How much do dental implants cost?
Dental implants are a great tool to either replace a single missing tooth or to use as an anchor for a removable denture/partial or even as an option to have a fixed denture that doesn’t come out. Typically, without insurance, a single tooth dental implant can cost between $3,500 to $4,500 and is split between the restoring dentist and the surgeon placing the implant. If you have dental insurance that covers dental implants that cost can be drastically reduced. At Downtown Dentistry we focus on restoring dental implants with crowns or as the anchor to help hold a denture in place and provide stability.
Does it hurt to get a tooth pulled?
At Downtown Dentistry we want all of our patients to have healthy teeth and keep them for their entire life. However, tooth extractions need to happen and when they do, we can help. Getting a tooth pulled is never a fun experience, but with proper expectations can easily be managed. We offer a couple of options to help with the discomfort. First, we make sure that you are well numbed and that you understand what you will be experiencing throughout the procedure. If the local anesthetic is not enough, we offer Nitrous Oxide (Laughing Gas) to help calm you and make the experience more tolerable. Finally, we offer Oral Conscious Sedation for those patients who are candidates medically for this option. You simply take a couple of bills before the appointment and you don’t really remember much of the procedure once you are home and recovering. The typical costs of getting a tooth pulled can range from $200-300 (not including exam and x-ray).
Do you offer cosmetic dentistry?
Yes! We love doing cosmetic dentistry for our patients. We offer a wide variety of cosmetic dentistry from bleaching, simple white fillings and crowns to more comprehensive treatment such as full mouth reconstruction. Check out our before and after page for some awesome transformations with cosmetic dentistry.
What can I do to make my loose dentures fit better?
Loose dentures are a pain for those who have them. They move around, cause sores, and causing you to not be able to eat well. Fortunately, there are many options to help make your dentures fit better. Sometime times it is simply time for a new set of dentures. We make custom dentures at Downtown Dentistry for our patients. This process can take several appointments and can range in price from about $1,500 to $1,800 per arch. Insurances usually allow a new set every 5 years. If a new set of dentures isn’t what you need then maybe a denture reline or a rebase is needed. A reline is when we add material to your existing denture to fill the gap between your denture and your gums. A rebase is when a dental lab removes the gums of your denture and adds new gums to it to better fit your jaw. Both are great options and can range from $400-600. Finally, if any of these choices do not work, we can place a couple of dental implants to use as anchors to help stabilize your dentures.
Why does my dentist recommend Fluoride varnish?
This is an excellent question! Fluoride is a topic of debate in some circles of thought. Fluorine is a natural element and is used to make Fluoride. Countless studies have shown that when used properly, Fluoride will penetrate into the enamel (white part of the tooth) and make it harder and more resistant to decay. Studies have also shown that Fluoride varnish can go into a tooth that has been weakened by acid and is on the verge of becoming a cavity that needs a filling and re-mineralizing the tooth and reversing the pre-cavity lesion! Fluoride varnish usually costs around $30 and is covered by most insurances for children under the age of 16. We recommend fluoride varnish based on your risk of developing cavities and we believe that all people, adults and children alike, can benefit from Fluoride varnish applications.
Is Fluoride bad for me?
Like many other things in life moderation is key. Too much water can be bad for you! When used properly Fluoride is very beneficial and has little to no side effects to humans. Signs of too much Fluoride include brown spots forming on the teeth. This is very rare in today’s dental world as we have finely tuned the dosages for Fluoride application.
If I have tooth pain should I wait to see if it goes away or go ahead and be seen by the dentist?
Tooth pain is a sign that something is going on with the tooth and it needs to be checked out by a dentist. Often times, tooth pain may be present for a little and then go away. Dr. Brooks refers to this period of no pain the “calm before the storm.” Typically hurts really bad and then quits it is a sign that the tooth has died and is starting to rot from the inside out and can lead to a major dental infection which translates into major dental pain and possible swelling. Some times dental infections can lead to death if not treated. At Downtown Dentistry we try our very best to see patients who are in pain within 24-36 hours.
**Side note** Dental pain can usually be avoided with routine visits to the dentist with yearly x-rays and proactive treatment such as treating a cavity when it is small and needs a filling versus treating a cavity when it is very large and needs to have a root canal and a crown or even possibly pulled.
Do Root Canals Hurt?
We’ve all heard the horror stories of how bad root canals hurt. Fortunately, this is not always the truth. Generally, a root canal is indicated in one of a couple of different ways. 1) The tooth is hurting because it has died due to trauma or large decay (cavity) that has reached the nerve of the tooth; or 2) The tooth is not hurting and needs a root canal to hold filling material in place because the cavity is so big there is not enough tooth structure for the filling material to bond to. Either way the tooth is adequately numbed and the patient only feels minor vibrations and pressure. The response we usually get after completing a root canal is “That was not nearly as bad as I had thought it was going to be!” Depending on which tooth needs a root canal the cost will differ. The further back in the mouth the more canals a tooth has and therefore the higher the cost will be. A good range for a root canal cost is $750-1,100 (without insurance).
Do I always need a crown after having a root canal?
Whether or not a tooth needs a crown after a root canal depends on the health of the tooth itself. If it is a tooth that has had a large cavity or has broken then a crown would be needed. However, if the tooth doesn’t have a big cavity in it and the hole created to do the root canal is very small then a crown is not indicated.
Do you accept WellCare?
At this time, we are in network with most dental insurances. However, we are not a WellCare provider and we do not accept any form of state-issued dental insurance.