Bleeding gums are usually indicative of either gingivitis, or sometimes of periodontitis. Both these conditions refer to infections: 

Symptoms to biting or chewing are usually indicative of a cracked tooth. Sometimes, however, it is just caused by clenching or grinding your teeth, especially if you have had increased stress in your life. If you have such symptoms, we recommend getting immediate professional attention because  if the reason is a crack in the tooth, this problem will not resolve on its own. In fact, it usually only gets worse over time, and the longer you wait, the greater the risk of pulpal (nerve) involvement, and higher the chances of getting a root canal, or in some cases even losing the tooth. The treatment in most cases is a crown (or cap) to stabilize the tooth for the long term.

Some bleeding is normal after surgery (extraction). Slight bleeding, oozing, or redness in the saliva is not uncommon. If bleeding seems excessive, fold one or two fresh sterile gauze and firmly bite down on it for 30 minutes. If that doesn't stop the bleeding, get a moistened tea-bag (black tea) and firmly bite on that for 30 minutes. If bleeding still persists, then please call the office for more direction.

If you took antibiotics before dental appointments because of a heart murmer, then it is most likely that you don't need to take them anymore, but please consult your physician for their recommendation. If you have had a joint replacement (knee(s), hip(s)), in the last two years, you will definitely need to premedicate with antibiotics before every dental appointment. If the joint replacement was more than two years ago, then please check with your physician or orthopedist for their recommendation.

Teeth whitening is a safe and proven method to brighten your smile. It is important to have your teeth examined by your dentist to ensure that it will not affect you adversely, and that you are a good candidate for it. Tetracycline stains and fluorosis are hard to treat with whitening alone, and your dentist might recommend other options such as veneers or crowns to cover up such stains.

Before whitening, you must be aware that old porcelain crowns, veneers, or tooth colored fillings will not whiten, and may need to be changed to match the new bleached shade of your teeth. Also, in order to maintain the brightness, touch-ups are required every few months, or as needed.

There are many options for whitening: 

1. Home trays - custom trays to fit your teeth hold the bleaching gel and you will wear them 2-4 hours a day for about two weeks.

2. Whitening strips available over the counter - not customized to your teeth, but many patients have reported reasonable success with these.

3. In-office whitening - gives you similar results as the home bleaching method, but is done in a dental office setting with higher strength bleach

Some patients may experience tooth sensitivity after teeth whitening.  This sensation is temporary and subsides shortly after you complete the bleaching process, usually within a few days to one week. Please discuss this with your dentist in more detail if you have already sensitive teeth, it may still be possible to whiten while managing the sensitivity.

Depending on whether you are missing one or multiple teeth, there are many options.

Implants - are probably the best way to replace one or more missing teeth these days. The only limiting factor is that we need enough bone to place an implant into. Implants may be used to replace a single tooth, or multiple teeth, as well as to support ill-fitting dentures. Today, implants have a very high success rate (95+% success) and are a stable and durable treatment option. 

Fixed bridges - are still used in some cases where implants may not be possible. This treatment option involves using the teeth adjacent to the missing tooth as anchors to hold either a porcelain or porcelain-metal crown. This can a good and sturdy option and quite durable in many cases, but it does involve cutting the anchor teeth.

Removable dentures - are kind of removable "bridges". They are usually made of a metal framing and clasps and tooth colored replacement teeth. Sometimes we will use these as temporary appliances while waiting for implant treatment to be completed.

Dentures - This type of tooth replacement is used when ALL of the natural teeth are missing in one dental arch. Dentures are removable artificial teeth that are made to closely resemble the patients’ original teeth. 

We’re all at risk for having a tooth knocked out.  More than 5 million teeth are knocked out every year!  If we know how to handle this emergency situation, we may be able to actually save the tooth.  Teeth that are knocked out may be possibly reimplanted if we act quickly, yet calmly, and follow these simple steps:

1. Locate the tooth and handle it only by the crown (chewing part of the tooth), NOT by the roots.
2. DO NOT scrub or use soap or chemicals to clean the tooth.  If it has dirt or debris on it, rinse it gently with your own saliva or whole milk.  If that is not possible, rinse it very gently with water.
3. Get to a dentist within 30 minutes.  The longer you wait, the less chance there is for successful reimplantation.

Ways to transport the tooth

• Try to replace the tooth back in its socket immediately.  Gently bite down on gauze, a wet tea bag or on your own teeth to keep the tooth in place.  Apply a cold compress to the mouth for pain and swelling as needed.
• If the tooth cannot be placed back into the socket, place the tooth in a container and cover with a small amount of your saliva or whole milk.  You can also place the tooth under your tongue or between your lower lip and gums.  Keep the tooth moist at all times.  Do not transport the tooth in a tissue or cloth.
• Consider buying a “Save-A-Tooth” storage container and keeping it as part of your home first aid kit.  The kit is available in many pharmacies and contains a travel case and fluid solution for easy tooth transport.

The sooner the tooth is replaced back into the socket, the greater the likelihood it has to survive and possibly last for many years.  So be prepared, and remember these simple steps for saving a knocked-out tooth.

You can prevent broken or knocked-out teeth by:

• Wearing a mouthguard when playing sports
• Always wearing your seatbelt
• Avoiding fights
• Avoid chewing hard items such as ice, popcorn kernels, hard breads, etc.

Straighter teeth perform chewing, biting and speaking functions more effectively than crooked teeth.  In addition, a straight smile boosts confidence, is aesthetically pleasing to look at, and can help stave off a wide variety of dental ailments.

There are several types of malocclusion including overbite, underbite, crossbite, and overcrowding.  Each of these alignment problems negatively impacts the functionality and cosmetic appearance of the teeth.

Here is a brief overview of some of the main disorders associated with crooked teeth:

Periodontitis – Periodontitis or gum disease begins with a bacterial infection.  The bacterial infection is caused by inadequate oral hygiene.  Crooked teeth are hard to clean effectively, which means that debris, plaque and bacteria can build up in hard-to-reach areas.  Straight teeth are much easier to clean and are at less risk of contracting gum disease.

Temporomandibular Disorder (TMJ) - Crooked teeth can lead to improper jaw alignment, which in turn causes a painful condition known as TMJ.  Severe headaches, jaw pain, lockjaw and the grinding of teeth characterize this debilitating disorder.

Tooth injury – Straight teeth creates a strong wall, which means injuries are less likely to occur.  Crooked teeth are weaker and often protrude, making them far more vulnerable to external injury.

Uneven wear – Crooked teeth cause some of the teeth to work harder than others when biting and chewing.  Straight teeth share the workload evenly, meaning less risk of injury and better aesthetics.

Teeth can be straightened using either orthodontic braces or customized aligning trays.  Orthodontic braces are usually affixed to the teeth for a set duration.  The brackets and archwires are tightened regularly by the orthodontist and removed when treatment is complete.  Fixed braces can be placed on the front side or back side of the teeth and are effective for most types of malocclusion.

Aligning trays are fully removable and are used where the malocclusion is less severe, and the teeth need to move a shorter distance.  These trays are replaced every few weeks for the duration of the treatment, and have proven to be equally effective for straightening teeth.

If you have questions about orthodontics and straightening teeth, please ask your orthodontist.