Choosing a dentist can be either an easy or difficult process for you. It can be easy just like when you are choosing your primary doctor, or it can be difficult if you do not know where and what qualities to look for in a dentist.

Most of all, always remember that your dentist will be there to attend to your oral health need for a long time, unless you fire him/her. Dental health care is an ongoing process, and will likely continue until you grow old, so you better find one whom you can work with, personality-wise and skills-wise.

Here are the different ways to find your own dentist:

1. Ask for recommendations from your family and friends.

2. Ask your own doctor if he can recommend a good dentist.

3. Look online for dentist clinic reviews in your area.

4. Visit www.ada.org for a list of licensed dentists in your area.

5. Contact other local dental associations to find out the nearest dental clinics based on where you live.

Listed above are the different methods you can employ to find dentists in your area. However, finding dentist names is not enough. You still need to find the needle in the haystack, and determine which of these dentists will suit your dental needs best. To do that, you need to start asking questions.

Here are the questions to ask when looking for a suitable dentist:

1. Is the dentist part of a dental health network covered by your insurance or HMO?

2. Where is the dental office located? Can you travel there easily?

3. What are the office hours? Will you need to modify your schedule in order to fit a dentist appointment?

4. Where did the dentist earn his degree, and where did he/she train?

5. How long has the dentist been in practice?

6. What type of continuing education certifications does the dentist have?

7. How much are his/her rates?

8. Is the dentist certified to administer anesthesia?

9. Is the dentist available on call, or in case of dental emergencies?

10. Does the dentist offer payment plans for cosmetic dental procedures?

11. What do the people who recommended the dentist say about him and his services? Do you think you can get along with him?

12. Is the dental clinic clean and organized?

13. Does the dentist and the staff observe strict sterile techniques, and wear protective gear during dental procedures?

14. Is the dentist trained to care for patients with disabilities and special needs?

Those are the basic things you need to learn about a dentist before finally making your final decision. You can ask some of the questions in a phone call, or you can personally visit the dental clinic. Either way, it will be up to your instincts, and your decision-making skills to determine which dentist can work well for you.

Wisdom teeth refer to the third and the last molars found on every side of your lower and upper jaws. These are also the last set of teeth to erupt. You can expect them to come out once you reach your late teens or early 20’s. While the eruption of the wisdom teeth is essential, there are cases when they need to be removed. This happens in the case of wisdom teeth that come out crooked or those that only partially emerged.

If you are suffering from either of the mentioned cases, then you will most likely experience painful crowding, and other dental problems. This makes it necessary for you to undergo wisdom tooth extraction. However, before undergoing the procedure, you need to gather as much information as you can about it, so you will know exactly what to expect.

Reasons to Undergo Wisdom Tooth Extraction

Your wisdom tooth needs to be removed to correct an existing dental problem or prevent future problems. It is necessary if you experience any of the following:

1. Your jaw is not large enough to support their growth. This can lead to impacted wisdom teeth, making them incapable of breaking through your gums.

2. The wisdom teeth break halfway through your gums. When this happens, a flap of gum tissues will develop. This causes bacteria and foods to get trapped beneath the flap. If left untreated, it can trigger painful, swollen and red gums, further leading to infections.

3. The tooth is impacted, causing the development of more chronic dental problems like infection, cyst, and tooth and bone damage.

4. The teeth erupted in awkward positions.

What to Expect During the Procedure?

You will need to undergo the procedure in the clinic of your chosen oral surgeon. It is advisable, however, to have it in a hospital if there is a need to pull all your wisdom teeth at once. Your oral surgeon will use an anesthesia to numb you from the pain. He can choose from local, sedation or general anesthesia, depending on how complex the procedure will be, as well as your pain tolerance and comfort level.

After administering the anesthesia, the oral surgeon will cut through your gum tissue as a means of exposing the bone and tooth. He then needs to get rid of the bone, which blocks the tooth root.

The tooth is then divided into sections. This will allow your oral surgeon to remove it in pieces. He can then move on to removing the tooth, then cleaning the affected area by removing all debris. The final steps in the tooth extraction process involve stitching the incision, and placing a gauze over the site. This will start the healing process, prevent bleeding and stimulate the formation of blood clot.

Recovery

The recovery period usually takes a few days. There are even cases when you will still encounter discomfort and swelling even after one week. In this case, you need to have ice packs ready to help you deal with the pain and swelling. You should also stock up on soft foods, and clean your mouth using saltwater.

It is advisable to contact your oral surgeon right after you notice unusual symptoms or side effects, like severe pain, fever or pus discharge. You should also avoid doing heavy stuff for a few days after the treatment. This will let you recover faster.

Dental fillings are materials inserted into a decayed or damaged tooth cavity to help restore normal tooth function. They are typically made of silver, porcelain, plastic, or other composite materials.

Dentists will recommend the use of dental fillings if it is still possible to recover affected tooth without the need to extract it. Some teeth may only have one side, or one part of decay or damage, so it is best to save them. In the case of a partially damaged tooth, the use of dental fillings is the next best step since further enamel loss can be prevented once the dental fillings are positioned in the tooth cavity.

How a Dental Filling Procedure Work?

Dental filling procedures may be requested specifically prior to meeting your dentist, or he may discover tooth decay and damage during a routine dental check up, and act from there. With your permission, your dentist can prepare the affected tooth/teeth, and perform the procedure in just one session.

If extensive tooth damage is detected, your dentist will also request to take tooth X-rays. He will inform you about the different dental filling materials available based on your dental history, your preferences, extent of tooth damage, location of tooth decay, etc.

The Procedure

The dentist will first prepare the affected tooth by removing the decayed parts, and isolating them from other healthy teeth. The tooth is also cleansed with aseptic.

Next, a local anesthetic is applied to the area near the affected tooth. You will truly not feel a thing.

After that, the affected tooth is filled with either composite or amalgam fillings. The fillings are shaped to match normal tooth patterns, then dried using a bonding light.

The entire procedure may take 2 to 3 hours or more depending on the number of teeth that require dental fillings.

Dental Fillings Aftercare

Tooth with dental fillings are less likely to develop further sensitivity and enamel loss. However, you still need to brush at least twice a day, and floss. Composite dental fillings can last up to 5-6 years while amalgam (silver) dental fillings can last up to 12 years.

With a healthy diet and good oral hygiene, you are guaranteed to enjoy a decay-free set of pearly whites.

Dental Filling Cost

The cost of having dental fillings largely depend on the professional fees of your dentist, the extent of tooth damage, and your chosen filling material.

Composite dental fillings are more modern, yet expensive filling options. They cost about $240 per filling. On the other hand, silver or amalgam fillings costs only $200 per filling, and you can expect them to last for up to 12 years. These are only average rates, so be sure consult your dentist prior to agreeing to the procedure.