Welcome to Aesthetic Dental Clinique, Diane I. Hines, DDS
Opening Hours : M-Th 9am - 7pm
Contact : Southfield 248-358-4000 | Detroit 313-533-6500
Below are Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about dental terms and procedures. To read answers to the frequently asked questions listed, click on the question below. If you don’t see your question listed below, please contact our dental office directly to speak with one of our team members.
Not entirely. A whitening toothpaste will reverse the effects of some surface stains, but not change the shade of the teeth themselves. The change is usually minimal. For more detailed information on a tooth whitening method that is best for you, contact our office.
Yes! Use dental floss regularly to remove the bacterial plaque that builds up between your teeth. Since brushing alone cannot remove plaque, over time this bacteria can cause decay between your teeth. Since this is a very important task in your daily routine, ask your dentist how to use floss properly to avoid injuring your gums.
Flossing of the teeth with dental floss once per day helps to prevent cavities from forming between the teeth where your toothbrush can’t reach. Flossing also helps to keep your gums healthy.
Dental implants are titanium fixtures a dentist places in the bone of your jaw to replace a missing tooth. The implant replaces the root structure. Then, we can place a crown on top of the implant to replace the tooth.
Veneers are thin ceramic facings that a dentist bonds to the front of your tooth. Veneers can close spaces, straighten crooked teeth, and change the color of yellow or stained teeth.
The radiation exposure from dental X-rays is much less than the exposure you would get from the X-rays taken by your physician. In fact, you will absorb more radiation by spending a day out in the summer sun. Dental radiographs or X-rays expose the patient to very small amounts of radiation. New digital X-rays can cut that amount down by close to 90% over traditional film X-rays.
Your doctor uses these images to detect pathology such as decay, tumors, cysts or other abnormalities not evident to the naked eye. They are an integral part of a complete dental examination.
Yes. Dental crowns are more than likely porcelain fused to metal crown. The black line you see is the area where the metal and the porcelain meet. Replacing this crown with a full porcelain crown will alleviate that line.
Periodontal disease is a condition where due to the accumulation of bacteria, tartar and stain, a low grade infection has occurred. This infection results in the loss of bone around the teeth. This loss of bone can result in the instability and eventual loss of those teeth. Your dentist can treat this disease and halt its progression.
Loose dentures are ill fitting dentures. Many times, we can reline the dentures to make them fit again. Sometimes the bony support under the dentures is not sufficient anymore, and implants are necessary to stabilize the denture.
Diet sodas are better only in the fact that they do not have sugar in them. Even diet soda can be bad for your teeth due to the acidity caused by the carbonation. It is OK to drink sodas in moderation. The damage that they can cause is directly related to the time your teeth are exposed to the liquid. Therefore, do not drink sodas all day long. Try to rinse or brush afterward, and limit the number of sodas you consume each day.
Invisalign is a revolutionary orthodontic treatment that straightens the teeth without conventional metal braces. Dentists use a series of computer generated, clear plastic aligners to move teeth. They are removable and very comfortable to wear. Additionally, they do not interfere with speech or your everyday activities. Consequently, this type of treatment does have some limitations. Therefore, your dentist can evaluate you to see if you are a good candidate for this type of treatment.
No. While most teeth which have had root canal treatments do not need crowns to strengthen the teeth and to return the teeth to normal form and function, not every tooth needing a crown also needs to have a root canal.
Both dental bridges and partial dentures replace missing teeth. Your dentist will permanently attached a bridge to abutment teeth or, in some cases, implants. Generally, clients are more satisfied with bridges than with partial dentures.
Dental crowns and caps are restorations that repair a severely broken tooth. Your dentist will cover all or most of the tooth after removing old fillings, fractured tooth structure, and all decay. The restoration material is typically gold, porcelain, composites, or even stainless steel. Dentists refer to all of these restorations as “crowns.” However, patients often refer to the tooth-colored ones as “caps” and the gold or stainless steel ones as “crowns.”