When should a child have his/her first dental appointment?
A child should have their first dental visit by their third birthday. We often
recommend that you bring your child along with you for one of your visits so they can
become familiar with our office and staff.
Are Dental X-rays Safe?
The amount of radiation exposure from a full set of dental x-rays is equivalent to the
amount a person receives from one day’s worth of exposure to natural elements. Our
office employs the use of state-of-the-art digital x-rays, reducing your exposure to
nearly ¼ of traditional x-rays.
What causes oral cancer?
One of the most common causes of oral cancer is tobacco use (cigarettes, pipes,
cigars, chewing tobacco, and snuff). Prolonged use of these products particularly in
greater quantities has a high propensity for causing oral cancer. Among other causes
are poor oral hygiene, prolonged trauma to oral tissues, and extended exposure to
direct sunlight to the lips.
What are the warning signs of oral cancer?
Early symptoms of oral cancer may include sores that remain for extended time
periods without healing, red or white patches possibly associated with pain or
bleeding, swelling, and/or difficulty swallowing or chewing. If you are at all
concerned about the possibility of oral cancer please call to have Dr. Hancock
evaluate your oral cavity as soon as possible.
Can existing porcelain crowns, veneers and/or composite fillings be bleached?
Typically these restorations do not change in color either due to staining or by
treatment with bleach. This can obviously be a good thing if you are happy with the
color of your restorations but may be require additional treatment if you plan to
whiten the color of your natural teeth.
Do teeth whitening toothpastes really work?
Whitening toothpastes, like most other toothpastes, contain mild abrasive to remove
surface stains. Teeth whitening toothpastes often have additional polishing agents and
special ingredients that may be more effect against stains. This may make the tooth
appear whiter but will not actually bleach the teeth. Whitening toothpastes are great
for people who wish to maintain there current color, not those that want to whiten
their teeth.
Which toothbrush is better manual or electric?
While both manual and electric toothbrushes can get the job done, we do recommend
electric toothbrushes in our office. Many independent studies have been conducted
over the years that have shown electric toothbrushes to be more effective at removing
bacteria from the teeth. And yes, generally speaking the more expensive models are
even better at this than the cheaper options. We recommend and carry both Soniccare
and Braun Oral-B in our office.
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