Salivary Gland Malfunction/Dry Mouth
Dear Dr.: I have been experiencing a dry mouth off and on for several years and seem to have new cavities every time I see my dentist for my yearly check-up. He seems to think that I have salivary gland malfunction but is not sure what is causing it. What do you think it is and is there a cure?-S Dear S: First of all there are three major salivary glands in your mouth that come in pairs. The biggest ones are the Parotid glands and these lie just under the angle of your lower jaw as it curves up towards the front of your ear. There are two smaller glands known as the submandibular (below the...
read moreInvisalign
Dear Dr.: I have a few crowded teeth in the front of my mouth and a friend told me to try something called Invisalign. She said she did it instead of getting braces and it saved her money. What is Invisalign and does it really work?-Jen in Tecumseh Dear Jen: We all want that healthy, beautiful smile with straight pearly whites but in most cases there is no simple quick fix. Invisalign is an alternative for braces in some individuals but from my experience it is only beneficial in cases where minor tooth movements are required. There are so many more variables to achieving straight teeth than...
read moreSinus Lift
Dear Dr. Mady: I lost both upper right molars a couple years ago and now wish to have them replaced. My dentist sent me to an oral surgeon for a consultation and he said there is not enough bone between my gum and my sinus to place the implants. He said the only way to do it is for me to have a surgery called a sinus lift and later put the implants in. What exactly is this, is this a wise choice and does it usually work?-Sara from Ruthven Dear Sara: What you are saying makes complete sense to me and I will try and explain it so it does the same for you. A sinus lift or sinus augmentation is...
read morePost Surgical Abscess
ASK THE DENTIST THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2009. Dear Dr. Mady: My 18 year old daughter recently had a couple of wisdom teeth removed and the surgery was fairly uneventful without any complications. Anytime she has any kind of surgery she seems to get infection. About two days later she started to swell quickly and her face became red and hot. She smokes but told me she did not smoke after the teeth were extracted. I took her back to our dentist and he advised us to go to the emergency room at the local hospital immediately for I.V. antibiotics and an evaluation because he said if the...
read moreAvulsed (knocked out) Tooth
ASK THE DENTISTTHURSDAY OCTOBER 15, 2009. Dear Dr Mady: My 12 year old son had a fellow hockey player that got hit by a puck in their game the other night. The puck went right under his clear face shield and knocked his upper front tooth clean out of his mouth. His parents rushed him to their dentist and said they were going to try and have his tooth put back in. It did not look like a whole tooth. Is it possible for a tooth that has been knocked out to be put back in place and stay there and if so how should the situation be handled?-Elise in Kitchener Dear Elise: What you are describing is...
read more