Frequently Asked Questions

What makes your office different from other offices?

We offer an integrative holistic approach to your dental care, utilizing the latest in cutting edge dental technology. Services we can provide include: 3D cone beam scans, digital dental scanning, same day ceramic onlays and crowns, ozone therapy, multiple modalities of laser dentistry, intravenous sedation, dental restorative materials carefully chosen for biocompatibility and invisalign or clear aligner orthodontic treatment.

Why don’t you participate with my insurance?

Often times insurance companies have strict, illogical rules and rigid restrictions and tend to dictate treatment without having the patient’s best interest in mind. Insurance companies do not meet, examine or evaluate the patient. They are not in the caring business. They are for- profit entities. We genuinely care about patients and we are proud of the high-quality oral healthcare we provide. Insurance companies limit how often or when someone may need treatment, which is not what is beneficial for patients. We want the very best for our patients and often insurance limits this philosophy; for example, insurance only pays for amalgam, mercury fillings. Another example is fluoride not being covered when a patient who is highly prone to cavities really would benefit from it. Similarly, denying coverage for a bone graft on the same day as an extraction simply does not make sense. Insurance companies would rather we extract a tooth one day and do an additional procedure a separate day to perform the grafting procedure; why would we reopen a healing wound and put a patient through more invasive procedures?

Do you take dental insurance?

We are a fee for service practice so we are unable to accept insurance as payment but we are more then happy to submit all paperwork to your insurance company so you can get reimbursement. Please check with your insurance company that you are able to see an out of network dentist.

Do you take my insurance?

We are out of network with all insurance. If your insurance company allows you see an out of network dentist you can get reimbursed for treatment.

What do I do after an extraction?

Keep biting on gauze for 10 minutes. Change gauze every 10 mins for the first hour. It is not uncommon to have bleeding for the first 24 hours. If you run out of gauze you can use a tea bag. Moisten it and bite down on it. Do not rinse, spit, use straws, or smoke. Do not eat anything to crunchy, spicy, crispy, anything with seeds that can get stuck in the area. In order to prevent swelling, use an ice pack 5 minutes on and 5 minutes off for the first hour.

Nausea - Do not take narcotic prescription pain medication on an empty stomach! Small sips of a carbonated drink will usually terminate nausea. Follow this with mild tea or clear soup, and then easily digestible foods like toast or Jell-O. Avoid greasy foods and milk products. Over-the-counter Dramamine® can be taken to reduce the nausea. If nausea continues, contact our office.

Infection - Signs of infection include increased pain and swelling after 3 days, redness, warmth, drainage of pus, foul smell, and fever. If these occur, contact our office.

What do I do before Sedation?

Don’t drink or eat anything after midnight the night before your scheduled procedure. Do not wear contact lenses during the procedure. Wear comfortable clothes and sneakers to your appointment. Bring someone with you to the appointment who can escort you home and stay with you for the rest of the day. If you take regular medications daily, please continue to take these medications unless otherwise instructed differently. Make sure that you do not exercise or plan any important decisions or events for 24 hrs after the sedation appointment. A family member or loved one should be available to monitor and help you the day of the sedation.

How safe are dental x-rays?

Dental x-rays have a low exposure of radiation. The typical dental checkup xray is the equivalent of 5 minutes on an airplane or walking for 5 minutes on a sunny day. However, a walk on a sunny day exposes all of your tissues to radiation, but with dental X rays, the beam is collimated and focused only on a very small target area, so the margin of safety is better. At this office we use digital x-rays instead of developing them on film which minimizes the risk from radiation by more than 90%. We also require the patient to wear a shield to protect your organs from unnecessary radiation, specifically the thyroid. However, if a patient (woman) is pregnant, we prefer to avoid all types of x-rays at least until the 3rd trimester, unless it is a dental or medical emergency.

What causes cavities/tooth decay?

There are many factors that come into play with regards to the formation of cavities. For example, poor oral hygiene- not brushing teeth regularly, acidic diet, frequent carbohydrates, low intake of water and frequent snacking. Oral dysbiosis or an imbalance of bacteria in our mouth. Our mouth contains over 700 different types of bacteria. The good and bad bacteria populations keep each other in check. Different factors can disturb this and cause bad bacteria to proliferate. By brushing 2x a day for 2mins, rinsing your mouth out with water after a meal or snack, drinking plenty of water, chewing xylitol gum, and eating a healthy, well balanced diet you can decrease your risk of cavities. Dry mouth can also cause cavities to form since saliva helps wash plaque from the teeth. Medical problems can contribute to having cavities such as eating disorders, psychological medications and some types of cancer treatment.

Do you treat patients with dental phobias?

Yes, we are very sensitive to those who may have fears about going to the dentist. Our doctors and staff are very empathetic to those with dental phobias. We offer many different ways we can help you through dental treatment, including sedation dentistry. We suggest your first appointment as a consultation so we can go over all options with you that will best for your needs.

How does your office use Ozone water?

We use it to irrigate gums and teeth. Ozone is a natural way to kill viruses, bacteria and fungi without harming healthy human cells. We utilize ozonated water to kill periodontal pathogens in the mouth. We also use ozone during root canal therapy to eliminate bacteria inside the tooth.

How are you holistic?

We combine Eastern and Western aspects of wellness. Firstly, we encourage healthy diets among patients to prevent deterioration of teeth. We have ozonated water that kills bacteria used during procedures such as RCT. We have a laser used for Periodontal and root canal therapy for a less invasive procedure. We have our protocol for Amalgam removals. We use BPA free materials such as our composite for restorations as well as for night guards, and retainers. We recognize that the mouth is both a mirror and a gateway to the body. It can be showing us systemic health issues and simultaneously it can be contributing or causing systemic health problems. Our goal is to help you attain better health. We combine eastern and western medicine perspectives to help achieve this.

What is your protocol for amalgam removals?

We are SMART certified in safe amalgam removal by the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology (IAOMT.) We utilize Oxygen masks, rubber dam isolation, high and low speed suction, and a room vacuum filtration system. These protect the patient and staff from the amalgam mercury vapor. Oral supplementation immediately following the procedure is provided to help the body bind and remove heavy metals; these include bentonite clay, activated charcoal, and chlorella. A week long detox kit is also available.

How long should I wait to eat after this filling?

If you are not numb you can eat right away, if you are numb, please wait until the numbness wears off so you don’t bite your lips, cheek, or tongue.

How long does it take to get my implant crown restored?

We must allow the implant to heal and integrate. Bone takes a few months to heal, so it can take about 3-4 months to get the implant restored.

My teeth are sensitive to cold. Do I have a cavity?

If you are experiencing constant, lingering, throbbing pain we encourage you to contact our office at soon as possible. If you are feeling sensitivity to cold only lasting a few seconds after exposure, you may be experiencing dentinal hyper sensitivity. If that is the case, try using a toothpaste geared towards relieving dentinal hyper sensitivity such as Sensodyne. Use this toothpaste exclusively 2x day for a minimum of 2 weeks for best results.

My gums bleed when I floss. Should I still continue to floss?

Bleeding of the gums is a sign of inflammation. It is your body’s way of indicating that your gums are irritated. We encourage you to continue to floss daily in order to help the gum tissue heal. You can also add rinsing with warm saltwater rinses in order to speed up the healing process. Please feel free to contact our office if the bleeding persists after a week.

Why are your root canals different?

We offer what many naturopaths refer to as a "biologic" root canal. We combine laser and ozone treatments to thoroughly disinfect the inside of the roots in the tooth. The Powerlase AT laser's photon induced photo acoustic streaming (PIPS) protocol is used. The tooth is then sealed using an alkaline, bactericidal, biocompatible bio ceramic sealer.

I just found out I am pregnant. How and can this affect my mouth?

Nearly half of women who are pregnant experience a condition called pregnancy gingivitis. This condition can be uncomfortable and cause swelling, bleeding, redness and/or tenderness in the gum tissue. A more advanced oral health condition called periodontal disease may affect the health of your baby if undiagnosed and untreated. Studies have shown a relationship between periodontal disease and preterm, low birth-weight babies. In fact, pregnant women with periodontal disease may be seven times more likely to have a baby that’s born too early and too small. The likely culprit is a labor inducing chemical found in oral bacteria called prostaglandin. Very high levels of prostaglandin are found in women with severe cases of periodontal disease. It is important to keep regular and routine checkups during your pregnancy journey to prevent any serious complications for the healthy of you and your baby.

I am undergoing chemotherapy and/or radiation for medical treatment; how can this affect my mouth?

Chemotherapy and radiation can cause a number of problems in the mouth, some of which might include mouth sores, infections, dry mouth, bleeding of the gums and lining of the mouth and general soreness and pain of the mouth. It can be harder to control these things while undergoing treatment as the immune system is generally compromised as a result of the treatment. There are some special mouth rinses that can be prescribed to help with discomfort during treatment and lessen some of these problems. It is very important to see your dentist before treatment begins and then to continue with recommended follow-up care. These treatments can cause dry mouth, and recommendations might be made for additional care both in-office and at home.