Frequently Asked Questions

Sensitive teeth can be caused by a range of factors. The porous part of the tooth, called dentin, is the region that registers pain, and dentin can become exposed due to:

• Fractured or chipped teeth
• Teeth injured by clenching or grinding
• Receding gums caused by gum disease

Pain from sensitive teeth often comes and goes, but if you experience constant pain, you may have a more serious problem. There are many effective treatments for sensitive teeth, including:

• A soft-bristle toothbrush to prevent gum irritation,
• Toothpaste designed to insulate the nerve that registers pain, or
• A fluoride rinse or gel, available at Queen Village Family Dentistry
• A night guard to alleviate sensitivity caused from overnight teeth grinding
• Bonding to prevent irritation of exposed roots

If you have sensitive teeth, ask Dr. Cabot about your options for treatment. He can help determine the cause of your pain and develop a course of treatment.

Custom designed nightguards and mouthguards are made of either a hard plastic or soft plastic and molded to fit the shape of your teeth. Nightguards are recommended for patients who clench or grind their teeth at night as a way to protect their teeth and bite. Mouthguards are recommended to protect the jaw and teeth during physical activity and sports such as boxing, football, basketball, or other activities where your mouth may get hit. In addition, these guards protect the soft tissues of your tongue, lips and cheek lining.

If you have decided a guard is right for you, Dr. Cabot will take an impression of your teeth which will then be sent to a lab to make a custom fit guard for you.  In most cases you can choose from a variety of colors and styles for your guard.  On average, guards last between 3 and 10 years.

The interior of a healthy tooth is filled with nerve tissue (pulp). When a tooth is injured, cracked, or decayed, the nerve tissue can die, thereby causing an infection or abscess. It may become necessary to open the tooth and clean out infected tissue in the center. This space is then filled and the opening sealed. This procedure is called a “root canal.”

A crown or cap is necessary to protect the tooth, once the root canal treatment has been completed. The tooth, which is no longer alive after the root canal, can become dry and brittle. To ensure that your tooth can last a lifetime, a crown is always recommended.

Dr. Cabot and the staff at Queen Village will answer all of your questions regarding root canal and crowns.

We dental professionals know how you feel. After all, we’re patients too. We do everything we can think of to make it more comfortable. We use the best equipment, topical gel to pre-anesthetize the area to be injected, and we use the most effective, fastest acting, anesthetic.

We have recently incorporated a new tool that actually delivers an almost completely painless injection. It’s called the STA^TM, which stands for single tooth anesthesia. It was formerly called The Wand. It is a computerized device that delivers the anesthetic at a very slow rate making it almost imperceptible.

The other advantage (and this might actually be the biggest advantage) is that it can numb a single tooth and nothing else – not the lip, not the tongue. That means no slurring speech or drooping face for hours after the appointment, and no biting lips by mistake (a big deal for young kids).

Talk to Dr. Cabot about your concerns. Ask about pain management options such as nitrous oxide and the STA^TM system. Our team will provide you with all the support and comforts to make your experience a good one.

General, preventative dentistry should start early. A child’s first dental visit should take place at 2 to 3 years of age unless you see signs of problems or the child experiences trauma to the mouth or complains of pain in the mouth or jaw. Dr. Cabot and the dental professionals at Queen Village Family Dentistry provide a full range of family dentistry services and are ready to see your child(ren) at any age.

The American Dental Association (ADA) guidelines recommend visiting your dentist at least twice a year for a checkup and professional cleaning. Here at Queen Village Family Dentistry, we also recommend a minimum of two (2) visits per year.

Nursing-bottle syndrome, also known as baby-bottle tooth decay or baby-bottle syndrome, is the rapid decay of a child’s primary teeth caused by prolonged contact with infant formula, milk or juice. This often occurs because young children fall asleep with a bottle in their mouth. Baby-bottle mouth can lead to a lifetime of dental difficulties. Preventing nursing bottle mouth is easy: If you give your baby a bottle at nap or bed time, simply fill it with plain water rather than formula, milk, or juice—never let your child fall asleep with a bottle filled with a liquid other than water In addition, check your child for brown spots near the gums because they are a warning sign for tooth decay.

Please call Queen Village Family Dentistry’s main number (215-925-7330) as soon as you determine that you have a dental emergency. If this occurs during regular hours, Dr. Cabot will be glad to work you into our schedule. After hours, over the weekend and during holidays, please call the same number for the doctor’s emergency contact number.

Prior to age 6 or 7, a child lacks the manual dexterity to adequately brush his or her teeth independently. At Queen Village Family Dentistry, we recommend that you, as a parent, actively participate in your child’s brushing to be sure that healthy dental hygiene practices are well-developed in your child. Let your child practice the skill of brushing and then inspect their work carefully and brush them thoroughly yourself.

Tooth whitening is a well-established procedure in cosmetic dentistry. The active ingredient, hydrogen peroxide, has been safely used for many years in the treatment of gums and other oral soft tissue.

The whitening process is effective on most discolored teeth. Darker stains, such as those caused by antibiotics, may take longer to respond to treatment. The degree of whiteness will vary from patient to patient, depending on the duration of time that the system is used.

Learn more about whitening treatments available at Queen Village Family Dentistry.

If you have a gap between your teeth, a chipped tooth or staining that doesn’t respond to a whitening treatment, veneers or bonding can help you achieve the beautiful smile you desire.

Porcelain veneers are thin layers of porcelain designed to look like your natural teeth. Veneers are individually and permanently attached to the fronts of your existing teeth to address issues such as chipped teeth, gaps, persistent stains or misaligned teeth.

Bonding is a similar process that utilizes a composite material made of plastic. The composite material is not as durable as the porcelain and can stain or wear over time.

Both porcelain veneers and bonding are color-matched to the rest of your teeth. Dr. Cabot can review your individual situation to determine the best approach for you.

These are all ways to fix tooth that has been damaged by fracture or decay. Caps and crowns are the same thing. The correct term is crown, but many people refer to them as caps because they sit on a tooth like a cap sits on your head. Crowns, inlays, and onlays are all made in a laboratory. This means that they are made from impressions taken of the tooth. To place these restorations, two visits are needed. At the first visit, the tooth is prepared, the impression is taken, and a temporary restoration is made and placed. At the second visit, the temporary is removed and the permanent restoration is placed.

Which one of these restorations is used depends on how much of the tooth has been damaged and needs to be replaced. If the cavity is small, a filling works fine. For cavities that are a little larger, fillings are harder to place well and don’t hold up as well. For that reason, an inlay, this is made outside the mouth and cemented in place, will work better and last longer.

If part of the remaining tooth structure is weak, then the restoration can be made to wrap around that part. This supports the weak section and prevents it from breaking. If only part of the tooth needs to be protected, then it is called an onlay. If the entire tooth needs to be covered, it is a crown.

Crowns, inlays and onlays can be made from white material or gold. The white materials look beautiful. In fact, they are often invisible in the mouth; they look just like natural teeth. Gold does have one advantage: longevity.

In some cases, the choice is obvious. Sometimes, there are reasonable options depending on your priorities (cost, longevity, appearance). In every case, the situation will be discussed with you in advance so you can participate in the decision making process.