Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Care for a crown or bridge like your natural teeth: brush twice daily with a soft brush, floss every day, and keep regular checkups. For bridges, use a floss threader or water flosser to clean under the false tooth. Avoid chewing ice or hard candy, and wear a night guard if you grind. Crowns and bridges typically last 10 to 15 years. Call us if one feels loose or uncomfortable.

CEREC is a chairside system that uses a digital scanner to capture a 3D image of your prepared tooth, then designs and mills a custom ceramic crown in-office using computer-aided design and an on-site milling unit - eliminating the physical impression and outside dental laboratory that traditional crowns require.

After preparing the tooth, we take a digital scan instead of a traditional impression, design the crown on-screen while you wait, and mill it from a solid ceramic block on-site - typically 15 to 20 minutes. The crown is then stained, glazed, fired, polished and permanently bonded, all in one appointment.

A filling is appropriate for smaller areas of decay where enough healthy tooth structure remains to support the tooth on its own. A crown is needed when decay or a crack is extensive enough that a filling would leave too little natural structure remaining, risking fracture under normal chewing force.

Yes. CEREC crowns are milled from the same high-strength ceramic materials used in traditional lab-fabricated crowns, and multiple long-term studies show comparable survival rates between the two. The manufacturing method differs, but the resulting material strength is equivalent.

Most cases qualify, but a few situations still benefit from a traditional lab-fabricated crown, including teeth needing very precise shade-matching for a highly visible front tooth, multiple adjacent crowns, or gum tissue needing more time to heal before an accurate scan can be taken.

CEREC crowns are most commonly milled from lithium silicate or full zirconia ceramic blocks, both offering strong fracture resistance along with a natural, tooth-like translucency, selected based on the tooth's location and the forces it will experience.

It depends on the treatment and your care. Professional whitening lasts six months to two years. Composite bonding lasts five to seven years. Porcelain veneers last 10 to 15 years or longer, while composite veneers last five to seven. Crowns typically last 10 to 15 years. Good hygiene, regular checkups, and avoiding hard foods help any treatment last longer.

Most patients with healthy gums and stable teeth are candidates for cosmetic treatment, whether that means one accent veneer or a full smile transformation. The right combination of treatments depends on your specific concerns, and a consultation with digital imaging shows a preview of the possibilities before you decide anything.

We evaluate your teeth, gums, and bite, discuss what you'd like to change, and use digital imaging to show a preview of realistic outcomes for different treatment options. You'll leave with a clear, written plan outlining exactly which procedures are recommended and why.

Veneers can visually mask mild misalignment by changing the apparent shape and angle of individual teeth, but significant crowding or bite issues are better addressed with orthodontics first, producing a more conservative long-term result.

A gummy smile refers to excess gum tissue showing above the teeth when you smile, resulting from gum development, tooth eruption, or lip and jaw position. Treatment can range from gum contouring to reshape the gumline to orthodontic or surgical correction of the underlying jaw position, depending on the cause.

Most adults with missing teeth are candidates. Dr. Hudzinski looks for healthy gums, enough jawbone to anchor the implant, good overall health, and a commitment to daily care. Smoking raises the risk of implant failure. Not enough bone? Bone grafting or a sinus lift, done in our office, can often make you a candidate. A 3D scan and exam will give you a clear answer.

An implant replaces a missing tooth root directly and stimulates the jawbone the way a natural tooth does, without involving neighboring teeth. A bridge relies on the teeth on either side of the gap for support, requiring them to be reshaped. A removable denture rests on the gum tissue and requires periodic adjustment as the jawbone gradually changes shape underneath it.

Osseointegration is the biological process where the jawbone fuses directly to the titanium implant body over three to six months, creating a stable foundation strong enough to support normal chewing forces. This fusion is what allows an implant to function like a natural tooth root, and it's the reason implant treatment spans months rather than a single appointment.

A properly placed and well-maintained implant can last 25 years or more, with a documented long-term success rate of roughly 95–98% over 10 years. The visible crown on top may eventually need replacement due to normal wear, but the titanium post fused to the bone is designed to be a permanent foundation.

Implants are cared for almost identically to natural teeth - brushing twice daily and flossing daily around the implant crown, ideally with an interdental brush or water flosser where a standard brush can't reach as effectively. Consistent hygiene and regular professional cleanings are what allow an implant to last decades.

Most adults with missing teeth are candidates, provided they have adequate jawbone density, healthy gums free of active disease, and manageable overall health. Bone loss, controlled diabetes, and a smoking history don't automatically disqualify you - a 3D CBCT scan and clinical exam determine your specific candidacy and whether any preparatory treatment is needed first.

Dry socket happens when the blood clot in the socket is dislodged, exposing bone and nerves. For the first 24 to 48 hours, avoid straws, smoking, carbonated drinks, and vigorous rinsing or spitting. Eat soft foods and chew on the other side. After 24 hours, rinse gently with warm salt water. If intense, throbbing pain starts two to four days later, call us right away.

Both rebuild bone so it can support an implant; the difference is location. A standard bone graft adds bone where the jaw has lost density, usually the lower jaw or front of the upper jaw. A sinus lift is used in the upper back jaw, where the sinus sits just above the roots. It gently raises the sinus membrane and places graft material beneath it.

Common reasons include decay too extensive to restore with a filling or crown, a fracture extending below the gumline, advanced gum disease that has loosened a tooth beyond saving, severe crowding requiring room for orthodontic treatment, or an impacted wisdom tooth that can't fully erupt. Extraction is generally recommended only after restorative options are ruled out.

A bone graft is a procedure that adds bone or a bone-substitute material to an area of the jaw lacking sufficient volume or density to support a dental implant or maintain the jaw's shape. The graft material acts as a scaffold that your body gradually fills in with its own new bone over several months.

Socket preservation is a bone graft placed directly into the empty socket at the time of extraction, before it can begin to collapse and resorb. It maintains the width and height of the jawbone at that site, keeping future tooth-replacement options - particularly a dental implant - simpler down the road.

Without adequate bone, an implant placed into a deficient site carries meaningfully higher risk of failing to properly fuse or failing later under normal chewing force. In some cases, a shorter or angled implant can work around modest bone loss without a full graft - your 3D scan will show whether that's realistic for your anatomy.

Brushing and flossing can't remove everything. Once plaque hardens into tartar, only professional instruments can remove it. Plaque also collects below the gumline and around back molars, where a toothbrush can't reach. During your cleaning, our hygienist removes tartar and surface stains, and we check for gum disease, cavities, and oral cancer, problems you can't spot on your own.

Most patients should have a professional cleaning and exam every six months. This interval allows us to catch cavities, gum disease, and worn or failing restorations while they're still small and easy to treat. Patients with a history of gum disease are sometimes recommended a three- to four-month interval instead.

X-rays reveal decay between teeth, below the gumline, and beneath existing restorations that are otherwise very difficult to see during a visual exam. Bitewing X-rays are typically taken once a year, while a panoramic or cone beam X-ray is usually updated every three to five years.

Gum disease begins when plaque bacteria along the gumline aren't removed by regular brushing and flossing, triggering inflammation that can progress to infection and bone loss. Early gingivitis is typically reversed with a thorough cleaning and improved home care, while advanced disease may need scaling and root planing.

If you notice worn, flattened, or chipped teeth, jaw soreness in the morning, or a partner has told you that you grind at night, a custom nightguard is usually recommended. It creates a protective barrier that prevents the gradual wear grinding causes over time.

Early cavities often cause no symptoms at all, which is why routine X-rays catch most decay before you'd notice it. Warning signs of a more advanced cavity include lingering sensitivity to sweets, hot, or cold, visible dark spots on a tooth, or sharp pain when biting down.

Don't panic. Call our office. Depending on your progress, we may have you wear your previous aligners, move to your next set, or order a replacement. If you forgot to wear them for a day or two, put them back in and resume your schedule. If they feel very tight or won't fit, call us before forcing them. Always store aligners in their case when eating.

For mild-to-moderate crowding, spacing, and bite issues - the majority of adult cases - Invisalign and braces produce comparable outcomes. Complex skeletal bite problems and significant crowding or spacing typically still respond more reliably to the precise mechanical control of traditional braces.

Most adult cases take 12-18 months, though minor corrections can finish in as little as 6-9 months and complex cases may run 18-24 months. Actual timeline depends heavily on wearing the trays 20-22 hours per day exactly as directed, since teeth only move while a tray is in place.

Most adults with mild-to-moderate crowding, spacing, or a mild overbite are excellent candidates. A digital iTero scan of your current tooth positions lets us map exactly what movement is possible and whether your case falls clearly within Invisalign's capabilities or would be better served by traditional braces.

Teeth only move while the trays are actually in your mouth. Consistently under-wearing them slows tooth movement, can throw off how well later trays fit, and often requires additional refinement trays to get the case back on track, extending the overall timeline.

Yes - because trays are removed to eat, there are no food restrictions at all, a significant lifestyle difference from braces, which require avoiding hard, sticky, and crunchy foods for the entire treatment period. Just brush before reinserting your trays after eating.

 

Treat veneers like natural teeth: brush twice daily with a soft brush and non-abrasive toothpaste, and floss daily, especially at the gumline. Skip whitening toothpaste, which can wear the surface. Avoid biting ice or hard foods with your front teeth, and wear a night guard if you grind. Porcelain veneers last 10 to 15 years or longer; composite veneers last five to seven. Call us if one chips or loosens.

Traditional veneers require removing a thin layer of enamel, typically 0.3 to 0.5mm, which does not grow back, making veneers a permanent decision. Minimal-prep veneer options exist for the right case and preserve more of the natural tooth structure.

Porcelain is the standard choice for a natural, translucent look on front teeth, since it most closely mimics how light passes through real enamel. Zirconia can be stronger and better suited for patients who grind their teeth or have aggressive wear.

Bonding applies a tooth-colored composite resin directly to the tooth to repair a chip, gap, or discoloration in a single visit, with minimal enamel removal. Veneers are custom-fabricated ceramic shells offering greater durability and a more uniform, long-lasting result for larger cosmetic changes.

A root canal saves the tooth but leaves it weaker. Removing the pulp cuts off its internal blood supply, so the tooth becomes more brittle over time. A filling seals the opening but doesn't reinforce the tooth. Back teeth take heavy chewing force, so without a crown they're more likely to crack. Front teeth with little damage may only need a filling. Dr. Hudzinski will recommend what's best.

A root canal removes infected or inflamed tissue from inside a tooth's nerve chamber and root canals, then seals the cleaned space to prevent reinfection. It's needed when decay, a crack, or trauma reaches the tooth's inner nerve tissue, since that tissue can't heal on its own and the infection will otherwise spread into the surrounding bone.

A root canal is recommended whenever enough healthy tooth structure remains to support a long-term restoration after infected tissue is removed. Extraction becomes the better option when a tooth is fractured below the gumline, lacks bone support due to advanced gum disease, or the canal system is too complex to predictably clean and seal.

After numbing the area, we create a small access opening in the top of the tooth, remove the infected pulp tissue from the nerve chamber and canals, clean and shape the canals, then fill and seal them with a biocompatible material. A filling closes the access opening, and a crown is usually placed afterward to protect the tooth.

Most patients feel back to normal within a few days to a week, though the tooth can remain mildly tender to biting pressure for a couple of weeks as the surrounding ligament settles. The permanent restoration, whether a filling or a crown, is typically completed within two to three weeks of the procedure.

Common nighttime signs include loud snoring, gasping or choking during sleep, restless sleep, and waking with a dry mouth. Daytime signs include morning headaches, fatigue after a full night's sleep, trouble concentrating, and irritability. Not everyone who snores has sleep apnea. Left untreated, it's linked to high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. If these sound familiar, schedule a consultation.

Yes. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recognizes dentists trained in dental sleep medicine as qualified providers of oral appliance therapy, working collaboratively with sleep physicians and your primary care doctor throughout treatment.

A custom-fitted oral appliance, worn during sleep much like a sports mouthguard, gently advances the lower jaw forward to keep the airway open and prevent the throat tissue collapse that causes apnea events. Randomized trials show outcomes similar to CPAP for blood pressure and quality of life, with significantly higher long-term compliance.

Loud, chronic snoring, gasping or choking sounds during sleep, waking up unrefreshed despite a full night's sleep, morning headaches, and difficulty concentrating during the day are among the most common warning signs. Checking three or more of these is a meaningful reason to schedule a screening.

Yes, a formal diagnosis is required before treatment. If you haven't been tested, we can help coordinate an at-home sleep test, which monitors your breathing, oxygen levels, and heart rate overnight in your own bed, with results available within a few days.

Yes. Untreated obstructive sleep apnea is linked to significantly higher risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, atrial fibrillation, type 2 diabetes, and stroke, in addition to daytime fatigue that measurably increases accident risk.