Medicare for Denture Preparation

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 … Continued

Infection from Cavities

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 … Continued

Extra tooth

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 … Continued

Orthodontic Sales

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 … Continued

Braces Retention

Question: My orthodontist “jacked up my teeth” because they moved when I did not wear my retainers. Can you fix my problem? Answer: It can be frustrating when you notice your teeth shift after orthodontic treatment. However, this was not caused by your orthodontist. Not wearing your retainer resulted in your teeth moving. If I … Continued

Smile Arc Protection

Question: My daughter just finished treatment with you, and I love her wide smile. I was concerned about how high you placed braces, but I trusted your explanation. Her brother was treated by another orthodontist who placed brackets a lot lower. His smile is just ok. It’s not wide, and it looks flat compared to … Continued

Breastfeeding and Bite Problems

Question: Do optimal periods of breastfeeding a child help prevent future overbite, cross bite and open bite problems? Answer: A recent study says yes. A review of several studies found that children who had optimal periods of breastfeeding had fewer problems with their bites as they grew up. Researchers placed blame on pacifiers as the … Continued

Dismissed by Another Orthodontist

Question: My daughter was going to another orthodontist and was two appointments away from completing treatment. I had to cancel her appointment due to a medical problem and the front desk staff refused to reschedule her to finish treatment or remove her braces without a note from her doctor. I transferred her care to you … Continued

Cavities in Children

Question: Since the ‘90s there have been several advances to help prevent cavities in children. How well have we done with winning the war with cavities in the last 20 years? Answer: For children with baby teeth (primary teeth) there has been a drastic reduction in cavities and a significant improvement in completing orthodontic treatment … Continued

Real Patients

Question: I noticed that you only use real patients in your ads that they look like they are from the Four Corners area. Other orthodontists in our area show ads using models from California or some other region. Why don’t they use real patients? Answer: I use my patients because I want the public to … Continued