1. What is your purpose for wanting to visit the dentist? Did you smoke too many Marlboro lights in high school and now your teeth are a lovely shade of nicotine? Or maybe you wince in pain every time you chew on anything thicker than baby food. The answer will help you determine what type of speciality you’ll want your dentist schooled in.
2. What’s your budget? Do you have dental insurance to help foot the bill? If not, are you willing to give up next year’s vacation in order to afford a doc with the latest Matrix-like technology? Decisions, decisions…
3. When reading reviews of a dentist on a social media site, please please please keep your salt shaker by your side. Review sites possess a few fundamental flaws. These include:

• The reviews are opinions. We all perceive experiences differently.
• There are rumors that businesses pay people to write positive reviews. I’m no Veronica Mars, teenage PI, and I have no proof of this, but it’s definitely conceivable.
• There is the probability that some of the positive reviews are being written by employees of the business while negative reviews may be written by their competitors.
• Small sample size. Users are basing their decisions on possibly one or two reviews when the business is visited by hundreds or thousands of people.

Hopefully answering these questions will give you a bit more focus on what type of dentist you’ll want to look for. For more helpful tips on finding that one-of-a-kind dentist in San Francisco, check our dentist reviews and ratings.

Photo by gerlos

Myth: All silver amalgam fillings should be replaced for fear of mercury poisoning.

Fact: There are many things that may cause mercury poisoning, but according to the American Dental Association, silver amalgam fillings ain’t one of ‘em.

Like most controversial topics, there are two sides to this story. Some dentists believe the mercury from silver amalgam fillings can leak out of the filling and into your body causing health problems. If you search youtube you’ll find there’s no shortage of dentists (or actors who play one on TV) trying to convince you that silver amalgam fillings are harmful and need to be replaced. The ADA, the watchdog of dental practices, is in agreement with most major health agencies and scientific bodies that silver amalgam is safe and reliable. The ADA states, “…the mercury in amalgam combines with other metals to render it stable and safe for use in filling teeth”. In addition, research has failed to show any link between amalgam restoration and health problems.

Of course, there will likely come a time when an amalgam filling needs to be replaced due to it being old and cracked or worn. When that day arrives, you’ll want to find a well reviewed dentist who makes certain to use safe practices when replacing these fillings. Dr. Eccles, located in Livermore, California, is one of many dentists who specialize in health-centered dentistry.

Be sure to listen with a cautious ear when a dentist urges you to replace your silver fillings because they are a health risk. If the fillings are still in good condition, it’s quite possible it’s not your fillings that need replacing, but your dentist’s BMW.

According to Wikipedia:

“In dentistry, a veneer is a thin layer of restorative material placed over a tooth surface, either to improve the aesthetics of a tooth, or to protect a damaged tooth surface. There are two main types of material used to fabricate a veneer, composite and porcelain. A composite veneer may be directly placed (built-up in the mouth), or indirectly fabricated by a dental technician in a dental laboratory, and later bonded to the tooth, typically using a resin cement such as Panavia. In contrast, a porcelain veneer may only be indirectly fabricated.”

What is the Dental Veneer Procedure Like?

How Much Do Dental Veneers Cost?

The cost does vary depending upon the part of the country you are in but a good average is $1500 per veneer at the time of writing this where the lowest being just under $1000 & the most expensive being around $2000. Be wary of bargain hunting; you should not find too “cheap” a Dentist.

Where Can I Find a Good, Well Reviewed Dentist that Offers Veneers?

We thought you would never ask. Try here.
Email the author with a question, seriously I don’t mind, it’s what i’m here for. If I don’t know the answer, I know a lot of dentists, i’ll get you an answer.

Photo Credit Kayepants

Here are some recommended home remedies that will make the toothache better until you can get to the dentist.

1. 1/2 a teaspoon of Nyquil or similar product. Swish around your mouth until better.
2. Cut a piece of fresh onion and put it by the affected tooth.
3. Gargle with alcohol based mouthwash.
4. Put a piece of raw garlic by the affected tooth.
5. Gargle with hard liquor like whiskey or vodka.
6. Swab tooth with clove oil (be careful, it can burn your skin in some cases).
7. Rub the palm of your hand with some ice … some report this really works.
8. Rinse mouth with salt water, brush teeth and rinse with alcohol based mouthwash (get you through a few hours).
9. Swab tooth with vanilla extract.
10. Crushed aspirin dissolved in warm water, gargle.

I’m sure there are a million more (feel free to post yours below in the comments if you have one or success from any of these).

If you are suffering through pain and feel you cannot afford the dentist, go see one anyway – you may be surprised and the dentist will cut you some slack or let you pay by next payday. Toothaches will not get better by themselves. Feel free to use our list of well reviewed dentists in your area if you a looking for “good people”.

Good luck!

Choices

Invisalign©

Photo Credit HaleyHughes

This is the brand of clear braces most will be familiar with. They are designed and fitted to adjust your teeth while showing the most minimal amount with their clear design.

Ceramic Braces

These are more like the traditional braces but with clear ceramic material contacting the teeth, reducing the amount of visible metal on the teeth.

Cost

The factors that determine the cost of getting braces, not just clear braces, are amount of work, experience of dentist, area and choice of procedure or brace style. For most in the United States, you can expect to pay anywhere between $4,000 to $12,000 in 2009.

Find a well reviewed orthodontist in your area

Maintenance

As with your teeth, the clear braces will need to be cleaned and periodically adjusted. Your dentist will give you a schedule for maintenance. Below is a good video on cleaning the clear braces.

Photo Credit Toestubber

Wikipedia defines Dental Implants as:

A dental implant is an artificial tooth root replacement and is used in prosthetic dentistry to support restorations that resemble a tooth or group of teeth. There are several types of dental implants. The major classifications are divided into osseointegrated implant and the fibrointegrated implant. Earlier implants, such as the subperiosteal implant and the blade implant were usually fibrointegrated . The most widely accepted and successful implant today is the osseointegrated implant, based on the discovery by Swedish Professor Per-Ingvar Brånemark that titanium can be successfully fused into bone when osteoblasts grow on and into the rough surface of the implanted titanium. This forms a structural and functional connection between the living bone and the implant. A variation on the implant procedure is the implant-supported bridge, or implant-supported denture.

Photo Credit Rikomatic

Here is a video describing the basic procedure although note there are variations from the different types and brands.

You can find a well reviewed dentist local to you who does implants here, or one that provides dentures for that matter.

There are many different types of braces and some are more aesthetically pleasing with a clear style. If you wanted to find a dentist to get braces, you will find many types available so make sure to ask when you get your appointment of what is available to you.

Photo Credit: Monica Nguyen

Wikipedia has a good writeup on the details of orthodontic braces including history to the many different styles and methods.

A root canal is the space within the root of a tooth. It is part of a naturally occurring space within a tooth that consists of the pulp chamber (within the coronal part of the tooth), the main canal(s), and more intricate anatomical branches that may connect the root canals to each other or to the surface of the root. The smaller branches are most frequently found near the root end (apex) but may be encountered anywhere along the root length. There may be one or two main canals within each root. Some teeth have more variable internal anatomy than others. This space is filled with a highly vascularized, loose connective tissue, the dental pulp. The dental pulp is the tissue which forms the dentin portion of the tooth. The formation of secondary teeth (adult teeth) is completed by 1-2 years after eruption into the mouth. Once the tooth has reached its final size and shape, the dental pulp’s original function ceases for all practical purposes. It takes on a secondary role as a sensory organ.

Root canal is also a colloquial term for a dental operation, endodontic therapy, wherein the pulp is cleaned out, the space disinfected and then filled.

You can find an endodontist in your area.