Question: What is bruxism? Answer: Bruxism is the habit of clenching or grinding your teeth repeatedly. It usually occurs when you are sleeping. It can cause excessive wear or cracking of your teeth. It is usually found in adults and many times is stress related. It is difficult for a person to stop this habit,… Read more »
Question: I went to a dentist who said my daughter needed four teeth removed. She referred me to an orthodontist who said the same thing, but a friend recommended I get a second opinion from you. You provided a great explanation as to why you do not recommend extracting any of my daughter’s teeth, and… Read more »
Question: I received another direct mail piece from the discount orthodontic office. I can afford their very low fee. What am I missing if I go with the low fee rather than the best orthodontist? Answer: Each month, about 12 patients transfer to my office from the discount orthodontic office. This number is significantly more… Read more »
Question: I am looking for the best orthodontist. How valid are Facebook ratings? Answer: It depends on the office. The high number of reviews on my page are very valid. My office has a large sample size, and my reviews have specifics on why I was rated highly. Other offices’ reviews are not as valid…. Read more »
Question: Today I informed my dentist that I was transferring my dental care to your office and requested that he forward my records there. To my surprise, instead of asking me why I was leaving, he chose to trash talk you and your office. I stopped him and told him I did my research on… Read more »
Question: I am thinking of the ordering the plastic aligners sold on TV to straighten my teeth. Do they work? Answer: I believe that aligners can straighten teeth but I do not recommend “do it yourself orthodontics” because you give up what is called “fidelity”. When a doctor-patient relationship is established the doctor assumes responsibility… Read more »
Question: I am 73 years old. I keep seeing a newspaper advertisement from a Colorado dentist that says that I can use up to $10,000 of my Medicare coverage for oral surgery to prepare me for dentures. Before I drive 100 miles to see this doctor, can you verify his ad? Answer: I called a… Read more »
Question: Two years ago my son had eight cavities in the back of his mouth. We were referred by his dentist to see a pediatric dentist who would put him to sleep in order to fill the cavities. However, I never followed up with the referral. Today, I had to take my son back to… Read more »
Question: My 5-year-old daughter has an impacted, extra tooth in the front part of her upper teeth. Her dentist said that this can cause problems when her permanent upper teeth start to erupt. What kind of problems can we expect? Answer: A recent study found that almost 25% of patients with mesiodens, an extra tooth… Read more »
Question: I went to an orthodontic office because they were having a sale. When I said I needed time to think about starting treatment and signing a long-term contract, I endured 10 minutes of “used car salesman” pressure to start treatment that very minute. Do other orthodontic offices put such pressure on patients to begin… Read more »