Dr.
Rothschild believes in personal doctor-patient relations. This
means that our staff will take the time to understand your needs.
In order to prepare Dr. Rothschild to provide the highest quality
dentistry for your personal needs, you can expect to spend time
during your first visit discussing your goals and desires regarding
the quality of your smile and the functionality of your bite.
Then, treatment begins with a comprehensive evaluation: a health
history, oral examination, oral cancer screening and needed x-rays.
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How do I know when it's
time to come in for a checkup?
An average, healthy
adult person typically benefits from a professional cleaning and
checkup every six months. While twice daily brushing and daily
flossing go a long way towards maintaining a healthy mouth, it’s
wise to check for plaque that has hardened into tartar, requiring
professional cleaning to avoid gingivitis.
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At
what age should my children first see a dentist?
Believe it or not, it’s
wise to bring a child in for their first dental visit about six
months after their primary teeth have erupted, or generally around
their first birthday. At this young age, it's quite simple to
recognize and take steps to prevent potential future problems.
The first time we meet them, it's often at the time of one of
the parent's appointments. We'll just introduce ourselves and
make them comfortable with our team. Then, on their first real
visit, we treat them gently and with special care, ensuring the
experience is positive and non-threatening. Of course, if your
child accidentally chips or knocks out a tooth prior to this age,
you should let us know right away.
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Do
you accept my insurance plan?
As a courtesy to our
patients with insurance we will process your claims. We are happy
to assist you in understanding your insurance coverage prior to
treatment. The amount not covered by your insurance is due at
the time of your visit.
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What
different payment options do you provide?
Fees will be discussed
before beginning treatment. Payment can be made by cash, check
and most major credit cards. CareCredit is another option you
may wish to explore.
As a courtesy to our patients with insurance, we will file your
claims. We are happy to assist you in understanding the coverage
before beginning treatment. The amount not covered by your insurance
is due at the time of your visit, but financial arrangements can
be made for deductible payments. The insurance balance becomes
the patient's responsibility six weeks after filing. We will be
happy to assist if you have any questions.
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Is
there a way I can ask Dr. Rothschild questions directly?
We encourage our patients
to have open, direct communication with Dr. Rothschild. Therefore,
he’s available daily to answer your questions either via
e-mail or voice mail. Depending on office traffic and the complexity
of your questions, he strives to respond within 24 hours.
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Is it bad if my gums bleed after
I brush my teeth?
It’s certainly
not desirable to have bleeding gums following brushing. However,
the condition may or may not require attention, depending on the
source of the problem. Bleeding gums can be caused by any of the
following: improper, rough scrubbing instead of gentle, circular
brushing motions; using a hard-bristled tooth brush instead of
a soft one; plaque and/or tartar buildup below the gum line; or
gum sensitivity due to gingivitis or periodontal disease. If this
problem persists despite correct brushing and flossing methods,
or occurs every time you brush, contact our office to set up an
evaluation appointment.
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Where can I learn more about crowns,
veneers, onlays, inlays and partials?
With today’s technology,
materials and advanced techniques, we have many options for restoring
weak, broken, chipped, discolored, and/or crooked teeth, bringing
them back to their original shape and function. For example, we
can apply an all-porcelain crown, somewhat like a cap, that covers
the entire outside of the problem tooth. Crowns are also helpful
to cover large areas of decay after they've been filled.
Or, for large decayed or damaged surface chewing areas requiring
restoration, we can apply a protective covering/filling or onlay
made of either precious metal, porcelain or composite resin material,
thereby adding strength and preventing decay.
If you need fillings, we can use porcelain inlays instead of silver
amalgam, actually strengthening the tooth and protecting it against
further fracture. Similarly, we can restore cracked, discolored,
crooked or otherwise unattractive front teeth to pretty, natural
shapes and shades by applying paper-thin porcelain veneers to
the fronts. However, the selection of any treatment modality and
material will be determined after thorough evaluation.
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Do I really have to floss every day?
A little regular flossing
goes a long way, and is truly critical for your overall oral health.
It loosens food particles in tight spaces that your toothbrush
cannot reach; it gets rid of plaque buildup that toothbrushes
alone cannot remove; and it exercises your gum tissues. All of
this is necessary to avoid gum disease and cavaties. So, just
think of daily flossing as the finishing touch after brushing
— insurance for your smile’s future. Please visit floss.com
to learn more.
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I want my front teeth to look better,
but I don't want to wear braces. What can you do to help?
Dr. Rothschild has a
number of ways to improve the look of your front teeth without
the use of braces. For slightly crooked or unevenly worn teeth,
a bit of reshaping and the addition of porcelain veneers may be
sufficient to give them a bright, uniform look. In other cases,
it may be necessary to attach “invisible” braces behind
the front teeth. We’d be happy to talk with you further about
the option that best suits your individual situation.
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I have a temporary crown in my mouth.
What do I do if it comes off or breaks?
If your temporary crown
comes off, the best immediate solution is to stabilize it with
temporary cement or tooth cement. This is typically something
we provide at the time we place the temporary crown. If the crown
has actually broken into several pieces, simply wrap the pieces
up carefully in a protective container. Either way, you'll want
to contact our office at your first opportunity to schedule a
time for Dr. Rothschild to reapply the crown.
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What if I need to cancel an appointment?
Will I be charged?
In order to maintain
a well-run office, we request that all appointment cancellations
be made at least 24 hours ahead of time. This ensures that you'll
avoid being billed for our time and preparation; it also enables
us to work in other patients' emergency visits.
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My child has had an accident and
his/her tooth has been entirely knocked out. What do I do?
If your child's tooth
is knocked out during office hours, but there is no imminent medical
emergency, please contact us immediately to see Dr. Rothschild
as soon as possible. Simply describe the situation over the phone
and our office staff will help you determine the safest and most
appropriate plan of action. If it's after hours, the messaging
system will instruct you on how to contact us.
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My breath has a terrible odor. Is
there anything you can do to eliminate this problem?
Millions of people struggle
with halitosis, or bad breath, despite daily teeth brushing. Here’s
a checklist of procedures that can eliminate the problem: twice
daily brushing, daily flossing, and tongue cleaning; regular professional
cleanings, and careful cleaning of any dentures or removable dental
appliances. However, if your hygiene is meticulous and the problem
persists, we can offer several solutions. First, we can provide
a plastic tool called a tongue scraper that cleans away bacterial
build-up on your tongue and significantly alleviates odor. Or,
we can recommend a specially –designed program such as the
Oxyfresh program, which includes a toothpaste and rinse that actually
breaks the odor-causing sulfur bonds that cause bad breath. Finally,
we may also suspect a systemic or internal problem such as an
infection or underlying condition, in which case we may recommend
a visit with your family physician or specialist to identify the
cause.
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My spouse snores and keeps me up
all night. I've heard that a dentist might be able to prescribe
an appliance that prevents snoring. If this is true, how do I
find out if you can help?
Snoring is tough on
any relationship! And, since it can be caused by a number of factors,
we encourage you to have your spouse come in for a consultation
and analysis with one of our doctors to determine the cause. In
some cases, a person may actually stop breathing for short periods
during the night—a condition called sleep apnea. In other
cases, snoring can be caused by enlarged anatomical structures
within the mouth and throat. During sleep, the throat area relaxes,
allowing these structures to collapse against one another and
obstruct clear airflow. In the latter situation, we can prescribe
and fit a special appliance called a ‘snore-guard’,
which gently holds the mouth and throat in an open position during
relaxed sleep and thus prevents snoring.
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