Health Chats
Dental Health
Wednesday Apr 08, 2009, 03:00PM - 04:00PM (EST)
Hamid Nassery, DMD, FICOI, FAGD, FICCMO
Miami Beach, FL
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.
MedHelp:
Hello and thanks for joining the MedHelp Dental Chat today. The chat will begin in 10 minutes, but you can submit questions in advance.
MedHelp:
We'd like to welcome Dr. Nassery to our dental chat. Thanks for joining us today to answer our dental questions!
Dr. Hamid Nassery:
Hello everyone, hope you are all having a wonderful day.
Sandy M:
Is there anything I can use to get rid of my bad breath? It’s really embarrassing. I brush my teeth and use mouth wash at least 5 or 6 times every day!
Dr. Hamid Nassery:
Sandy , there are several different reasons one could have bad breath.. Periodontal issues, or gum disease, poor quality or old restorations, and so on. A thorough exam for the cause is the right way go to about this. Like everything else, diagnossis is the key.
SFmonsterdark:
How can you tell if your filling contains mercury?
Dr. Hamid Nassery:
Basically if youhave any kind of Silver amalgam restoration in your mouth, you have mercury in there.. What are your concerns??
ajay_sf:
A friend of mine said that her dentist was able to create a crown for her right in his office while she waited! What are these “while you wait” crowns called and are they as good as the crowns that are made in a dental laboratory?
Dr. Hamid Nassery:
Very interesting..Yes, the technology is now available to have a crown made in the same appointment. The first of these technologies was "CEREC" by Sirona , a german company. There are now other companies that have similar equipment. Personally, I have had the Cerec in my office for the past 5 years, and having done several thousand restorations with it, I am very pleased with the quality and longevilty of the restorations.. It is however, not a panacea.. it just a tool, it does not make you a better dentist, or worse for that matter. It is a computerized process, and the product is as good as the information provided to the computer..Good information = Good restoration, bad info... you get the idea..
SFmonsterdark:
My sister-in-law said that I need to have all the fillings in my mouth removed because they contain mercury. Should I have this done? I’m freaking out thinking that I’m being poisoned by the mercury in my fillings!
Dr. Hamid Nassery:
SF, there should be sound clinical reasons for changing restorations..having said that I have not had any amalgam in my office for over 16 years.. the issue that I had with the whole process was, that from the moment that purchased the material to the time that I get rid of the medical waste of it, I have to handle it as biohazardous material. It never made any sense to me why the only safe place to put it was in my patients mouth?? I'll be glad if some one actually answers that for me..
Michael:
Is it normal for my gums to bleed when I brush my teeth?
Dr. Hamid Nassery:
As normal as if you rubbed your eyes and they bled.. sorry just a little dentist humor.. No it is not normal.
sfhiker84:
One dentist I saw suggested I get dental implants, while another suggested full dentures. Is there a way to know which will be better for me?
MedHelp:
We apologize for the delay. Dr. Nassery's computer is experiencing technical difficulties
MedHelp:
Dr. Nassery will be back with us shortly. Thanks for your patience!
Dr. Hamid Nassery:
Sorry about that.. too many programs running at the same time..
Dr. Hamid Nassery:
Now the question about implants.. I don't think that there is any question that if finances allow you should always get implants , the reason is that you will continue on loosing bone, and in short time your dentures will no longer be functional.. The only way to stop bone loss is to place implants.. now that does not mean that I will do impants on every person.. there is lots of parameters to consider the least of which is not the persons systemic health and age,
naoki:
After having a root canal done, I experienced something my dentist called “dry socket” which was excruciatingly painful if I may add. What causes this and was there any way I could have avoided this happening?
Dr. Hamid Nassery:
Dry sockets are associated with extraction normally not root canals, I don't think we have out facts correctly here.. if you had pain after a root canal, then there may have been residual infection that was not resolved .. better check that tooth again before you invest in the crown.
jdesouza:
I have deep pockets between the gums and the teeth (4-5mm) and it has been suggested that I have the gums cut back to get them in the 2-3mm range. Is this a good idea?
Dr. Hamid Nassery:
Actually, 4-5 mm pockets are considered mild to moderate, if you have already exhuasted the scaling and root planing and you still have 4-5mm pockets then seeing the periodontist or you generalist that performs perio surgery is then recommended. However, if you have not done the first phase therapy , that is where I would start..
sk123:
I had slight pain in two of my back molars when I ate (which put pressure on the teeth) or when I had cold or hot fluids in my mouth. I went to the dentist and she applied fluoride and said that I might have an impacted nerve (I think that's what she said) and told me to make sure not to grind my teeth. Have you heard of this? Can it be fixed?
Dr. Hamid Nassery:
Well sk, if can find a way to control your grinding I think we will have quite a few people on this site that would be very interested to hear.. back to your problem.. if your teeth don't have any issues structurally, then his/her diagnossis of clenching is correct. I think you may want to read on some of the blogs that has been written on this matter.. I have written one on TMJ issues and Dr. Mehregan, also has a couple of good ones there ..read and see if you get some of your answers, you can always wriet back on my home page and I will answer you.
ajay_sf:
Is there an inexpensive way to whiten my teeth? Do crest white strips really work?
Dr. Hamid Nassery:
Crest white strips has worked well for a few of my patients.. try them ..
Jack615:
I'm 18 yrs. old and just had all four of my wisdom teeth removed yesterday. My mouth is very sore, swollen, and I can't open my mouth without hurting. I am taking medicine for the pain, but I would like to know any tips that you have to speed up my healing process.
Dr. Hamid Nassery:
Ice, and Ice , keep your head above your heart, minimize your movement, keeping your heart rate low. Take anti inflamatories such as advil every 4 hours and keep on icing the areas, (five min. on 5 min. off)
Dr. Hamid Nassery:
Ice, Ice and more Ice.. also make sure you take anti inflamatories, such as advil , the whole point is to stop inflamatory process, and to allow d
khassounah:
I have an autoimmune disease (Pemphigus Vulgaris) and my teeth bleed every time I floss. My dentist insists that I should floss anyway even though I brush my teeth vigorously and he commends me on how clean my teeth are at each teeth cleaning session. Should I listen to him and floss any way?
Dr. Hamid Nassery:
absolutely..
latenight:
Does using a water pik help? Could it be a substitute to flossing?
