The tooth is made up of a crystal structure and gets fractures or cracks over time just like the glass windshield on your car. Sometimes these cracks run deep into the tooth and crowns must be placed to tie the tooth together and keep the crack from propagating.

When you have larger fillings or tooth decay, the structure of the tooth becomes compromised and more fragile. A filling may be possible as a temporary fix but replacement with a crown is the more permanent answer.

The earlier these problems are detected and addressed the more conservative and smaller the final restorative outcome can be, ie. an onlay or partial crown.

Halitosis or chronic bad breath can be a sign that something more serious could be happening. The link below has some helpful information on managing halitosis.
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https://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/az-topics/h/Halitosis

Based on our current guideline, you may not need to take pre-medication prior to dental treatment for joint replacements.  The need for pre-medication is determined on a case-by-case basis. You need to speak to your orthopedic surgeon to find out what their recommendation is for you before discontinuing use.

Antibiotic prophylaxis is recommended for a small number of people who have specific heart conditions. The American Heart Association has guidelines identifying people who should take antibiotics prior to dental care. According to these guidelines, antibiotic prophylaxis should be considered for people with :

• Artificial heart valves.
• A history of an infection of the lining of the heart or heart valves known as infective endocarditis, an uncommon but life-threatening infection.
• A heart transplant in which a problem develops with one of the valves inside the heart.
• Heart conditions that are present from birth, such as :
• • Unrepaired cyanotic congenital heart disease, including people with palliative shunts and conduit.
  • Defects repaired with a prosthetic material or device—whether placed by surgery or catheter intervention—during the first six months after repair.
  • Cases in which a heart defect has been repaired, but a residual defect remains at the site or adjacent to the site of the prosthetic patch or prosthetic device used for the repair.

Talk to your dentist about these guidelines if you have any questions about antibiotic prophylaxis.

There can be many reasons your are experiencing tooth sensitivity.  The link below has helpful information to treat sensitivity.  

https://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/az-topics/s/sensitive-teeth

• It depends on your situation, but with modern dentistry, a healthy looking smile is possible for almost anyone.
• Make sure to let us know what your concerns are and your goal you want your treatment to achieve.
• Sometimes simply whitening and reshaping the teeth is all that is required.
• If you have crooked or crowded teeth, invisible braces might be in order.
• Other times, care is more complicated and phased treatment over a period of time is required.

Dental insurance is a contract between you and your insurance company or your employer and the insurance company. Within this contract individual dental services are selected as covered benefits . As a result, if the dental service is not selected in the contract, it will not be a covered benefit under your plan.