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November 2011

Naperville-General-Dentistry-blog

What amount of dental work can be done in one sitting?

By Sedation Dentistry

I have a TON of dental work that needs to be done. I need several root canals. I also have a few cavities and need some cosmetic work done. I don’t want this to drag out and have to keep taking time off work. How much work can I get done in one appointment?

Bill K. -Draper, Utah

Bill,

You will get a variety of answers to this question depending on the dentist you choose. Each dentist has a different comfort level when it comes to this issue. You will find that dentists who do sedation dentistry are comfortable with the most amount of work in one sitting. You can easily find one by doing a google search for “draper sedation dentist”.

If you are not comfortable with sedation dentistry, then it also depends on your endurance level with treatment. If you are not bothered by dental treatment, you could do as much as four hours at a time and get a great deal done depending on how fast your dentist works.

Something else to bear in mind.  It can take a general or cosmetic dentist one and a half to two hours to do a molar root canal, but a root canal specialist (an endodontist) is able to get the whole thing done in an hour without a problem. So if your root canals are all on front teeth, you’re fine with a general dentist. However, if they are on molars you’ll need a specialist to get several done in one appointment.

This blog is brought to you by Naperville cosmetic dentist Dr. La Vacca.

 

Teeth Whitening Systems

By Teeth Whitening

A few years ago my dentist gave me a whitening tray called Opalescence. I’m wanting to bleach my teeth. Do I have to only use the opalescence brand with this tray? Could I also use other brands, or could I just use Crest whitestrips without the tray? What about Brite Smile To Go?

Thanks,

Todd M.- Florida

Todd,

Opalescence is a good whitening gel, but it is not the only one you can use with your tray. It is one of several brands that cosmetic dentists use to whiten their patient’s teeth. Another popular brand is Nite White. The benefit of the tray is it should have been custom made for your teeth, so you’ll get better coverage.

Brite Smile to Go is an over the counter paint on whitener. I have not seen any studies on its effectiveness, so could not give a definitive answer. However, looking at the ingredients and the instructions, it appears to be a mild whitener that is safe to use. Crest White Strips have been around for years and have a number of studies on them. They are perfectly safe and will whiten your teeth, but it is a much milder form of whitener and will take a while.

If you’re looking for a faster teeth whitening system, you might consider Zoom Whitening. It is administered by a dentist and can give you a brilliantly white smile in just one appointment.

This blog is brought to you by Naperville Cosmetic Dentist, Anthony LaVacca.

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