| Subject | Date Asked |
|
| pulling primary teeth | 11/19/2009 |
Q: My 9 year old son went in for a cleaning and x-rays. The dentist told me he has 2 decayed fillings ...
A: I assume that the decay is too advanced to save the teeth, however that may not be the case. Often ...
|
| Allergy to braces | 11/19/2009 |
Q: I have a 14 yr. old son who has tried 2 different types of braces (regular nickel and titanium) but ...
A: The allergy is most likely to the nickel component of stainless steel. Nickel-free titanium ...
|
| pulling primary teeth | 11/19/2009 |
Q: My 9 year old son went in for a cleaning and x-rays. The dentist told me he has 2 decayed fillings ...
A: Leaving the decay untreated for more than a few months risks significant infection, pain and damage ...
|
| 14 year old son needing braces | 11/19/2009 |
Q: We have a 14 year old son that has had his first molar come in at 12 and now appears to be going ...
A: This is an abnormality with the eruption of that tooth and it is probably localized to that one ...
|
| anesthesia | 11/19/2009 |
Q: My 3 year old was taken to the dentist for the first time and I was informed that she had 4 teeth ...
A: There are several different ways to manage this situation. While some pediatric dentists will use ...
|
| 14 year old son needing braces | 11/19/2009 |
Q: We have a 14 year old son that has had his first molar come in at 12 and now appears to be going ...
A: This is an unusual problem which can have a significant effect on the overall bite development. It ...
|
| enamel hypoplasia and hypocalcification | 11/17/2009 |
Q: what is the difference between enamel hypoplasia and enamel hypocalcification? clinically how can we ...
A: Enamel hypoplasia describes a general group of defects in tooth formation. Some of these defects ...
|
| worried mom | 11/15/2009 |
Q: MY DAUGHTER IS 3 YEARS OLD AND I BROUGHT HER TO THE DENTIST SO THEY COULD PUT EIGHT SILVER CROWNS ...
A: It's possible that the swelling is due to an infection but in view of the extensive amount of dental ...
|
| discolour of toddler teeth | 11/14/2009 |
Q: I have a 2 1/2 yr old. In the past six months his teeth seem to go yellow after every time he eats. ...
A: Yes, that nap or bedtime beverage should only consist of water. And your regular, excellent ...
|
| inovation c braces | 11/13/2009 |
Q: What do you think about innovation c braces? Apparently they accelerate the treatment is that true? ...
A: The manufacturer claims that these brackets result in faster treatment and fewer visits. I'm not ...
|
| tooth emerging behind baby tooth | 11/13/2009 |
Q: My son will be five next month. He has not lost any teeth and appears to have no loose teeth. A few ...
A: This is probably a normal tooth emerging a bit out of position and out of sequence. That means the ...
|
| Clear retainer with false teeth | 11/13/2009 |
Q: I currently have braces that are scheduled to be removed within the next few months. I have three ...
A: Yes, it's possible to have clear retainers with teeth included, however our experience with this has ...
|
| Orthodontics and veneers | 11/12/2009 |
Q: : I have two veneers on teeth 10 & 11. I recently went to an orthodontist who told me I could should ...
A: It is possible to bond brackets on porcelain veneers, however the bonding is not always as strong as ...
|
| 2 year old, front 4 teeth cavities | 11/12/2009 |
Q: My daughter is two years old. Over the summer we started to notice some discoloration on her top ...
A: Loose teeth is not a good sign and absence of pain does not indicate the absence of a problem. ...
|
| Debanding/Retainers | 11/10/2009 |
Q: I have several questions, the first pertaining to the financial end of orthodontics, which I realize ...
A: It is customary for orthodontists to offer payment terms spread out over the course of a lengthy ...
|
| pulpectomy | 11/9/2009 |
Q: Myerson, My 8-year old daughter suffers from dental caries. She is having intense pain for the last ...
A: Pulpectomy is often necessary in the treatment of decayed permanent teeth. Because the decay, which ...
|
| Overcrowing? | 11/9/2009 |
Q: I have a 12 year old who's been seeing a DDS since se was 3. All of her baby teeth have fallen out. ...
A: I would not want to venture a guess about this without seeing an x-ray of those two unerupted ...
|
| Jaw Alignement | 11/8/2009 |
Q: My Jaw have shifted.This could have been after my fall from the 1st floor at the age of 5-6. Now i ...
A: The shift in the jaw may be the result of asymmetric jaw growth, perhaps as a result of the trauma ...
|
| too young? | 11/7/2009 |
Q: I took my son for a very exiting first visit to the orthodontist and I have some questions. After my ...
A: Both of these appliances correct the types of bite problems that often become apparent at a young ...
|
| pulp and crown for child | 11/7/2009 |
Q: I took my daughter to the Dentist today for a filling. During the procedure the Dentist came out ...
A: This is certainly an understandable occurrence. There are occasional variations in the anatomy of ...
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| Braces for my child | 11/6/2009 |
Q: My child is 7 years old. Her lower jaw is forward her upper jaw which cause her teeth to meet when ...
A: Actually, I would suggest using orthopedic mandibular restraint with a chin cup to "hold back" the ...
|
| Effects of Pepsi on teeth. | 11/6/2009 |
Q: Myerson, I am doing a science project on the effects of Pepsi on teeth that are brushed and not ...
A: Unfortunately, egg shells and teeth have little in common so your project will actually be the ...
|
| Braces for my child | 11/5/2009 |
Q: My child is 7 years old. Her lower jaw is forward her upper jaw which cause her teeth to meet when ...
A: The proper correction of this type of problem depends on the exact nature of the problem. There are ...
|
| 3 year old - one front tooth and adjacent incisor intruded | 11/4/2009 |
Q: Yesterday my son had an accident at school see-saw and hit two teeth which got intruded in the gums. ...
A: The traumatized teeth may require pulp treatment if they begin to abcess. This may happen in the ...
|
| Orthodontics query | 11/4/2009 |
Q: This is Richa from India. I am 28 years of age an had started the orthodontic treatment 1 year back ...
A: You are correct in that the clear retainers will not allow the tooth to move and "settle in" ...
|
| how to measure teeth rotations from the casts | 11/2/2009 |
Q: randolph...i`m a dental undergrad student studying at cairo college,, i`ll really appreciate it if u ...
A: If I understand your challenge properly this method may provide you with a standard means of ...
|
| Dental Trauma Question. | 11/2/2009 |
Q: My two and half year old son fell in the bath tub and hit his open mouth on the side of the tub. ...
A: My sense here is that the teeth are dying, cannot be saved and will probably have to be removed. ...
|
| Headgear | 10/31/2009 |
Q: My nine year old has "buck" teeth. An orthodontist recommended that she use headgear at night, for ...
A: There are various ways to manage a single treatment challenge and these are two very different ...
|
| Latex Free Braces? | 10/29/2009 |
Q: I have an allergy to latex and I've been researching different types of braces. Are their such a ...
A: There is no latex in braces which are made of either metal, ceramic or plastic. There may be latex ...
|
| my 3 year old daughter needs a tooth extraction | 10/28/2009 |
Q: i have been told my 3 year old daughter needs a tooth extraction due to a fall and her top incisor ...
A: Each dentist has his or her own way of managing each treatment situation. Sometimes an extraction ...
|
| 8 yr old's treatment plan | 10/28/2009 |
Q: My 8 yr old went to 3 consultations with reputable orthodontists in our area. She has a very deep ...
A: I very much appreciate the opportunity to share my thoughts with you. Unfortunately, I have no idea ...
|
| bionator or biteplate; now or later | 10/27/2009 |
Q: my 9.5 yr old daughter has a deep bite ,spaces & classI bite. The deep bite is a concern. #25,24 ...
A: Over the years I've used both a bionator and a bite plate to open the bite. When it's also ...
|
| Anterior Open Bite | 10/26/2009 |
Q: I have been diagnosed with an anterior open bite. I went to an orthodontist who said if I were to ...
A: The short answer is "yes". The proper question has more to do with your particular situation which ...
|
| Child tooth decay | 10/23/2009 |
Q: My child's front teeth are badly decayed. I have consulted a doctor for the treatment and he says ...
A: It may be possible to do root canal treatments and place crowns on the four incisors if the ...
|
| Eruption of second teeth | 10/22/2009 |
Q: The first adult tooth has erupted in the lower jaw of my daughter (who will be 6 in February). ...
A: This is an early indication that your daughter's teeth will be crowded. Sometimes the primary ...
|
| Baby Tooth Extraction | 10/22/2009 |
Q: Dr. Myerson, I am told my 9 yr old son needs two baby eye teeth removed to avoid braces on his ...
A: I'd love to answer your question but I am certainly missing something, and what I am missing is a ...
|
| two front teeth growing apart | 10/22/2009 |
Q: Recently, I noticed that there is a gap between my two front teeth, which was never there before. ...
A: There are many reasons for this to occur. Most commonly it could be due to changes in forces acting ...
|
| 3 year old tooth trauma | 10/21/2009 |
Q: On Saturday, October 10th, my 3 year old daughter was leaning on a chair while I was cooking ...
A: Most likely with this type of injury there will be non-vital teeth involved. The darkening of those ...
|
| locked out tooth | 10/20/2009 |
Q: My question concerns my som who is almost 15 yrs. old. He has an adult tooth, that is being blocked ...
A: Very often in cases like this it is important to have braces already in place before the oral ...
|
| Baby Teeth Roots | 10/20/2009 |
Q: My 7 yr. old daughter lost both her bottom front baby teeth within the last 3-6 months. I've just ...
A: Of course, without an examination, photograph and x-ray it is impossible for me to answer your ...
|
| New Orthodontists | 10/18/2009 |
Q: My 8 year old son recently finish his phase of orthodontic treatment. He had a palate expander and ...
A: Some orthodontists feel that certain types of problems need to be corrected early to remove ...
|
| RPE | 10/18/2009 |
Q: A couple of years ago the dentist recommended I take my son to an orthodontist. His teeth weren't ...
A: The question is not about whether or not your son needs RPE which stands for "rapid palatal ...
|
| braces will change your facial stucture | 10/18/2009 |
Q: well my question is my lower lips are out then my upper lips and i think it is because of my lower ...
A: In addition to a good set of photographs of your facial structures from several different angles I ...
|
| braces off | 10/17/2009 |
Q: I just got my braces off and my ortho glued a wire behind my front 6 top and bottom teeth. When my ...
A: Eddy, There are many different designs of retainers and each orthodontist will use that style that ...
|
| anterior esthetic crowns in pediatric patients | 10/17/2009 |
Q: what are the esthetic crown options that are available in pediatric practice for anterior teeth.
A: One option is to form a tooth colored bonded plastic crown provided there is adequate structure ...
|
| bite | 10/16/2009 |
Q: can you please tell me about telescopic bite? why we consider it a cross bite?
A: "Telescopic bite" is a term that is not frequently used in the US. To some it refers to a severe ...
|
| crossbite | 10/16/2009 |
Q: how can we differentiate between dental and skeletal crossbite?
A: With a skeletal crossbite the maxilla (upper jaw) is too narrow when compared to the width of the ...
|
| braces will change your facial stucture | 10/15/2009 |
Q: well my question is my lower lips are out then my upper lips and i think it is because of my lower ...
A: The only way to have your question answered is to have an examination by an orthodontist who can ...
|
| milk tooth | 10/15/2009 |
Q: My child knocked her front top milk front tooth when she fell on a drawer. She complained it was a ...
A: The darkening of the tooth indicates that the nerve of the tooth has died as a result of the shock ...
|
| Gingival Graft | 10/15/2009 |
Q: My son is 13 years old and is getting ready for braces. He's been told that his bottom gums are to ...
A: If he needs the graft then it is very important to have that done to prevent loss of bone or gum ...
|
| Tooth Decay - 20 Months Old Toddler | 10/15/2009 |
Q: My baby is 20 months old and I am still breastfeeing him. Recently I noticed that his upper front ...
A: You need to brush his teeth with a soft toothbrush every night and every morning. You don't need to ...
|
| bite | 10/14/2009 |
Q: Is there such a thing as a perfect bite, even after orthodontic work? I had braces over 15 years ...
A: Rather than speak of a "perfect bite" it is more useful to describe an acceptable bite. This is one ...
|
| Braces | 10/14/2009 |
Q: I have had braces for a year. I have neglected to floss enough. My gums have become compressed and ...
A: It has taken a long time for your gums to reach the state that they are now in and it will take a ...
|
| Herbst Appliance with RPE | 10/13/2009 |
Q: My son got his Herbst Appliance and RPE on 15 days ago. He still cannot bring his molars together ...
A: The situation with the Herbst appliance may be an intentional aspect of the treatment plan. It ...
|
| Crowns for 3-yr.-old | 10/12/2009 |
Q: my son is 3 1/2 years old and his 4 molars have hypoplasia. Due to caries, I was told that he ...
A: There are certain circumstances that this treatment may be done under sedation in the office over a ...
|
| croked tooth | 10/11/2009 |
Q: I have a question about my 6yr old, she has in the last few months lost her 2 bottom teeth, one ...
A: First, the 6 year old. The flap over the emerging permanent molar is normal and typical and should ...
|
| double tooth | 10/10/2009 |
Q: my son is 6 years old .today his first milk tooth fell and I noticed another tooth coming out behind ...
A: The permanent incisors are always larger than their primary precursors and usually darker in ...
|
| Braces Fee | 10/8/2009 |
Q: I paid the initial fee for the braces, and have not started any treatment except the very initial ...
A: This is actually a legal question which centers around the contract you've established, written or ...
|
| lost teeth | 10/6/2009 |
Q: My son is 7 years old. He has a crown on his first molar, but the root of this teeth is much ...
A: Without the benefit of an x-ray and photographs I cannot form an opinion regarding your son's ...
|
| dental flipper | 10/6/2009 |
Q: I have a dental flipper with 3 teeth. Two on the right side and one on the left side. I have had ...
A: A properly adjusted "flipper" should not move around a lot but it is intended only as a temporary ...
|
| Silver caps | 10/5/2009 |
Q: My two grandsons are on Famis, which is a state funded health care plan that includes dental. My ...
A: When it becomes necessary to restore a tooth, whether from decay or trauma, the dentist should ...
|
| Frequent Bracket Separations | 10/5/2009 |
Q: My third child has had frequent orthodontic brackets separate and brake. She follows the rules of ...
A: I can't offer you advice but I can give you some perspective on this issue. In my practice we see ...
|
| premolar extractions: 2 vs. 4 | 10/4/2009 |
Q: I went to the orthodontist and he originally told me I only needed to extract two premolars on the ...
A: Besides aligning the upper teeth and relieving the crowding your orthodontist is also concerned ...
|
| Impacted Canines | 10/4/2009 |
Q: Randolf, My 13 y.o. son was diagnosed with bilateral impacted canines 6 months ago by his pediatric ...
A: The I agree with the second orthodontist. Braces should first be applied. This is necessary, ...
|
| toddler yellowing of teeth | 10/4/2009 |
Q: My son just turned 3, about a week ago I noticed his teeth both top and bottom are starting to ...
A: I really can't offer you any answers without an examination and a complete professional cleaning to ...
|
| In July my 6 yr old daughter lost her bottom fron teeth and the new teeth grew in right away. In August, her top front teeth began to grow and pushed the baby teeth out.Just today I noticed that her top teeth are growing slightly inward and the bottom fro | 10/4/2009 |
Q: In July my 6 year old lost her bottom front teeth. The new teeth grew in right away. In August, her ...
A: First, there is no home remedy for this situation. You'll need to see an orthodontist or a ...
|
| tads moving molars distally | 10/3/2009 |
Q: Why do tads take such a long time to move molars "backwards"? I read that they can move molars at ...
A: One thing that TADs can do is to provide a way to move molars backwards. A reasonable rate of ...
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| tads moving molars distally | 10/3/2009 |
Q: Why do tads take such a long time to move molars "backwards"? I read that they can move molars at ...
A: TADs don't actually move teeth at all. They simply provide the orthodontist with an unmovable ...
|
| wisdom tooth | 10/1/2009 |
Q: My son is 14 years, 11 months and his orthodontist recommended he have his primary retained 2nd ...
A: I am not aware of any evidence to suggest that the loss, removal or absence of third molars (wisdom ...
|
| child dentistry | 9/30/2009 |
Q: I have a son aged 1 year. He was 2.25kgs at birth. He has the medical problems of laryngomalacia and ...
A: I am not aware of any influence of consanguinous union on tooth development. Tooth development can ...
|
| dimple that disappeared after novacaine | 9/30/2009 |
Q: My daughter had a cavity filled 9 days ago. Top left second from back. They used laughing gas and ...
A: Well that's quite interesting. It's hard for me to understand any connection between her dental ...
|
| Brocken retainer | 9/30/2009 |
Q: My 10 year old son uses a retainer for the last 3 moths (he has to wear it for a year before he gets ...
A: There are many different types of retainers and they can break in various different ways. ...
|
| braces to reopen extraction site | 9/29/2009 |
Q: Nearly 4 years ago at age 27 I got lingual braces put on for class 2 overjet and moderate crowding. ...
A: I'm not familiar with the use of the pendulum appliance with adults. TADs are something entirely ...
|
| Is Space maintainer needed | 9/29/2009 |
Q: I have a 6 year old whom had a back baby moller extracted do to tooth cavity it was a baby tooth ...
A: The space maintainer did not cause crowding of the lower front teeth. That's just the way your ...
|
| Reatiner- which is better | 9/28/2009 |
Q: I am about to get my braces off and am wondering which is better the Essix retainer or the Hawley? ...
A: I prefer the Essix since I can make the retainer in my office in three days rather than the Hawley ...
|
| toddler root canal | 9/28/2009 |
Q: Four months ago my daughter fell and damaged the nerve to one of her front teeth. We visited a ...
A: The process of deterioration and ultimate infection can take some time to occur. By delaying the ...
|
| 1 yr old molar looks like its stuck under gum | 9/27/2009 |
Q: My 1yr old has a huge bubble sort of on her bottom gum. It looks like the tooth is up already but ...
A: This should be seen by a pediatric dentist who can determine what should be done. It is quite ...
|
| Enamel Hypoplasia | 9/26/2009 |
Q: My 10 year old daughter has been diagnosed with hypoplasia. I have noticed the spots since the time ...
A: Most bonding will make those teeth even thicker than they are. Since the upper incisors are already ...
|
| underbite | 9/25/2009 |
Q: I'm 18 years old and i have and underbite where my top teeth are just behind my bottom teeth and ...
A: Your bite problem is definitely not simply a "cosmetic" issue. It also involves the health and ...
|
| Premature pulling of eye teeth? | 9/25/2009 |
Q: My 11-year-old daughter had her primary eye teeth pulled 2 years ago by a dentist that insisted that ...
A: We should be talking about two different aspects of bone growth here. The first is alveolar bone ...
|
| Premature pulling of eye theeth? | 9/24/2009 |
Q: My 11-year-old daughter had her primary eye teeth pulled 2 years ago by a dentist that insisted that ...
A: I sometimes remove the primary canines (usually in the lower arch) if the crowding is so severe that ...
|
| fusion of teeth | 9/24/2009 |
Q: My 16 month old has fusion of his lower central and lateral incisors on one side. We noticed as soon ...
A: No need to worry. This is usually an isolated event of tooth development and rarely affects other ...
|
| delayed eruption of permanent teeth | 9/24/2009 |
Q: My daughter (age 6) lost her 3rd tooth 7 months ago. The first 2 fell out and were replaced quite ...
A: While the timing and pattern of tooth eruption can be quite variable I have never heard of any ...
|
| Alergic reaction to Invislign | 9/23/2009 |
Q: I have been wearing invisalign for 20 weeks or 10 trays. I noticed slight skin irritation all along ...
A: I have not heard of this before. I suggest you speak with your orthodontist and ask him/her to ...
|
| Loose Front teeth cap | 9/22/2009 |
Q: I have a three and a half year old that just got caps on her two front teeth about 5 months ago..she ...
A: Until the dentist can see your daughter she should avoid eating foods that require her to bite using ...
|
| Orthodontic correction bands | 9/22/2009 |
Q: I was so happy to find you! We have a burning question regarding the type and size of rubber bands ...
A: We frequently use double elastics to increase the tension applied. It is not unreasonable to do so. ...
|
| Dentinogenesis Imperfecta | 9/21/2009 |
Q: My daughter is 5 years old and was recently diagnosed as having this genetic defect of her teeth. ...
A: There is no cure for D.I. The teeth have a problem with the dentin layer so the enamel is also ...
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| My 2 year old daughters's crowns fell out | 9/21/2009 |
Q: I recently took my 2 year old to a pediatric dentist to have stainless steel crowns put on her four ...
A: It is not normal for crowns to fall out immediately after being put on. Long term use of fluoride ...
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| retainers that don't quite fit | 9/20/2009 |
Q: I had braces when I was 13-15 years old, and I am 28 now. I had some problems with my retainers when ...
A: It appears that the teeth have changed positions beyond what the retainers can reasonably do. At ...
|
| stop turning palate expander for crossbite after 3 months? | 9/20/2009 |
Q: My son (8 yrs old) has the crossbite. The treatment from his orthodontics include 2 phases. Phase 1: ...
A: There are many different ways to manage a treatment plan. In my office we don't continue expanding ...
|
| skin lesion after dental visit | 9/19/2009 |
Q: My son had a baby tooth removed and immediately after receiving an anesthetic injection the area ...
A: This is certainly not a normal reaction to local anesthetic. I have never seen a reaction like this ...
|
| invisalign | 9/18/2009 |
Q: if my molars were distillised to make room during invisalign treatment would it have any negative ...
A: The distallization of the molars is not an issue. The important consideration in facial esthetics ...
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| 12 year molars in a 6 year old? | 9/17/2009 |
Q: Can my 6 year old already be getting her 12 year molars? She already has her 6 year molars, she got ...
A: You've asked a number of medical questions and one dental question. I am qualified to respond to ...
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| retainers that don't quite fit | 9/17/2009 |
Q: I had braces when I was 13-15 years old, and I am 28 now. I had some problems with my retainers when ...
A: Problem here is that there are really no guidelines about handling this situation other than the ...
|
| Overjet after orthodontic treatment | 9/17/2009 |
Q: I had orthodonture at 18 with an excellent outcome. Unfortunately, I didn't wear my retainer often ...
A: Theoretically, that is a possibility. Space would need to be made so the upper teeth can be ...
|
| Caps or No caps | 9/16/2009 |
Q: My 3 year old son just today had caps put on his 2 front teeth the cavity was in the center of the 2 ...
A: The decision to place crowns rather than fillings must be based on the extent of the decay and the ...
|
| pulling a 14 year olds molar | 9/16/2009 |
Q: My son has a molar that has not yet surfaced because the x ray shows it is growing at an angle into ...
A: In general I would recommend attempting to orthodontically move a tooth into place if at all ...
|
| 6-yr old rapid tooth lose | 9/16/2009 |
Q: I have a 6 year old daughter who has lost her 4 front bottom teeth, 3 of the top front teeth (in one ...
A: I am not aware of anything called a "1st year molar". Perhaps you are referring to a primary first ...
|
| Overbite correction | 9/16/2009 |
Q: I'm a 36 year old male with a an overbite that I wish to get corrected. My teeth are not crooked or ...
A: It may be possible to correct your malocclusion with Invisalign appliances (www.invisalign.com), ...
|
| Teeth | 9/16/2009 |
Q: that is my teeth is not in order its like up and down when i smile it looks ugly some of my friend ...
A: It's important that there are no cavities or broken teeth and the gums must be healthy. The cost of ...
|
| frenum | 9/15/2009 |
Q: My daughter is wearing a retainer with a palate expansion in it. She no londer expands the reatiner ...
A: The frenum often consists of a bundle of elastic fibers like a rubber band. This can place constant ...
|
| Baby Root Canal or Extraction 4 yrs | 9/15/2009 |
Q: My 4 year old daughter recently bumped her front tooth. It was not a hard hit, but the tooth has ...
A: The greatest difference between the trauma and the decay is that with decay the nerve canal is ...
|
| Infant Tooth Loss | 9/14/2009 |
Q: My not yet 10 month old baby fell on Friday and knocked one of his front teeth out. We immediately ...
A: While it is necessary to place a space maintainer for the early loss of a back tooth, there is no ...
|
| 8 year old dental question | 9/14/2009 |
Q: My son is only 8 years old and we were told today that approximately 8 of his baby teeth are ready ...
A: While it is rather unusual for so many permanent teeth to emerge at this young age it is certainly ...
|
| Baby Root Canal vs. Extraction | 9/14/2009 |
Q: My 5 yr old has a severe cavity in her lower molar farthest in the back. The one on the other side ...
A: It is my opinion that preserving the tooth, if at all possible, will provide a better guide for the ...
|
| child's teeth growing in too fast | 9/14/2009 |
Q: My child will be 6 in 2 months and already has 4 of her permanant teeth (the 4 front bottoms). And ...
A: At age six I would expect several of the permanent incisors to have emerged. As for the appearance ...
|
| expander | 9/14/2009 |
Q: My daughter had a recent bad experience with her expander and I would like to ask what went wrong. ...
A: Your daughter's experience with the expander is certainly not normal and not typical. The expander ...
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| braces to reopen extraction site | 9/13/2009 |
Q: Nearly 4 years ago at age 27 I got lingual braces put on for class 2 overjet and moderate crowding. ...
A: It's not really hard to diagnose and treatment plan without an exam, photos and xrays...it's ...
|
| teeth knocked slightly loose in 4 year old child | 9/13/2009 |
Q: My 4-year old little girl fell flat on her face on ceramic tile floor. Her lip is slightly cut and ...
A: It's not likely that she will have to lose any of those teeth unless there is a fracture of the ...
|
| Pedi partial or not | 9/13/2009 |
Q: My 25 mo old daughter has severe tooth decay in her upper 2 left incisors, as well as caries in her ...
A: The night/nap bottle should contain ONLY water. Milk, juice and any other sweetened ...
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| CROWNS | 9/12/2009 |
Q: I have been bringing my children to a family dentist for years. My 4 year old has been showing ...
A: As a pediatric dentist I often deal with this situation, and often I see youngsters who have not ...
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| permanent retainer | 9/11/2009 |
Q: I have had my lower permanent retainer in place for about a year now. I seem to have collected some ...
A: That white residue is called calculus or tarter and is an irritant to the gum tissue. Calculus is a ...
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| Children/Loosing Teeth | 9/11/2009 |
Q: My son just lost one of his top center teeth. There is a small bit of what looks like part of his ...
A: I would not be concerned about this. As the permanent tooth begins to emerge the gums should heal ...
|
| Palatial Expansion | 9/11/2009 |
Q: Two years ago my 14 year old daughter wore a palate expander & it was very successful. The change in ...
A: As I said previously, the answer to your question depends on information that I just don't have. ...
|
| BABY ROOT CANAL | 9/10/2009 |
Q: My 6 yr old is set to have a baby root canal on her back lower molar, my first question is what ...
A: The appropriate restorative material will depend on the amount of tooth material that has been lost ...
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| Palatial Expansion | 9/10/2009 |
Q: Two years ago my 14 year old daughter wore a palate expander & it was very successful. The change in ...
A: There are many reasons why orthodontic treatment may be beneficial and certainly a "straight & ...
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| Underbite on a toddler- chincup success rate | 9/9/2009 |
Q: My daughter is 3 1/2 and showing signs of having an underbite, she grinds her back teeth and when ...
A: There is no doubt that chin cup therapy can be successful in lessening the effect of mandibular ...
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| Uneven crowns | 9/9/2009 |
Q: Myerson; first of all I apologize for the length of my inquiry, but I have a hard time condensing ...
A: I presume the crowns are the white plastic variety and not stainless steel crowns. You are correct ...
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| Herbst appliance | 8/12/2009 |
Q: I took my 11 year old son to the orthodontist today and was told he had an 8mm overbite and need a ...
A: There are several reasons for correcting an 8mm protrusion and esthetics is one. With this degree ...
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| gums | 8/12/2009 |
Q: hi my son is 20 months and his gums are swollen and black with blisters i read it could be eruption ...
A: An eruption hematoma sometimes occurs before a tooth breaks through the gum. Some blood gathers ...
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| Teeth Filing | 8/11/2009 |
Q: My orthodontist recently prescribed upper and lower splints to realign my jaw. I had braces as a ...
A: Under certain circumstances it is not unusual to adjust the bite by reshaping a few teeth. Because ...
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| Rubber bands on braces | 8/11/2009 |
Q: I heard that rubber bands are the last step when having braces, but I've only had my braces for ...
A: Rubber bands are certainly not the last step in orthodontic treatment. In some cases they are ...
|
| 3 year olds teeth knocked | 8/11/2009 |
Q: My daugher(aged 3 & half)knocked one of her front teeth out about 2 weeks ago. The top front tooth ...
A: It sounds like that second tooth has been traumatized beyond saving at this point. It's only chance ...
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| Pulp Damage to 1st Set of Teeth | 8/11/2009 |
Q: My 2.5 year old son, experienced trauma to his two front teeth where his gums were bloody where the ...
A: The dark color of the tooth indicates some degree of damage to the tooth. It is possible that the ...
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| 8 year old with full set of baby teeth | 8/11/2009 |
Q: My 8 year old still has all her baby teeth except the two bottom front teeth which were pulled by a ...
A: As a dentist I would be very interested in evaluating the development of the permanent dentition. ...
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| Avulsed tooth | 8/8/2009 |
Q: My 6 year old son suffered an avulsed front adult tooth when a soccer ball hit him in the mouth. The ...
A: The space that was occupied by the now lost tooth must be maintained with a false tooth of some ...
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| 18 month old with all top teeth and only 4 on bottom | 8/8/2009 |
Q: I have a question about my son's teething pattern. His first teeth to erupt were the center bottom ...
A: This is a rather unusual eruption pattern. It's natural to be concerned but there's nothing that ...
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| Jaw expansion | 8/7/2009 |
Q: My 14 year old son has severe overcrowding and needs braces. I've taken him to two different ...
A: I'd love to give you some specific advice about the proper treatment in this case, but I lack the ...
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| gaps | 8/7/2009 |
Q: i am 16 and have a pretty big gap in my two front teeth, and wonder how would be the best way to ...
A: Danielle, depending on the rest of your bite situation it may be possible to close that gap with ...
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| Braces help?! | 8/6/2009 |
Q: I'm 14 years old and I'm going to high school in the fall (a little under a month), and recently ...
A: There's more to orthodontic treatment than just correcting the alignment of the teeth. An ...
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| cracked tooth | 8/6/2009 |
Q: I recently started my treatment with the invisalign braces. Well I went to the dentist today and he ...
A: It is not unusual in adults to find superficial cracks in the enamel of the incisors. These rarely ...
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| Toddler Teeth | 8/5/2009 |
Q: My son is 17 months and only has 4 teeth, and a 5 on the way. Compared to other children his age, he ...
A: There is nothing that you can do to help out with this process. If your son still seems to be ...
|
| 10 year old has a "Class lll" Underbite | 8/5/2009 |
Q: My 10 year daughter has a Class III underbite. She was recently examined by an Orthodontists for ...
A: This may be something that can be managed with mandibular orthopedic restraint, a form of ...
|
| Mouth Guards | 8/4/2009 |
Q: I have a 7 year child who has developmental delays/special needs. The dentist is telling us he ...
A: I have several concerns, first about his ability to tolerate the appliance in the first place. ...
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| 21 months only 8 teeths.. | 8/4/2009 |
Q: Dr.. My son is 21 months..he has got only the front 4 teeths and the 2 grinders in the upper and ...
A: It is usually possible to take some x-rays at age 2-3 so at some point in the future a visit to a ...
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| eruption of permanent central incisors | 8/4/2009 |
Q: my daughter's permanent central incisors are erupting, however, the primary incisors have not shed. ...
A: I presume you are referring to the lower incisors. Usually, the primary incisors will ultimately ...
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| expander for 8 yr old | 8/3/2009 |
Q: Not sure my earlier question went through so I am sending again...two orthos have advised that my 8 ...
A: The expander is probably stainless steel and not sterling silver. There are two basically different ...
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| 15 month old grand daughter | 8/3/2009 |
Q: My 15 month old granddaughter who lives with us, has not begun the teething process yet however she ...
A: You are describing a very typical situation as an infant starts teething. My own granddaughter went ...
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| short root and braces | 8/3/2009 |
Q: My son is 10yrs old and has been referred to orthodontist for braces. he needs fixed braces but he ...
A: I have no statistical information that could lead me to give you a probability regarding the loss of ...
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| Expansion vs. pulling adult teeth | 8/1/2009 |
Q: My 13-year old daughter has significant crowding on both her upper and lower jaws. She had a palate ...
A: Without having the benefit of evaluating the specifics of your daughter's situation I can only make ...
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| short root and braces | 7/31/2009 |
Q: My son is 10yrs old and has been referred to orthodontist for braces. he needs fixed braces but he ...
A: It is quite possible that orthodontic movement of the upper front teeth could result in additional ...
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| White caps vs. current silver | 7/30/2009 |
Q: My 5 year old had to have a baby root canal for her 2nd molar. It is the baby tooth and the dentist ...
A: Most pediatric dentists will use a stainless steel crown following a root canal on a primary tooth. ...
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| treatment for crowding in 8 yr old | 7/30/2009 |
Q: My 8 yr old daughter has "crowding" on both upper and lower arches. She's small and her teeth are ...
A: Not all jaw growth will have the effect of mitigating crowding of the dentition. By the age of 8 ...
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| Dental | 7/30/2009 |
Q: Good Morning sir. My 3.5 yrs old Kid having severe Dental pain. Her 3-4 front row upper teeths are ...
A: Depending on the health of the youngster, the type of anesthesia and the kind of supervision given ...
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| treatment for crowding in 8 yr old | 7/30/2009 |
Q: My 8 yr old daughter has "crowding" on both upper and lower arches. She's small and her teeth are ...
A: Conventional braces alone cannot achieve growth modification. YOu should not confuse "expansion" ...
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| 18 yr old with baby tooth | 7/30/2009 |
Q: My 18 yr old has his baby tooth still in--left upper eye tooth and the permanent tooth is above it ...
A: The presence of this unerupted permanent tooth has the potential of damaging the roots of the other ...
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| treatment for crowding in 8 yr old | 7/29/2009 |
Q: My 8 yr old daughter has "crowding" on both upper and lower arches. She's small and her teeth are ...
A: There are no "typical" treatment approaches. As a matter of fact, for each particular situation ...
|
| Braces overseas | 7/28/2009 |
Q: My girlfriend had braces done while she was living overseas. She went to visit her orthodontist ...
A: There are many different types of braces and styles of treatment and not all orthodontists can work ...
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| Rapid Palatal Expander | 7/28/2009 |
Q: Myerson, I am a 21 year old who just got braces last week as well as a palatal expander to attempt ...
A: There are basically two types of expansion that can be done in the upper. The first is a skeletal ...
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| extraction of teeth | 7/27/2009 |
Q: i have crowding on my bottom teeth and am wondering if i have to get 2 bottom teeth extracted to ...
A: Removal of those teeth shouldn't make your jaw smaller, but the positions of the lower teeth can ...
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| tiny black dot on tooth | 7/26/2009 |
Q: Dr. Myerson: Yesterday, I noticed a tiny black dot on my 8-year-old boy's right bottom second ...
A: Without doing an examination it's just not possible to determine if those spots are the beginning of ...
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| White Discoloration of Teeth after Braces? | 7/25/2009 |
Q: Myerson, I would like to take a moment to thank you for volunteering here on AllExperts to help ...
A: That's the thing about having nice straight teeth. You start to notice things that you never saw ...
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| irregular tooth eruption | 7/25/2009 |
Q: My eight month old son has gotten his mandibular central incisors but the next teeth coming in are ...
A: While it's possible that there are missing teeth it's more likely that the teeth are coming in on ...
|
| My almost 3 yr old has tooth decay. | 7/24/2009 |
Q: my son is about to be 3 yrs old next month, and just a few days ago I noticed that his two front ...
A: Your son will need to have the cavities properly cleaned and filled by a dentist who is trained and ...
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| baby teeth extractions | 7/24/2009 |
Q: If a baby tooth is extracted and part of the root tip breaks off- is it absolutely necessary to have ...
A: Great question Angie. Generally, the root tip will resorb as the permanent tooth emerges, but this ...
|
| Essix Retainer Replacements | 7/23/2009 |
Q: How will I know when its times to replace my essix retainers as I understand they don't last more ...
A: You're on the right track. As long as they're not loose, they stay in place and are free from ...
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| impacted upper canines | 7/23/2009 |
Q: We recently saw an orthodontist who said he will attach a chain to the adult teeth in the gum, after ...
A: There very likely are other options but without access to the diagnostic data I am not able to ...
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| upper and lower jaw expanders | 7/22/2009 |
Q: I have a 7 year old daughter who has severe overcrowding of both upper and lower jaw. I took her ...
A: There are many different ways to approach a single situation so there is no absolute answer to your ...
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| orthodontic treatment advice | 7/22/2009 |
Q: My orthodontist told me that it would be a 1 1/2 year to 2 year process, I had a consultation with ...
A: I am not in a position to discuss your rights since that is a legal question that should be ...
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| impacted upper canines | 7/21/2009 |
Q: We recently saw an orthodontist who said he will attach a chain to the adult teeth in the gum, after ...
A: The elastics are absolutely necessary as they supply the force that will cause the teeth to move ...
|
| Yellow Teeth in 8yr Old | 6/26/2009 |
Q: In the past month I have noticed that my son's teeth are becoming extremely yellow especially ...
A: Of course without actually examining the teeth I cannot make a diagnosis based on your description. ...
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| Pediatric tooth extraction to allow incoming permanent teeth to be straight | 6/26/2009 |
Q: My son has lost his bottom two teeth in the front and you can see the tops of his new permanent ...
A: I agree with the dentist and the orthodontist. Extraction of primary teeth to deal with this ...
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| swollen gums | 6/25/2009 |
Q: My 3yr old, had a fever on Tuesday and started drooling a lot. She also started complaining that ...
A: At age 3 your daughter should have 20 teeth in her mouth. This is all the primary teeth she will ...
|
| missing adult teeth in child | 6/25/2009 |
Q: My granddaughter is missing 20 permanent teeth. Her sister has all of her teeth. We are trying to ...
A: We often find that the baby teeth can remain in place for a significant amount of time...sometimes ...
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| Abscess on baby tooth | 6/25/2009 |
Q: I appears as though my son (10 y.o.) has an abscess on his first upper molar - he still has his baby ...
A: This is a baby tooth that is in desperate need of being removed and it sounds like that has been ...
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| 2 year old - is this an overbite? | 6/22/2009 |
Q: My 2yo, who does not suck her thumb nor does she use a pacifier, seems to have an overbite. When ...
A: Infants normally have an overbite and will frequently grow into a more normal bite relationship as ...
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| extraction of upper eye teeth | 6/22/2009 |
Q: I'm 28yrs old and inquiring about the pro's and con's of potentially having my upper eye teeth ...
A: I think removing the maxillary canines is a bad idea. If that is done then the first premolars will ...
|
| 8 month old popping jaw out of place. | 6/21/2009 |
Q: My 8 month old pops her jaw out of place constantly. It doesn't actually make a popping noise...it ...
A: I've not heard of that before so I nothing to offer you in terms of advice except that I don't ...
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| Conjoined Teeth | 6/21/2009 |
Q: Myerson~ My 1 year old son has two teeth that are conjoined and appear to have grown out of the ...
A: What you have described is a relatively uncommon situation called "dental gemination" where a ...
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| Extremely small central incisor (top) on 14 month old | 6/20/2009 |
Q: My granddaughter who is 14 months old has an extremely small central incisor on the top. It looks ...
A: This may be an extra tooth, called a mesiodens, and for now it probably does not create a problem. ...
|
| backets continually breaking | 6/20/2009 |
Q: My daughter (now 15) has had braces for almost 2 years. In that 2 years she has had 10 broken ...
A: I completely understand the frustration you and your daughter feel. It is, however, typical for an ...
|
| herbst appliance | 6/20/2009 |
Q: Myerson, Yesterday a pediatric orthodontist suggested herbst appliance therapy for my nine years old ...
A: From your description it seems your son has a variety of issues that combine to produce a bite ...
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| Decay | 6/19/2009 |
Q: Myerson, you know how most dental offices, when taking x-rays, they take it only at one angle, even ...
A: Detecting decay under a restoration is difficult using conventional x-ray technology. Often a base ...
|
| top 4 teeth turned grey for 18 month old | 6/18/2009 |
Q: My 18 month old daughter's top 4 teeth have turned greyish. I have been told by her GI doctor that ...
A: It may be that the repeated trauma has resulted in those teeth becoming non-vital. If that is the ...
|
| Palate Expansion Down Syndrome | 6/18/2009 |
Q: Two of my children need expanders. I have learned from the first who has a mild speech impediment ...
A: All orthodontic appliances have the potential to cause discomfort and difficulty with speech, eating ...
|
| metal allegy in child using retainer | 6/18/2009 |
Q: Child of ten years using retainer with surgical steel has started having increasingly serious hives. ...
A: The stainless steel wire used to fabricate retainers certainly has a component of nickel which could ...
|
| pediatric dental intrusion | 6/17/2009 |
Q: My 23 mo. old encountered a dental intrusion on one of her top front teeth. We've seen a pediatric ...
A: If the bleeding occurred after bumping the tooth again then that would be understandable. Of course ...
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| Root Canal for 8 Year Old | 6/16/2009 |
Q: About 6 weeks ago my 8 year-old daughter fell and lost a top front permanent tooth. Her pediatric ...
A: Of course a second opinion is always a reasonable option. I would be surprised, however, if a ...
|
| pediatric dental intrusion | 6/16/2009 |
Q: My 23 mo. old encountered a dental intrusion on one of her top front teeth. We've seen a pediatric ...
A: I'll try to respond to each of your questions. The problem with an intrusion is that there is a ...
|
| baby teeth | 6/15/2009 |
Q: My daughter is nearly 12 and she has lots of baby teeth. I've been recently to the dentist with her. ...
A: This very much depends on the situation as determined by the x-rays, so I can't give you a specific ...
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| Pediactric dentistry | 6/15/2009 |
Q: My 2 year old daughter will have surgery to repair or remove 5-7 teeth due to decay caused by an ...
A: The early loss of primary teeth can result in bite problems with the permanent teeth unless proper ...
|
| My 2 1/2 yr oldl grandson | 6/15/2009 |
Q: My grandson has cavities on the top of his front teeth. Right at the gum line. The dentist can't ...
A: There's very little that can be done other than to make certain that the teeth are brushed throughly ...
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| braces for crowding | 6/15/2009 |
Q: my 15 YO son wanted invisalign to fix crowding of his 4 front bottom teeth (his dentist said that he ...
A: In my experience I have started braces on just the bottom teeth but in every case I had to place ...
|
| herbst appliance | 6/14/2009 |
Q: My 13 year old son is about to have a herbst appliance to be followed by braces for a overbite. his ...
A: That is an excellent question to which I cannot offer a conclusive answer. These various approaches ...
|
| dental x-ray dose | 6/13/2009 |
Q: My 7 year old son today got a two-film bitewing x-ray. When the technician was turning on the x-ray ...
A: X-ray machines deliver a dose of radiation based on the setting that is dialed into the machine and ...
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| 2yr old with small decay in front teeth | 6/13/2009 |
Q: MY two year old has a small amount of decay in the front teeth. I am scheduled at the ped dentist ...
A: General anesthesia and sedation are two different approaches to pediatric dental treatment. With ...
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| braces and extractions | 6/12/2009 |
Q: I have a question, I am going to have braces put on within the next two weeks and was told I needed ...
A: Sometimes it's necessary to start treatment immediately after the teeth are removed. If extractions ...
|
| CHILDREN'S ROOTCANAL | 6/12/2009 |
Q: MY HUSBAND IS AN EXPERT ON ASK.COM AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. MY QUESTION IS ABOUT MY SON. HE ...
A: Those teeth that require the root canal treatment are probably molars which need to last another 3-5 ...
|
| new teeth | 6/12/2009 |
Q: My 4 year old lost her two bottom front teeth. is that normal? it looks like she is getting two ...
A: It's a bit early for the permanent teeth to be erupting but that's nature. Nothing you can do about ...
|
| Toddlers Infected tooth pulled | 6/12/2009 |
Q: My 3 y/o chipped one of her front teeth about a year an a half ago and it started to turn grey; ...
A: The tooth probably became infected from the repeated trauma. If left untreated the infection could ...
|
| Child dentistry | 6/11/2009 |
Q: My daughter is 3 and a half years old. 3 front teeth damaged by bottle usage and the tooth next to ...
A: There are a variety of sedative medications in use today that make it possible to avoid general ...
|
| My son's painful teeth | 6/11/2009 |
Q: Can you please advise. I'm currently living in Thailand. My 3 year old(4 in July)son has a lot of ...
A: The answer they gave to you makes no sense to me either. One reason to delay extractions might be ...
|
| overjet | 6/11/2009 |
Q: i want to know if an overjet corrected with braces can cause tmd i read that overjets can cause tmd ...
A: Once again, I can only respond in generalities since your situation is complicated and requires a ...
|
| Toddler Tooth Extraction??? | 6/10/2009 |
Q: Last July (’08) our 2-y/o son fell on the sidewalk at the playground and bumped his mouth. He was a ...
A: The x-ray shows evidence of a chronic infection associated with the tooth. It appears that the pulp ...
|
| first tooth a molar | 6/10/2009 |
Q: I have e 14 months baby girl and his first tooth came out before 3 days was a molar.I want to ask ...
A: I'm not aware of any association with problems with bones. I think that you just need to wait and ...
|
| yellow line sheer teeth | 6/10/2009 |
Q: My son now 5, fell and ripped 4 bottom teeth out at 20 months.He had a partial on that was just cut ...
A: There is no reason to believe that those teeth are non-vital. The irregular coloration of the teeth ...
|
| lowr jaw thrust | 6/9/2009 |
Q: I developed a habit of very slightly (about 1 cm) thrusting my lower jaw forward because I have a ...
A: I really can't answer that since this is simply a discussion of the possibilities. There is no ...
|
| Use of space maintainers | 6/9/2009 |
Q: Dr. Myerson, My 9-year old son has a first phrase orthodontic treatment (upper jaw expansion and ...
A: The space that is gained when the larger primary second molars are replaced by the smaller second ...
|
| Nephews gums | 6/9/2009 |
Q: My nephew is 30 months old. For 2-3 days now his gums are swollen and he has a few red spots on his ...
A: This sounds more like an oral virus than simple gingivitis. Unfortunately there is no treatment for ...
|
| adult realignment | 6/9/2009 |
Q: I am 43 now. When I was a teenager, I had braces with a upper palate plate that was tightened with a ...
A: In the area of medical and dental treatment there are never any guarantees. This is because even ...
|
| 9yr old girl with soft teeth? | 6/8/2009 |
Q: My 9yr old niece has soft teeth & may need braces. Her teeth are 2 different shades of white which ...
A: There is really no such thing as "soft teeth". This is often used as an over-simplified excuse for ...
|
| PLEASE HELP--CONCERNED FOR MY 2 YEAR OLD | 6/7/2009 |
Q: My 2 year old son feel about 3 -4 weeks ago and hit his front teeth on the pavement. they bled a lot ...
A: This probably means that the nerve of the tooth has died as a result of the trauma. The tooth can ...
|
| toddler cavities/ caps | 6/5/2009 |
Q: My 25 month old son went to the dentist yesterday--I was informed that his four front teeth were ...
A: White crowns are certainly an option but if the bite is a problem the crowns will break. The ...
|
| can crowding cause physical discomfort ? | 6/4/2009 |
Q: I have mild-moderate crowding of my front lower teeth. I also have very mild discomfort in this area ...
A: The answer depends on the nature of the discomfort you are experiencing. Since I have no idea about ...
|
| braces for a deep bite | 6/4/2009 |
Q: My 11 year old needs braces and we visited two orthodontists. #1 said severe overlap-class II, lower ...
A: All of these options have the potential to effectively treat the malocclusion as do other approaches ...
|
| pedi-partials | 6/4/2009 |
Q: A COUPLE MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT PEDI-PARTIALS. 1) IN YOUR EXPERIENCE,HOW DOES THE CHILD TOLERATE THE ...
A: Our experience has been very good. Most youngsters adapt very well to the appliance. The challenge ...
|
| underdeveloped roots | 6/4/2009 |
Q: My 6yr old's first two bottom adult teeth erupted but her dentist says her roots are underdeveloped. ...
A: I've seen this sort of problem before and I'm not aware of any single cause. Ultimately, the roots ...
|
| My 5 Year Old | 6/2/2009 |
Q: My five year old has ground her baby teeth down to just abou the gum. I noticed this in dramatic ...
A: Extensive grinding of the teeth can be a problem depending on which teeth are affected. The proper ...
|
| tooth extraction by dentist for crowding | 6/2/2009 |
Q: Several years ago our dentist indicated our son's teeth are crowded and will need 4 teeth extracted ...
A: Timing of extractions is a very important part of proper orthodontic treatment. The extraction of ...
|
| crossbite | 6/1/2009 |
Q: My daughter is 12 & just had her orthodontic consultation. She has a crossbite & will need braces. ...
A: A crossbite causes the teeth to contact in an unnatural and unbalanced way even though the teeth ...
|
| Loose front tooth-mild swelling | 6/1/2009 |
Q: Myerson, My 5 year old son had baby root canal treatment 5 and a half months ago on his two front ...
A: The swelling is probably due to an infection in the gum. This could be due to the shedding of the ...
|
| restraining 2 year old for cavity treatment? | 6/1/2009 |
Q: my 28 month old son has one cavity that needs to be treated in the near future, as x-rays are ...
A: The papoose wrap is absolutely standard procedure. It is for the protection of the patient since ...
|
| 2 year old with root fracture | 6/1/2009 |
Q: my son fell off of his bike and fractured one of his upper front teeth above the gumline a week & a ...
A: While there is a small chance for a root fracture to heal itself there is a much greater chance that ...
|
| Permanent Tooth Not Coming Down | 6/1/2009 |
Q: I have a 7 year old son and his tooth still has not come down. I'm not sure of the proper name for ...
A: If the tooth fails to emerge by itself then it may require surgical intervention to enable it to ...
|
| problem with 2 year old sons front teeth | 5/31/2009 |
Q: First let me thank you for taking the time to read this. OK I have a son who just turned two last ...
A: The proper specialist for managing this problem is a pediatric dentist so you have made the correct ...
|
| 10 yr. old w/wisdom teeth | 5/30/2009 |
Q: my 10 yr old has his lower wisdom teeth coming and pushing against his other teeth, Oral surgery ...
A: In my 36 years as a practicing dentist I have never seen wisdom teeth or third molars emerge in a 10 ...
|
| Gummy Smile | 5/30/2009 |
Q: My 14 year old son has a very gummy smile and he is really self-conscious over it. I'd like to know ...
A: There are several different reasons for a "gummy smile". One of them is gingival hyperplasia, a ...
|
| sedating a 4 year old | 5/29/2009 |
Q: I have a 4 year old that needs crowns on his bottom back molars on both sides. I have gotten two ...
A: Our experience is that with conscious sedation as it is done in the office there is a significant ...
|
| fillings | 5/29/2009 |
Q: My daughter is now 7 yrs old and has had 4 fillings. Every filling has required additional work due ...
A: You have asked me to make a judgement regarding a specific situation, but I am not in a position to ...
|
| fillings | 5/29/2009 |
Q: My daughter is now 7 yrs old and has had 4 fillings. Every filling has required additional work due ...
A: Some clarification seems to be necessary. First, I don't really know what is meant by "decay behind ...
|
| child dentistry | 5/29/2009 |
Q: My son is 33 months old and unfortunatley,is still on the bottle. I noticed that his front two teeth ...
A: Certainly, after the four upper incisors have been removed it is important to replace those teeth ...
|
| fillings | 5/28/2009 |
Q: My daughter is now 7 yrs old and has had 4 fillings. Every filling has required additional work due ...
A: It is not typical to have routine retreatment as you've described. While it is easy to suspect less ...
|
| Upper left cross-bite | 5/28/2009 |
Q: Greetings Dr.Myerson! My daughter just turned 4 2weeks ago.She had a cleaning in April and was ...
A: It is important to make this correction well before all the permanent teeth have emerged. I ...
|
| front tooth extraction | 5/27/2009 |
Q: My son is 2 years old. When his top front two teeth came in, they were yellow on just the bottom ...
A: This is a judgement call that needs to be made on the basis of a clinical examination, x-ray ...
|
| My 13 yr old Son's Adult Teeth | 5/27/2009 |
Q: Dr. Myerson, My son's incisor baby teeth were causing his adult teeth to come in through the front ...
A: By age 13 the incisors should have been in place long ago. At this point I would strongly recommend ...
|
| Over Bite | 5/27/2009 |
Q: First thank you for serving. My husband has almost 20 yrs in. Our 21 month old does not chew food. ...
A: Based on your description it seems like your son has a very small mandible or lower jaw. If that is ...
|
| Strange tooth eruption pattern in baby | 5/26/2009 |
Q: My daughter is 14 months. Her first teeth erupted on her first birthday. Now the only other teeth ...
A: That is certainly an unusual eruption pattern and if there were some sort of intervention or ...
|
| pediatric dentristry: pmt tooth above baby tooth | 5/26/2009 |
Q: my daughter has a permanent tooth growing out above her baby tooth. I forget the name of the tooth, ...
A: This is a fairly common situation you've described. The baby tooth is almost completely resorbed ...
|
| 5 Year old Teeth Broke in half | 5/26/2009 |
Q: My 5 year old ran into my 8 year olds head while they were playing and the top half of one of his ...
A: Your child will lose that broken tooth when the permanent tooth comes in, but it may be a while ...
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| Children's Milk Teeth | 5/26/2009 |
Q: My 6 year old who has a full set of milk teeth fell from his bike 2 days ago and put his top left ...
A: That canine tooth has another 3-5 years to go before it's ready to fall out so you are correct to ...
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| what do you think about this? | 5/23/2009 |
Q: I had a root canal done a few years back. Ever since the procedure, I've felt a little pain on that ...
A: Let me explain. There are two pathways of sensation to each tooth. The first is through the pulp ...
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| what do you think about this? | 5/23/2009 |
Q: I had a root canal done a few years back. Ever since the procedure, I've felt a little pain on that ...
A: I presume you entered into a treatment agreement with a dentist who is trained and licensed to ...
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| tooth extraction in a 4 year old | 5/22/2009 |
Q: Good evening Sir, My dentist suggested one of the baby teeth's be extracted from my ...
A: A second opinion would be a good idea. We very rarely remove a lower primary incisor when we see ...
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| 23 month old hit a chair....... | 5/22/2009 |
Q: My 23 month old was playing around and chasing his brothers around when he fell and hit his top ...
A: This could result in no problems at all. Or it could result in damage to the primary teeth ...
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| front tooth extraction | 5/22/2009 |
Q: My son is 2 years old. When his top front two teeth came in, they were yellow on just the bottom ...
A: The crown requires care because it is not as strong as a healthy, natural tooth. However with good ...
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| front tooth extraction | 5/21/2009 |
Q: My son is 2 years old. When his top front two teeth came in, they were yellow on just the bottom ...
A: I disagree with the pediatric dentist. With the loss of two upper incisors I believe it is wise to ...
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| occlusion | 5/20/2009 |
Q: Dr. Myerson, my orthodontist placed an anchoring bracket too high (ideal position) on #28, and i ...
A: Generally, brackets are placed in an ideal location on each tooth, but because of the position of a ...
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| Late Teething | 5/20/2009 |
Q: Sir, My daughter is 2 and half years old, she is having only 4 teeths (2 on the upper jaw and 2 on ...
A: There is nothing that can be done regarding this situation, but you can certainly take your child ...
|
| overbite in baby with sucking problems | 5/18/2009 |
Q: My 5 month old recently was diagnosed with failure to thrive due to a faulty suck. She seems to ...
A: While an underdeveloped lower jaw is normal in infants, a severely underdeveloped lower jaw ...
|
| High arched palate | 5/18/2009 |
Q: Dr Meyerson. what is a high arched palate & how can it be treated ?
A: This describes a particular configuration and shape of the maxilla or upper jaw. A high arched ...
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| Delayed eruption of permanent front teeth | 5/18/2009 |
Q: My 7 year old son lost his upper front baby teeth naturally 5 months ago. His permanent teeth have ...
A: Perhaps a follow up with the orthodontist would be helpful after one year to determine if there has ...
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| Advice | 5/18/2009 |
Q: I have a one and a half year old son. He slipped and fell damaging his one front tooth , at that ...
A: Without having the benefit of an examination and x-rays it is quite impossible for me to determine ...
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| herbst appliance | 5/18/2009 |
Q: My 13 year old son is about to have a herbst appliance to be followed by braces for a overbite. his ...
A: Not all orthodontists use a Herbst appliance so there are alternatives to this approach. In severe ...
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| Milk tooth decay | 5/17/2009 |
Q: My son is now 4 1/2 years old. His 4 teeth in the front row and 2 inside is infected. Decay ...
A: Keeping to a healthy diet is something that should be a life long commitment. It is important to ...
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| Three year old's facial structure and teeth | 5/17/2009 |
Q: My daughter saw our dentist, for her first visit to a dentist, this past month. Dascha is 3 years ...
A: I would not recommend any treatment of this sort at this age unless there were already some drastic ...
|
| Infant iron stains | 5/17/2009 |
Q: My 8 month old son has been taking an iron supplement and I noticed on his teeth(he has 4)- ...
A: Try regular brushing with a non-fluoride toothpaste. You don't want to use fluoride toothpaste ...
|
| toddler plaque problems | 5/17/2009 |
Q: my 24 month old has had an orange colored substance on his teeth for the last 4-5 months. We brush ...
A: Sounds like you've done all that's possible at home. This would be a good time to get your little ...
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| Retainer problems | 5/17/2009 |
Q: problem. I had braces for two years and got them removed about 3 years ago. i have a permanent ...
A: Good question. The answer depends on how much out of alignment the lateral incisors have become. ...
|
| stained braces | 5/16/2009 |
Q: I have just had plastic braces fitted and last night I had a curry and now the plastics are yellow. ...
A: You've now discovered the main reason why I don't use plastic brackets in my practice. You can try ...
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| 5 yr old son has fleshy bump on gum line | 5/16/2009 |
Q: My 5 yr old son has a fleshy like lump that has appeared on his gum line i would say 3rd tooth from ...
A: You've described an abcess which indicates that the tooth in question probably requires additional ...
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| treating cavities in two year old | 5/15/2009 |
Q: First of all ,thank u so much for answering questions on this site, i read some of your answers, ...
A: Good questions, Deena. Hope this helps. Usually, "anesthesia" refers to general anesthesia which is ...
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| retainers and trauma | 5/14/2009 |
Q: Myerson, Hi, how are you? I don't know if you know any information on this, but since you know ...
A: As I wrote in my initial reply, "Retainers are passive appliances, designed to prevent the teeth ...
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| Broken Toddler Teeth | 5/14/2009 |
Q: My 15-month-old hit his mouth on the coffee table and as a result, he broke his two from teeth with ...
A: It is important to have those teeth evaluated right away to determine the extent of the damage to ...
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| retainers and trauma | 5/14/2009 |
Q: Myerson, Hi, how are you? I don't know if you know any information on this, but since you know ...
A: It is important to distinguish between periodontal or gum infection and endodontic or pulp ...
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| 16 Month old no teeth | 5/13/2009 |
Q: my 16 month old boy still hasn't any teeth. I am starting to worry. When you rub your finger along ...
A: There is nothing you can do at home to hasten the situation. You have two choices. You can ...
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| Playground accident | 5/13/2009 |
Q: Randolph: Four days ago, my almost 6 year daughter fell from a teeter-totter and smashed her mouth ...
A: I would not expect that a molar would have been affected by the incident you described so it's ...
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| Time for braces after extraction | 5/13/2009 |
Q: I have severe crowding and need to extract my premolars before getting braces. How long can I wait ...
A: The answer to this question very much depends on the extent of crowding and the orthodontist's ...
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| molars and toddlers | 5/11/2009 |
Q: My 4 1/2 year oldson is complaining that his right cheek hurts and his teeth are sore. Are there ...
A: Once the 20 primary teeth have emerged, usually by age 2-3, the next tooth to arrive are the four ...
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| cavities on baby molars/ nerve treatment | 5/11/2009 |
Q: i just took my 4 year old son to the dentist for the first time. i was told he had 6 cavities, 3 of ...
A: When tooth decay progresses deep into the tooth the nerve or pulp of the tooth becomes infected. ...
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| braces | 5/11/2009 |
Q: Dr. Myerson, i just had a brace put on the lower teeth last week. #19/28 hold anchoring brackets. ...
A: I can only suggest that you discuss this fully with your orthodontist and come to some understanding ...
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| gap teeth | 5/10/2009 |
Q: Want to get my gaps closed without having to get braces. What dentist would you recommend me go to?
A: In order to close the gaps without moving the teeth you will need to find a restorative or cosmetic ...
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| palate surgery adult | 5/9/2009 |
Q: I'm 32 years old, I started TX for braces w/ general dentist who put on expanders top & bottom @ the ...
A: I strongly advise all my adult patients to complete all necessary periodontal treatment prior to ...
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| advice | 5/8/2009 |
Q: If there are cracks on tooth, and they start hurting, is that a really bad sign, and that immediate ...
A: Orthodontists are first trained as dentists and should be able to advise you to some extent about ...
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| Uneasy bite and mascular pain | 5/5/2009 |
Q: Case history: I am 25 years of age. When I about 17, I underwent an othodontic treatment by a ...
A: You clearly have a complicated problem involving teeth, jaw position, and muscles. This requires a ...
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| 3 missing teeth in 12 yr. old | 5/5/2009 |
Q: X-rays show that my son is missing 2 adult teeth on top, with an additional 3rd needing a chain ...
A: Without having access to an examination and related diagnostic data, xrays and photographs I am at a ...
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| Tooth decay extractions | 5/5/2009 |
Q: It is recommended that my 6-year-old have 3 baby teeth extracted and spacers at $400 a pop put in. ...
A: Some teeth may be saved by performing nerve treatments and placing stainless steel crowns to restore ...
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| baby canines. | 5/4/2009 |
Q: so I'm 17 years old and I have to get braces because my adult canine teeth won't come down on their ...
A: With careful proper treatment you should be able to achieve a pleasing and esthetic result. Poor ...
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| 16 year old daughter missing perm teeth | 5/4/2009 |
Q: I am at a loss for what to do.. I feel like we are all alone with this problem !! My daughter as a ...
A: This must be a very difficult situation for your daughter and you to deal with and it is an almost ...
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| Discolored tooth | 5/4/2009 |
Q: My daughter is turning 5 and recently lost one of her baby tooth at the front bottom of her mouth. ...
A: Permanent teeth are never as white as the baby teeth and they look especially discolored when ...
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| dentition - late teething | 5/4/2009 |
Q: my baby is 10 months & a week old ( born on 30th June 2008) his first tooth has still not ...
A: Usually late teething is not due to a deficiency or illness...it just happens. There is really ...
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| children's space maintainers | 5/4/2009 |
Q: If a child has loops on both back teeth with a connecting band: How does the spacer keep all of the ...
A: If the tooth forward of the extraction space shifts back slightly it will either fall out before the ...
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| 17 month old swollen gums and fever | 5/4/2009 |
Q: About a week ago my son ran a fever for about two days. The highest his fever got was 39.8 degrees ...
A: There are various viral infections, not necessarily the flu, which can cause the severe gingival ...
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| molars | 5/3/2009 |
Q: Do you pull a 6 yr. old baby teeth (molars) when they have cavaties with no decay in the middle?My ...
A: Unless the tooth is about to fall out anyway, it is never a good idea to remove a baby tooth if it ...
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| Flap of skin on gum | 5/2/2009 |
Q: My son is 6 years old. In the back of his mouth on his bottom gums he has a big flap of skin ...
A: The flap of tissue is probably some excess gum that formed when the 6 year molars emerged. This is ...
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| Pericornitis and has braces | 5/1/2009 |
Q: I've had my braces on for about a year now. Last mouth my gum started getting sore where my wisdom ...
A: As a temporary measure you should rinse with warm salt water. You can also rinse with a preparation ...
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| children's space maintainers | 4/30/2009 |
Q: If a child has loops on both back teeth with a connecting band: How does the spacer keep all of the ...
A: The space maintainer appliance is a very rigid device that creates a sturdy "anchor" to prevent the ...
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| orthodontia at 4 years old? | 4/30/2009 |
Q: My dentist saw my nearly 4 year old for the first time and says she needs to see an orthodontist. ...
A: Your child is way too young to begin orthodontic treatment. First, she needs to stop sucking her ...
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| Palette expanders.. | 4/30/2009 |
Q: Im really hoping that you can help. I am 20 years old, and after getting my quad helix palate ...
A: The quad helix will not expand your palate so much as it will widen your upper dental arch which may ...
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| Pedi-partial for 5 year old . . . helpful for speech? | 4/30/2009 |
Q: Myerson. My daughter had her 4 front teeth crowned when she was 21 months old. She had pulp ...
A: The prior damage to the primary incisors necessitated a procedure called a pulpotomy. In this ...
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| child root canal | 4/29/2009 |
Q: I just took my year old child to see a dentis.He recommended a root canal in two of his side ...
A: If those teeth are removed you will need to have a space maintainer placed for the next 10 years ...
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| Toddler cavities | 4/29/2009 |
Q: My daughter is 22 months old. She has cavities in her 2 lower back molars. The dentist does not ...
A: Office sedation is certainly an option and it is safe when done by a properly trained, experienced ...
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| Tooth abscessd | 4/29/2009 |
Q: 6 months ago, my daughter had cavity, that was not detected 1 year ago by her dentist. We had the ...
A: While it happens occasionally, it is certainly not a common occurrence for a nerve treatment to ...
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| Son's cavity repair | 4/29/2009 |
Q: He was born premature & had cavity problem in his teeth from sometime. His backside 4 teeth & ...
A: The treatment should be done since it will just get worse in time. The quality of dental care ...
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| baby bottle toothe decay | 4/29/2009 |
Q: My son is 20 months old and he is having BBTD in his two front insicors.The dentist took his xrays ...
A: The quality of the restoration depends on the skill of the dentist and the ability to control the ...
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| baby bottle toothe decay | 4/28/2009 |
Q: My son is 20 months old and he is having BBTD in his two front insicors.The dentist took his xrays ...
A: I seriously doubt if the IRM will remain in the tooth for very long since it does not bond to the ...
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| Pediatric Tooth Filing | 4/28/2009 |
Q: My daughter is 7 years old and has some crowding in her bottom teeth. She is scheduled to have 0.5mm ...
A: I often will do this very same procedure but NEVER with a 7 year old youngster. In my way of ...
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| digital x-rays | 4/28/2009 |
Q: I had a root canal a couple years ago, and I went to the dentist, but their x-rays did not show up ...
A: I am not aware of any distinct evidence to support the claim that digital x-rays are more diagnostic ...
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| Child Dentist visit | 4/27/2009 |
Q: My son just went to his dentist today. This is his third visit. His first visit identified a ...
A: Without an examination and x-rays I cannot determine if this treatment plan is appropriate, although ...
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| baby bottle toothe decay | 4/27/2009 |
Q: My son is 20 months old and he is having BBTD in his two front insicors.The dentist took his xrays ...
A: I don't understand the need for a temporary restoration when a composite resin restoration can be ...
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| MY DAUGHTER'S TEETH | 4/27/2009 |
Q: I took my 7 year old to the dentist and he stated that she has 6 teeth that have decay and need to ...
A: My guess is that those cavities are on the back teeth which need to last another 5 years. If you do ...
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| orthodontics shifted top teeth | 4/27/2009 |
Q: My fifteen year old son started orthodontics 14 months ago. Is it normal for the orthodontist to ...
A: There are many different paths to a good treatment result and without having complete information ...
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| missing teeth | 4/27/2009 |
Q: My 7 year old lost her 4 front most teeth (2 top middle, 2 bottom middle) over 6 months ago. The ...
A: Some teeth can be quite delayed in emerging and this may be such a situation. You can certainly ...
|
| cross bite | 4/25/2009 |
Q: My 7 yo daughter has a crossbite. The ortho inserted a palette explander and a fixed bite guard. I ...
A: From your description I cannot tell exactly what purpose the "bite guard" serves since the term ...
|
| x-rays | 4/25/2009 |
Q: I had an issue with one of my root canals, because it still ached from time to time. However, I got ...
A: The x-rays displayed on a computer are called digital x-rays. While it is possible to view those ...
|
| frenectomy for 12-yr old | 4/24/2009 |
Q: My dentist has just recommended that my 12-year have a frenectomy of his upper labial frenum since ...
A: Since your son has acquired all his permanent teeth and there is no gap present I fail to identify a ...
|
| Extra tooth | 4/24/2009 |
Q: I noticed a new tooth erupting behind one of the front teeth of my four and a half year old ...
A: This should be evaluated by a dentist to determine if the tooth will have some effect on normal ...
|
| 4-year-old with cavities | 4/23/2009 |
Q: My four-year-old has cavities in 4 back teeth on the top and 4 back teeth on the bottom. Her ...
A: I would suggest that you have a second opinion with a pediatric dentist. I would also recommend ...
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| Too much procedure for a 4 year-old | 4/23/2009 |
Q: My 4 year-old has issues with his teeth, but I don't know if the dentist I'm visiting is really ...
A: The vast majority of dentists and dental specialists are highly trained, caring, ethical ...
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| Retainer on Root Canalled Tooth | 4/22/2009 |
Q: Myerson, Hello, how are you today? I have a concern for one of my root canalled tooth that ...
A: There is only way to determine if there is an issue with the bite and if the retainer is causing ...
|
| Three loose teeth | 4/22/2009 |
Q: My son is ten with three teeth loose. Bottom L Canine as well as Bottom R Molars. He is having ...
A: If the teeth are loose then they are in the process of falling out. The sooner that happens the ...
|
| Loosing Central Incisors at 5 | 4/22/2009 |
Q: My son has lost both of his lower central incisors in the past three weeks,he just turned five. His ...
A: Sometimes we see a localized discoloration on a tooth like you've described. Often this is ...
|
| Baby Incisors | 4/21/2009 |
Q: I just got back from a new pediatric dentist for my 20 month old today. We went to see him about my ...
A: This is a mystery that nature has provided. There are two possibilities. The first, and most ...
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| Retainer on Root Canalled Tooth | 4/21/2009 |
Q: Myerson, Hello, how are you today? I have a concern for one of my root canalled tooth that ...
A: Pain is not a normal event and it always indicates that something is wrong. Some pain following a ...
|
| Bad molar contact | 4/21/2009 |
Q: I am an American presently deputed in Afghanistan. Recently I had to visit a local dentist due to a ...
A: A vertical bony defect is often present in the situation that you've described. The area is subject ...
|
| Missing Teeth | 4/21/2009 |
Q: I'm turning 20 this November and I'm wondering why i only have 24 teeth. The average person has 32 ...
A: Some individuals have fewer than the usual number of teeth. Often this is an inherited trait but ...
|
| infection and retainer | 4/21/2009 |
Q: My name is Mia, and I have had braces before for 3 years. My dentist told me that it was possible ...
A: I have never heard of shifting teeth causing an infection. It is possible that if a tooth is not in ...
|
| 28 month old cavity in between two front teeth | 4/20/2009 |
Q: My daughter is 28 months old and she has a cavity in between her two front teeth. The dentist wants ...
A: It's true that many individuals would judge stainless steel crowns on the front teeth of a child as ...
|
| Retainer's | 4/20/2009 |
Q: I recently got a retainer after getting to braces off it's been 2 months now and my bottom retained ...
A: Your retainer should be adjusted by your orthodontist to fit properly if possible. Otherwise, a new ...
|
| Overbite | 4/20/2009 |
Q: My daughter is 11. An orthodontist is recommending braces and use of a herbst appliance to correct ...
A: Obviously, your daughter is not experiencing any problems with her bite at this time, either ...
|
| Overbite | 4/20/2009 |
Q: My daughter is 11. An orthodontist is recommending braces and use of a herbst appliance to correct ...
A: There are two statements here that should be qualified. "...if it is not corrected she will need ...
|
| facial changes | 4/19/2009 |
Q: My son was edge-to-edge class iii open bite-was expanded and reverse pull head gear at 13 then full ...
A: This is a very simple question with a very complicated answer since it requires a careful analysis ...
|
| My 1 month old cutting teeth? | 4/18/2009 |
Q: i know this may seem a little weird but my 1 month old has been cranky and has been drooling often. ...
A: Yes, that's possible, however sometimes these early teeth are actually extra "neonatal" teeth or ...
|
| Braces and Gum ulcer | 4/18/2009 |
Q: I had braces for 8 months now. I had 2 upper 4th teeth removed to make room. My orthodontist had ...
A: Orthodontic tooth movement does not result in an ulceration of the gum tissue. However, it's not ...
|
| Retainers | 4/18/2009 |
Q: I had a root canalled tooth that still hurts till this day from time to time, when I eat certain ...
A: Pain is always a sign of something wrong. Assuming the root canal procedure was done properly, that ...
|
| My retainers on my root canaled tooth | 4/4/2009 |
Q: I just had a root canal done on my front tooth (tooth #9). I know after a root canal, the tooth ...
A: It takes a fairly long time for the tooth to become brittle following a root canal treatment. ...
|
| Infant/toddler tooth eruption | 4/4/2009 |
Q: I am starting to get a little concerned. My oldest child is just shy of being 2 years old and most ...
A: It is a bit unusual for your child to be so delayed in her dental development and at two years of ...
|
| my son's cavity and gum. | 4/2/2009 |
Q: I am so thankful to have found this to maybe get an answer. My son is 5 and half years old, and had ...
A: It's difficult to re-establish a good working relationship with a youngster after a previous bad ...
|
| my son's cavity and gum. | 4/2/2009 |
Q: I am so thankful to have found this to maybe get an answer. My son is 5 and half years old, and had ...
A: This is an abcess which is the result of decay that has infected the nerve of the tooth and has now ...
|
| Caps on front teeth | 4/2/2009 |
Q: At a recent dental visit I was told that my 4 yr old needed to have caps put on his two front teeth ...
A: If the cavities are very small it may be possible to place small, tooth-colored fillings. However, ...
|
| whites caps or silver | 4/1/2009 |
Q: I have a 19 month old daughter that has four cavities and I know that she is going to need caps. My ...
A: You may be correct in your assessment that neither alternative is an entirely esthetic approach but ...
|
| Sealants on child's teeth | 3/31/2009 |
Q: I have an 8 and 10 yr old with good teeth (thank goodness!) I have heard many people tell me that I ...
A: The accumulation of calculus suggests that you have not been thoroughly cleaning the teeth as well ...
|
| teeth | 3/31/2009 |
Q: One of my front teeth is longer than the other. Is there any way to get it to the size of the other ...
A: Very simple question...complicated answer. The short answer is that there are many different ways ...
|
| Two front teeth | 3/27/2009 |
Q: My son just turned 6 years old. In the last two months he has lost both of this front two teeth (he ...
A: It's not unusual for the permanent tooth to appear after three months or more. The American Academy ...
|
| Pulling adult teeth due to crowding for braces | 3/26/2009 |
Q: My daughter is almost 10 with a bown age 2 yrs younger. I was told she should have 4 adult teeth ...
A: By your daughter's age the amount of space available for tooth alignment has already been ...
|
| Root canal and braces | 3/26/2009 |
Q: I had a root canal done on my first right bottom molar about 6-7 years ago. I am in early 20s and I ...
A: Generally, a root canal treated tooth will move normally under orthodontic forces if the root canal ...
|
| 11 year old son | 3/25/2009 |
Q: My 11 year old is getting his back lower molars in. The gums back there are swollen but he is ...
A: Pain and swelling of the gums is commonly experienced around the teeth that are emerging through the ...
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| braces | 3/25/2009 |
Q: I have a strong thrust when swallowing and my tongue moves forward with i swallow, pushing my teeth ...
A: If you just get a retainer it will prevent the teeth from moving forward more but it will not ...
|
| sidelying 2nd molar and wisdom teeth | 3/24/2009 |
Q: Myerson, My 18 year old daughter has a lower 2nd molar that has only one cusp showing through the ...
A: It sounds like your daughter has a rather complicated set of orthodontic problems...over retained ...
|
| re: toddler teeth extraction | 3/23/2009 |
Q: My three year old has been diagnosed with a mouth full of cavities. Her teeth came in very early ...
A: A pulpectomy, which is more extensive than a pulpotomy, is a complete root canal treatment and may ...
|
| Failed Pulpotomy? Broken Filling? Bad Dentistry? | 3/23/2009 |
Q: Prob #1 - 7 yo daughter had pulpotomy and crown on "S" tooth 6 mo ago. It developed an abscess 2 wks ...
A: Problem #1 - When a pulpotomy fails it is usually due to the inability of the tooth to tolerate the ...
|
| 21 month old molar | 3/23/2009 |
Q: For the past two days my 21 month old daughter has been unable to sleep well and been eating nothing ...
A: Until a proper examination and diagnosis can be made it is impossible to know the problem that your ...
|
| Baby Teeth | 3/22/2009 |
Q: I am concerned about my five year old niece who has been losing baby teeth for about a year. She ...
A: It is not unusual for a 5 year old to be losing baby teeth. It can sometimes take 3 months or more ...
|
| Thankyou for your time | 3/22/2009 |
Q: My 11 month old daughter appears to have an underbite. She has been bottle fed and does not use ...
A: It is far too soon in your daughter's development to know how the jaw will develop and it is ...
|
| braces & dental implant | 3/21/2009 |
Q: Im having a lot of problems with my upper left front tooth. I've had a root canal done and had it ...
A: Teeth can be moved with the right amount of force in the proper direction. That's what orthodontic ...
|
| pressure on tooth | 3/21/2009 |
Q: my name is paula and im 18 years old.I have this cracked tooth on the right upper side of my mouth ...
A: That's probably not pressure that you're feeling...it's simply tooth pain from a tooth that is not ...
|
| White rim at bottom of front teeth | 3/20/2009 |
Q: I read a similar query re the above viz. my son's (13 yrs) front 2 teeth have a white rim on the ...
A: If the white rim is located along the gum line it is due to a deficiency in brushing and represents ...
|
| Baby teeth black line | 3/20/2009 |
Q: My 7 month old daughter has her 2 bottom baby teeth and as they have come in I now notice a small ...
A: It's not possible for me to determine the nature and significance of that black line without an ...
|
| 3 year old son with molar decay | 3/19/2009 |
Q: Our 3 year old son has been diagnosed with extensive decay in all 8 of his molars. Two of his lower ...
A: For the restoration of extensive decay in primary molars there is really only one option and that is ...
|
| Can a tooth get brused? | 3/19/2009 |
Q: My 3 yr old daughter fell really hard on our hard tile floor, her gums turned white really fast. A ...
A: Technically, a bruise or contusion is an injury to soft tissue, so the term does not apply to a ...
|
| Electric Toothbrushes | 3/19/2009 |
Q: I had a question about oscillating-rotating electric toothbrushes. I was looking at one ...
A: Dave, I have yet to read a reliable study that compares the effectiveness of one electric toothbrush ...
|
| making room or extraction??? | 3/17/2009 |
Q: My 13 yr. old had spacers and braces for 1.5 yrs to make room in his crowded mouth. Still not enough ...
A: Not always. The decision to extract or not requires consideration of many factors that can have an ...
|
| to pull or not to pull | 3/16/2009 |
Q: my 4 1/2 year old had a cavity filled about a month a go and now it is infected and is absested. the ...
A: If you have that tooth removed it will require placement of a space maintainer to prevent shifting ...
|
| Root Absorption | 3/16/2009 |
Q: I had braces on 3 years ago only for one year. My teeth were pretty bad at first, but ended up ...
A: As your orthodontist explained, with root resorption there is a serious risk of loosing your front ...
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| resolution for cavities in a 3-year old | 3/16/2009 |
Q: My son went to the dentist for the first time last week, he is three. He had numerous cavities all ...
A: The important factor regarding the type of restoration to be used concerns just how much tooth ...
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| to pull or not to pull | 3/16/2009 |
Q: my 4 1/2 year old had a cavity filled about a month a go and now it is infected and is absested. the ...
A: It is quite possible that at the time of the first appointment there was no clear indication that a ...
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| root canals | 3/16/2009 |
Q: I would like to know your opinion on doing several root canals &fillings on a 4yr old at one time in ...
A: Theoretically, there are two ways this treatment can be done. You can have all the treatment ...
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| Bruised tooth? | 3/14/2009 |
Q: My 3 year old son has a tooth that has turned a light greyish white on the front and is dark on the ...
A: You are quite correct in estimating that there was some sort of injury. The darkening of the tooth ...
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| Braces and Perio | 3/12/2009 |
Q: I have periodontitis. I had osseous surgery performed. My orthodontist was given letter form perio ...
A: There are several possibilities that would result in the mobility that you describe. Some of them ...
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| Simple Question | 3/12/2009 |
Q: I have what is probably one of the simplest questions to ask... but it's been floating around in my ...
A: It really doesn't matter as long as you cover all the bases. Unlike baseball, you don't have to ...
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| Cavity Pain | 3/12/2009 |
Q: My 9 yr old has been having cavity pain for 3 days now. His dentist does not have anything available ...
A: I'm sorry but there's nothing else to recommend besides what you've already been given. Your child ...
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| 4year old with cavities | 3/11/2009 |
Q: I recently took my son to the dentist for the first time and was amazed to find out he had 8 ...
A: It is necessary to clean and restore every cavity in a child of this age. Those back teeth need to ...
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| baby tooth replacement | 3/11/2009 |
Q: My 2.5 year old daughter injured her front tooth a year ago. Her tooth became chipped and we took ...
A: The purpose of replacing a missing primary incisor tooth is (1) to improve esthetics, and (2) to ...
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| Straightening Teeth With A Retainer Instead of Braces | 3/10/2009 |
Q: As a child I was constantly at the Orthodontist. After my braces were removed, someone threw my ...
A: Good question. While that may be possible it really depends on the bite relationship and the exact ...
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| Ortho-implant | 3/10/2009 |
Q: Myerson: I'm having some teeth removed before orthodontic treatment and my gp dentist office told ...
A: I'm surprised that your orthodontist did not discuss this with you prior to actually starting ...
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| Children's dentistry | 3/10/2009 |
Q: My son is 6 years old and lost both of his bottom center teeth. The permanent teeth are already ...
A: It is definitely not a good idea to remove those two baby teeth at this point. You're correct...it ...
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| Toddler | 3/10/2009 |
Q: When my daughter was one, I was concerned that she wasn't getting enough fluoride from our water so ...
A: It seems that your pediatrician may have given you very poor advice. It is never acceptable to ...
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| My daughter's black tooth | 3/9/2009 |
Q: About a year ago, my daughter was playing on the stairs of our house, and fell, hitting her left ...
A: Usually when a tooth becomes non-vital and turns black there's a significant possibility that it ...
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| primary herpetic gingivostomatis | 3/9/2009 |
Q: I just took my 5yr old daughter to the dentist,and i was told that she had this due to the symptoms ...
A: This is a fairly common infection in young children and is caused by the herpes simplex virus (hsv). ...
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| Childs tooth | 3/9/2009 |
Q: now five and a half years old. Just two weeks ago she lost her number 8 central, and already ...
A: This is not the normal path of eruption, but we often see teeth emerge in unusual ways. Sometimes ...
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| painful jaw | 3/9/2009 |
Q: ihave been in restricted pain in the right side of my jaw for 6 months, i have an appointment on 1st ...
A: You very well might be on the right track. I hope you've scheduled your visit with a dentist who is ...
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| Removal of 2nd molars for orthodontic treatment | 3/8/2009 |
Q: My 11 year old son is about to start with braces. His orthdontist has requested that all four of ...
A: I have prescribed removal of upper second molars in selected situations with excellent results. In ...
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| milk tooth problems | 3/8/2009 |
Q: My 8 year old daughter's milk tooth are still intact and the new teeth are emerging from the back ...
A: It really doesn't make much difference if you remove the loose baby teeth or you let them fall out ...
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| My 8 yr old daughter has yellow teeth | 3/7/2009 |
Q: My eight year old daughter's teeth are very yellow. She flosses, uses a rinse that points out ...
A: This is a very common observation and concern. It seems like oral hygiene is not an issue so I'm ...
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| My Grandson, reddened swollen gums,bleeding | 3/7/2009 |
Q: and my daughter said when she brushes them now, they bleed. He is not eating properly probably ...
A: This sounds like a viral infection which may get better in a week or so. Meantime, it's important ...
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| Permanent teeth in before baby teeth out | 3/6/2009 |
Q: My six year-old son has already lost his bottom two front teeth. Both bottom teeth came in behind ...
A: Your son is at a very changeable period in his bite development. Sometimes these irregularities have ...
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| Gum pulling away from tooth | 3/5/2009 |
Q: it is the bottom center tooth where the gum and the skin in the mouth meet, she complains that it is ...
A: Without actually examining your daughter it is not possible make an accurate diagnosis. This could ...
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| missing permanent teeth in toddler | 3/4/2009 |
Q: My little boy will be four next month. He went to the dentist today and after they took X-rays we ...
A: If those teeth were to develop I would expect to see evidence of that on an x-ray at age four. The ...
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| Son with post root canal discomfort | 3/3/2009 |
Q: My 8 year old son had a root canal and cap done a week ago. He started having pain about 3 days ...
A: I assume you are referring to treatment done for a primary tooth and not a permanent tooth. ...
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| removal of toddler teeth over root canal | 3/2/2009 |
Q: my two year old has to have either 2 root canals , or have the teeth removed both teeth are chipped ...
A: Saving teeth rather than removing them has a better chance of allowing normal development to ...
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| side effects on oral sedation and GA | 3/2/2009 |
Q: My 2 year old son has been diagnosed with severe tooth decay on his 4 upper front teeth (right now, ...
A: If the tooth has adequate structure to support a crown and there is no significant damage to the ...
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| side effects on oral sedation and GA | 3/2/2009 |
Q: My 2 year old son has been diagnosed with severe tooth decay on his 4 upper front teeth (right now, ...
A: Both approaches have the potential for physical and emotional consequences. The physical risks are ...
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| Braces, 28 year old not going to plan after 2years (missing bottom 2 front teeth creating gap, help) | 3/2/2009 |
Q: I'm in my late 20's and have had full braces on both top and bottom teeth for over 2 years now. My ...
A: Well, my only advice would be to consult another orthodontist for an evaluation of your situation. ...
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| two front teeth | 3/2/2009 |
Q: You probably get this question often but I am going to ask anyway as it seems difficult to research ...
A: The permanent teeth should be appearing soon, however in may cases when the primary teeth are lost ...
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| Crossbite and diastema | 3/2/2009 |
Q: The other day I was chatting with my friend, who is attending a dental school when she noticed that ...
A: The advatage associated with the correction of the diastema is esthetic. The amount of time ...
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| Crossbite and diastema | 3/1/2009 |
Q: The other day I was chatting with my friend, who is attending a dental school when she noticed that ...
A: The molar pain is not the result of the diastema and crossbite. However, it may be signs of a ...
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| broken baby teeth | 3/1/2009 |
Q: I have a ten year old son who came to me the other day and said he lost a tooth. When I looked at ...
A: The tooth may not be broken. What you see in the gums may be the permanent tooth starting to ...
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| Graying tooth | 3/1/2009 |
Q: About 4 weeks ago my on knocked his front teeth running into a wall. Now one of his top front teeth ...
A: Okay...slightly different answer. The tooth will probably require a root canal treatment. This ...
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| Graying tooth | 2/28/2009 |
Q: About 4 weeks ago my on knocked his front teeth running into a wall. Now one of his top front teeth ...
A: You don't indicate the age of your child or if this is a baby tooth or a permanent tooth. Assuming ...
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| Braces | 2/28/2009 |
Q: I was just wondering, Is it possible to wear braces more than one time? I've had braces before, and ...
A: Yes, it is certainly possible to have orthodontic re-treatment. Actually, if the problem is minimal ...
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| granddaughter's teeth | 2/27/2009 |
Q: My granddaughter is 20 months old. She has only 6 teeth. Is this normal and what would cause her ...
A: It's not entirely unusual for teeth to be delayed in their eruption. Nature has an uncanny ability ...
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| 2 year old | 2/27/2009 |
Q: My little 2 year old son just fell and hit his upper tooth (1) and it went inside his gums entirely. ...
A: This type of intrusion injury certainly has the potential to have done some damage to the developing ...
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| pallet extender and adnoids | 2/27/2009 |
Q: My 12 yr old daughter needs a pallet extender but the orthodontist recommended she see an ENT before ...
A: I'm not familiar with the term "pallet extender". I suspect you may be referring to a "palate ...
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| 6yo daughters teeth | 2/26/2009 |
Q: I have a couple concerns and questions about my 6yo daughter. Let me start by saying that the reason ...
A: First, I would recommend that you take your daughter to a pediatric dental specialist who is best ...
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| pulling baby teeth | 2/26/2009 |
Q: would it be reasonable to pull the two baby teeth out from the bottom on either side of the center ...
A: In a situation where there is significant crowding of the primary incisor dentition it is possible ...
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| wonky teeth | 2/25/2009 |
Q: My 5 yr old has his first two bottom front teeth coming through. One is straight and one is at an ...
A: This is something that happens quite frequently...often for no discernible reason at all. Sometimes ...
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| Teeth off center | 2/24/2009 |
Q: I am just about to get my braces off... except today, when i was inspecting my teeth to make sure ...
A: I'm going to answer your question by posing some questions for your consideration and a few ...
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| jaw expansion srgry vs braces | 2/24/2009 |
Q: my upper jaw is shaped like this: _- -_ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ...
A: Interesting graphic...it tells me some of the story. A proper diagnosis and treatment plan, ...
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| Prevident and too much fluoride | 2/24/2009 |
Q: This is the current routine for our 4-YO twin daughters: Brush after lunch with regular fluoride ...
A: Here's the deal with fluoride. There are basically two ways to deliver fluoride to the teeth. ...
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| childrens dentistry | 2/23/2009 |
Q: my 5 year old sons front baby tooth has fallen out and in the place is a very thin pointy tooth, the ...
A: There are several possibilities with this situation and without a complete x-ray of the area it is ...
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| 10yr old son and teeth | 2/23/2009 |
Q: I noticed today my son was complaining of a sore throat. I asked him to please open wide and look ...
A: At age 10 I would expect additional teeth to be emerging, however they should be replacing the baby ...
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| Dental work done on my 5 year old | 2/12/2009 |
Q: My husband brought my five year old to a pediatric dentist for a crown due to multiple tooth decays. ...
A: I'm sorry that I could not respond sooner to this rather urgent matter. Hopefully, by the time you ...
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| 8 year old | 2/11/2009 |
Q: My daughter is 8 years & 9 months old and still has not lost any baby teeth, and has none coming in ...
A: Delayed eruption of permanent teeth not uncommon and usually doesn't present any problems other than ...
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| 5 year olds gray tooth | 2/11/2009 |
Q: 6 months ago my son bumped his upper front tooth on his sisters knee. 2 weeks later it turned gray. ...
A: You can certainly wait but there's a chance that you've got a chronic infection situation going on ...
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| pediatric dental question | 2/10/2009 |
Q: My 3 YO son just returned from his first dental visit. I was told that he had something to the ...
A: I believe you are describing enamel hypoplasia or underdeveloped tooth enamel. This condition is ...
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| hygenist requirements | 2/10/2009 |
Q: I recently declined having my dentist in after my bi-annual dental cleaning by the hygenist. I was ...
A: The laws and regulations regarding this situation vary among the different states since each state ...
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| Molar pain | 2/10/2009 |
Q: I'm 25 and I had braces many years ago. I had both molars right after my canines removed...the top ...
A: There's not much I can tell you without the benefit of an examination. It sounds like there's some ...
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| 7 yr old's adult tooth not coming | 2/10/2009 |
Q: Myerson, My daughter who is 7 years old at present had her milk teeth coming off and new adult teeth ...
A: You can wait another month or two before having a dental checkup with x-rays. Sometimes the teeth ...
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| Daughter's dental trauma | 2/10/2009 |
Q: My 21 month old daughter fell yesterday and busted, pierced, and bruised her lip, but she also now ...
A: If you don't see any progress within the next two weeks, the odds of that actually happening are not ...
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| Improving smile line with edge-to-edge bite. Braces, Veneers? Pics too! | 2/9/2009 |
Q: I am interested in improving my smile line (make smile more gummy since my anterior incisors only ...
A: Shawn, I will attempt to give you generalized answers to your questions. Specific answers will ...
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| i have a closed bite | 2/9/2009 |
Q: i was just wondering if having a closed bite can cause any problems later on, my teeth are nearly ...
A: Sounds like you've been grinding your teeth. This is called bruxing and occurs mostly during sleep. ...
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| 3 year old without 2 year molars | 2/9/2009 |
Q: My son turned 3 over a month ago. He only has 16 teeth. We have multiple food allergies so we are ...
A: I suggest you get him started with regular dental visits. The American Academy of Pediatric ...
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| Palate expander | 2/8/2009 |
Q: my daughter is 11 years old and she had her third upper tooth hidden and because of that her midline ...
A: The answer to these questions require some understanding of the jaw and tooth structure and the bite ...
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| molars | 2/8/2009 |
Q: It seems that my 6 yr old son one of his molars has fallen off. His only teeth to fall out are just ...
A: No. That is not the normal course of events. Perhaps it's time for your son to have a complete ...
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| cracked tooth and wearing a retainer | 2/8/2009 |
Q: I was told yesterday that my 17 year old daughter has a cracked jaw tooth. Not the last one-but next ...
A: The best solution to this problem is to restore the cracked 1st molar, even if that means having a ...
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| tooth extraction for 3 year old | 2/8/2009 |
Q: my three year old son's teeth were decayed due to use of infant milk at night, eating sweets and ...
A: With the removal of all these teeth there certainly may be problems with speech development, bite ...
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| children's dentistry | 2/8/2009 |
Q: My child fell while riding a cycle and his front tooth broke and half tooth was lost. What should I ...
A: This requires the care and treatment of a dentist. Unfortunately, there is absolutely nothing that ...
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| caninen tooth growing sidways | 2/7/2009 |
Q: My daughter is 10.5 years old and has a (permanent) canine tooth that has not erupted yet. The ...
A: This is an ectopic canine tooth...meaning it is developing out of correct position. It may become ...
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| Slight chipped tooth | 2/7/2009 |
Q: My nine year old just chipped her front tooth slightly, biting down on a fork. She says there is no ...
A: If that chip in the front tooth is slight and does not extend into dentin then it can wait for ...
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| purple mark on baby tooth | 2/7/2009 |
Q: The mark looks like an ink stain & is thicker towards the gumline. She doesnt seem to be in any pain ...
A: I assume the color you describe is inside the tooth and not on the surface. This can be determined ...
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| Palatal Expander | 2/7/2009 |
Q: I just went to the orthodontist about an hour ago and was told that I needed a Palatal Expander. ...
A: I'm sorry to say there is no diagnostic test that will clarify the need for surgery. Actually, in ...
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| Bruxism, TMJ | 2/5/2009 |
Q: What is the difference between bruxism and TMJ? Thanks, Raghad
A: Bruxism is the term used to describe grinding of the teeth which some people do in their sleep. ...
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| toddler tooth decay | 2/5/2009 |
Q: My granddaughter, age 2.5 yrs, saw a pediatric dentist who recommended several fillings and two ...
A: The consequences of non-treatment can be rather dangerous since untreated decay will progress to ...
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| Braces or Alternate treatment | 2/5/2009 |
Q: I just came back from a consultation at the orthodontist and he told me that to get braces for 3-6 ...
A: Frequently, in situations where Invisalign alone may not effectively correct a problem it is quite ...
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| Herbst appliance | 2/5/2009 |
Q: My daughter (9 YO) has a serious overbite and the orthodontist is planning an Herbst appliance. In ...
A: There are many different methods of correcting overbite. Not all overbite situations are the same. ...
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| Immature molar | 2/4/2009 |
Q: I took my seven year old son to the dentist today for his routine 6 monthly checkup and my dentist ...
A: It seems like the affected tooth is a single, isolated problem limited to that tooth alone. In time ...
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| loss of primary upper molars | 2/4/2009 |
Q: My 5 year old son had a fall in which he lost both of his upper molars on the left side. His dentist ...
A: In cases like this the 6 year molar almost always emerges tipped too far forward into the space that ...
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| pediatric Dentistry | 2/4/2009 |
Q: My son whom is 5 1/2 hit his front tooth on our bathroom sink about a 3-4wks ago. I am now noticing ...
A: Usually the delayed appearance of darkening in a previously traumatized tooth indicates irreversible ...
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| Chewing Gum | 2/4/2009 |
Q: On your take as a dentist, what is your perspective on chewing gum? Is it true that it is good for ...
A: There is some evidence that chewing gum sweetened with xylitol can help prevent decay from ...
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| Tooth sensitivity | 2/3/2009 |
Q: I was playing a game of basketball 3 days ago and I took an elbow to the front of my mouth – ...
A: Yes, there is some indication here that the nerve of the teeth may have suffered some damage. It is ...
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| benefits of pedo partial | 2/3/2009 |
Q: My son will be 4 in 2 weeks. In November 2008, he fell and hit his front teeth on a chair. One tooth ...
A: Without actually doing a complete evaluation I cannot make a recommendation about extraction vs. ...
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| tooth | 2/3/2009 |
Q: I am 22 years old and have very good teeth with no cavities. I went in a couple months ago because ...
A: Obviously, it is something. Just because the dentist can't find a problem doesn't mean there's no ...
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| 12 year molars | 2/3/2009 |
Q: My dentist told me that my 12 year-old's 12 year molars have errupted and to seal them they need to ...
A: Sealants are a very effective method of preventing decay in the biting surfaces of permanent molars. ...
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| jaw operation | 2/3/2009 |
Q: I have underbite problem. I am getting my upper jaw advance (3.5 to 4 mm) Do you think it will ...
A: This is an excellent question and an important one for you to ask before any surgery is done. The ...
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| Delayed eruption of permanent front teeth | 2/3/2009 |
Q: My 7 year old son lost his upper front baby teeth naturally 5 months ago. His permanent teeth have ...
A: You've done all the right things. A dental exam and an orthodontic evaluation have provided all the ...
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| ouch! | 2/3/2009 |
Q: I am not exactly sure what is called when the teeth in the roof of my mouth (I am talking about the ...
A: I can't give you any answers since your situation is rather complicated and would require a rather ...
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| Upper Cuspid Removal | 2/2/2009 |
Q: My right upper cuspid never descended until recently when I got my wisdom teeth removed. Now it is ...
A: That could be a big mistake depending on the condition of the remainder of your bite. The cuspid is ...
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| 3 year old missing front tooth | 2/2/2009 |
Q: My 3 yr old lost his tooth about one year ago and we are trying to understand out options to replace ...
A: You can certainly have a pedi-partial appliance fabricated and inserted to replace the missing ...
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| false teeth for babies | 2/2/2009 |
Q: My son (20 months)broke his front teeth and the pediatric dentist removed them (shattered above the ...
A: My training and experience suggest that replacement of the missing upper primary incisors can be ...
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| silver caps on childrens teeth | 2/2/2009 |
Q: My 3 year old grandson recently had to get 3 silver caps on his back molars. The dentist is a ...
A: The stainless steel crowns are a usual and accepted means of restoring primary molars. However, if ...
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| baby teeth | 2/2/2009 |
Q: My son is 4 and a half years old. I just noticed this evening while I was helping him brush his ...
A: One of the most common things about children's teeth is the variation we seen in the timing and ...
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| late erupting adult teeth | 2/1/2009 |
Q: i have a tooth that is a milk tooth and was told by a dentist some years ago that my adult tooth was ...
A: I would suggest you have an evaluation with an orthodontist before you have anything else done. In ...
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| Short Root | 2/1/2009 |
Q: My daughter is 9 and we just discovered she has short roots in both her upper middle and lower ...
A: Depending on just how short the roots are will determine the prognosis for those teeth. It's quite ...
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| Baby tooth abscess | 1/30/2009 |
Q: My 2 yr old son chipped his upper central incisor 2 months ago. The family dentist advised not to ...
A: The risk to the developing permanent tooth would be caused by a long-standing, untreated abcess of ...
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| 7 month old getting teeth behind lateral incisors | 1/29/2009 |
Q: My 7 month old has 8 teeth already- the top four front and bottom four front. I noticed today that ...
A: There are several possibilities that come to mind. It certainly can be an ectopic emergence of the ...
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| My daughter's teeth | 1/29/2009 |
Q: My daughter is two and will be three in June. I took her to the dentist for the first time four ...
A: The procedure can be safely done with proper supervision and care. This requires a physician's ...
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| Sensitive Teeth | 1/29/2009 |
Q: Whenever I eat pineapple, my two bottom canines are sensitive to the point it hurts to eat anything ...
A: Sometimes sensitive teeth are the result of gum recession which exposes just a bit of the very ...
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| Trditional braces vs invisalign | 1/29/2009 |
Q: Myerson, I am 36 and had two dentists telling me I need braces since my teeth are very crowded and ...
A: Invisalign, like any technique, is only as good as the training and experience of the orthodontist. ...
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| Early termination from my Orthodontist | 1/29/2009 |
Q: I decided to get braces put on in April 2008. I was told it would be for 21 months. The cost was ...
A: There are no guidelines dictating the basis for orthodontic treatment fees as the Federal Trade ...
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| capping three year olds molars | 1/28/2009 |
Q: Dentist tells us that grandsons molars are decayed and need to be capped!2000.00 pricetag. Wouldn't ...
A: A skillful dentist can often place a bonded restoration in a molar rather than a crown. The ...
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| Head gear or extraction??? | 1/28/2009 |
Q: My daughter will be 11 in April. We had our consultation with our orthodontist last night reviewing ...
A: There is definitely a place for extractions in orthodontic diagnosis and treatment planning. In ...
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| teeth eruption/illness | 1/28/2009 |
Q: Does teeth eruption in the infant cause them to get sick or increase their chances of getting sick? ...
A: Teething in infancy is often associated with irritability, low grade fever and sometimes loose bowel ...
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| Crossbite, braces, upper jaw expansion | 1/28/2009 |
Q: Myerson! I'm hoping maybe you can give me a little bit of insight. I'm a 17 year old girl who has ...
A: As a general comment, expansion is a technique that is used to treat crossbite and can only be ...
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| 5 Year old with odd teeth pattern | 1/28/2009 |
Q: I have twin boys, born 7/25/03. One of them has lost both of him bottom middle front teeth, with ...
A: The teeth that are emerging in the back are permanent first molars and not "wisdom teeth" which are ...
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| Head gear or extraction??? | 1/27/2009 |
Q: My daughter will be 11 in April. We had our consultation with our orthodontist last night reviewing ...
A: Without actually seeing the diagnostic records I am at a loss to give you advice about the best ...
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| "L" shaped tooth | 1/27/2009 |
Q: My 9-year-old granddaughter has an "L" shaped tooth in front. It is not the very front but next to ...
A: I believe you are describing an incisor with a "talon cusp". This is an uncommon variation. ...
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| 17 month old no lateral incisors | 1/27/2009 |
Q: I'm writing to you because my 17 month old son does not have his lateral incisors on the bottom. ...
A: You've not passed anything along along to your son other than an healthy concern about his teeth. ...
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| 17 month old no lateral incisors | 1/27/2009 |
Q: I'm writing to you because my 17 month old son does not have his lateral incisors on the bottom. ...
A: If the teeth have not formed then there is absolutely nothing that can be done. Time will tell ...
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| 11 month old daughter | 1/27/2009 |
Q: This morning, my 11 month old daughter fell and hit her two front teeth on the side of our bed ...
A: It's probably a good idea to have your daughter checked by a pediatric dentist. Her physician or ...
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| braces woes. | 1/26/2009 |
Q: I am 17 years old and for braces I had taken out 4 biscupids because the Orthodontist had mentioned ...
A: Keeping your wisdom teeth will not significantly affect your facial structure. The problem may have ...
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| my 2 year old has pain | 1/25/2009 |
Q: My 2 year old has been complaining of pain located where her 2 bottom front teeth are. It is bad ...
A: Pain is almost always a sign of something wrong. I assume all her baby teeth are in place so it's ...
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| late permanent front teeth | 1/24/2009 |
Q: my son turned 9 in august 2008. his front permanent teeth have still not come in/broken through. The ...
A: Yes, it certainly can be troublesome for a youngster, and one year is a long time to be waiting. ...
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| Shaved Tooth | 1/24/2009 |
Q: Randolph, five days ago my doctor replaced a filling that was leaking. He was having trouble ...
A: The pain is a reaction to the procedure which may have resulted in an inflammation of the nerve of ...
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| Babies teeth | 1/24/2009 |
Q: My baby is 6 weeks old and she is starting to cut her first tooth. Because she is cutting at such a ...
A: The health of the teeth has nothing to do with the age at which time the teeth emerge. The most ...
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| Bumped front tooth that is now bonded | 1/23/2009 |
Q: April of 2008 my daughter knocked her front top tooth on a metal bulletin board while playing ...
A: If the tooth was properly bonded it should remain intact during orthodontic treatment. If the ...
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| Tooth pushed forward | 1/23/2009 |
Q: My 16 mo old fell and pushed his front tooth forward. it is still displaced. we visited a ped ...
A: I agree with your dentist...leave the tooth and allow it to move back into place if possible. That ...
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| 6 year olds teeth | 1/23/2009 |
Q: I have been doing some research on the topic of perm. teeth coming in behind the baby teeth as this ...
A: In our practice we are not quick to extract the primary tooth in this sort of situation. Our ...
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| crossbite | 1/22/2009 |
Q: My daughter is 11 years old and has a crossbite and my question is what can happen if her crossbite ...
A: There are basically two types of crossbites; those in the front affecting the incisors and those in ...
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| My Almost 3 Year Old | 1/22/2009 |
Q: What advice can you give me about my son's situation? He is going to be 3 in two months. We just ...
A: Tying a 3 year old with a bunch of straps is certainly not the way to manage dental care for a ...
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| thumb sucking - permanant teeth | 1/21/2009 |
Q: My 6 year old is a thumb sucker! - her bottom two middle baby teeth have fallen out. The first one ...
A: I would give nature another month or two and see how the teeth line up. Generally, with thumb ...
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| My 4 year old has bad teeth | 1/21/2009 |
Q: Myerson, Thank you for your time. My 4 year old has 10 bad teeth, 8 require pulpotomies, 2 molars ...
A: The treatment must be done. The only question is how it is done. Considering the management ...
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| 5-year-old root canal | 1/21/2009 |
Q: My 5-year-old son has an injured upper front teeth. Honestly we didn't remember when exactly that ...
A: Unfortunately, the use of pain as an indicator of when to initiate treatment is not always a good ...
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| Extra maxilla incisors | 1/21/2009 |
Q: My three year old son has grown eight teeth on top. He has always had a gap between his two right ...
A: It seems to me that an x-ray and dental examination is necessary to determine exactly what is going ...
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| 15 month old yellow top teeth, hard to brush | 1/21/2009 |
Q: I have a 15 month old daughter who is happy to let me brush her teeth. The only problem is I can't ...
A: The only way to prevent decay of those teeth is to effectively brush them...even if you need to be ...
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| 2 1/2 year old's front teeth don't meet | 1/20/2009 |
Q: My husband and I recently noticed that our 2 1/2 year old son's front teeth have a large gap between ...
A: This is called an "anterior open bite" and is not normal. It is usually the result of sucking on a ...
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| Removing canines | 1/20/2009 |
Q: I would love to hear your opinion on this. I'm a 26 year old female and my teeth are mis-aligned and ...
A: Unfortunately, there were no x-rays attached to your message so I can only give you a limited ...
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| missing baby tooth | 1/20/2009 |
Q: I have taken a pa of #7 on my two year old, there is no baby tooth there and I didnt see 7. Does ...
A: That depends on the age of your daughter. The absence of the primary tooth is already certain. ...
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| 11 month old Teeth | 1/19/2009 |
Q: My 11month old's top teeth are coming in, but they are really spread apart. Like they'd be her Eye ...
A: It's normal for the primary incisors to have some spacing between the teeth, but it's not usual for ...
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| Local anaesthetic on children | 1/19/2009 |
Q: My 11yr old daughter is having a brace fitted, She has to have 4 teeth out, One from each quadrant. ...
A: I would not recommend proceeding with all four extractions in a single visit. It is routine to have ...
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| permanent teeth | 1/19/2009 |
Q: My son is 7 years old and lost his two top front baby teeth, 2 months ago and I still see no sign of ...
A: I think you can wait until the next regular appointment to voice your concern with the dentist. ...
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| Kid's Abcesses | 1/19/2009 |
Q: My kid who is 5 years ago had some fillings done on his front 2 teeth. About 2 weeks later, 1 abcess ...
A: The bubble indicates the presence of active infection in the area from the baby teeth. We know that ...
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| Baby tooth abscess | 1/18/2009 |
Q: I have more specific question referring back to your answer dated 12/21/08 regarding baby tooth ...
A: If the abcess returned then the root canal probably was not successful and the affected teeth should ...
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| Letter I Received | 1/17/2009 |
Q: I received a letter from Dr. E. Glenn Glassman and Dr.Christine Brinley Orthocare Systems ...
A: All orthodontic treatment starts with an evaluation. Many, if not most, orthodontic offices will ...
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| cavity on a 3 year old | 1/17/2009 |
Q: My son is 3 years old, he had his fist visit to the dentist and unfortunatelly he was very afraid. ...
A: Good questions. Let's take them in order, one at a time: 1. Placing a sealant will actually seal ...
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| teeth capping | 1/16/2009 |
Q: one of my front tooth has changed its position and turned right towards the outer side. of course ...
A: It might be useful to understand why that tooth may have turned, but that's something for your ...
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| root canal on a 9 yr old | 1/16/2009 |
Q: My 9 yr old was diagnosed as needing a root canal on a bottom adult molar. This was confirmed by a ...
A: I believe a root canal must be done but a final canal filling is postponed until the root is fully ...
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| Tooth filling | 1/16/2009 |
Q: , As the sealant span life ends, is the tooth more prone for cavities because it has been etched? ...
A: The pores in the enamel are microscopic and are filled with the sealant, even after the sealant ...
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| Tooth filling | 1/16/2009 |
Q: , As the sealant span life ends, is the tooth more prone for cavities because it has been etched? ...
A: Good questions. The tooth is not more prone to decay because it was etched for the sealant. The ...
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| Help! | 1/16/2009 |
Q: I am 17. I had braces for about twp years and had 4 teeth pulled out, my premolars I think. A few ...
A: I certainly can't predict what will happen in the future with your crowding or spacing due to the ...
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| Sugar | 1/15/2009 |
Q: While Im not a child Im assuming you may be able to answer my question. About six months ago I had ...
A: Diet and sugar intake is just one part of the strategy necessary to improve dental health and ...
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| No teeth | 1/15/2009 |
Q: My baby is 13 months old and has no teeth. I'm worried because my mom never got her two upper front ...
A: Some children acquire their first teeth very late so it's best to just wait and see. At some point ...
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| Etracting baby molars | 1/15/2009 |
Q: My four year old child is scheduled to have two molars, one on each side on the bottom, extracted ...
A: There are no other options after a failed attempt to treat the teeth with pulpotomies. The teeth ...
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| Overjet in teenager | 1/15/2009 |
Q: I am 15 year old and had braces for 3 years. I had a very bad orthodontist and so my mom told them ...
A: Okay, you are clearly an intelligent, thoughtful and motivated youngster so I know you're ready for ...
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| When to pull baby teeth that aren't loose? | 1/14/2009 |
Q: My 6 1/2 yr old son was at the dentist today. The dentist said his bottom permanent teeth don't ...
A: The ONLY time I will remove the lower primary canines (the third baby tooth from the midline) is ...
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| Post Palate Expander Treatment | 1/14/2009 |
Q: My 9yr old is getting ready to have her palate expander removed after having it in for 5 1/2 mos. I ...
A: The appliance itself has been a retainer for the past 4 1/2 months as the bone healed. Frequently, ...
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| son's gums | 1/14/2009 |
Q: My son has a flap of gum over his bottom last tooth, and we just discovered it tonight, and he says ...
A: Without knowing your son's age and which teeth he has it's rather difficult for me to get an idea of ...
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| Baby teeth | 1/14/2009 |
Q: My 7 year old boy has not lost his to front teeth and on exraying have found an extra set of baby ...
A: Sounds drastic but in reality it's probably the best way to go. It is unlikely that any of this ...
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| filling cavity in 4 1/2 year old | 1/14/2009 |
Q: I took my daughter to the dentist when she was 4 and he saw three cavities. He told me to take her ...
A: It's important to have all those cavities treated. What I tell you now is based on my observation ...
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| tooth extraction | 1/13/2009 |
Q: My 4 year old daughter fell down and hit her front teeth on a chair.as a result,one of her front ...
A: If done properly there should be no problems created by the pedi-partial. However, we usually don't ...
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| Overjet in teenager | 1/13/2009 |
Q: I am 15 year old and had braces for 3 years. I had a very bad orthodontist and so my mom told them ...
A: Well, Laura, you've mentioned a number of things which could present a problem. First, that click ...
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| implants for children | 1/13/2009 |
Q: I have an eight year old daughter that had an accident and knocked out her two front permanent ...
A: A proper bridge cannot be done unless the other tooth is straightened so the work she is having done ...
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| Baby Teeth | 1/13/2009 |
Q: After taking my six year old daughter to a paediatric dentist today, she recommended that 14 of her ...
A: This may be difficult but I've never come across a person who didn't find a way to get by somehow ...
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| Toddler Teeth Extracted | 1/13/2009 |
Q: my 3 and ahalf year daughter has been told to have 10 teeth extracted. Due to decay, lack of ...
A: The baby teeth in the front won't fall out until age 6-7 and the back teeth must last until age ...
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| tissue left behind after baby tooth comes out | 1/13/2009 |
Q: I have a 7 yr old son that has had his upper right tooth (two front teeth) loose for a few weeks ...
A: That's fairly usual after a tooth falls out. It's due to the constant irritation of the gum over ...
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| Tooth Turning Color | 1/12/2009 |
Q: My 4 year old son hit his mouth about a month ago and busted his lip. I checked his tooth and it ...
A: This very much sounds like the nerve of the tooth was injured at the time of the trauma and the ...
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| teeth | 1/12/2009 |
Q: Is there any way to get my teeth more whiter without taking a visit to the dentist???? and how do u ...
A: You don't get gum disease...you give it to yourself...by inadequate brushing and flossing of the ...
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| white bump on tongue | 1/12/2009 |
Q: ive had a painless white bump on the right side of my tongue for a few months now, it appeared ...
A: Well, you've asked a good question with a potentially scary answer. This could be anything from an ...
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| Braces on Baby Teeth | 1/12/2009 |
Q: My son is 5 years old and has yet to lose any of his baby theeth. He has an under bite. We went ...
A: I can certainly conceive of significant benefit to starting treatment at this early age depending on ...
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| Tooth movement after extractions | 1/12/2009 |
Q: After 4 bicuspids are extracted, how long do you wait to begin active tooth movement? Especially ...
A: There are no rules and each individual patient's situation is different. Usually, if all the other ...
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| Blanket sucking by toddler | 1/11/2009 |
Q: My 19 month old son has several blankies that he adores. He puts the corners in his mouth and sucks ...
A: I can't imagine how the blanket sucking can cause decay but it certainly can interfere with proper ...
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| infant teeth | 1/10/2009 |
Q: My 15-month old son was a late teether. He got his first tooth at 12 1/2 months, but since then ...
A: This is most likely an extra tooth, called a "supernumerary" tooth. Usually it emerges without any ...
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| Changed Structure due to Braces | 1/10/2009 |
Q: i wore metal braces for 1 1/2 yrs for correcting my widely spaced, and little protruting set of ...
A: Well, actually you know a lot! You know that you don't like the way you look. Maybe it was not the ...
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| primary dentition | 1/10/2009 |
Q: I have a 9 month old son and I'm also a registered dental hygienist. My son's primary maxillary ...
A: Well, it certainly makes sense to apply the varnish as suggested and maintain a somewhat maniacal ...
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| quad-helix | 1/10/2009 |
Q: My 7 1/2 yr old son had a quad-helix put in Wed (2 days ago) and he is still in a great deal of ...
A: Now that makes a lot of sense. Not much you can do about that until you can get the orthodontist to ...
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| Baby tooth had root | 1/9/2009 |
Q: My son is 7 years old. When he was approx 2 he fell into our coffee table and bumped his front tooth ...
A: That picture looks like a baby tooth with some of the root still intact. My guess is that it would ...
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| high volume of cavities and fluorosis | 1/9/2009 |
Q: ..my son is 19 and daughter 17 they were diagnosed with fluorosis at a young age...we stopped ...
A: I'm confused as I believe fluorosis results in an esthetic problem with the teeth but renders them ...
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| primary dentition | 1/9/2009 |
Q: I have a 9 month old son and I'm also a registered dental hygienist. My son's primary maxillary ...
A: This is a difficult situation and requires some extraordinary treatment as you've already been ...
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| Flipper | 1/8/2009 |
Q: I just had a flipper placed for my #7 was removed. I am having an AWFUL time trying to eat with ...
A: Yes, compared to natural teeth a flipper is just plain awful. Hopefully, you'll adjust to it until ...
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| frenum | 1/8/2009 |
Q: My daughters frenum is attached between her two front teeth and I believe this is causing the gap in ...
A: I usually don't recommend having a frenectomy done until the child is more capable of cooperating ...
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| mandibular central incisor roots - my 4 year odl | 1/7/2009 |
Q: My 4 year old mandibular central incisor teeth have been shaking for over a month now. Another tooth ...
A: A baby tooth will become loose after it's root has dissolved away from the emergence of a permanent ...
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| toddler tooth decay treatment | 1/7/2009 |
Q: After noticing a brownish discoloration at the tops of my sons top front teeth while brushing I took ...
A: This pattern of baby bottle decay is never easy to treat due to the age of the child. However, it ...
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| child root canal and crown | 1/7/2009 |
Q: My 9 year old daughter had a root canal done on her left back permanent molar. The endodontist ...
A: Good question. A root canal treatment will gradually render the tooth more brittle and subject to ...
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| whether to have baby teeth pulled when permanent teeth have come in behind. | 1/6/2009 |
Q: In November she was seen, and they saw a "bump" behind her bottom baby teeth, and advised me to ...
A: Our experience is that if you wait there is a good chance that the baby teeth will eventually fall ...
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| cosmetic dentistry | 1/6/2009 |
Q: i have a large gap in my front teeth and cant seem to find a dentist who can help me other than ...
A: You may be a candidate for Invisalign which is a method of straightening teeth without braces. This ...
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| Root canal on baby teeth | 1/6/2009 |
Q: My girl is now 3 years old and recently I noticed a chip on the edge of her left front tooth. I ...
A: Two very good questions. First, the root canal, when properly done should be able to preserve the ...
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| Toddler dental surgery | 1/5/2009 |
Q: My 2 years old daughter need to perform a dental restoration to her 4 upper front teeth. Her ...
A: Nitrous oxide and oxygen is not an anesthetic unless it is used in a hospital operating room. The ...
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| Redness of Gums after braces were put on | 1/5/2009 |
Q: My son age 10 has had his braces on for about 4 months. His top gums to me look swollen and very ...
A: The most common cause of swollen, red gums is inadequate brushing and flossing. Some suggestions ...
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| Perminant lower incisor growth. | 1/5/2009 |
Q: My daughter currently has her first 2 "wobbly teeth" I am however a little worried about the way her ...
A: This is quite common. If there is adequate space available for the new teeth then the tongue should ...
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| Loose permanent teeth in 7 year old boy | 1/5/2009 |
Q: My son has had know problems with his baby teeth. He has regular check ups and his dentist is happy ...
A: Depending on just how long those teeth have been in and just how loose they are, this could be ...
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| Unusual approach to orthodontics. | 1/5/2009 |
Q: I recently took my 12 year old daughter to an orthodontist. He recommend pulling her 12 year molars ...
A: Under the right circumstances the removal of the permanent upper second molars is justified as long ...
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| Retained baby tooth | 12/22/2008 |
Q: My daughter had an accident when she was 3-4, she fell and pushed her two front teeth back up into ...
A: It's certainly not an emergency. You might want to schedule a routine appointment for the ...
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| Orthodontics and recession | 12/22/2008 |
Q: He tells me that my occlusion is to blame for gum recession. I have an overbite and cross bite. ...
A: It is certainly possible for the occlusion or bite relationship to result in gingival recession. It ...
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| Baby Tooth Abscess | 12/21/2008 |
Q: Myerson, I'd to know if a baby tooth that has abscess must be extracted no matter how severe it is, ...
A: Depending on just how much damage has occurred there is treatment available for an abcessed baby ...
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| upper incisor broken | 12/20/2008 |
Q: My son is 2 years and 10 months . He was playing in the playground and accidently bumped in a table ...
A: This is not going to be good news. A root fracture on a primary tooth is not a very treatable ...
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| toddler w/unusually large first molar? | 12/20/2008 |
Q: My daughter, 17 months old, has three new molars ... and one of them, in the middle of her ...
A: Without any further information from an examination or an xray my only thought is that you've ...
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| plastic retainers | 12/20/2008 |
Q: Do you know if those cheaper clear plastic retainers ($100 or so) that people sometimes wear for a ...
A: It is certainly possible and necessary to have that retainer modified by your dentist just prior to ...
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| Perminent teeth | 12/19/2008 |
Q: I was wondering if it is possible to be born with only permanent teeth? It looks like my 18 mont ...
A: The permanent teeth don't begin to develop until 18 months and it takes another six years for them ...
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| burned lip | 12/17/2008 |
Q: I was having some normal cleaning done recently by my normal hygienist and after using a drill on my ...
A: This will heal by itself and that will take 7-10 days on the average. There's really nothing that ...
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| alternative to spacer? | 12/17/2008 |
Q: My son had a spacer but was unable to tolerate it for very long and it ended up becoming mangled and ...
A: The only alternative to the space maintainer is a removable retainer. However, that is usually more ...
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| eye pain with orthodontics | 12/16/2008 |
Q: I'm attaching my question and answer here from another dentist, Joel S. Teig. I tried to do a ...
A: I agree with Dr. Teig that muscle spasm may be the culprit but I would not think that such symptoms ...
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| need for pediatric crowns justified? | 12/16/2008 |
Q: Given a 5-year old with two back molars with cavities forming where the two teeth touch each other ...
A: The cavities you've described can only be approached by drilling down from the top. 100 years of ...
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| Composite Crown | 12/15/2008 |
Q: My son is going to be 4 next month and his top 4 front teeth have been affected due to breast ...
A: The alternative is to place stainless steel crowns, but that is a rather unesthetic way to restore ...
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| clean toothbrushes | 12/15/2008 |
Q: Would just rinsing a toothbrush with listerine before you brush your teeth help clean it as much as ...
A: I'm not aware of any studies that show the effectiveness and clinical significance of any toothbrush ...
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| Infant Underbite | 12/15/2008 |
Q: I have an 6 week old son and he has what appears to be an overbite. In fact, his bottom lip is not ...
A: I would suggest that you have your son seen by a pediatric dentist at age 2. Until that time there ...
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| black teeth | 12/15/2008 |
Q: My niece who is 5 years of age has 4 black teeth at the top front. They are totally black and are ...
A: The appearance of these teeth indicates a significant problem with the teeth. My first thought is ...
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| appliance cleaning | 12/15/2008 |
Q: Do you know if there are devices available to sanitize a retainer - sort of like they have for ...
A: Raintree Essex is a company that specializes in clear plastic retainers like the one you have. They ...
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| Underbite | 12/14/2008 |
Q: i have an underbite that means my bottom teeth are about 1mm out from my top teeth, but generally it ...
A: Usually in a non-growing patient the best result involves a combination of orthodontic treatment and ...
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| children's dentistry | 12/14/2008 |
Q: My 6 year old daughter went to the dentist six months ago where her teeth were found to be healthy ...
A: We sometimes see very rapid progression of decay, even in children with good diet, oral hygiene and ...
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| Pulpotomy, crowns, anesthesia in a 3 year old | 12/13/2008 |
Q: My (just barely) 3 yr old has been having pain in her mouth for a week or so. I could not see ...
A: Everything the dentist told you makes a lot of sense. An early fever can definitely interfere with ...
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| root canal or not? | 12/11/2008 |
Q: would you consider it unusual for a 16yr old, who previously had fissure seals, to require root ...
A: Sometimes in the presence of an infection an extraction is not done until antibiotic level can be ...
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| is my 3 month old cutting teeth | 12/11/2008 |
Q: my 3 month old daughter is slobbering alot and she is wanting to gnaw on my finger and she has been ...
A: It's not very likely that an infant of 3 months is already teething. There is a great amount of ...
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| Toddler - Extraction of baby teeth | 12/10/2008 |
Q: Dr. Myerson, My daughter had a fall a year ago at the age of nearly two. Within a few days my ...
A: You've asked several excellent questions. Some I can answer, others perhaps not. Let's take them ...
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| root canal or not? | 12/10/2008 |
Q: would you consider it unusual for a 16yr old, who previously had fissure seals, to require root ...
A: That's a fairly straight forward diagnosis that can be made on the basis of an x-ray. Nothing ...
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| purplish gums | 12/9/2008 |
Q: My 13 month old has had her top four front teeth for a couple of months, but the gums are a touch ...
A: The usual age to begin regular dental checkups is 2-3. In this case, however, you should arrange ...
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| midline deviation | 12/9/2008 |
Q: Pre-treatment, i had to get tooth #3 extracted. Beginning of my ortho treatment, i had my first ...
A: It's nearly impossible for me to imagine the exact tooth to tooth relationships that are involved ...
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| Extraction of baby tooth | 12/8/2008 |
Q: My 2 year old son recently had an infection in the gum. The pediatrict dentist who examined him ...
A: Excellent question. While concern about shifting of primary molars is a concern with the early loss ...
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| chipped teeth | 12/7/2008 |
Q: my seven year old had fallen off her scooter and chipped her two top front teeth,both are her ...
A: Sealants are placed on the four permanent first molars to prevent cavities from developing in the ...
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| Second Molar | 12/5/2008 |
Q: I had a cracked broken filling on my second molar, dentist pulled it, said i would be okay without ...
A: I don't really understand why the intrusion using tads can't work but then I haven't seen what the ...
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| my dental nightmare | 12/5/2008 |
Q: Last September I went to the dentist for my 6 month checkup. At the time I commented that one tooth ...
A: Good questions. You certainly don't need a referral for an orthodontic evaluation. Many ...
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| my dental nightmare | 12/5/2008 |
Q: Last September I went to the dentist for my 6 month checkup. At the time I commented that one tooth ...
A: Without any more information I really have no idea what the problem is. I can suggest that you find ...
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| Color | 12/5/2008 |
Q: I have a horizontal white line on a few of my molars close to the gumline. Is this normal. It ...
A: Of course, without actually examining you it's impossible for me to make a diagnosis of this ...
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| baby root canal vs. extraction | 12/5/2008 |
Q: My almost 6 year old has 2 cavities (one on each side) with nerve involvement. These were ...
A: I assume the trauma that you are referring to is the temporary and very short-lived upset that your ...
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| Second Molar | 12/5/2008 |
Q: I had a cracked broken filling on my second molar, dentist pulled it, said i would be okay without ...
A: The loss of a second molar will often result in over eruption of the opposing molar, especially if ...
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| 1cm overjet | 12/5/2008 |
Q: My 7yo daughter has a 1cm overjet on her top adult teeth. The four front adult teeth have gaps in ...
A: Surgical treatment of bite problems is reserved for only the most severe of jaw growth issues. From ...
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| boil on gum | 12/5/2008 |
Q: My daughter is 3 1/2 she has never been to a dentists, but she has develop 2 boils on her gum, it is ...
A: I am not quite certain what you are referring to since the term "boil" is not particularly ...
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| Teeth Clenching | 11/19/2008 |
Q: Good evening Dr Myerson. I have noticed over the past month or so that i have been clenching my ...
A: The best advice I can give you is to have that complete dental check up that you've scheduled. ...
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| Infant Extraction | 11/19/2008 |
Q: My 20 month old son fell and broke his front tooth in half (Fell on - Sunday 11/16/08)(half meaning ...
A: Sorry to say, from that excellent description alone, there's no alternative...the tooth cannot be ...
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| doctor-patient obligation | 11/18/2008 |
Q: I took my daughter to the dentist in July and she had 9 cavities and she needed some crowns put in. ...
A: While this question is probably a legal matter it is my opinion that the doctor-patient obligation ...
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| Toddler's Grey Tooth | 11/18/2008 |
Q: My four and a half year old daughter had an injury at school about a month ago, where she was pushed ...
A: The tooth has probably sustained an irreversible trauma and is non-vital. This may result in an ...
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| Child's permenant tooth has desolved away! | 11/15/2008 |
Q: Please help - I was totally unprepared for what happened last Friday, and am in total shock! My 7 ...
A: I must say that you've described the appearance of a baby tooth that has fallen out quite normally. ...
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| my toddler has tooth decay | 11/15/2008 |
Q: I have a 23mos old daughter who was treated for what the dentist termed "early signs of tooth ...
A: You should be using dental floss between the teeth along with the regular brushing. Consider using ...
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| Overjet | 11/15/2008 |
Q: I have previously had braces, but had an orthodontist that didn't know what he was doing so we had ...
A: Your question is an excellent one but can only be answered by an orthodontist who has examined you ...
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| Daughter with tooth pain | 11/15/2008 |
Q: First off I would like to give some background information. My 7 year old daughter usually goes to ...
A: It sounds like you are on track so far and there's not much else you can do. The usual signs of ...
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| 5yr old with adult tooth coming in on bottom | 11/14/2008 |
Q: My daughter is 5. She has perfectly straight baby teeth with no spaces. I just noticed that an adult ...
A: In 30 years of practicing orthodontics and pediatric dentistry I have yet to encounter a case that ...
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| Phase I retainer | 11/13/2008 |
Q: My 9-year-old daughter is about to finish two years of treatment with a palette expander. Now we're ...
A: Not all orthodontic problems can be treated by a two phase approach, but there are several types of ...
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| "Rampant cavities" on my 2 year old. | 11/12/2008 |
Q: I took my 2 1/2 year old son to the dentist. She said that he has 3 "rampant cavites" on his two ...
A: Safe and effective dental treatment with a child of this age often requires sedation along with the ...
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| Jaw /palate adjustments and bruxing. | 11/12/2008 |
Q: I have recently been told I have been grinding or clenching for some time and have worn smooth a ...
A: I can't comment on the recommended treatment without having the benefit of an examination of you and ...
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| Class III underbite | 11/12/2008 |
Q: My daughter is now a little over 3, and it has become painfully apparent she suffers from the same ...
A: It is certainly possible to begin early intervention with mandibular orthopedic restraint using a ...
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| Chiped TOOTH!!!!!!!!!!! | 11/12/2008 |
Q: The front bottom part of my tooth chipped, it was very little at the top of the tooth... i do smoke ...
A: You should go to the dentist. If the chip is a tiny piece it may be possible for the dentist to ...
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| Underbite in 5 year old | 11/11/2008 |
Q: Our son's lower jaw is growing faster than his upper jaw. In June I took him to an orthodontist ...
A: There certainly is proven therapy that can modify the growth of the jaw to some extent. Mandibular ...
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| Problem with canine | 11/10/2008 |
Q: I am 19 years old and my right canine tooth is only coming out now, and it's a very tiny piece too, ...
A: The best advice I can give you is to have an evaluation by an orthodontist...not just a dentist who ...
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| Top tooth missing at 9 months | 11/10/2008 |
Q: My daughter fell at 9 months and lost her top middle tooth. She is now 20 old. Is it necessary to ...
A: I don't know if there was any damage to the other upper central incisor. If there was damage to ...
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| supernumerary tooth | 11/10/2008 |
Q: Why do you always say supernumerary teeth need to come out? I have had one my whole life. It is ...
A: You are very fortunate. Most supernumerary teeth, however, are either too large to fit into the ...
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| tooth infected | 11/9/2008 |
Q: My six year old daughter is taking antibiotics for an infection that swelled her face up in a day, ...
A: Of course, without x-rays I cannot determine what the problem is. It's possible, however, that the ...
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| Do I really need to replace my extracted tooth? | 11/9/2008 |
Q: About a month ago I had my #19 tooth extracted. It seems to be completely healed, no pain or ...
A: The problem with leaving the space unrestored is that it can very well lead to posterior bite ...
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| When should I be worried | 11/9/2008 |
Q: On monday, my 6.5 yr old fell at her school on stairs. The school nurse when she called me said that ...
A: Other than a bruise from the injury here doesn't seem to be any signs of significant problems here. ...
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| Surgery for a 14 months old. | 11/9/2008 |
Q: My son is almost 14 months old and has 8 teeth. However, 6 of those 8 require white fillings. I've ...
A: During my training and early years practicing children's dentistry I treated many youngsters in the ...
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| Bite? | 11/9/2008 |
Q: If you have a perfect bite how would you describe the meeting of the teeth? I am having a lot of ...
A: This is a complicated question which requires the guidance and supervision of a trained dentist ...
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| can wisdom tooth take place of extracted molar | 11/9/2008 |
Q: My son is 14 years old. What is currently his last molar cracked, and his dentist has recommended a ...
A: If you are referring to the removal of a permanent upper second molar then research and experience ...
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| loose tooth- greying | 11/7/2008 |
Q: who is recently 6 years old, has his first loose tooth. We first noticed it 2 days ago, and it was a ...
A: That tooth is usually the first tooth to fall out which is expected at age 6. As the tooth loosens ...
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| 5yr old with adult tooth coming in on bottom | 11/7/2008 |
Q: My daughter is 5. She has perfectly straight baby teeth with no spaces. I just noticed that an adult ...
A: You don't have to do anything at this time. Usually we want to see spacing between the primary ...
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| 3 year old needing his tooth pulled | 11/6/2008 |
Q: I am devastated, I just found out that my three year old son needs to be put to sleep to have one of ...
A: Without actually seeing the tooth along with an x-ray I have no idea as to the condition of the ...
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| Children's Teeth Extractions | 11/6/2008 |
Q: My 6 year old daughter has 2 adult teeth growing in the same hole and has been told she must have ...
A: I would suggest that you have this done by an oral surgeon or a pediatric dentist who can utilize ...
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| One set of teeth | 11/6/2008 |
Q: dental x-rays show our eight year old has no adult teeth forming to replace her baby teeth, is this ...
A: It is certainly not normal. By the age of 8 years complete dental x-rays will usually show evidence ...
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| Orthodontics and Cavities | 11/4/2008 |
Q: I am 18 and had orthodontic appliances from the age of 6 up until I was sixteen. The last three ...
A: Patients with braces are at greater risk for decay and decalcification due to the greater difficulty ...
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| Dentistry | 11/3/2008 |
Q: My orthodontist told my parents and me when I was 8 that he had a huge plan for me. He made me get a ...
A: I can only respond in generalities since I have no idea as to the nature of your tooth alignment and ...
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| Root Resorption | 11/2/2008 |
Q: Myerson, My friend's 16 year old daughter has severe resorption (especially both upper and lower ...
A: This is a question for a restorative dentist and an endodontist (root canal specialist). There may ...
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| Tooth Enamel | 11/2/2008 |
Q: Is there any way to regain tooth enamel lost through acid erosion? Thank you.
A: Depending upon the degree of damage to the teeth there may be ways to improve the condition of the ...
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| Braces & moving teeth | 11/2/2008 |
Q: I used to wear braces (from the time I was 9 to the time I was about 13). My teeth were awful - they ...
A: As you age and mature there are changes that occur with the musculature that can affect the ...
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| extra teeth and braces. please answer thz | 11/2/2008 |
Q: . I would like to ask you some questions about extra teeth and braces. I have been having my braces ...
A: The extra tooth should have been discovered and removed before you started your braces. The extra ...
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| absessed tooth? | 11/2/2008 |
Q: My eight year old son started complaining with a tooth ache yesterday. This morning he got up crying ...
A: It sounds like your son has a mouth full of dental problems. Those broken teeth are probably all ...
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| root canel and braces | 11/1/2008 |
Q: I have a gap between my front two teeth which is affecting my confidence. I am going to have ...
A: It has been my practice that once the root canal is completed and there is no evidence of residual ...
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| pediatric dentistry | 10/31/2008 |
Q: What causes the delay in the eruption of primary teeth in infants?
A: I don't believe there has ever been an explanation for that. There is a great amount of variability ...
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| Getting Braces Soon, Requesting A "Palatal Expander" | 10/31/2008 |
Q: I'm Getting Braces Soon... I'm 24 Years Old. I'm Currently Getting All Of My Dental Work Done And I ...
A: It is true that in most adult treatment situations requiring palatal expansion treatment should be ...
|
| pulpotomy therapeutic | 10/30/2008 |
Q: my 4yr old requires the above treatment @ a cost of $6,000.oo, determined without x-ray, is this ...
A: It's certainly possible, but a treatment plan for a pulpotomy without an x-ray is simply a guess. ...
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| baby teeth | 10/29/2008 |
Q: I have a 12 year old daughter who lives with her mother (my ex-wife). She took her to the ortho ...
A: Extracting the primary teeth too soon can actually delay the emergence of the permanent successors. ...
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| alternative to stainless steel crown on 6 year old | 10/29/2008 |
Q: I recently took my barely 6 year old to the dentist and he said that she has 3 cavities between her ...
A: That depends on just how much of the tooth has been damaged. If the damage is extensive then a ...
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| Frankel removable appliance | 10/29/2008 |
Q: Myerson, My kid Jad is 4 years old, he has interior cross bite problem. he don't have a problem with ...
A: From the description that you provided it is not possible for me to determine what treatment is ...
|
| no teeth at 15 months | 10/29/2008 |
Q: I am really concern that my 15 month old son is has no teeth and no sign of teething. Should I be ...
A: There is a great amount of variability in the timing and order of appearance of the primary teeth. ...
|
| Tooth filing | 10/29/2008 |
Q: So how much filing on a tooth's enamel is considered safe? My Invisalign dentist keeps going and ...
A: The enamel thickness varies from one individual to another and it depends on which tooth. Posterior ...
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| Missing lateral incisors in 7 year old | 10/28/2008 |
Q: My son is 7 and lost his lateral incisors at the beginning of the summer. The permanent ones have ...
A: You should not assume that the lateral incisors are missing just because they have not yet appeared. ...
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| 28 months old chipped the front tooth | 10/28/2008 |
Q: My 28 months old daughter chipped her from tooth over the weekend. We talked to pediatric dentist. ...
A: The answer depends on just how much of the tooth has broken away. If it's only a small amount then ...
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| 4-year old with gum abscess | 10/28/2008 |
Q: My 4-yr old daughter was seen 4 days ago for a gum abscess. She was prescribed amoxicillin and told ...
A: The antibiotic works to prevent the infection from spreading into the blood and becoming systemic. ...
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| Abnormal jaw | 10/27/2008 |
Q: I am a 21 year old college student and have had a number of orthodontic procedures in my ...
A: Your jaw relationship indicates that you will benefit from a surgical repositioning of the upper ...
|
| tartar/plaque | 10/26/2008 |
Q: With regard to the teeth, could you please tell me whether plaque is part of tartar, or is tartar ...
A: Plaque is the soft, invisible film that constantly coats the teeth. It is easy to remove with a ...
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| palate expander and side effects | 10/26/2008 |
Q: My 10yr old daughter just had a palate expander placed. We have turned the key just 3 times so far. ...
A: The pressure that she feels is entirely normal and expected. I've never encountered any reports of ...
|
| Maxillary frenulectomy | 10/26/2008 |
Q: My daughter is 3 1/2 years old. She has an obvious gap /diastema between her top incisors. Our ...
A: I agree that a large maxillary frenum will keep the permanent incisors from emerging into proper ...
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| rear gum pain | 10/26/2008 |
Q: my right rear gum, behind where my wisdom teeth used to be, is extremely swollen, and causing me a ...
A: The most obvious culprit is the popcorn. Perhaps a sliver of a hull has worked itself down along ...
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| General Anesthesia for a 2 year old | 10/26/2008 |
Q: Randolph, My son is 2 years old and has a severe tooth decay.Is general anesthesia Safe? He weighs ...
A: General anesthesia has a greater risk involved but that is offset by the additional precautions ...
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| loose tooth in 4 yr old | 10/25/2008 |
Q: My 4 yr old son just bit onto his fork very hard while eating lunch and now his front upper tooth is ...
A: No need to do anything at this point. Either the tooth will firm up again or it will continue to ...
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| chipped tooth | 10/25/2008 |
Q: My 18 month old son managed to chip one of his front teeth. We're not sure, but it's a pretty good ...
A: Your son will not be losing that tooth for another 4-5 years. In the meantime the broken tooth may ...
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| General Anesthesia for a 2 year old | 10/25/2008 |
Q: Randolph, My son is 2 years old and has a severe tooth decay.Is general anesthesia Safe? He weighs ...
A: Leaving those infected teeth in place will probably damage the developing permanent teeth and could ...
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| Baby tooth as an adult.. | 10/24/2008 |
Q: I am a 19 year old female.. I still have one of my baby teeth, tooth # 22 according to this chart.. ...
A: If the tooth is loose enough to take it out yourself then that should not be a problem. That's ...
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| Baby tooth as an adult.. | 10/23/2008 |
Q: I am a 19 year old female.. I still have one of my baby teeth, tooth # 22 according to this chart.. ...
A: I would suppose that the tooth has become loose because the permanent tooth has finally worked its ...
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| Toddler Caries? | 10/23/2008 |
Q: I have recently taken my 2.5 year old son to the dentist for the very first time. Unaware to me I ...
A: Something doesn't sound right here. If the teeth are so decayed that they can't be saved and must ...
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| palate widening expansion surgery? | 10/23/2008 |
Q: .. i have a cleft lif and i had to have braces on my teeth when i was younger... one tooth on the ...
A: Your situation is a complicated one but there are probably solutions available for you. These may ...
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| front tooth not coming down | 10/23/2008 |
Q: My daughter (12 years) has a front top adult tooth that is not coming down. The orthodontist has ...
A: Usually an impacted tooth will respond to surgical exposure and forced orthodontic eruption. On ...
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| Adult teeth behind baby teeth | 10/22/2008 |
Q: I am 22 years old and I have about 4 baby teeth still in my mouth. They are the canine teeth (the ...
A: If the permanent canines are present they should be aligned into the dental arch. If they are still ...
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| Congenitally missing baby teeth | 10/22/2008 |
Q: In my family we have a history of missing permanant teeth, and I was concerned with my son's unusual ...
A: A pedi-partial cannot be placed until the primary molars have fully emerged...after age 2. The ...
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| Braces or implant | 10/22/2008 |
Q: My 13 year old daughter's right incisor is lodged above her front teeth. The orthodontist I saw ...
A: The answer to that question would require more information than you've provided. In order to make ...
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| lumineers | 10/21/2008 |
Q: I just had 3 teeth pulled for braces. They were all baby teeth. The problem is i don't want to have ...
A: Lumineers are no substitute for straight teeth and a correct bite. If your bite requires correction ...
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| missing incisors in 6.5 yr old | 10/20/2008 |
Q: My 6.5 yr old son just had an x-ray that showed that he is missing both of his permanent upper ...
A: I know they're pretty expensive, but then so is all good dental and medical treatment. I'm not ...
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| missing incisors in 6.5 yr old | 10/20/2008 |
Q: My 6.5 yr old son just had an x-ray that showed that he is missing both of his permanent upper ...
A: Missing permanent lateral incisors are some of the more frequently absent teeth that we encounter. ...
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| mouth guard | 10/20/2008 |
Q: I have had a number of root canals & have a number of crowns. Tho I do not notice grinding or ...
A: A properly fitted and balanced night guard is much better since it is more likely to provide the ...
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| Mandibular central incisor | 10/20/2008 |
Q: Good Greetings. My six year old son's Mandibular central incisors are loose and I wonder at what age ...
A: Nothing need be done at this time. It is entirely usual for the primary lower central incisors to ...
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| tooth extractions and braces | 10/19/2008 |
Q: I'm a 57 yr. old female having 3 teeth extracted for braces and after braces will have 2 implants ...
A: If there is a risk of retracting the teeth excessively then the treatment must be controlled to ...
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| Underbite might be affecting speech, best treatment? | 10/19/2008 |
Q: My 5-year-old has an underbite, it is affecting his speech. His Kinder teacher told us that he ...
A: First, this is a potentially complicated situation that should be managed by an orthodontist...not a ...
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| Treatment for chipped teeth in toddler | 10/18/2008 |
Q: My daughter fell yesterday and chipped her two front teeth. She is 1 1/2 years old. We took her to ...
A: A minor chip really cannot be repaired since any restorative material that can be bonded to the ...
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| Treatment for chipped teeth in toddler | 10/18/2008 |
Q: My daughter fell yesterday and chipped her two front teeth. She is 1 1/2 years old. We took her to ...
A: The broken tooth should be fixed since anything more than a slight chip will have fractured and ...
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| Expander for Crossbite and Panorex X-Ray | 10/17/2008 |
Q: My 7.5 year old had been diagnosed with cross bite by two different pediatric dentists. We were told ...
A: I usually take a panoramic radiograph before starting orthodontic treatment as part of my diagnostic ...
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| tooth extraction for overjet | 10/17/2008 |
Q: I have a fairly severe overjet. Surgery is not an option. Is there any reason that only teeth on ...
A: In many situations removing just the upper first premolars will leave the bite in a compromised ...
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| 6 year old daughter's permanent teeth not erupting | 10/17/2008 |
Q: My 6 year old daughter has lost her 2 top baby teeth about 4 or 5 months ago and there are no signs ...
A: Certainly nothing to worry about, but in my office I would be recommending an x-ray examination to ...
|
| My sons tooth has turned grey | 10/16/2008 |
Q: I have just noticed that one of my sons front teeth has turned a grey color and I am concerned as to ...
A: A tooth turns grey when it becomes non-vital. That means the nerve has died. This is usually the ...
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| delay of permanent teeth eruption | 10/16/2008 |
Q: Myerson, I have an 8 year old son and a 6 year old girl both born in July. None of their milk teeth ...
A: If this were a calcium problem your children would be very sick by now so it's not a calcium ...
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| rapid palate expansion verses night time appliance | 10/15/2008 |
Q: My older son had palate expansion via night appliance by peds dentist in our old city worked great. ...
A: A removable night expander will mostly tip the teeth. This is not a good way to achieve palatal ...
|
| About essix retainers | 10/14/2008 |
Q: Myerson! My name is Vivian and I'm a 20 year old who is interested in getting my teeth straightened, ...
A: Essix retainers are designed to prevent the teeth from moving. They are not suited for moving teeth ...
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| child gums | 10/14/2008 |
Q: I have noticed that my two year olds gums are over the top of his back molar teeth. He will hardly ...
A: As the teeth emerge into the mouth they break through the gums. It takes several months for the ...
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| dying baby tooth (under two years) | 10/12/2008 |
Q: My baby is one year and nine month old, he had a dark tooth in the lower gum and I noticed a white ...
A: The dentist is probably right on track that this is an infection due to the nerve of the tooth dying ...
|
| cavity in milk tooth | 10/12/2008 |
Q: my 6 year old daughter has a large cavity in her milk tooth although it is not paining and doctor is ...
A: Your daughter should have proper dental care as soon as possible. That may be a root canal ...
|
| Anterior Crossbite | 10/12/2008 |
Q: Myerson, I have a 4 years old son, he has Anterior Crossbite, we don't have this problem in both ...
A: An anterior crossbite can be the result of a problem with the tooth positions or it can be a problem ...
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| loosening of permanent teeth | 10/11/2008 |
Q: my child -7 years old-agirl has 2upper front permanent teeh slightly aparted and anteriorly directed ...
A: The answer to your question requires a complete dental examination. It is possible that the ...
|
| four sided tooth | 10/11/2008 |
Q: Insurance companies don't pay for a cavity inolving more tha 4 sides of a tooth. if that is ...
A: There are actually five "sides" or surfaces to the teeth: 1.mesial (toward the front of the mouth) ...
|
| Pain in gums. | 10/11/2008 |
Q: For the past 4 days now I have been getting pain in my gums around the upper left side and just ...
A: This sounds like you have a gum infection. This requires proper dental care by a general dentist or ...
|
| Pediatric/ Orthodontic Dentistry | 10/11/2008 |
Q: .My 4yr old daughter recieved a filling today. Is it normal for her to still be experiencing pain ...
A: Sometimes a tooth will remain sensitive for a few days following dental treatment. If the pain or ...
|
| Toddler bump on gum | 10/10/2008 |
Q: My son (23 months) has a bump on his lower gums. It almost looks like a pimple, or a small canker ...
A: You've described something that resembles a dental abcess probably caused by decay that has infected ...
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| pediatric root canal | 10/10/2008 |
Q: My son recently took his 2 1/2 year old daughter to a pediatric dentist because she had a brown spot ...
A: Unless the decay is large and deep I don't know how the dentist knows that a root canal is necessary ...
|
| root canal vs extraction with spacers | 10/9/2008 |
Q: My 3 year old daughter has some condition where the smallest amount of bacteria in her teeth cause ...
A: Those 2 year primary molars should remain in place, if at all possible, until the permanent 6 year ...
|
| Teeth | 10/9/2008 |
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 baby | 10/7/2008 |
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 Capped | 10/7/2008 |
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 Dilemma | 10/7/2008 |
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 underbite | 10/5/2008 |
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 - Injury | 10/4/2008 |
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 molar | 10/4/2008 |
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 ...
|
| Thumbsucking | 10/3/2008 |
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 ...
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| extracting permanent teeth for braces phase 2 | 10/3/2008 |
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 tooth | 10/2/2008 |
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 way | 10/2/2008 |
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 teeth | 10/1/2008 |
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 loose | 9/30/2008 |
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 molar | 9/28/2008 |
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 teeth | 9/28/2008 |
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 & Elastics | 9/27/2008 |
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 fall | 9/26/2008 |
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 overbite | 9/25/2008 |
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 old | 9/24/2008 |
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 ...
|
| overbite | 9/23/2008 |
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 adult | 9/23/2008 |
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 old | 9/22/2008 |
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 Treatment | 9/22/2008 |
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 Treatment | 9/22/2008 |
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 Mouth | 9/21/2008 |
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 tooth | 9/19/2008 |
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 off | 9/19/2008 |
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 extration | 9/19/2008 |
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 extration | 9/19/2008 |
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 child | 9/18/2008 |
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 child | 9/18/2008 |
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 teeth | 9/17/2008 |
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 Expander | 9/16/2008 |
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 canal | 9/16/2008 |
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 ...
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| Composite Filling coding | 9/15/2008 |
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 ...
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| bump on gums | 9/14/2008 |
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 ...
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| Cavity in a 5 year old | 9/14/2008 |
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 ...
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| Abscessed baby molar tooth | 9/13/2008 |
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 ...
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| pedi dental care | 9/13/2008 |
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 ...
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| pedi dental care | 9/13/2008 |
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 ...
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| pedi dental care | 9/12/2008 |
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 ...
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| 7 year old daughter | 9/12/2008 |
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 ...
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| Use of Soother | 9/11/2008 |
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 ...
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| broken front tooth | 9/11/2008 |
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 ...
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| Dentist wants to remove 2yo front teeth | 9/10/2008 |
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 ...
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| broken front tooth | 9/10/2008 |
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 ...
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| Loose spacer | 9/10/2008 |
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 ...
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| Discoloration of Primary Teeth | 9/10/2008 |
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 ...
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| Pediatric Dental Issue | 9/9/2008 |
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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| Broken Teeth | 9/6/2008 |
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 ...
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| No root or base on tooth | 9/6/2008 |
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 ...
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| Oral trauma/ darkening tooth | 9/5/2008 |
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. ...
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| dental treatment under general anaesthesia for two year old | 9/4/2008 |
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) ...
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| palate expanders | 9/4/2008 |
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 ...
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| granddaughter's tooth | 9/4/2008 |
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 ...
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| Toddler Cracked tooth | 9/4/2008 |
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 ...
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| Retainers | 8/13/2008 |
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 ...
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| Pulling Teeth | 8/13/2008 |
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 ...
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| perm tooth extraction for braces | 8/13/2008 |
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 ...
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| baby tooth root canal | 8/13/2008 |
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 ...
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| baby tooth root canal | 8/13/2008 |
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 ...
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| 3 year old requires a filling | 8/12/2008 |
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. ...
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| FRONT TOOTH DAMAGE | 8/12/2008 |
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 ...
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| hereditary partial anodontia | 8/12/2008 |
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 ...
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| 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, ...
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| Possible Malpractice on my 3 yr old | 8/10/2008 |
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 ...
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| versed sedation for a 23 month old | 8/9/2008 |
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 ...
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| Braces (childrens) and teeth extraction | 8/9/2008 |
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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| swelling after dental procedure | 8/8/2008 |
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 ...
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| son has 21 milk teeth | 8/8/2008 |
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 ...
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| orthodontia and bruxism | 8/8/2008 |
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 ...
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| missing tooth | 8/8/2008 |
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 ...
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| 4 yr old w/ black tooth | 8/7/2008 |
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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| Demerol | 8/6/2008 |
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 ...
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| orthodontist/phase one | 8/6/2008 |
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 ...
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| reverse pull head gear | 8/6/2008 |
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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| Overbite correction with braces | 8/4/2008 |
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 ...
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| palate expander | 8/4/2008 |
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 ...
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| Orthodontic extrusion v. crown lengthening | 8/4/2008 |
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 ...
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| jaw expander | 8/4/2008 |
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 ...
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| Cavities in a 4 year old | 8/1/2008 |
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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| tooth extraction and spacer | 7/31/2008 |
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 ...
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| todder tooth extraction | 7/30/2008 |
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 ...
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| abscessed tooth | 7/29/2008 |
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 ...
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| root canal recommended for 13 yr. old | 7/28/2008 |
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 ...
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| crossbite | 7/28/2008 |
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 ...
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| Pulling Teeth | 7/28/2008 |
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 ...
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| chipped upper incisor tooth /child 8 1/2 years old | 7/28/2008 |
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 ...
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| crown vs. spacer on baby molar | 7/28/2008 |
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 ...
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| Cavaties and Braces | 7/27/2008 |
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 ...
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| chipped upper incisor tooth /child 8 1/2 years old | 7/26/2008 |
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 ...
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| childrens second teeth | 7/26/2008 |
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 ...
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| root canal | 7/26/2008 |
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 ...
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| jaw cracking | 7/26/2008 |
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 ...
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| Dental Night Guards | 7/25/2008 |
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 ...
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| permanent retainer on bottom teeth | 7/24/2008 |
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. ...
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| Crowns for kids | 7/24/2008 |
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, ...
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| missing premolars | 7/24/2008 |
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 ...
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| Fused teeth | 7/24/2008 |
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 ...
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| 27 month old toddler loses front tooth in fall | 7/24/2008 |
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 ...
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| intrusion of teeth in 3 y/o | 7/24/2008 |
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 ...
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| Crowns for kids | 7/23/2008 |
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 ...
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| hypoplastic teeth | 7/22/2008 |
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 ...
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| tooth extraction for a 2 year old | 7/22/2008 |
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 ...
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| daughters implants | 7/22/2008 |
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 ...
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| missing tooth in a 2 year old | 7/22/2008 |
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 ...
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| Molars Separating due to Extraction | 7/3/2008 |
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 ...
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| Misalignment after RPE and reverse pull | 7/3/2008 |
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 ...
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| palatal expanders | 7/3/2008 |
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 ...
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| extraction for orthodonics | 7/2/2008 |
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 ...
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| 11-year-old's roots dissolving | 7/2/2008 |
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 ...
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| cleft palate and invisalign | 7/2/2008 |
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 ...
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| herbst | 7/2/2008 |
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 ...
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| Tooth Discoloration after trauma | 7/1/2008 |
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. ...
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| general anesthesia | 7/1/2008 |
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 ...
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| Internal resorbtion | 7/1/2008 |
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 ...
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| Delayed front tooth | 7/1/2008 |
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 ...
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| Injured baby tooth | 7/1/2008 |
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 ...
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| Lost baby tooth-purple root showing | 6/30/2008 |
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 ...
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| baby tooth injury | 6/29/2008 |
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 ...
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| no lateral teeth | 6/27/2008 |
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 ...
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| order of tooth loss | 6/26/2008 |
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 ...
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| special kid requires root canal treatment | 6/25/2008 |
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 eruption | 6/25/2008 |
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 ...
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| 3 yr old needing extractions under GA | 6/12/2008 |
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 ...
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| 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. ...
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| cavity | 6/11/2008 |
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 ...
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| cavity | 6/11/2008 |
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 Mesioden | 6/11/2008 |
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 ...
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| 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 delay | 6/9/2008 |
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-crowding | 6/9/2008 |
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, ...
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| overcrowding | 6/3/2008 |
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 ...
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| Missing permanent teeth | 6/2/2008 |
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. ...
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| Missing permanent teeth | 6/1/2008 |
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. ...
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| 2 year old had his tooth extracted | 5/31/2008 |
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 ...
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| My 17 year old sons mouth | 5/30/2008 |
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 ...
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| treating a crossbite | 5/29/2008 |
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 ...
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| amalgam | 5/26/2008 |
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 ...
|
| gums | 5/24/2008 |
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 braces | 5/24/2008 |
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 ...
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| chipped tooth and braces | 5/23/2008 |
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 ...
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| 6 1/2 yr gums | 5/23/2008 |
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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| teeth | 5/20/2008 |
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 ...
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| 12 year molars | 5/19/2008 |
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 ...
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| new teeth filling | 5/18/2008 |
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 ...
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| Wisdom teeth | 5/17/2008 |
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 ...
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| Canine | 5/17/2008 |
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. ...
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| child afraid | 5/15/2008 |
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 ...
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| 16 month old has no teeth | 5/15/2008 |
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 ...
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| Reverse-pull headgear | 5/14/2008 |
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 ...
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| Pedatiric dentist and braces | 5/14/2008 |
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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| missing teeth | 5/14/2008 |
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 ...
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| Reverse-pull headgear | 5/13/2008 |
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 ...
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| 7-year old; orthodonture | 5/12/2008 |
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 ...
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| two questions | 5/12/2008 |
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 ...
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| Pediatric crowns | 5/12/2008 |
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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| Extractions of 1st teeth for orthodontics | 5/9/2008 |
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 ...
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| mouth guards | 5/9/2008 |
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 ...
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| to pull or not to pull | 5/7/2008 |
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 ...
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| primary tooth extractions | 5/7/2008 |
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 ...
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| pedo partial for almost 5 year old | 5/7/2008 |
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 ...
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| Extraction only | 5/6/2008 |
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 ...
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| Braces and jaw alignment | 5/5/2008 |
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 ...
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| Braces and jaw alignment | 5/5/2008 |
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 ...
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| 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. ...
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| 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 ...
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| 6 yr old front tooth trauma to permanent tooth | 5/3/2008 |
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 ...
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| Braces and teeth allignment | 5/2/2008 |
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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| Lower Jaw expansion | 4/30/2008 |
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 ...
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| Lower Jaw expansion | 4/30/2008 |
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 ...
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| jaw widening | 4/29/2008 |
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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 11 month old with a tooth split in 2 | 4/28/2008 |
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 ...
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| Permanent teeth | 4/28/2008 |
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 ...
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| PLATE FOR 10 YEAR OLD | 4/26/2008 |
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 ...
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| bottom front teeth | 4/26/2008 |
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. ...
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| 3-year-old underbite | 4/25/2008 |
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 ...
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| question regarding braces and herbst | 4/24/2008 |
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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| Braces on for long time | 4/23/2008 |
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 ...
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| Sond teeth | 4/23/2008 |
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 ...
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| 2nd molars - bottom | 4/23/2008 |
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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| Molars extraction | 4/22/2008 |
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 ...
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| blanket sucking | 4/13/2008 |
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 ...
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| braces | 4/13/2008 |
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 ...
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| braces | 4/13/2008 |
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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| Daughter's permanent tooth is coming in behind the baby tooth | 4/11/2008 |
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 ...
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| extraction of a milk tooth | 4/9/2008 |
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 ...
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| Severe Overcrowding Issues for a 9-Year Old | 4/9/2008 |
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 ...
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| Temporarily Removing Braces for Wedding | 4/8/2008 |
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 ...
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| Braces and Mouthguards | 4/8/2008 |
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 ...
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| Braces and Mouthguards | 4/8/2008 |
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 ...
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| 2yr knocked out front tooth but not root | 4/7/2008 |
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 ...
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| Root Canal Treatment for 3 year old kid | 4/6/2008 |
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 ...
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| 17 month old with ECC and recommended treatment | 4/5/2008 |
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 ...
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| How to find good Ortho | 4/4/2008 |
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 ...
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| teeth dealy in 20 month old | 4/4/2008 |
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. ...
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| think I'm getting ripped off here | 4/3/2008 |
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 ...
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| Braces and Extraction | 4/3/2008 |
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 ...
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| congenital missing teeth - 14 year old boy | 4/2/2008 |
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 ...
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| Chewing in sleep | 3/31/2008 |
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 ...
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| 10 year old son- possible surgery to align jaw at age 18 | 3/31/2008 |
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 ...
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| braces and implant | 3/31/2008 |
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 ...
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| Son born with two upper labial frenums | 3/30/2008 |
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 ...
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| my daughter | 3/30/2008 |
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 ...
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| tooth extraction | 3/29/2008 |
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 ...
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| 13 month old son with half missing front tooth | 3/29/2008 |
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 ...
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| Permanent tooth reabsorbed | 3/28/2008 |
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 ...
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| Gray Tooth in a Two-Year-Old | 3/28/2008 |
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 ...
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| 12 year-old molar | 3/27/2008 |
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 ...
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| general anesthesia on toddlers | 3/27/2008 |
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 ...
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| 2 year old's trauma to front tooth | 3/27/2008 |
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 ...
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| 9 year old, front teeth missing since 2 years | 3/19/2008 |
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 ...
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| 8 years and no front tooth | 3/18/2008 |
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 ...
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| white areas on child's teeth | 3/17/2008 |
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 ...
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| Son almost 2 only 5 teeth | 3/17/2008 |
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 ...
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| Palatal Expanders | 3/17/2008 |
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 ...
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| Loose Tooth | 3/17/2008 |
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 ...
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| Tooth discolored | 3/9/2008 |
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 ...
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| 13 year old with broken front tooth | 3/8/2008 |
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 ...
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| othodontic treatment | 3/7/2008 |
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 ...
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| Permanent Retainer on upper and lower teeth | 3/7/2008 |
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 ...
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| brace query | 3/7/2008 |
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 ...
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| Posterior Crossbite | 3/7/2008 |
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. ...
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| brown tooth | 3/5/2008 |
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 ...
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| Extraction after intruded baby teeth | 2/28/2008 |
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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| Posterior Crossbite | 2/27/2008 |
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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| tooth decay | 2/27/2008 |
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 ...
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| flouride vitamins | 2/27/2008 |
Q: At what age should flouride vitamins be stopped?
A: Systemic (ingested) fluoride supplements only work when enamel is developing. Since most tooth ...
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| tooth decay | 2/27/2008 |
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 ...
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| 4 yr old - 31 pounds multiple cavities sedation | 2/26/2008 |
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, ...
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| 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 ...
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| Black spots/stains on 3yr old | 2/25/2008 |
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 ...
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| 3 yr. old chipped tooth | 2/25/2008 |
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 ...
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| new tooth | 2/23/2008 |
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 ...
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| eye teeth and cleft palate | 2/22/2008 |
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, ...
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| Tooth discoloration in 3 yr old | 2/21/2008 |
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 ...
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| 5 years old | 2/21/2008 |
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 ...
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| My adult tooth has not regrown | 2/21/2008 |
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 ...
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| extra tooth | 2/20/2008 |
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. ...
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| orthodontics/strong jaw | 2/20/2008 |
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 ...
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| Dental versus skeletal overbite | 2/20/2008 |
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 ...
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| Toddler has skin from lip between two front teeth | 2/19/2008 |
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. ...
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| 5 yr old extraction of two teeth | 2/19/2008 |
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 ...
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| underbite | 2/17/2008 |
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 ...
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| enamel hypoplasia | 2/16/2008 |
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 ...
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| trauma to front tooth | 2/16/2008 |
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 ...
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| toddler front teeth knocked loose | 2/15/2008 |
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 ...
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| toddler front teeth knocked loose | 2/15/2008 |
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 ...
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| 4 year old and her 1st loose tooth | 2/14/2008 |
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 ...
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| Treating bimaxillary protrusion | 2/14/2008 |
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 ...
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| Teething | 2/14/2008 |
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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 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 ...
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| 6 year olds loose tooth | 2/13/2008 |
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 ...
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| toddler front teeth knocked loose | 2/13/2008 |
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 ...
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| hypoplastic teeth condition | 2/13/2008 |
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 ...
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| Crossbite | 2/12/2008 |
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 ...
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| Frenulectomy | 2/12/2008 |
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 ...
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| Abcess in childs tooth | 2/12/2008 |
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 ...
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| overbite | 2/11/2008 |
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 ...
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| 10 1/2 YR OLD DAUGHTER CHIPPED UPPER FRONT TOOTH | 2/11/2008 |
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 ...
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| primary tooth root canal v. extraction | 2/11/2008 |
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 ...
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| Born with missing adult teeth. -Recent Jaw pain | 2/10/2008 |
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 ...
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| 10 1/2 YR OLD DAUGHTER CHIPPED UPPER FRONT TOOTH | 2/10/2008 |
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 ...
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| baby root canal failed | 2/9/2008 |
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 ...
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| baby root canal on 2 year old | 2/9/2008 |
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 ...
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| Gapped front teeth | 2/8/2008 |
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 ...
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| 2 year old front tooth extraction | 2/7/2008 |
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 ...
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| Rotating tooth | 2/7/2008 |
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 ...
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| No sign of adult teeth yet | 2/6/2008 |
Q: My son is nearly 8 years old. He lost the 2 teeth either side of his middle bottom teeth over a year ...
A: I would be curious to see the progress of permanent tooth development at this time. A panoramic ...
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| infantoverbite | 2/6/2008 |
Q: I have a4 week old newborn,whoappears to have an overbite or at least a discrepancy between his ...
A: Nearly 100% of newborns appear to have an overbite. Since your baby is very healthy and has no ...
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| Braces | 2/6/2008 |
Q: I'm seventeen years old and i'm getting braces to straighten and correct my overbite. I have a class ...
A: I cannot provide you with any specific opinion regarding your treatment as I have no idea what you ...
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| OVERCROWDING | 2/5/2008 |
Q: MY SOON TO BE 11 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER HAS BAD OVERCROWDING IN HER SMALL MOUTH...SHE IS TALL FOR HER AGE ...
A: While there is little doubt that your daughter will probably continue to grow, any additional growth ...
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| molars | 2/4/2008 |
Q: My daughter wore braces for two years (age 11-13). Her last molars (12 year old?) began to come in ...
A: Of course I can't know for certain what the metal thing is but it might be a separator spring which ...
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| Baby tooth lost early | 2/4/2008 |
Q: My 7 ½ year old daughter lost one upper canine teeth early and now I can see gap between upper ...
A: Very often when one canine is lost early it is recommended to remove the canine on the other side to ...
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| 6 yr old teeth problem | 2/4/2008 |
Q: you have the four top teeth at the top of her mouth and the four bottom teeth directly under.Of ...
A: You can feel okay about doing nothing except continuing to brush the teeth. We find that with the ...
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| rapid palate expander | 2/3/2008 |
Q: My 7 year old daughter received her rpe on Thursday. It has been 2 full days and she is still ...
A: It does take some time to adjust to the presence of an appliance in the mouth and that includes the ...
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| deep cleaning while iam pregnant | 2/1/2008 |
Q: I am 28 year old.I am scheduled to receive deep cleaning.In the meantime I am experiencing early ...
A: You need to postpone any significant dental treatment until the 2nd trimester. Meantime, I would ...
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| Paediatric Dentistry | 1/31/2008 |
Q: my daughter, now 5 1/2, was born prem at 24wk, she stopped growing at 22wks & was on a ventilator ...
A: Development is a very complicated matter and it is entirely impossible at this early juncture to ...
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| 3 year old lost tooth! | 1/31/2008 |
Q: While literally on our way to a family vacation in Hawaii we noticed our just three year olds bottom ...
A: The most usual reason a baby tooth loosens and falls out is because the root of the tooth has ...
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| Two year old with broken tooth | 1/30/2008 |
Q: my 2 year old snapped his tooth off this afternoon at the gum line falling down onto the side of the ...
A: Marie, I have no idea why this is not causing your child discomfort. However, since there is some ...
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| Expander | 1/30/2008 |
Q: Alright, I've got an expander and I've had it for a few months now it causes pain when, I eat or ...
A: In order to answer your question it is essential to understand the cause and nature of the pain. ...
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| Crowns | 1/29/2008 |
Q: I have a 2 1/2 year old son, recenlty he fell and busted his lip. A couple of weeks later we noticed ...
A: The problem here is that by not correcting these problems your son may experience problems long ...
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| two front super numerary teeth | 1/28/2008 |
Q: I have a six year old daughter who lost her two front teeth in what I thought was a normal manner ...
A: Cone shaped supernumerary teeth are uncommon but certainly not unheard of. They are simply extra ...
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| two dark spots in my 2 year old's molar | 1/28/2008 |
Q: My 2 year old daughter has what appears to be two black spots in her upper left molar. They won't ...
A: The black spots could be stains (needs no treatment at all) or they could be cavities (needs ...
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| movement of front teeth | 1/28/2008 |
Q: I am a 26 year old female, never had braces, and have had straight teeth since I was young.My teeth ...
A: There is a division of opinion as to whether the teeth in the back can cause movement of the front ...
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| Child tooth extraction? | 1/25/2008 |
Q: My daughter is 6 and our last visit to the dentist was not good she has 6 cavities. One being very ...
A: Even if the tooth is abcessed it is usually possible to do a root canal treatment and place a crown ...
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| 6 year old girl with a tooth | 1/24/2008 |
Q: ..she has a tooth coming through behind it which is coming in not straight..i know between the 2 ...
A: You didn't say whether this was an upper tooth or a lower tooth. If it's an upper tooth you might ...
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| removed central incisor on 3 year old son | 1/23/2008 |
Q: my son lost one of his upper central incisors over the past week...i understand replacing it would ...
A: There is no problem with replacing that tooth other than it's not entirely necessary. Doing so will ...
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| Shifting Teeth and New Retainers | 1/23/2008 |
Q: I'm 18yr, have had retainers for 3-4 years now, wore them practically 24/7 for a year like my ...
A: Even though your corrected bite looks and feels great, sometimes the corrected positions of the ...
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| Braces | 1/23/2008 |
Q: I was told I was going to need teeth extractions on four teeth. They said two on top and two on the ...
A: There are many different ways for orthodontists to treat each type of problem and there are many ...
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| chipped front tooth in 9 year old | 1/22/2008 |
Q: My daughter chipped about 1/4 of her front tooth Saturday. She is not in pain but says it hurts a ...
A: I disagree. It is entirely possible to place an interim restoration on the fractured tooth to ...
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| chipped front tooth in 9 year old | 1/22/2008 |
Q: My daughter chipped about 1/4 of her front tooth Saturday. She is not in pain but says it hurts a ...
A: My recommendation would have been to restore the tooth immediately after having established that ...
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| Gray tooth | 1/22/2008 |
Q: My 5 year old son banged his front tooth on a plastic toybox. He cut his gums and bleed alittle. A ...
A: Sometimes with the sort of injury that you've described there is irreversible damage to the nerve of ...
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| Loss Tooth | 1/20/2008 |
Q: My 17 month granddaughter fell and knocked out her upper front tooth. She has just the 4 front ...
A: It is not usually necessary to replace a single prematurely lost upper front tooth. A back tooth ...
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| 21 month old daughter has gray back of tooth | 1/19/2008 |
Q: My Daughter is 21 months and we just noticed yesterday that the back of one of her front teeth is a ...
A: This could be one of any different problems that you've described. This might be decay which should ...
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| Essix retainers | 1/18/2008 |
Q: I have Essix retainers for my top and bottom teeth. I've read that these retainers "can last for ...
A: I have patients who are using their original Essix retainers for over five years and others who have ...
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| fluoride | 1/18/2008 |
Q: i live in an area where my water supply does not include fluoride. there is so much negative ...
A: Almost the entire body of negative information about fluoride is derived from "fuzzy science" or ...
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| Jaw Expansion | 1/18/2008 |
Q: Is it possible to do the same for adults? I'm 23 and both of my jaws are more narrow than I believe ...
A: Expansion of the jaws of an adult needs to be done with a combination of orthodontic appliances and ...
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| My 4 year old daughter's loose teeth | 1/17/2008 |
Q: I have a four year old daughter whose two front bottom teeth are loose. They have not fallen out ...
A: It is not unusual for two primary incisors to become loose at the same time. There is nothing that ...
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| General Anaesthesia | 1/15/2008 |
Q: My son is 31 months old(2.5), he is having dental treatment next week under general anaesthesia. My ...
A: Restorative dentistry under general anesthesia is an acceptable means of caring for a healthy ...
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| fluoride | 1/15/2008 |
Q: I am a bit concerned that my husband and I have harmed my daughter's future teeth. We started her ...
A: There is no way to quantify the amount of fluoride that your daughter injested. That depends upon ...
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| My 7 year old son. | 1/13/2008 |
Q: My 7 yr. old son was complaining of pain in his teeth the other day... I looked at the area that was ...
A: It is quite possible that an abcess or blister from an infection can be present one day and gone the ...
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| Abscess with puss on gum in between teeth | 1/13/2008 |
Q: Myerson, I have a 2 1/2 yr old son who recently developed what looks like a yellowish white pimple ...
A: This sounds like an infection and it should be properly treated by a dentist. I suggest you make an ...
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| 11 year old, pain with molars | 1/13/2008 |
Q: My 11 year old appears to be getting new molars. We can see the teeth in the very back (bottom)just ...
A: It is not uncommon to experience discomfort or pain with the emergence of second molars...and third ...
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| Our cute baby serious teeth problem | 1/12/2008 |
Q: Myerson. We have a lovely child (mirandamifsud.com) now aged 16 months. She had her first 2 front ...
A: The sequence of emergence that you mention is certainly the norm but we see a great deal of ...
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| Our cute baby serious teeth problem | 1/12/2008 |
Q: Myerson. We have a lovely child (mirandamifsud.com) now aged 16 months. She had her first 2 front ...
A: The unusual tooth emergence pattern that you describe does not indicate that the other teeth are ...
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| permanent teeth alignment | 1/12/2008 |
Q: My daughter (5.5 yrs) just lost her 2 front lower teeth. Her perm. teeth are already coming in (tips ...
A: There is no need to see a dentist about the two emerging permanent incisors. We frequently see ...
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| Is this legal? | 1/11/2008 |
Q: We recently took our son to a new dentist to have some dental work done, all of which occured over 6 ...
A: Wow! I have never heard of a dentist charging for getting bitten by a patient. You are asking for ...
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| tooth decay in my three year old | 1/10/2008 |
Q: my son has extensive tooth decay in 8 of his top teeth (so far he has nine top teeth). for insisirs ...
A: There is really no way to safely delay treatment without risking infection and damage to the ...
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| Removed baby teeth...where are the adult teeth? | 1/8/2008 |
Q: My daughter had her 4 top front teeth removed(by a Ped. Dentist) when she was 3 yrs old. They ...
A: I don't think there's much chance for the teeth to be damaged while they are still under the gums. ...
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| tooth regrowth | 1/8/2008 |
Q: My son is 10 years old. He has lost most of his baby teeth already. He had 3 baby teeth pulled due ...
A: Questions such as this can be best answered after an examination by an orthodontist who may have to ...
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| impacted teeth | 1/7/2008 |
Q: i have 2 impacted teeth. 2 molars that have not yet come in. my dentist told me that they are laying ...
A: Of course without having access to the x-rays and details of your bite problem I can't really know ...
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| Chipped tooth in 9 yr old | 1/6/2008 |
Q: My son age 9 chipped his tooth a while back. dentist took x ray and said no nerve damage. So they ...
A: The presence of pain or sensitivity does not always mean that there is damage to the nerve, however ...
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| retainer | 1/4/2008 |
Q: Apparently I've asked too many follow ups and I need to have a new question, haha. You said these ...
A: You've asked the magic question to which there is no definitive answer. Some orthodontists take the ...
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| bottom retainer | 1/4/2008 |
Q: I've had a permanent retainer on my bottom teeth since may 2005. It has fallen out twice before and ...
A: The usual course of events that I see is that the teeth begin to shift at some point in the future. ...
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| Impressions for Permanent Retainer - Very concerned | 1/4/2008 |
Q: I am at the end of my orthodontic treatment, ready to take my braces off in less than a week. Three ...
A: I'm not familiar with the exact procedure that your orthodontist will use to fabricate your ...
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| toothless toddler | 1/4/2008 |
Q: Our 15 month old son has no teeth. He has 2 cousins that got their first tooth at 13.5 mos and 15 ...
A: Complete absence of teeth is an extremely rare event which is associated with other severe ...
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| My daughter is missing an adult tooth... | 1/4/2008 |
Q: my daughter is 11 and has lost all of her baby teeth except two. One of the baby teeth does not have ...
A: The answer to your question lies in the subtleties of the diagnostic records, none of which I can ...
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| being a dentist | 1/4/2008 |
Q: I'm a highschool student and I have a few questions to ask about your job as a dentist. 1) Do you ...
A: As a dentist I not only provide all benefits for myself, I also provide all benefits for all of my ...
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| abscess removed still jaw/ear pain | 12/20/2007 |
Q: My child had her tooth extracted 2 days ago since then she has complained twice of pain directly ...
A: The pain may be caused by the inflammation and swelling associated with the original infection. ...
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| GRINDING TEETH | 12/18/2007 |
Q: MYERSON, I AM 62 YEARS OLD AND AS MY LOWER TEETH MOVE I FIND MYSELF GRINDING OR RUBBING MY TEETH ...
A: I am not aware of any "do it yourself" kits, but the very idea sounds rather risky. Making a proper ...
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| capping baby teeth 10 at once | 12/18/2007 |
Q: I have been informed by my three year old (almost 4)daughter's dentist that she needs 8 back teeth ...
A: I hope that this information is useful to you. The decay process results from a combination of ...
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| braces removal | 12/17/2007 |
Q: i have had two and a half years worth of very painful treatment, and have lost all will to care ...
A: It is your right and privilege to discontinue treatment at any time for any reason. Before you do, ...
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| child tooth abscess age 7 | 12/16/2007 |
Q: My child has had an abscess for about 4 weeks now and I can't seem to find anyone to pull her tooth. ...
A: Your daughter needs to be seen by a dentist...preferably a pediatric dentist...to determine if ...
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| Toddler Teeth Eruptions | 12/16/2007 |
Q: My daughter is 2 years old and her lateral incisors never came in. Is this something I should be ...
A: Missing lateral incisors by age 2 could indicate that they never developed at all or they've ...
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| capping baby teeth 10 at once | 12/15/2007 |
Q: I have been informed by my three year old (almost 4)daughter's dentist that she needs 8 back teeth ...
A: Let's start with your final comment, "if this amount of work needs to be done or not..." When a ...
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| what's best age to use head gear to pull middle face | 12/14/2007 |
Q: My kid has crossbite on both sides/ Severe spacing in the upper arch(>+7mm)/ Minor crowding in the ...
A: An orthodontist who is a Diplomate of the Board has submitted a variety of treatment results for ...
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| Sudden Abscesses in 5 yr old | 12/14/2007 |
Q: I have a 5 yr old child, in May the dentist found 1 cavity on all 4 of his back teeth. She said he ...
A: This is, indeed, a mystery that needs an answer. Unfortunately, I have no answer for you. I would ...
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| TMJ pain and cheek biting | 12/13/2007 |
Q: I desperately need some advice on how to manage TMJ pain! One of my dentists had me using all these ...
A: I'll start by stating that I don't get involved in the management of TMJ disorders...they're just ...
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| Lower front teeth crowding | 12/13/2007 |
Q: Myserson, I am 28 y.o. male with lower front teeth crowding where one of the pair of frontmost teeth ...
A: It would not be unusual for this type of crowding to continue over time. There is a natural ...
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| retainer question | 12/13/2007 |
Q: On a lower hawley retainer that has an active spring on the canine tooth...its done its job bringing ...
A: That all depends on the retainer design and the facilities available to the orthodontist. It may be ...
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| defective hypoplasia in infants | 12/12/2007 |
Q: my 3 year old daughter was diagnosed with defective hypoplasia and her 3 front teeth crumbled pretty ...
A: That very much depends upon just how much and how healthy is the remainder of the affected teeth. ...
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| Bite Turbos | 12/9/2007 |
Q: "Hello. I am a 40 year old first time patient and I have had a Damon system brace fitted four days ...
A: Turbos are generally placed in deep bite situations where there is a risk of damage to the teeth or ...
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| Toddler Teeth Erruption Patter Is Abnormal | 12/5/2007 |
Q: My 18 month old has his four front top teeth, and his two central bottom ones, but not the two side ...
A: There is a wide variation in the timing and sequence of emergence of the primary dentition. The ...
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| Lower Permanent Retainers Problems | 12/5/2007 |
Q: Recently, I got my braces off and my orthodontist put a permanent retainer on my bottom front teeth. ...
A: Generally, people adapt favorably to the presence of something new in the mouth. Just like when you ...
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| extra tooth in infant | 12/4/2007 |
Q: I just noticed today that my 10 month old son has another tooth growing behind his right front ...
A: We sometimes see variations in the number of teeth and their sequence of emergence. It's usually ...
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| palate expansion | 11/30/2007 |
Q: MY 4.5 year old has posterior crossbite She is awaiting approval for her expander.she is not afraid ...
A: Typically, palate expansion is necessary when the maxilla or upper jaw bone is too narrow compared ...
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| wisdom tooh problem or periodontal disease? | 11/30/2007 |
Q: am having problems with my wisdom tooth. I wore braces when I was 16 (am now 28), did extract 4 of ...
A: I would recommend that you have an evaluation by a dentist to determine if this is a gum problem or ...
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| Purple gum | 11/30/2007 |
Q: My son is almost 9 and his front tooth has not come through yet. He lost it about 7 months ago and ...
A: I agree with the assessment of the pediatric dentist. I would suggest an incision of the gingival ...
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| root canal for children | 11/29/2007 |
Q: We have been told that our 7 year old grandaughter needs not only a root root canal but also needs ...
A: Often it is necessary to perform root canal and crowns in order to save baby teeth...expecially on a ...
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| Mouth guard for children? | 11/29/2007 |
Q: Myerson, My nine-year-old child suffers from bruxism, resulting in attrition that is considered to ...
A: I have never successfully managed night guard therapy with a youngster in the mixed dentition since ...
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| loose tooth | 11/29/2007 |
Q: my 10,5 month old infant was climbing up his play yard from the outside, bit the top part,slipped ...
A: As I explained before, the pacifier has the potential of interfering with the proper healing of the ...
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| tooth growing in wrong way | 11/28/2007 |
Q: I noticed that my 5 year old daughter has a tooth growing in at the top behind her baby teeth. ...
A: Well, it's certainly not normal but there's no need to rush out for treatment. My understanding is ...
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| remove baby teeth/supranumery teeth | 11/28/2007 |
Q: Our family dentist referred us to an orthodontist who referred us to a oral surgeon who is planning ...
A: You're right..."if it ain't broke, don't fix it". Usually. But remember, "an ounce of prevention ...
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| braces or retainer for 9 year old | 11/28/2007 |
Q: My 9 year old has had an underbite since she was a baby. It has gradually begun to correct itself, ...
A: This is a question that requires a complete evaluation of all the diagnostic records in order to ...
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| retainer | 11/20/2007 |
Q: i got a retainer on my top teeth yesterday but i feel like i have toothache is this normal
A: Kirsty, The retainer may be just a bit tight in one area and this could result in a bit of ...
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| General Dentist vs. Specailist | 11/20/2007 |
Q: My son just turns 9 today. My wife asked me to take him to see an orthodontist; in my head I ...
A: The specialist has graduated from a 2-3 year program in his/her specialty after dental school and ...
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| Inexperience and unprofessional | 11/19/2007 |
Q: My daughter has been to this orthodontic for almost 3 years. Last April, the Doctor said it’s almost ...
A: I understand your frustration and dissatisfaction but I also sense that you are most interested in ...
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| 9 month old with grey stains on her teeth | 11/19/2007 |
Q: My 9 month old daughter has grey stains on her only 2 teeth. The spots are on the back and front of ...
A: The most common cause of dark stains on the teeth is from iron in the formula or vitamins. ...
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| Dentist Career | 11/19/2007 |
Q: I am a junior biochemistry major in college and am stuck between two careers pharmacy and dentistry: ...
A: 1) What is the job outlook for a dentist who does not want to start their own practice, will they be ...
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| Problems while using braces | 11/16/2007 |
Q: Dr. Myerson, I´m thirty years old and recently got braces. My dentist said I´m pushing my teeth with ...
A: There is no question that the musculature, lips cheeks and tongue, have a profound effect on the ...
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| Permanent Teeth overlapping Milk Teeth | 11/15/2007 |
Q: Dr Myerson My son is 5 years old and still has his milk teeth. However this morning he showed me ...
A: We often see the lower permanent incisors emerging lingual to the primary incisors in situations ...
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| Daughter's tooth knocked | 11/15/2007 |
Q: Greetings from New Zealand! Our 13 year old daughter fell off her bike and hurt her mouth. She ...
A: A wait and see approach would not be my first choice here. If the tooth is non-vital then you risk ...
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| Toddler accident | 11/14/2007 |
Q: my 3yr old toddler had a fall today and has pushed left front tooth forward and chipped inside ...
A: The answer to your questions depends on the extent of the damage and the extent of the damage to the ...
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| 19mth old with very swollen gums | 11/9/2007 |
Q: My daughter is 19 months old. She just had her flu shot last friday. On sunday, she fell and hit ...
A: First, the antibiotic is effective against certain bacterial infections and I don't have any reason ...
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| Ortho x-rays, records, spaces | 11/8/2007 |
Q: In July, my son had x-rays and spacers for braces. I made a down payment of $1,000, to find out that ...
A: You have the right to view and obtain copies of your son's treatment records as well as the ...
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| yellow teeth | 11/8/2007 |
Q: my 3 year old daughter has discoloring on her 2 front teeth. its been like that for about a year.i ...
A: The discoloration is probably a surface stain which might have been acquired from medicine or food. ...
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| Type of Crown for a 12 Year Old | 11/7/2007 |
Q: My 12 year old daughter had root canal yesterday in her #19 tooth. One endodontist recommended a ...
A: I disagree with the 1 year. If the crown is well placed and the patient practices excellent oral ...
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| Permanent Retainer / Receding Gums? | 11/7/2007 |
Q: I had braces for several years for a severe overbite and corrective alignment. I had a "permanent" ...
A: While it is possible that the retainer is contributing to your gum recession that can only be ...
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| Type of Crown for a 12 Year Old | 11/6/2007 |
Q: My 12 year old daughter had root canal yesterday in her #19 tooth. One endodontist recommended a ...
A: The maturation of the gingival tissue will occur with either type of crown but once that has ...
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| crowns | 11/6/2007 |
Q: I have a four year old who had crowns placed on her top four teeth in the front. Recently she has ...
A: The permanent incisors usually don't emerge until age 6-7. The early loss of a primary incisor ...
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| Type of Crown for a 12 Year Old | 11/6/2007 |
Q: My 12 year old daughter had root canal yesterday in her #19 tooth. One endodontist recommended a ...
A: After a root canal is completed the tooth becomes brittle and is subject to fracture. It would be a ...
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| EXTREME DECAY 10 year old | 11/6/2007 |
Q: My Son will be ten soon and has horrible teeth. He has gone to the dentist every 6 months for ...
A: I would expect that any significant medical problem would manifest itself elsewhere long before it ...
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| Toddler broke two front teeth | 11/5/2007 |
Q: My 22 month son fell and damaged his two front teeth last week, the x-ray this morning showed that ...
A: I generally would favor the use of a pedi-partial after the loss of the upper central incisors. ...
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| 11 yr old has molars coming in sideways | 11/4/2007 |
Q: My son 11yrs has molars coming in sideways jutting towards his cheeks. His baby molars have not ...
A: Sometimes when the permanent teeth develop out of position they emerge without dissolving away the ...
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| Consistant teeth and possibly nerve pain with my 3 year old son | 11/1/2007 |
Q: I have been to a dentist three times in the last month trying to figure out what is wrong with my ...
A: As a dentist I can only suggest that a complete dental exam with x-rays may identify a possible ...
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| overjet, Class 2 bite | 11/1/2007 |
Q: My 14yr old daughter recently had her braces removed after 2 yrs. treatment. I learned THEN that ...
A: An answer to your very important question requires complete knowledge of your daughter's original ...
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| filing teeth | 10/30/2007 |
Q: I have been reading on the procedure for having teeth filed, and although it is not recommended to ...
A: Actually, the critical part of the procedure is the recontouring of the teeth...what you refer to as ...
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| 2 1/2 Yr Old Large Overbite / Thumbsucker | 10/29/2007 |
Q: My 2.5 yr old girl has sucked her thumb since birth. Mostly at night or when realy bore, but very ...
A: There are many experts who feel there is a significant risk of psychological damage in attempting to ...
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| eruption baby teath | 10/29/2007 |
Q: My 10 moths old baby has the mandibulary centrals and now instead of the max centrals, the laterals ...
A: You can certainly wait another six months to see what develops. I have personally never seen ...
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| skin flap | 10/28/2007 |
Q: Dr. Myerson, My nine year old son lost a molar the other day. His permanent tooth is starting to ...
A: It's not possible to know from your description what this is. It very well may be some extra gum ...
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| 6 yr old had abcessed molar removed 2 days ago and is now experiencing pain | 10/27/2007 |
Q: My 6 year old son had an upper molar extracted due to it beginning to abscess 2 days ago. ...
A: I have never heard of dry socket associated with anything other than a third molar. Gentle rinsing ...
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| white patches on sides of tongue | 10/27/2007 |
Q: My son had his invisalign braces removed and began wearing a retainer. Shortly after that he ...
A: A fungal infection in the mouth will usually leave a raw, red, bleeding base when it is scraped ...
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| 2 year old (30 months) front tooth cavity | 10/25/2007 |
Q: My 30 month old daughter's visit to the pediatric dentist revealed she has a very small, pin-head ...
A: The other name for "baby bottle syndrome" is "nursing syndrome". It doesn't matter what kind of ...
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| Effect of Root canal on Permanent teeth | 10/24/2007 |
Q: My daughter developed cavities in her top front four teeth ( D, E, F, G) very early in life, ...
A: You'll just have to wait and see what happens. First, the timing of emergence of the permanent ...
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| correction of a crossbite | 10/24/2007 |
Q: I am 52 years old and had a crossbite on the left side of my mouth. At the beginning of treatment I ...
A: The position of the spring wire on the appliance is more a matter of comfort than mechanical ...
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| underbite | 10/23/2007 |
Q: I had braces for 4 years and had them off for about four years now. My teeth are still perfectly ...
A: Your question is quite simple the the answer is rather complicated. Here's the short version: ...
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| Braces $$ | 10/23/2007 |
Q: My 9 year old daughter is receiving the "first phase" of orthodontic treatment today- 4 braces ...
A: The cost of orthodontic treatment varies a great deal from one location to another and the cost ...
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| Palate Expander for Toddler? | 10/23/2007 |
Q: My daughter is 4 1/2. Her dentist says she needs to have a palate expander inserted and cemented to ...
A: My sense is that it's just a bit early to be bothering a 4 year old with this treatment. The ...
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| Floride | 10/22/2007 |
Q: We have a reverse osmosis system in our home. My 4 year old, 2 1/2 year old and 4 month old do not ...
A: The permanent teeth receive absolutely no benefit from the fluoride that is applied to the surface ...
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| loose tooth | 10/22/2007 |
Q: my 10,5 month old infant was climbing up his play yard from the outside, bit the top part,slipped ...
A: There's a possibility that the tooth will firm up in time. That depends on how much additional ...
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| toddlers teeth turning yellow | 10/21/2007 |
Q: My 2 1/2 year olds teeth have quite suddenly started to turn yellow. Two weeks ago he was prescribed ...
A: The yellow color is probably a surface stain, perhaps from the Augmentin. It is certainly not from ...
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| 18 month old | 10/21/2007 |
Q: I took her to the peditrician because her 4 top teeth came in, then the bottom two came in, soon ...
A: There is no entity that I am aware of called "out of sequence teething". There is often a ...
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| pink spot on toddler's tooth | 10/20/2007 |
Q: My 20 month old daughter has a pink spot on her left upper central incisor. When the tooth first ...
A: It's not possible to know without taking an x-ray film. This very well may represent internal ...
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| mouth infection after filling | 10/19/2007 |
Q: my 15 year old daughter recently had fillings. while her mouth was numb, i think she chewed on the ...
A: As you remarked the cheek and lip were chewed while they were numb. The appearance that you ...
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| 2 and a half years old boy with small hole in roof of mouth | 10/18/2007 |
Q: i recently took my son to the dentist as he was complainig of a sore mouth, biting and chewing on ...
A: There is certainly cause for concern. What you have described is unusual, abnormal and could ...
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| fluorisation | 10/18/2007 |
Q: My 2 year old has white marks on his front teeth. I am worried it is due to fluoride toothpaste. ...
A: Those white marks on the front teeth cannot be due to fluoride in the toothpaste. Fluorosis or ...
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| extra tooth? | 10/17/2007 |
Q: My daughter is 4 years old and just recently lost a top front tooth. A tooth is now coming in and ...
A: Only if the upper front area is x-rayed. The typical x-ray films taken on a 4 year old would be in ...
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| extra tooth? | 10/17/2007 |
Q: My daughter is 4 years old and just recently lost a top front tooth. A tooth is now coming in and ...
A: It's not at all likely that an injury to the gums years ago could have effected the developing ...
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| 16 year old step son's front teeth | 10/16/2007 |
Q: Boy came to live with us 3 months ago. Family dentist x-ray shows miss-shapen front teeth are poorly ...
A: Your best course of action is to schedule an evaluation with an orthodontist. Bring along any ...
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| Toddler's mouth doesn't close | 10/16/2007 |
Q: My pediatrician pointed out today that when my son tries to close his teeth, the back teeth touch ...
A: You are describing an early orthodontic problem called "anterior open bite". It is usually caused ...
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| Will braces work on 30 year old guy? | 10/15/2007 |
Q: Here's my story in a nutshell. I am 30 years old and have overcrowded and crooked teeth. When I ...
A: There is absolutely no truth to what you have been told about braces after the teen years. I have ...
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| 4 year old tooth loss | 10/15/2007 |
Q: My grand-daughter has lost her bottom two front teeth and has lost one of her uppers and is on her ...
A: Early emergence of permanent teeth happens infrequently, and there is no known cause. Sometimes ...
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| elastics and braces | 10/13/2007 |
Q: I have had my braces for nearly 2 years now, and I have since been treated by 5 different doctors ...
A: Krystal, Sounds to me like your teeth have been straightened but your bite has not been completely ...
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| baby bottle tooth decay | 10/13/2007 |
Q: My 2yr old daughter has dark spots on her 4 front teeth and enamel decay. The pediatric dentist said ...
A: If you just leave the teeth untreated the expected course of events includes the following: The ...
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| Pediatric crown versus extraction | 10/12/2007 |
Q: My daughter is five years old. Her dentist has recommended a silver crown for a cavity in a upper ...
A: That baby tooth serves as a guide for the proper development and eruption of the permanent tooth ...
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| Toddler tooth decay/pull teeth | 10/12/2007 |
Q: My son is three and went to the dentist today. We were told his front four top teeth are really bad. ...
A: The loss of the four upper incisors is unfortunate, however if the teeth can't be saved they must be ...
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| 7 year old permament teeth problem | 10/10/2007 |
Q: My daughter had her top 4 teeth extracted when she was 3 years old. Now that she is seven the ...
A: If the teeth emerge through the gums they may migrate down toward their proper positions. If not ...
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| Hole in 3 yr old's tooth | 10/10/2007 |
Q: While brushing our 3 yr old's teeth last week I found a hole on the top of on of her bottom teeth ...
A: It is possible, but not very likely, that a maternal nutritional deficiency would result in decay in ...
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| my son is 4 and a half | 10/10/2007 |
Q: and how long should i keep him out of school for? thank you Amanda
A: The only thing you can give him for discomfort is children's advil or children's tylenol. Healing ...
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| Hole in 3 yr old's tooth | 10/10/2007 |
Q: While brushing our 3 yr old's teeth last week I found a hole on the top of on of her bottom teeth ...
A: Sounds like you've described a cavity. The lack of discoloration is not significant and the lack of ...
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| Dental Malpractice?? | 10/10/2007 |
Q: My four yr old. daughter just had her back right two molars removed because of an abscessed tooth. ...
A: It seems to me that the only issue that you can attest to in this situation is the perceived ...
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| Extraction vs. Pulpectomy | 10/9/2007 |
Q: My son is 18 months old and his front top tooth is fractured. I took him to a pediatric dentist and ...
A: Saving the tooth is always preferable to losing a tooth so if the prognosis for the pulpectomy is ...
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| baby teeth not falling out | 10/9/2007 |
Q: My son is 14 1/2 yrs old and still has 3 baby teeth that have not fallen out. 1 canine and 2 molars ...
A: Usually there's no particular cause for this. It's important, however, to determine if the over ...
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| 12 mth old enamel chipping? | 10/9/2007 |
Q: i am very concerned about my baby's teeth. I noticed that my son's four top teeth appear to have ...
A: First, the proper dose and application of fluoride is very helpful the primary dentition. It will ...
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| Braces again! | 10/8/2007 |
Q: Here's my long story, my now 17 year old son had braces from the age of 11 through 14. When the ...
A: I really don't know what recourse you have with the original orthodontist since your son completed ...
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| correction of underbite at 13 | 10/8/2007 |
Q: My son will be 13 in a few weeks. He has been to two orthodontists who both recommended palatal ...
A: Your inquiry has moved from questions about treatment in general to questions about very specific ...
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| teeth development for babies | 10/7/2007 |
Q: I have a 1 yr.old grand-daughter, she only has one tooth on the bottom, she didn't get the tooth ...
A: You can download a print a chart showing average tooth eruption times for primary and permanent ...
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| teeth development for babies | 10/7/2007 |
Q: I have a 1 yr.old grand-daughter, she only has one tooth on the bottom, she didn't get the tooth ...
A: You can view a chart of the average age for eruption of teeth: ...
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| 22 month old missing 4 canine teeth | 10/7/2007 |
Q: I am concerned that my 22 month old daughter doesn't have any of her 4 canines yet. She was a late ...
A: The average age for eruption of the primary canines is 16-24 months so your daughter is still within ...
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| teeth development for babies | 10/7/2007 |
Q: I have a 1 yr.old grand-daughter, she only has one tooth on the bottom, she didn't get the tooth ...
A: Delay in the eruption of primary teeth of as much as one year should not cause any concern. Since ...
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| toddler fall swollen gums | 10/6/2007 |
Q: My 2 year old son fell 4 days ago. All around his mouth and face was quite badly swollen and I took ...
A: The swelling could be a superficial and temporary response to the initial trauma, but it also could ...
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| 5 year olds pulpotomy and crowns | 10/5/2007 |
Q: I'm in need of abit of insight in regards to pulpotomies, crowns, and cavities of course. My ...
A: You've raised several issues here. I'll try to address them one at a time. 1. If a pulpotomy is ...
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| Additional Question on Quad Helix | 10/5/2007 |
Q: Regarding the Quad Helix, you mentioned there would be no discomfort. I just got one put in and I ...
A: My experience with the quad helix is limited to the age range of 6 years to 12 years of age. In ...
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| Adult tooth grown, but baby tooth still not out. | 10/4/2007 |
Q: 'ello! I have an embarrassing situation.. For about two years now, I've had this adult tooth really ...
A: You need to get the baby tooth removed and you'll probably need braces if the "fang" doesn't move ...
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| Frankel | 10/4/2007 |
Q: My daughter is almost 5 and has an underdeveloped upper jaw, causing a cross/under bite, class III ...
A: Without having access to a clinical examination and all the diagnostic data I can't begin to address ...
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| tooth extraction | 10/4/2007 |
Q: My daughter, six and half years old, has tooth decay with some pus on her gum. The doctor who i ...
A: The tooth is infected and if necessary it must be extracted. If this is a molar (back tooth) then a ...
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| 2 yr old chipped front tooth | 10/4/2007 |
Q: my 2 yr old just chipped the inside corner off of one of her front top teeth and it looks bad! ...
A: More than just cosmetically, it is important to have that tooth restored. When the enamel has been ...
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| Bands on Braces | 10/4/2007 |
Q: I have had braces on for nearly 9 months now and I am almost up to the stage of wearing bands to ...
A: Elastics are frequently used in orthodontic treatment to move teeth. The time necessary, as you are ...
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| Frankel | 10/3/2007 |
Q: My daughter is almost 5 and has an underdeveloped upper jaw, causing a cross/under bite, class III ...
A: Your daughter's orthodontic problem is related to her jaw growth. It is not going to get better ...
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| flipper | 10/1/2007 |
Q: My 13 year old just lost her two front teeth in a biking accident and will be getting a flipper. ...
A: The "flipper" appliance is removable and therefore is not attached firmly to the teeth. It should ...
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| Braces and tooth extraction | 9/28/2007 |
Q: My 11 year old son has crowded teeth on the bottom and a little overbite. Our Orthodontist said ...
A: Crowding can only be resolved in two ways...by expanding the dental arches (tipping the teeth ...
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| loose tooth | 9/28/2007 |
Q: My 3 yr old daughter ran into someone while she was dancing and her front upper incisor became ...
A: By the sound of things the tooth did not survive the trauma and the nerve has died. It will ...
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| Lower Jaw Thrust | 9/28/2007 |
Q: My daughter is three years old and sometime in the past year she has developed the habit of pushing ...
A: This may or not have an adverse affect on jaw development. That remains to be seen. I think you ...
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| Bump on gum | 9/28/2007 |
Q: My kid is four years old and last few weeks, he complained of aching gum. The pain went away a ...
A: The first and best choice would be to save the tooth. If the damage has not been too extensive then ...
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| Root Canal vs Extraction | 9/28/2007 |
Q: Dr. Myerson,my 2.5 years had filling on both side of her bottom teeth at the back. She had an ...
A: There are various different sedation techniques in use for pediatric dental patients. Each has it's ...
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| My 5 year old lost a molar already... | 9/27/2007 |
Q: is this normal? Is this something we should be concerned about? It was the very back/last tooth on ...
A: Yes, this is rather abnormal and it should be a concern for two reasons. First, you need to find ...
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| Braces with a Bridge | 9/27/2007 |
Q: I am 42 years old. I have overlapping crooked teeth on the bottom front 8 or so teeth. I am ...
A: Once a bridge is placed those teeth cannot be moved. This may be a considerable limitation ...
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| tooth extraction | 9/25/2007 |
Q: I took my 6yo to the dentist today for a cleaning. She had a very loose front tooth and the other ...
A: This is really a legal matter. My reply here is based on my understanding of the situation as a ...
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| My teeth are still moving after all these years, | 9/25/2007 |
Q: I wore braces for a major overbite case. My braces were removed 10 years ago (I was 16 years old). I ...
A: Teeth are constantly subjected to various forces day and night. Those forces may be due to jaw ...
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| Malformed or Fused Tooth? | 9/25/2007 |
Q: my 15 month old son's first molars are coming in. One of them seems to have what looks like an ...
A: You are probably describing a primary molar that has an extra cusp although I cannot be certain ...
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| 5 yr. old with crossbite | 9/24/2007 |
Q: my pediatric dentist just recommended my 5 year old daughter have a frenectomy as well as a palate ...
A: I agree that most crossbites should be corrected early. A crossbite usually results in an ...
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| 2 yr old fell | 9/21/2007 |
Q: My 2 1/2 yr old fell at the park- there was a lot of bleeding in her mouth and now when she bites ...
A: You might want to check if she can bite normally without hitting any tooth that might have been ...
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| 7 Year Old with Enamel Hypoplasia | 9/20/2007 |
Q: My 7 year old daughter's molars just erupted and during a routine exam, our dentist told me that she ...
A: Often hypoplastic enamel which affects the first permanent molars will also affect the incisors. ...
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| Baby Bottle Tooth Decay | 9/19/2007 |
Q: I think my son has baby bottle tooth decay and it is effecting is two front teeth. I am afraid that ...
A: The dentist will do an exam and based on the findings will present you with the treatment options. ...
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| surgery for broken tooth in 10 month old | 9/19/2007 |
Q: My 10 month old grandson broke his bottom tooth (he only has the two so far)We have no idea how. It ...
A: I disagree with the pedodontist. If your grandson was already going to have the frenectomy done ...
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| Pedi-Partial | 9/18/2007 |
Q: We live in a very rural remote community in Alaska with no pediatric dentist options. My 21 mo old ...
A: A 21 month child poses a significant treatment challenge and it would be difficult to provide ...
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| toddler teeth | 9/18/2007 |
Q: My 2 year old has a deposition on her teeth ..i dont know if that is plaque or tartar..it's ...
A: There are various different kinds of stains that deposit on the surface of the teeth. Some cannot ...
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| 2.5 yr old front teeth extraction | 9/18/2007 |
Q: I have a 2 1/2 year old daughter. Recently we noticed her front last first & last tooth decay and ...
A: The permanent incisors will probably emerge at the usual age (6-8). The pedi-partial should be ...
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| 7 month old with 2 rows of bottom teeth | 9/18/2007 |
Q: now he appears to have 2 more teeth emerging behind these teeth. Is this normal? Are these teeth ...
A: This is certainly not normal and they are certainly not permanent teeth since the permanent incisors ...
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| 2.5 yr old front teeth extraction | 9/17/2007 |
Q: I have a 2 1/2 year old daughter. Recently we noticed her front last first & last tooth decay and ...
A: If all four of the upper front teeth must be removed there could be significant impact on tongue ...
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| tooth infection and possible extraction | 9/17/2007 |
Q: Randolph, Sorry to bother you again. I asked questions about my daughter's tooth last week, but I'm ...
A: If, in fact, you can prolong the retention of the infected tooth for several months with a modified ...
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| Toddler cracked tooth. | 9/17/2007 |
Q: My 3 1/2 year old toddler just had a dentist visit and in the x-ray it showed a slight crack on her ...
A: In a healthy youngster a fractured tooth that has an abcess can be treated with a root canal ...
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| Child's tooth will not fall out | 9/16/2007 |
Q: Randolph, About 8 months ago my six year old son's two top teeth became loose. One of them fell ...
A: Six years is the early end of the normal range for losing the primary incisors and the emergence of ...
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| crooked milk teeth | 9/15/2007 |
Q: My seven month old daughter has got two milk teeth at the front on the bottom gums. Unfortunately, ...
A: It is quite possible that these two teeth will become straight. That depends upon many factors ...
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| My Daughter's milk tooth decay | 9/14/2007 |
Q: My daughter is now 5 years old. At the age of 3 years we noticed her first tooth decay & consult to ...
A: The root canal treatments were certainly not a failure. They successfully preserved the badly ...
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| Frenum Issues | 9/14/2007 |
Q: I have a frenum that kept my two front teeth from closing together, until braces squished them tight ...
A: Sounds like you could benefit from a maxillary frenectomy procedure. I would recommend that you ...
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| extra middle tooth | 9/14/2007 |
Q: Dr. Myerson, My 5 1/2 year old son has an extra tooth fully erupted, it looks like a crown, behind ...
A: Removing the extra tooth should not cause any damage to the developing permanent teeth, but leaving ...
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| baby teeth | 9/14/2007 |
Q: Two days ago, my 21month old knocked out her front left tooth. The entire tooth came out clean. ...
A: Replacing the lost tooth with a prosthetic appliance requires a significant amount of cooperation on ...
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| Enamel Filing | 9/13/2007 |
Q: My daughter's orthodontist wants to file down the enamel on several of her teeth before putting on ...
A: Filing enamel between the teeth is called "interproximal reduction" or ipr. When done judiciously, ...
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| My child's breaking molars | 9/13/2007 |
Q: My son is 5 years old. In the last 3 months, three of his back molars have broken off quite big ...
A: It sounds like your son's teeth have developed in some abnormal way since this sort of breakage is ...
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| First tooth a molar? | 9/13/2007 |
Q: It looks like my four-month old daughter has a molar coming through on the bottom left side. I've ...
A: I suppose anything is possible although I've never heard of this before. It is also possible that ...
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| LOOSE OR SHAKING TOOTH | 9/12/2007 |
Q: My 3 year old knocked one of his front tooth and it's now loose or shaking. He sucks his tongue when ...
A: A tooth that was loosened by trauma will sometimes tighten up provided there is no inflammation of ...
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| Undescended 12 year old molar at age 15 | 9/12/2007 |
Q: Myerson, Our orthodontist recently referred our 15 year old to an oral surgeon because one of his ...
A: The answer to your question requires familiarity with your son's treatment records, examination and ...
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| 2 year old extractions | 9/12/2007 |
Q: My 2 year old son has decay in his teeth: * front middle two some decay (like holes gauged in) teeth ...
A: I suspect that your National Health Service prefers expedient care more than conservative care. And ...
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| Toddler tooth decay | 9/12/2007 |
Q: Less than one year ago my 2-year old daughter's dentist identified that she had the beginning signs ...
A: Since you write that you are "afraid to go back to this dentist to get my daughter's teeth filled", ...
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| pain of a tooth with crown | 9/11/2007 |
Q: My daughter is going to be 6 in two weeks. Her previous dentist placed a crown on her back tooth ...
A: If a root canal cannot eliminate the infection then your only choice is to have the tooth removed. ...
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| stains & pitted teeth | 9/10/2007 |
Q: When my sons teeth first came through, i noticed pitting in the front two teeth with yellow stains ...
A: I can't tell you anything specific since I've not had the opportunity to examine your son's teeth. ...
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| curious | 9/10/2007 |
Q: My daughter is 2 months shy of 6 years old, and I noticed that she has a tooth on the bottom that ...
A: Generally in situations like you've described the baby tooth will fall out by itself and the ...
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| 3 year old needs molar extracted | 9/10/2007 |
Q: In July my son had a metal cap put on his back bottom molar because of a cavity. Last Sat. he woke ...
A: A tooth infection that goes untreated can have significant consequences to the health of the ...
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| pain of a tooth with crown | 9/10/2007 |
Q: My daughter is going to be 6 in two weeks. Her previous dentist placed a crown on her back tooth ...
A: If your daughter's tooth is infected then antibiotics will only help keep the infection from ...
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| occlusal adjustment and braces | 9/10/2007 |
Q: I am 26 years old and almost ready for braces. I understand that you deal mostly with children, but ...
A: Sarah, You've asked some good questions and you have already imagined some of the answers. Let's ...
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| Toddler's Fall | 9/9/2007 |
Q: About 2 weeks ago my 17 month old fell bit deep into his tongue. It wasn't deep enough for stiches, ...
A: Yellow discoloration of the teeth is usually a sign that the teeth need a good cleaning. It's quite ...
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| Pedi-Partial | 9/9/2007 |
Q: I have a few questions. Is bottle-rot a real problem, and if so, how can I prevent it? The second ...
A: Baby bottle syndrome can be prevented by restricting bottle feedings to waking hours. If a bottle ...
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| baby teeth | 9/9/2007 |
Q: Dr.Myerson, My daughter is 13 months old. She only has 4 teeth. They are the two front uppers and ...
A: It's unusual but certainly not alarming. Individual variation from the average is usually not a ...
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