wisdom teeth on my lower set of teeth. I have not ...
  A: Jenny, I seriously doubt that you have wisdom teeth at age 12. Typically the wisdom teeth or third ...
Canine5/17/2008
  Q: My daughter who is 5 years old had an accident, she actually knocked her canine out with root. We ...
  A: Unfortunately, the 90 minute rule is more like a 45 minute rule and it applies to permanent teeth. ...
child afraid5/15/2008
  Q: I have a 6 year old the is afraid of the dentist. When she was 3 she went to a pediactric dentist ...
  A: You should not ignore the cavity. If left untreated it will get larger, it will cause an infection ...
16 month old has no teeth5/15/2008
  Q: My 16 month old son has no teeth. Last week he was clenching his jaws and sticking his fingers in ...
  A: You can certainly take your son to a dentist, however there is nothing a dentist can do at this ...
Reverse-pull headgear5/14/2008
  Q: Myerson, Recently, my ten year old son visited an orthodontist on the advice of his pediatric ...
  A: Perhaps you did not fully understand my first response. I'll try to expand my explanation. Palatal ...
Pedatiric dentist and braces5/14/2008
  Q: I have a son who is ready for stage one braces. I had the consult with his pediatric dentist and ...
  A: Well that's a good question. I took residency training in each of the two specialties. I did not ...
How safe is chloral hydrate & vistaril for a five year old?5/14/2008
  Q: Myerson, My five year old needs 2 pulps, 2 crowns & four cavities filled. Her regular dentist ...
  A: The decay pattern may very well be the result of prolonged night nursing. When proper doses are ...
missing teeth5/14/2008
  Q: my son is 7 years old, and we just discovered thru a panaromic xray is missing 8 permanent teeth on ...
  A: A palate expander is used to increase the width of the maxillary jaw bone. This would be ...
Reverse-pull headgear5/13/2008
  Q: Myerson, Recently, my ten year old son visited an orthodontist on the advice of his pediatric ...
  A: Both treatment plans are valid and quite useful in view of the potential need for jaw surgery in the ...
7-year old; orthodonture5/12/2008
  Q: My 7-year old's dentist has recommended we perform orthodonture on her. Her teeth are even, but her ...
  A: The best age to begin orthodontic supervision depends on the child and the nature of the bite ...
two questions5/12/2008
  Q: My daughter is 6 and lost her two bottom incisors. These are her first teeth to lose. I noticed ...
  A: Permanent lower incisors frequently appear as you've described. If there is sufficient space ...
Pediatric crowns5/12/2008
  Q: My 5-year-old son recently went to his pediatric dentist, who discovered 5 cavities. For 2 of the ...
  A: Pediatric crowns are a rather common means of restoring and saving primary teeth that have large ...
Do sealants contain fluride?5/12/2008
  Q: Can you please tell me if sealants have fluoride in them or anything that could be potentially ...
  A: I am not aware of any sealants that contain fluoride. But I am confused about your attitude ...
Extractions of 1st teeth for orthodontics5/9/2008
  Q: my daughter is going to be 9 years old in June. It seems she is late losing her baby teeth. She lost ...
  A: Under the proper conditions extraction of primary teeth will help prevent the impaction of permanent ...
mouth guards5/9/2008
  Q: I am about to get fitted for a new mouthguard. I would say that I have moderate to sever grinding at ...
  A: I must start by stating that I an not an expert on mouthguards and cannot answer many of your ...
to pull or not to pull5/7/2008
  Q: I have had consults with 2 orthodontists about my daughters crowding and overbite (no room for 2 ...
  A: I feel that it is always preferable to not remove teeth if that is at all possible. If adequate ...
primary tooth extractions5/7/2008
  Q: Meyerson, My daughter is 5 1/2 years old. She does not have her 6 year molars, yet, but her first ...
  A: Excellent questions. You're absolutely correct in your understanding that there will be significant ...
pedo partial for almost 5 year old5/7/2008
  Q: My daughter who will be 5 in 5 weeks had her two front top teeth extracted last week. I was told ...
  A: If there is adequate space to support two prosthetic teeth and the upper first permanent molars are ...
Extraction only5/6/2008
  Q: Dr Myerson; I read with avid interest in the Q & A forum. However, I am in need of advice. We live ...
  A: When you mention molars in your description you do not say if you are referring to permanent molars ...
Braces and jaw alignment5/5/2008
  Q: Myerson. First off, i really appreciate you taking the time to answer questions. My question is ...
  A: I would not expect additional growth of the jaw at this point. To be fair I would recommend that ...
Braces and jaw alignment5/5/2008
  Q: Myerson. First off, i really appreciate you taking the time to answer questions. My question is ...
  A: There are two unanswered variables here...the first is growth and future expectations of growth. As ...
3 year old early molars?5/5/2008
  Q: my son is almost 3 years old and he was a horrible teether, he didn't get his 1st tooth until he was ...
  A: My first thought is that you may have miscounted the number of primary teeth that your son has. ...
Should my midline be corrected?5/3/2008
  Q: Dr. Myerson, I appreciate your time and opinion. Over 12 years ago I started my orthodontic ...
  A: That's quite an involved and unfortunate story. I question the statement that the tmj problem will ...
6 yr old front tooth trauma to permanent tooth5/3/2008
  Q: My 6 yr old son hit his top front tooth/surrounding gum on a rolled down car window last night. We ...
  A: It can probably wait until Monday. Chances are the only emergency treatment would be to splint the ...
Braces and teeth allignment5/2/2008
  Q: I am 18 years old and have never had braces. I went to the dentist today and he said that my front ...
  A: Without seeing you for an examination I cannot give you an opinion about the need for braces. I can ...
Pain after crown when I chew food.4/30/2008
  Q: Few years ago, a dentist determined I didn't need a root canal on a tooth that is the second tooth ...
  A: It is certainly possible that the tooth will "calm down" from the trauma of the dental treatment and ...
Lower Jaw expansion4/30/2008
  Q: MY daughter is nine and she has severe croweded teeth. All her permanent started coming along with ...
  A: There are various different surgical approaches available depending on the exact situation, each ...
Lower Jaw expansion4/30/2008
  Q: MY daughter is nine and she has severe croweded teeth. All her permanent started coming along with ...
  A: I am not aware of the value of the Herbst appliance regarding expansion of the lower jaw as I am not ...
jaw widening4/29/2008
  Q: My 10 year old had a jaw widening device put in place in March. The orthodontist told me to turn the ...
  A: Do not reverse the adjustments. The 21 day period was probably just a first step in the process and ...
Yellow tooth discoloration (along top of front teeth)4/29/2008
  Q: My 21 month old son has yellow along his top front teeth. We recently noticed this. we brush his ...
  A: There are two types of stains that we see on teeth. The first is an intrinsic or developmental ...
11 month old with a tooth split in 24/28/2008
  Q: I have an 11 month old. He has his 2 bottom teeth, and 4 top teeth that started to come in 4 weeks ...
  A: This is probably a pair of teeth that were fused together during development. Because of the way ...
Permanent teeth4/28/2008
  Q: I lost a tooth. I am twelve years old. I was eating something and it cracked in two. One half fell ...
  A: Don't worry...it was a baby tooth. That's why it's been loose for weeks. You can't break a ...
PLATE FOR 10 YEAR OLD4/26/2008
  Q: my 10 year old has a 100% overbite. The lower teeth cut into his top palate, mostly when he chews, ...
  A: The purpose of the appliance is to keep the bite open in the back so that these back teeth can ...
bottom front teeth4/26/2008
  Q: Once a child has lost her front bottom baby teeth, how long is it usually until you start to see a ...
  A: That can be quite variable. Usually the permanent incisors begin to appear within 1-2 months. ...
3-year-old underbite4/25/2008
  Q: I recently took my 3-year-old to her first dentist appointment. I'm guessing (as I was not allowed ...
  A: I don't usually begin treatment until age 5. By that time the child is more cooperative and ...
question regarding braces and herbst4/24/2008
  Q: Myerson, My daughter was diagnosed with class 2 division 2 mollecusion. Her ortho suggested 6 months ...
  A: That may be true, which is one of the reasons that I don't use the Herbst appliance. Having said ...
Pink first molars??4/24/2008
  Q: My 11yr old daughter vertically fractured the cheek side of one of her lower first molars.Inside the ...
  A: There are two possible situations here and I cannot discern from your description which one you are ...
Braces on for long time4/23/2008
  Q: Long story but I'll try to be as brief as possible - instead of using an Orthodontist for braces, ...
  A: I agree with you. My opinion, in retrospect, is that it was a huge mistake not consulting with an ...
Sond teeth4/23/2008
  Q: My son is seven years old and I just noticed an adult tooth that has grown in behind his bottom ...
  A: Usually the baby tooth will ultimately fall out on its own after some time. Then if there is enough ...
2nd molars - bottom4/23/2008
  Q: I am 24 yrs old. I am currently being treated by my regular dentist and an orthodontist with ...
  A: My first strategy is always to preserve the teeth as long as it is possible and reasonable. The ...
gum recession and bite.4/23/2008
  Q: I am a 19 year old male and have had a very bad grinding problem in my sleep for the past couple of ...
  A: Matt, You've listed some important issues as well as a desire to correct them. Here's a possible ...
Molars extraction4/22/2008
  Q: My Orthodontist says I need to have 4 premolars and my last 4 molars taken out for "space"... ...
  A: Without access to your complete diagnostic records I can't properly answer your question. In ...
blanket sucking4/13/2008
  Q: I read what you had said to another person about the 2.5 year old sucking his blanket and having an ...
  A: Withdrawing from the blanket sucking should be a slow, steady project. I suggest you cut the ...
braces4/13/2008
  Q: My daughter just turned nine and she just got her braces 4/9/08. She is having a really hard time. ...
  A: You are dealing here with a psychological or behavioral challenge as well as a problem with the ...
braces4/13/2008
  Q: I currently have braces. They were suppose to be removed Nov. 2007. Somethings came up such as a ...
  A: I am going to respond to your inquiry as an orthodontist but I will suggest that you may wish to ...
Time it takes for adult front teeth to grow?4/12/2008
  Q: My daughter is 5 and lost her two bottom front baby teeth which were replaced straight away by the ...
  A: There is a great deal of variation in the timing of tooth eruption so I would not be too concerned ...
Daughter's permanent tooth is coming in behind the baby tooth4/11/2008
  Q: My oldest deaughter, who is five, has a loose baby tooth on the bottom in the middle. (It's her ...
  A: Since the baby tooth is loose it will probably fall out in time. If there is enough room for the ...
extraction of a milk tooth4/9/2008
  Q: My 5 year son fell on his face when he was about 2 and chipped one of his front teeth. Over time ...
  A: Antibiotics will not eliminate the infection...but they will help prevent the infection from ...
Severe Overcrowding Issues for a 9-Year Old4/9/2008
  Q: My 9 year old daughter's dentist has outlined a rigorous plan commencing with the spacers, followed ...
  A: Treatment is customized for each patient and reflects the complexity of the problem. Fees vary ...
Temporarily Removing Braces for Wedding4/8/2008
  Q: Myerson, I want to know if it's possible to have braces temporarily removed about halfway into ...
  A: The gist of my message is that you will lose some time in treatment and the time you lose is more ...
Braces and Mouthguards4/8/2008
  Q: Myerson, I would firstly like to thank you for all that you offer to this wonderful website. My ...
  A: Absolutely not. That type of mouthguard fits the teeth and braces closely and will halt any ...
Braces and Mouthguards4/8/2008
  Q: Myerson, I would firstly like to thank you for all that you offer to this wonderful website. My ...
  A: During the time you have braces on your teeth you should wear an orthodontic mouthguard. This type ...
2yr knocked out front tooth but not root4/7/2008
  Q: 2yr old after 3 traumas in past 6 months finally knocked out his front tooth-it was turning gray. ...
  A: There's little chance that the root will dissolve. It may work its way out by itself but there's a ...
Root Canal Treatment for 3 year old kid4/6/2008
  Q: My kid is 3 year 4 months old. My kid has to undergo the root canal treatment. We took him to a ...
  A: Behavior management with small children is very difficult and there is very little that you can do ...
17 month old with ECC and recommended treatment4/5/2008
  Q: My 17 month old son was diagnosed today with severe decay on his front 4 top teeth. One corner ...
  A: In severe decay situations with a primary tooth when the nerve is infected there are two ...
How to find good Ortho4/4/2008
  Q: I am in definite need of braces as I need to make space for an implant. I need some advice on how to ...
  A: First and foremost, make sure you are dealing with an orthodontist. Some general dentists represent ...
teeth dealy in 20 month old4/4/2008
  Q: My daughter is 20 months and has 4 teeth. She seems to be getting a lateral incisor and it looks as ...
  A: There's a great amount of variation in the timing of tooth eruption from one person to the next. ...
think I'm getting ripped off here4/3/2008
  Q: my dentist is charing for work to be done on my 5 year old (about $2300) I asked them to fax me the ...
  A: You're pretty much on track with this. The band and loop is a space maintainer which is necessary ...
Braces and Extraction4/3/2008
  Q: My surgeon was concerned as there is not much space in my mouth. I have been using a maryland bridge ...
  A: Each individual case is different and each has its own set of treatment options. The answer to your ...
congenital missing teeth - 14 year old boy4/2/2008
  Q: im am writing on behalf of my 14 year old brother who suffers from congenital missing teeth. the ...
  A: In cases of congenitally missing maxillary lateral incisors there are two potential treatment ...
Chewing in sleep3/31/2008
  Q: I am 17 years old and I was told that I chew in my sleep. I wake up with terrible migraines. I have ...
  A: I'm not at all equipped to provide you with any help, but I can give you some information. The ...
10 year old son- possible surgery to align jaw at age 183/31/2008
  Q: Myerson, My son recently had his first visit to an orthodontist a few weeks ago. He is now ten ...
  A: Without actually evaluating your son and his diagnostic records I can't agree or disagree with the ...
braces and implant3/31/2008
  Q: OK...so here is my "big" dilemma.I ended up cracking tooth #7 in a softball game a few years ago...i ...
  A: In general it's a very bad idea to have an implant done before the orthodontic tratment is completed ...
Son born with two upper labial frenums3/30/2008
  Q: My son is 2 1/2 and was born with two upper labial frenums which has made his two front teach ...
  A: I might consider having the extreme labial frenum surgically revised since it will also interfere ...
my daughter3/30/2008
  Q: my daughter is 3 years old and she has to get 4 of her front teeth taken out. will it take longer ...
  A: Provided your daughter is healthy and her oral hygiene is good there should be no problem with the ...
tooth extraction3/29/2008
  Q: Do all adults who need braces have to have teeth extracted? Also, if teeth in the middle of either ...
  A: When it comes to orthodontic treatment there are no rules. Each treatment plan is customized to the ...
13 month old son with half missing front tooth3/29/2008
  Q: my 13 month old son's front tooth appears to have come through with most of the middle part of it ...
  A: Without actually seeing the tooth I really can't know what you are describing. Some types of ...
Permanent tooth reabsorbed3/28/2008
  Q: My 10 year old daughter has been seeing an orthodontist for about a year and a half. She has quite a ...
  A: There was probably no alternative to the treatment that was provided. Even if you decided to not ...
Gray Tooth in a Two-Year-Old3/28/2008
  Q: My son is 2 years old, and his front tooth has turned light gray over bight. He has had several ...
  A: I have never heard of a fever or a nutritional deficiency resulting in a tooth turning dark. The ...
12 year-old molar3/27/2008
  Q: I am 14 years-old and I have one 12 year-old molar that has not come in yet. I have gotten two ...
  A: I can think of several possible problems with that unerupted second molar. 1. By not being in ...
general anesthesia on toddlers3/27/2008
  Q: I have a 17 month old baby girl. She's still being breastfed. The dentist is recommending to use ...
  A: General anesthesia on a healthy child is relatively safe but there are significant risks that must ...
2 year old's trauma to front tooth3/27/2008
  Q: My 2 year old fell and hit her mouth, as a result one of her front teeth has been going grey. If ...
  A: First of all, the darkening of the tooth signifies that the nerve of the tooth has died. Unless the ...
9 year old, front teeth missing since 2 years3/19/2008
  Q: My son had a small accident 2 years ago, damaging one of his front teeth, the dentist pulled both of ...
  A: It seems to me that you should have already seen some progress with the emergence of that incisor by ...
8 years and no front tooth3/18/2008
  Q: My 8 year old daughter lost her front right incisor in October 2006, about a month after her left ...
  A: There is a procedure for bringing that tooth into position. It involves placing braces on the teeth ...
white areas on child's teeth3/17/2008
  Q: Dr. Myerson, my 7 year old daughter has had no dental problems, she has lost 5 baby teeth and 3 ...
  A: You may be describing a variation in the color of these teeth that we see from time to time. It ...
Son almost 2 only 5 teeth3/17/2008
  Q: I am wondering if an early visit to a dentist is warranted with my son. He is 22 months and only ...
  A: No much you or a dentist can do at this point. Even if x-rays were possible on a child at this age ...
Palatal Expanders3/17/2008
  Q: My daughter is 3 yo and just had her first trip to the dentist. The dentist stated that due to her ...
  A: There are basically two types of palatal expanders...removable and fixed (cemented). I never use ...
Loose Tooth3/17/2008
  Q: My three year old toddler knocked his canine tooth out. A month later he lost the tooth next to it. ...
  A: There is nothing you can do in this situation other than make an appointment with a pediatric ...
Tooth discolored3/9/2008
  Q: My 3yr old daughters two front teeth are darker maybe even a gray tent. She has been on 4 rounds of ...
  A: There are basically two different forms of discoloration of teeth. The first is a surface stain ...
13 year old with broken front tooth3/8/2008
  Q: My son broke his front tooth when he fell off of his bike about 4 months ago. It broke just under ...
  A: Of course a proper diagnosis requires an examination and x-rays but you should consider the ...
othodontic treatment3/7/2008
  Q: Dr. Myerson, We are living in Ghana, West Africa. There are a few orthodontists here but I don't ...
  A: My standard routine is to see every patient with fixed braces every 4-6 weeks. There is a style of ...
Permanent Retainer on upper and lower teeth3/7/2008
  Q: Myerson, At the age of 21 years old I got braces for the first time. I only had a few gaps in my ...
  A: You may have the option of having the permanent retainers removed and replaced by removable ...
brace query3/7/2008
  Q: i have had fixed braces since october and have recently just had a fixture put on a tooth to bring ...
  A: As a tooth moves into place the light that reflects off the tooth can be different and this could ...
Posterior Crossbite3/7/2008
  Q: This past December 2007 I had a RPE put in. My orthodontist claimed that my crossbite is now fixed. ...
  A: The orthodontist locked the appliance so that there can be no change in the width of the upper jaw. ...
brown tooth3/5/2008
  Q: my 2 1/2 year old son has had a front brown tooth for 3 months now and the gum bleeds when i brush ...
  A: The bleeding gum could very well indicate an infection. The only way to know if root canal therapy ...
Extraction after intruded baby teeth2/28/2008
  Q: My 2 year old son fell 4 weeks ago and hit his mouth on a fireplace. Three of his front teeth were ...
  A: I understand your concern. You should also understand a concern your dentist has about a persistent ...
Length of time for gums to heal after an extraction.2/28/2008
  Q: My 5 yr old son just had dental work done(yesterday) where the next to last back tooth on each upper ...
  A: Soft diet is advisable for a limited amount of time as healing progresses. Your son will best gauge ...
Posterior Crossbite2/27/2008
  Q: I have had very little orthodontic work done, yet, my teeth are extremely straight. I do, however, ...
  A: It is a rare situation when a crossbite is the only problem with a bite. While it can take as ...
implant or bridge?2/27/2008
  Q: i have braces and i get them off in a few months, i have had a tooth pulled because it was a baby ...
  A: These are good question that should be directed to the prosthodontist...the dentist who will be ...
tooth decay2/27/2008
  Q: , i have a child that is just over 2 years and has problem with her 4 AB top front teeth and a hole ...
  A: Depending on the extent of damage to the teeth it may be possible to determine without x-rays that ...
flouride vitamins2/27/2008
  Q: At what age should flouride vitamins be stopped?
  A: Systemic (ingested) fluoride supplements only work when enamel is developing. Since most tooth ...
tooth decay2/27/2008
  Q: , i have a child that is just over 2 years and has problem with her 4 AB top front teeth and a hole ...
  A: Without x-rays and a clinical examination I am in no position to offer a second opinion. A ...
4 yr old - 31 pounds multiple cavities sedation2/26/2008
  Q: My 4 year old has 4 bottom teeth in big trouble. several others have cavities. She weighs only 31 ...
  A: I personally favor conscious sedation in the office rather than general anesthesia in the hospital, ...
Caps on Baby teeth.2/25/2008
  Q: About 3 months ago my two year old landed front teeth first on a metal bar which must have cracked ...
  A: I strongly recommend that you take necessary measures to preserve the teeth. Early loss will ...
Black spots/stains on 3yr old2/25/2008
  Q: Randolph My 3yr old started having black spots along gumline and on back of the teeth from past 2 ...
  A: This appears to be a surface stain and not a problem with the tooth itself. Frequently the cause of ...
3 yr. old chipped tooth2/25/2008
  Q: My son chipped his tooth yesterday and it's only a small amount that was broken off, but should I ...
  A: Your idea of a small amount and my ideal of a small amount may not be the same. It doesn't take a ...
new tooth2/23/2008
  Q: My son is seven years old. His first two grown up teeth have just grown in, One is really crooked ...
  A: Your son should be seen by a dentist who can determine if the defect in the tooth needs treatment to ...
eye teeth and cleft palate2/22/2008
  Q: I'm a 22 year old, who is thinking about getting braces due to overcrowding and elevated eye teeth ...
  A: While it's important that the orthodontist is aware of your history of cleft palate and surgery, ...
Tooth discoloration in 3 yr old2/21/2008
  Q: My three year old cousin had a skating accident and her two front teeth were chipped. Her gums were ...
  A: The discoloration is very likely the result of the repeated trauma. Mild discoloration that occurs ...
5 years old2/21/2008
  Q: Can a 5 year old get new or more molers cutting through before ever lossing any baby teeth. I just ...
  A: We can reasonably expect a 5 year old with all 20 baby teeth to start acquiring his first permanent ...
My adult tooth has not regrown2/21/2008
  Q: I am 16 years old and I had my last baby tooth taken out almost a year ago but my adult tooth still ...
  A: It is definitely something else. Milk has nothing to do with the emergence of a tooth in a 16 year ...
extra tooth2/20/2008
  Q: I am 17 years old and have recently noticed a tooth gowing out of the roof of my mouth behind my ...
  A: This is either an extra tooth (called a supernumerary) or it's a regular permanent tooth. ...
orthodontics/strong jaw2/20/2008
  Q: My son went to 2 orthodontists recently for a consult. Each one said something different. One said ...
  A: Truth of the matter is that I don't have enough information to give you any significant advice. The ...
Dental versus skeletal overbite2/20/2008
  Q: I have been to 3 orthodontists with my daughter in an attempt to find the correct treatment for her. ...
  A: You have discovered that there are many different approaches to every problem. I can give you some ...
Toddler has skin from lip between two front teeth2/19/2008
  Q: My son just turned 18 months. I noticed that the skin from under his top lip is growing into the ...
  A: The tissue you have described is a maxillary frenum and it is entirely normal at 18 months of age. ...
5 yr old extraction of two teeth2/19/2008
  Q: My 5 year old was complaining about headaches and teeth pain. Took her to a pediatric dentist. They ...
  A: The pediatric dentist is trained and experienced in managing the young dental patient in the best ...
underbite2/17/2008
  Q: My 10 month old has a very noticeable underbite. Any idea of what may have caused this and the best ...
  A: Nearly every 10 month old infant has an "underbite". The lower jaw usually grows faster than the ...
enamel hypoplasia2/16/2008
  Q: My 6 year old daughter has enamel hypoplasia. As a result her max canine and 1st primary molars have ...
  A: While enamel hypoplasia and fluorosis are both disturbances in the formation of the enamel they are ...
trauma to front tooth2/16/2008
  Q: Whilst thanking you in advance I kindly ask for your expert advice. I am a 28 yr old lady and ...
  A: There is a very good chance that the displaced tooth will re-attach. In many of these kinds of ...
toddler front teeth knocked loose2/15/2008
  Q: my 26month old daughter knocked her 2 front teeth out of place on the ice. the dentist was able to ...
  A: It is prudent for you to pursue this as you've planned. Without knowing the nature of the murmur ...
toddler front teeth knocked loose2/15/2008
  Q: my 26month old daughter knocked her 2 front teeth out of place on the ice. the dentist was able to ...
  A: Your daughter's heart murmur could be a very significant factor in how you should proceed. If the ...
4 year old and her 1st loose tooth2/14/2008
  Q: My daughter is 4 1/2. We have been to the dentist on several occasions just for a visit. However we ...
  A: If this is a lower front tooth then I would guess that it is simply falling out a bit early. Of ...
Treating bimaxillary protrusion2/14/2008
  Q: I'm being treated for bimaxillary protrusion in which my teeth and gums sticks out and can't close ...
  A: There are many different ways to correct bimaxillary protrusion following extraction of four ...
Teething2/14/2008
  Q: My 9 month old daughter has now four bottom teeth and no top teeth is this normal or do i have to ...
  A: There is a great deal of variability in the appearance and timing of the teeth. Besides brushing ...
My son seems to feel pain at dentist even after the shots and gas.2/13/2008
  Q: Can a child not get numb? My son is 7 and he has had work done twice now and he ...
  A: While it is possible that the action of the local anesthetic is not profound, that is not likely ...
abscess in a 6yo?2/13/2008
  Q: My 6yo fell and chipped his tooth a few years ago. Now there is a lot of redness and a white dot, ...
  A: This sounds like an abcess. As long as the infection remains localized to the area of the tooth you ...
6 year olds loose tooth2/13/2008
  Q: i have a 6 year old daughter who has 2 loose teeth on the bottom(side by side)& 1 tooth is hurting ...
  A: It is certainly acceptable to "encourage" a naturally exfoliating primary tooth so she can go ahead ...
toddler front teeth knocked loose2/13/2008
  Q: my 26month old daughter knocked her 2 front teeth out of place on the ice. the dentist was able to ...
  A: The possibility that those two teeth will recover from this trauma depends to a great extent on ...
hypoplastic teeth condition2/13/2008
  Q: My son was diagnosed today after going to the dentist for two cavities with this condition. Our ...
  A: 1. Cavities should be cleaned and fillings placed as soon as possible. Frequent dental checkups ...
Crossbite2/12/2008
  Q: I am a 22 year old female, I have a crossbite on the right side of my mouth, i have only only had an ...
  A: Correcting the crossbite in a young adult without surgery invites a significant risk of failure as ...
Frenulectomy2/12/2008
  Q: Can you tell me the short and long term risks or possible side effects that can occur from having a ...
  A: Other than the minimal risks that accompany any minor surgery (discomfort, infection, bleeding) I am ...
Abcess in childs tooth2/12/2008
  Q: My daughter is 3. Today they pulled her front upper tooth because they said it has an abcess. ...
  A: There are certainly ways to treat an abcessed tooth and preserve it. Extraction is the treatment of ...
overbite2/11/2008
  Q: My daughter is 9. She has been wearing braces on her upper front teeth only for about 1.5 years. Her ...
  A: There are many different approaches to treating an overbite and each one must take into ...
10 1/2 YR OLD DAUGHTER CHIPPED UPPER FRONT TOOTH2/11/2008
  Q: SHE WENT ICE SKATING THIS A.M. AND CHIPPED OFF MORE THAN 1/2 THE TOOTH IN THE FRONT ON AN ANGLE..I ...
  A: Minimal immediate treatment is essential to prevent further damage to the traumatized tooth. The ...
primary tooth root canal v. extraction2/11/2008
  Q: My son (6) is scheduled for a root canal. When having his first cavity filled, his dentist said ...
  A: I'm going to guess that a space maintainer will not work in that location because the first ...
Born with missing adult teeth. -Recent Jaw pain2/10/2008
  Q: I'm a 15 year old girl and I was born without adult teeth below both of the second premolars on my ...
  A: Proper jaw posture depends on muscular balance and a properly working set of temporo-mandibular jaw ...
10 1/2 YR OLD DAUGHTER CHIPPED UPPER FRONT TOOTH2/10/2008
  Q: SHE WENT ICE SKATING THIS A.M. AND CHIPPED OFF MORE THAN 1/2 THE TOOTH IN THE FRONT ON AN ANGLE..I ...
  A: Sometimes it is not possible to know right away if a root canal will be necessary. That might ...
baby root canal failed2/9/2008
  Q: My 7 yr olds root canal failed, therefore the tooth had to be extracted. Is it necessary to have an ...
  A: That depends on just what tooth you are referring to. If it is an incisor (front tooth) then the ...
baby root canal on 2 year old2/9/2008
  Q: I noticed that my daughter had cavities on her two front teeth. (she just turned 2) So I took her to ...
  A: This is, unfortunately, a far too common problem that we see as pediatric dentists. The treatment ...
Gapped front teeth2/8/2008
  Q: My daughter is 20 months old and after she cut her two front teeth, I noticed that the "string" that ...
  A: That gap is quite common in infants and frequently it closes as the frenum (that string you ...
2 year old front tooth extraction2/7/2008
  Q: you answered my question posted 30 Jan re my little boy who knocked his front tooth out that day. ...
  A: The simple answer is that since there is an infection present the removal of the damaged tooth must ...
Rotating tooth2/7/2008
  Q: Ive had my braces for almost nine months now and current movement in my mouth is focussed on ...
  A: The rotation of a tooth is a very difficult and time-consuming process. You are feeling the ...
No sign of adult teeth yet2/6/2008
  Q: My son is nearly 8 years old. He lost the 2 teeth either side of his middle bottom teeth o