How Often Should I Visit the Dentist for Check-Ups?
Most people should visit the dentist for check-ups twice a year. If you have exceptionally good oral health, your dentist might recommend that you visit only once each year. If you have oral health problems that require monitoring, your dentist might recommend more frequent check-ups.
What Can I Do to Maintain Good Oral Hygiene?
Good oral hygiene is the best way to prevent tooth decay and gum disease. Typically good oral hygiene consists of three main elements:
- Diet
- Brushing
- Flossing
The food and drink you consume can significantly impact your oral hygiene needs. If you avoid snacking or sipping sugary beverages all day, your oral hygiene needs will be considerably less.
Chewing sugar-free gum can help remove food and bacteria from your teeth.
Brush thoroughly with fluoride toothpaste twice a day. If you brush more frequently, consider brushing without toothpaste these additional times.
Floss daily to clean the parts of your teeth that brushing doesn’t reach.
Regular use of mouthwash is only necessary if your dentist recommends it.
Do I Need to See a Dentist If My Tooth Is Sensitive?
Tooth sensitivity could indicate that you have a serious oral health problem, but it isn’t always. Mention any sensitivity at your next check-up.
However, you should try to schedule an appointment as soon as possible if:
- Dental pain interferes with your daily routine
- You see signs of oral health problems (tooth discoloration, tooth cracking, gum recession) on the sensitive tooth
- You lost a restoration (veneer, filling, or crown, for example) from the sensitive tooth
In addition, you should consider your sensitivity a dental emergency if it’s accompanied by signs of an infection, including:
- Continuous pain
- The painful tooth is discolored
- Oozing from or around the painful tooth
- Localized warmth or fever
Although rare, tooth infections can turn deadly.
Do I Need to Have My Wisdom Teeth Extracted?
Not everyone needs wisdom tooth extraction. However, it’s one of the most common medical procedures in the US today. Dr. Firouzian may recommend removing your wisdom teeth to prevent the following:
- Crowding and orthodontic relapse
- Impaction
- Hygiene problems
The goal is to protect your teeth and your overall health. Sometimes sacrificing your wisdom teeth is the best way to achieve this.
Do You Take Emergency Appointments?
Yes, we accept emergency appointments for record patients and see new patients as long as we can find time in our schedule.
How White Does Bleaching Get Your Teeth?
Bleaching with the new Third Generation Zoom! Advanced Power system will get teeth up to 8 shades brighter in 45 minutes. We also offer GLO Professional Whitening, which can be done in-office for an instantly whiter smile, or as an at-home treatment to brighten your teeth over time. can also be used to make your teeth as white as you want them.
How Long Has Dr. Firouzian Been Practicing Dentistry?
Dr. Firouzian is a 1991 graduate of Ohio State and has been in dentistry since then.
Do You Accept My Insurance?
We accept the assignment of benefits for all PPO dental insurance plans. We are in-network with a few, as well.
How Can I Fix Crooked or Misaligned Teeth?
There are several methods of straightening crooked or misaligned teeth:
Traditional orthodontics uses brackets and wires to move your teeth. It also includes Six Month Smiles, which applies the same methods in an innovative way to achieve results faster.
Invisalign uses clear plastic aligners to move your teeth into position.
Finally, porcelain veneers reshape your teeth so that they are aligned straight. Although this can achieve limited straightening, it can also whiten and lengthen your teeth simultaneously.
How Can I Replace a Missing Tooth?
There are many options for replacing a missing tooth. Dentures are the oldest tooth replacement. They are economical but don’t give the best results.
Dental bridges use your natural teeth to support a replacement tooth. They give great results but are only useful in limited situations.
For most people, dental implants are the best tooth replacement option. It’s like getting a third set of teeth: they attach to your jawbone like natural teeth, function like natural teeth and need the same care as natural teeth: brush, floss, and get regular checkups. Plus, most people are good candidates for dental implants. You just need to be an adult who has lost teeth and is healthy enough for surgery.
How Much Pain Will I Have?
Very little if we can help it! We use the most modern and gentle approaches to dental treatment available. Our office is equipped with lasers and air abrasion, which allows us to perform fillings and soft tissue treatments involving the gum tissues without anesthetic, thus allowing patients to experience less discomfort and quicker healing.
For our more anxious patients, we offer oral sedation and nitrous oxide, also known as “laughing gas.” We also offer drug-free relaxation dentistry, NuCalm.
Do You Put Patients To Sleep?
We have “laughing gas” to help nervous patients become more relaxed in our office. We can prescribe a mild drug that relaxes a patient during their treatment; however, this requires someone to bring the patient to our office and take them home, and usually, we reserve this for the most anxious patients.
NuCalm is also an effective way to relax through your dental appointment.
Using any of these relaxation techniques may make you so relaxed that you doze off or cause the time to pass so quickly that you think you fell asleep.
Do You Use Digital X-Rays?
Yes, our office is updated with the most advanced digital X-rays that allow very limited radiographic exposure to patients.
Are You Accepting New Patients?
Of course. We value all patients, new and old. We are grateful for all patients who place their trust in us. We are very proud of the great work our staff does. Our strong professional staff always treats all patients as they would like to be treated. The highest compliment to us is when we are referred to patients by a pleased patient.
What Is Oral Cancer?
Oral cancer accounts for about 3 percent of all cancers. It is treatable when detected early by your dentist. More than 90 percent of oral cancers are squamous cell cancers, which develop in the lining or covering of the mouth, lips, tongue, and throat. It can also be spread through the lymph nodes and into the neck.
The most common sign of oral cancer is a sore that does not heal and bleeds easily. A lump or thickening in the mouth or white patches which last longer than two weeks, difficulty in chewing or swallowing food, and the inability to move the tongue freely can also be signs of oral cancer.
Dr. Firouzian can detect oral cancer during routine check-ups. The American Cancer Society recommends getting a dental exam every 6 to 12 months. Dental X-rays are the only way your dentist can see if tumors are in your jaw and beneath the gum surface.
What Is Cracked Tooth Syndrome?
Teeth may crack when chewing hard food or ice or biting an unexpected hard object. Teeth with or without restorations may exhibit this problem, but teeth restored with typical silver-alloy restorations are most susceptible. A sign of a cracked tooth is pain while chewing and in contact with cold air.
If it is a “simple” crack, it can be treated by placement of a dental crown on the tooth. The pain usually leaves immediately when the tooth is prepared for the crown and a temporary restoration is placed. Occasionally, however, a crack is pronounced or severe enough to access the pulp, or nerve, of the tooth. Then the tooth might need to be removed.
What Questions Should I Ask My Family Dentist?
When choosing a family dentist, asking several important questions at your initial consultation is important to get a better feel for the services offered and the quality of care you can expect for your family.
The following questions are a good way to determine if the dentist will meet the needs of your family:
- What family dentistry services do you offer?
- Do you also offer cosmetic dentistry services?
- Do you use state-of-the-art technology?
- Do you accept my family’s insurance? If not, what kind of financing options do you offer?
- Do you have a periodontist on staff?
- How would you describe the atmosphere of your dental office?
- At what age do you start treating children?
- What steps do you take to ensure children feel comfortable during their appointment?
- Can you tell me about the education and training of you and your team?
- Do you have any specialized training in pediatric dentistry?
- Do you offer orthodontic services?
Don’t be afraid to ask follow-up questions if you are not satisfied with the responses you receive. And remember, you are not required to work with a family dentist simply because you attend an initial consultation. If you feel uncomfortable with the dental practice, search for a family dentist to better meet your needs.
Why Choose Dr. Firouzian?
Dr. Michael Firouzian has extensive experience providing family dentistry services to patients throughout the Columbus, Ohio, area. He has completed more than 1,700 hours of continuing education courses to provide you and your family with the exceptional quality dental care you deserve.
Dr. Firouzian treats patients of all ages, from young children to elderly patients. He starts seeing children as young as age three and offers a wide variety of dentistry services to all members of your family, including:
- Cleanings
- Examinations and x-rays
- Fillings
- Orthodontics
- Dental implants
- TMJ therapy
- Oral surgery
To provide you with the safest, most effective treatments possible, Dr. Firouzian uses the most advanced technology available in all aspects of his practice. This is part of our commitment to helping you and your family achieve optimal oral health.
