FAQs About Dentistry

At Midtown Dental Clinic, we recommend that you use a small toothbrush head with soft bristles. A small head makes it easier to get around each tooth, and the soft bristles are less likely to injure your gums. It is not necessary to scrub the teeth if you are practicing good dental hygiene by brushing at least twice a day and visiting us twice a year for regular cleanings.

Medium and hard bristles can cause irritation and contribute to gum recession.

The brand and flavor of your toothpaste are not important, but we recommend you use any toothpaste you prefer as long as it contains fluoride.

Certain dental conditions may require specific types of toothpaste. We'll be glad to discuss those options with you during your exam.

We recommend flossing daily to help prevent cavities from forming between the teeth where your toothbrush can't reach and improve the health of your gums.

Dental crowns and caps are the same thing. They're both a type of dental restoration that repairs a severely broken tooth by covering all or most of the tooth. Before putting a crown in place, we'll remove any old fillings, fractured tooth structure, and decay.

At Midtown Dental Clinic, we make crowns/caps with gold, porcelain, composites, or even stainless steel. From our point of view, crowns and caps are different words for the same restoration. Some patients refer to tooth-colored ones as caps and gold or stainless steel ones as crowns.

Bridges and partial dentures are different restorations used to replace missing teeth. A bridge is a permanent appliance that's attached to your teeth or (in some cases) dental implants. A partial denture is a removable appliance that's attached to your teeth with clasps.

There are some major differences between amalgam (silver) and composite (white or tooth-colored) fillings.

Structurally, white fillings bond to your teeth better than silver fillings and are preferable for use in teeth weakened by decay.

Cosmetically, white fillings match the color of your natural teeth and are harder to spot. Silver fillings tend to be quite obvious. White fillings are less sensitive to temperature than silver fillings.

According to a 1993 report by the US Public Health Service, there is no health reason to not use amalgam (silver) fillings.

Not every tooth that needs a crown also needs to have a root canal. However, it is not uncommon for one tooth to require both procedures.

A tooth that has had a root canal procedure may need a crown to strengthen it and return it to its normal function. If a tooth needs a crown, whatever led to it needing the crown (damaged, decay, etc.) may also cause it to need root canal treatment.