Health Chats
Dental Health
Tuesday May 05, 2009, 03:00PM - 04:00PM (EST)
Good oral hygiene is a crucial part of your overall health, but other than flossing and brushing every day, how do you ensure that you're in good dental health? What do dentists looks for in their oral exams? Is an electric toothbrush better than a manual one? Is that pain you feel a cavity? How do you prevent your gums from bleeding? Get answers to these questions and more when you join MedHelp's monthly hour-long chat with dentists from Top 3 Dentists, an invitation-only group of the top dentists in the U.S. Learn about the two most common plaque disease - tooth decay and periodontal disease - and the most common procedures including fillings, extractions, restorations, crowns, root canals, bridges, and gum therapy.
TommyTurbo:
Dr...you didn't answer my first and probably most important question?
Dr. Ramin Mehregan:
What do I recommend? (was that your initial question).... second opinion
Dr. Ramin Mehregan:
to Thu 1255
Dr. Ramin Mehregan:
to Thu 1255, sorry, yes clenching and grinding can exacerbate gum disease but it isn't the primary cause
ChitChatNine:
Which of the otc oral mouthwash products do you think is the best .. I've been using the Listerine Total Care. I have history of many root canals, crowns, gumline erosion/cavities, I floss and am diligent about oral hygeine since this all started about 5 yrs ago. Last yearly checkup I was 100% cavity free!
Dr. Ramin Mehregan:
Listerine is good, but it has high alcohol content hence causing dry mouth. Breath Rx is what I recommend
Frenchmaid:
So how many time you should floss in a day? Do you have to do it every time you eat?
Dr. Ramin Mehregan:
The question is how long do you want to keep your teeth?..... :) But twice a day is good enough
Frenchmaid:
lol.. thanks. Could this cause infection and how do they rectify this ... because when he put the crown there it was pretty tight. Now it's not so tight but it's very close to my gum! I'm always wary to go to the dentist. I'm not sure why so I hope that it won't be a big job to fix this... ouch.
Dr. Ramin Mehregan:
if the floss passes easily between the crowned tooth and the adjacent then you may want to change crown or the adjacent filling if there is one. The other ill fitting scenario can only be determined with an x-ray
ChitChatNine:
THANK you on the dry mouth Dr. Mehregan! I thought it was from Prevacid I was taking but come to think of it, it tends to get worse when I use that product before bed coupled with the Prevacid ... hmmmmmmmmm I only recently started to use the Listerine Total Care and will try the Breath Rx
Dr. Ramin Mehregan:
You bet
sportster334:
I have a clicking sound which happens when I open my mouth too wide (for example, if I am biting a big sandwich). I've heard that this is TMJ, but not sure; it seems like it was worse in the past and lately doesn't bother me much. Could it be TMJ and if so, does TMJ ever improve on its own without treatment?
Dr. Ramin Mehregan:
sportster...now we are talking in my expertise......what you have is a late open click. TMJ problems come in different stages. And it only progresses, it will never get better. I recommend you find a TMJ expert by referring to www.top3dentist.com
MedHelp:
That's all the time we have today. Thank you everyone for participating in today's chat and a big thank you to Dr. Mehregan for taking the time to answer everyone's questions.
MedHelp:
Don't forget to sign up for our upcoming Swine Flu chat with Dr. Enoch Choi and our upcoming Lasik Surgery chat with Dr. Omar Awad. You can sign up at http://www.medhelp.org/health_chats/list_upcoming.
Dr. Ramin Mehregan:
I guess the time is up....thanks for the great questions...I frequently check the general forum please feel free to ask questions
MedHelp:
Thanks again, Dr. Mehregan!
Dr. Ramin Mehregan:
Thank you
