F.A.Q

Q. I want a natural looking smile; don't want anyone to know I had work done. Is that Possible?

A. Using the latest technology and the best materials, Dr.Khoury will take all factors into consideration when designing your perfect smile. The elements that contribute to your smile are based on your lifestyle, facial proportions, gender, age, complexion, hair and eye color. Your smile will look so natural, that it will be difficult for anyone to pinpoint what exactly is different in your new look.

Q. How long will it take to get my new natural looking smile?

A. Based on the consultation visit with Dr.Khoury, he will decide on the best Treatment option to create your new smile.  The process of veneers or crowns entails the doctor preparing your teeth and taking an impression of your bite and adjusting the tooth structure slightly to assure an accurate fit for the final product. The impressions are then sent to a local high quality lab who fabricates the final product in conjunction with Dr.Khoury’s input. In the meantime, the dentist fabricates high quality temporary crowns or veneers on your teeth and at the next visit, delivers the final product for your new, healthy and natural looking smile.

Q. How long will I be in Temporaries?

A.  Although your temporaries will looks as though they could be a final result, they are not intended to be long term. On average they are good for about a few weeks during which your permanent crowns or veneers are made. If left too long they will crack, stain, leak, and potentially damage the teeth under them. For this reason it is important to return for the final delivery visit of your crowns or veneers as to avoid any unnessassary damage to your teeth.

Q. Does Every crown procedure require a root canal?

A. Not necessarily. The only times when a crown would require a Root canal ahead of time is if the nerve of the tooth is infected or damaged, or if there is not enough adequate tooth structure left to help support and hold a crown.

Q. Does every root canal procedure require a second visit?

A. Yes. It is very very important for any root canaled tooth to have a permanent restoration placed in it. Not doing so will place the tooth at high risk of cracking, and bacterial leakage into the tooth compromising its long term prognosis and health. Root canaled teeth are on average 3-4 times more brittle than non root canaled teeth. Please discuss with Dr.Khoury on the best treatment option for a post root canaled tooth.

Q. Will I be in pain during or after the root canal?

A. You will be fully numb and not feel anything during the root canal treatment. After the treatment, it is rare that a patient is in pain, but in some extreme cases there may be some discomfort in which case your dentist will prescribe something for the pain.

Q. Is it OK to wait on a root canal treatment if I feel no pain?

A. No. Just because you do not feel any pain or symptoms does not mean there is no infection or pathology happening anywhere in your mouth. Many times, teeth can be infected and exhibit no symptoms at all. For this reason if Dr.Khoury advises you of a need for a root canal, it must be done as soon as possible in order to prevent the infection from spreading further and possibly causing a fatal situation.

Q. What procedures will my insurance cover?

A. Every insurance plan is set up differently, and therefore cover various procedures according to their fee schedule. We work with most major insurance plans to find out what your plan will cover in our office, it is best to call and speak to one of our front desk personal.

Q. Will a crown look like my own tooth?

A. Yes. All crowns are made to match and blend with your existing tooth shape and color. 

Q. What is Periodontal Disease?

A.  Periodontal disease (Periodontitis) is a bacterial infection in the supporting tissues of the teeth that include the gums and bones. It is caused by the accumulation and deposition of plaque and bacteria, and the longer the disease goes untreated or undetected, the greater the risk of tooth loss. If you are diagnosed with periodontitis that means that there has been a loss of bone and or attachment surrounding the affected teeth. Also recent research has shown a direct correlation between periodontal disease and other medical conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and even pre-term labor, to just name a few. There is no cure for the disease, but we can help you maintain your current condition with individualized therapies to prevent the disease from getting worse. In severe cases I work closley with my team of specialist to help treat this condition. The only way to know if you have periodontal disease is to be diagnosed by your dentist.

Q. What are the warning signs for Periodontal Disease?

A. According to statistics 3 out 4 Americans have periodontal disease, which is the greatest reason why adults end up loosing their teeth. Many of these patients don't even know they have this disease at all. The symptoms include gum bleeding on brushing, tender gum's, bad taste, and oral malodor. Some may have all of these signs and others could have just one of them or none at all. Only your dentist can give you an accurate diagnosis and for this reason, routine dental visits are advised. My office conducts routine annual periodontal exams with my hygienist's, so we are able to detect and treat the disease if present in its earliest stages.

Q. My hygienist wants me to come back every 3 or 4 months instead of twice a year. Why?

A. Every person is diferent, and so forth every mouth has different needs. Some patient build up plaque much faster than other patients and in turn by 3 or 4 months they have the same amount of plaque build up as someone who can go 6 months. In those patients if they go every 6 months the risk of them developing periodontal disease is much higher, and in turn we recomend them to come in every 3 or 4 months as to prevent this excess plaque building up and help prevent any disease from forming. Many factors play into how fast plaque builds up such as, Salivary flow, Medications, Diet, and Oral Hygiene home care. And because more and more research is coming out daily showing a direct link between oral health and general systemic health, so now more than ever, we need to take initiative to maintain good oral health. Therefore, your appointment with our hygenists are no longer considered to be just for esthetic reasons, or to just clean the junk off your teeth, rather to check for cavities, monitor for any evidence of disease, perform oral cancer screenings, and offer patient education.

Q. Are all these x-rays necessary? It seems like every time I see my hygenist they take x-rays. I am worried about the high levels of radiation!

A. My office only uses digital radiography, which has significantally less radiation associated with it then the regular film x-rays. Also, the reason for all those x-rays is to help us detect early signs of pathology weather it be tooth decay, tooth abcesses, periodontal infections, cancer, and other pathologies. It is important to constantly keep updating your x-rays every so often as to detect pathologies earlier and allow us to treat problems sooner when it is much easier, than later when its usualy more costly, more painful, and more time consuming. My goal here is for you to have a beautiful, healthy smile and to help you retain as many of your natural teeth as possible. Only with regular hygiene appointments, x-rays, and proper home care, is this easily attainable.