Dental Questions & Answers
The questions patients actually ask us, answered plainly — about booking, costs and insurance, emergencies, specific treatments, children, and dental anxiety. If your question is not here, call (804) 732-8557 and ask; we would rather answer it on the phone than have you guess.
Appointments and new patients
Q: How do I book my first appointment?
A: Call (804) 732-8557 during office hours, or send a request online any time and we will ring you back when the office opens. Tell us briefly what is bothering you, if anything, so we can book the right length of appointment.
Q: What are your opening hours?
A: Monday to Thursday 8am to 5pm, Friday 8am to 1pm, closed Saturday and Sunday. The first appointment of the day at 8am is usually the easiest to keep if you are working or commuting.
Q: What should I bring to my first visit?
A: Your insurance card, a list of any medicines you take including supplements, and the name of your previous dentist if you would like records transferred. If you have recent X-rays from another practice, bring those too — they may save you having new ones taken.
Q: What happens at a first appointment?
A: An examination of your teeth, gums and bite, any X-rays that are needed, and a conversation about what you want to address and in what order. You leave with a written plan and costs. Nothing irreversible happens at a first visit unless you are in pain and want it dealt with.
Q: Where do I park?
A: Directly outside the practice at 2731 South Crater Road. Parking is free, there are no meters and no garage, and the entrance is a few steps from the car.
Q: Do you take walk-ins?
A: Calling ahead is always better, because it means the right amount of time and the right surgery are ready for you. For genuine emergencies, ring as early in the day as you can and we will do our best to see you the same day.
Costs and insurance
Q: Do you take my insurance?
A: We work with most major dental plans. Rather than guess from a list, call with your plan details and we will verify your specific benefits before treatment starts and give you the out-of-pocket figure in writing.
Q: What if I have no insurance?
A: You are still welcome, and plenty of our patients have no cover. Ask for the cost of an exam and cleaning when you book, and if a larger plan is needed we will set out what it costs and how it can be staged over time so it is manageable.
Q: Why can’t you tell me the price over the phone?
A: Because the honest answer depends on what is actually there. A crown on a sound tooth and a crown on a tooth that also needs root canal treatment are different jobs at different prices. After an exam you get an itemised figure, not a range.
Q: Can treatment be spread over time?
A: Usually, yes. Where treatment is not urgent, splitting it across two insurance benefit years lets you use two annual maximums instead of one. We will sequence the plan by clinical priority so nothing that matters is left waiting.
Q: Do you send estimates to my insurer first?
A: For larger work, yes — a pre-treatment estimate goes to your insurer so you know their contribution before committing. It takes a little longer to start but removes the unpleasant surprises.
Emergencies
Q: What counts as a dental emergency?
A: Severe or worsening pain, facial swelling, a knocked-out or badly broken tooth, uncontrolled bleeding, or trauma to the jaw. Swelling with fever, or difficulty breathing or swallowing, is a medical emergency — go to an emergency room rather than waiting for a dental appointment. See emergency dentistry.
Q: My tooth was knocked out. What do I do right now?
A: Pick it up by the crown, never the root. Rinse it briefly in milk or saline, not tap water, and do not scrub it. Put it back in the socket if you can, or keep it in milk, and get to a dentist within the hour. A knocked-out baby tooth is not replaced.
Q: How do I get through the night with toothache?
A: Rinse with warm salt water, floss gently around the tooth in case food is trapped, take ibuprofen if it is safe for you, hold a cold compress against the cheek, and sleep propped up. Never hold aspirin against the gum — it burns the tissue.
Q: Will antibiotics fix a dental infection?
A: No. They can slow a spreading infection, but the bacteria live inside a tooth with no blood supply, so no drug reaches them. The pain returns when the course ends unless the tooth is treated or removed.
Treatments
Q: Does a root canal hurt?
A: No — the tooth is fully numbed first, so you feel pressure rather than pain. Patients compare it to having a filling. What hurts is the infected tooth beforehand, which is exactly what the treatment ends. See root canal treatment.
Q: How much does a dental implant cost?
A: Most single implants total about $3,000 to $5,000 once the post, abutment and crown are included, with extractions or grafting quoted separately. Our dental implants page breaks the figure down.
Q: Implant or bridge — which is better?
A: An implant leaves the neighbouring teeth untouched and preserves the bone, so it usually lasts longer. A bridge is faster and can be the better choice when the neighbouring teeth already need crowns, or when bone is limited.
Q: Why do I need a crown after a root canal?
A: A treated back tooth has lost internal structure and takes heavy chewing forces, so without a crown it is at real risk of splitting — and a split tooth usually cannot be saved. Front teeth can sometimes be restored with a filling alone.
Q: Will whitening work on my teeth?
A: Usually on natural yellowing, less so on grey or tetracycline staining, and not at all on crowns, fillings or veneers, which keep their original colour. An exam tells you which category you are in before you spend anything — see teeth whitening.
Q: Do veneers ruin your teeth?
A: They do not damage a healthy tooth, but preparing for porcelain removes a thin layer of enamel permanently, so that tooth needs a veneer or crown from then on. Composite and minimal-preparation options remove far less. See veneers.
Q: Are clear aligners as good as braces?
A: For mild to moderate crowding, spacing and relapse after old braces, results are comparable. For severe crowding or large bite corrections, fixed braces remain more predictable. Compare both on our clear aligners page.
Q: My gums bleed when I brush. Is that normal?
A: Common, but not normal — it is usually the first sign of gum inflammation. The instinct to brush that area less makes it worse. Bleeding that persists beyond a week or two of good cleaning should be examined; see gum care.
Q: Do wisdom teeth always have to come out?
A: No. Wisdom teeth that are through, cleanable and not causing problems can be left alone and monitored. Removal is for teeth that are impacted, repeatedly infected, decayed or damaging the tooth in front. See wisdom tooth extraction.
Children
Q: When should my child first see a dentist?
A: By the first birthday, or within six months of the first tooth appearing. Early visits are short and mostly about familiarity, so the chair is not frightening later. See pediatric dentistry.
Q: My child is scared. What can I do?
A: Book a morning appointment, keep your own description neutral — avoid words like hurt or needle even in reassurance — and let us do the explaining in our own language. A first visit with nothing done but counting teeth is a perfectly good outcome.
Q: Do baby teeth with cavities need treating if they will fall out anyway?
A: Usually yes. Decay in a baby tooth causes the same pain and infection as in an adult tooth, and losing one early lets the neighbouring teeth drift into the space the permanent tooth needs.
Q: Does my child need a mouthguard for sports?
A: If they play contact sports, yes. A custom guard costs a fraction of replacing a knocked-out front tooth, and fits well enough to actually be worn, which the boil-and-bite versions often are not.
Anxiety and comfort
Q: I am terrified of the dentist. What can you do?
A: Tell us when you book, because it changes how the appointment is set up: slower pace, everything explained first, an agreed hand signal that stops treatment instantly, and sedation if you want it. A first visit with nothing but a look and a conversation is fine.
Q: Will I be asleep with sedation?
A: Not with moderate sedation — you stay conscious and able to respond, but deeply relaxed, and most patients remember little afterwards. Nitrous oxide wears off in minutes and you can drive yourself home; oral and IV sedation need a driver.
Q: I have not been to a dentist in ten years. Will I be judged?
A: No, and it is far more common than you would think. The first visit is about working out what to fix first and what it costs, not about how long it has been. Most people leave saying it was less bad than they expected.
Still have a question?
Call (804) 732-8557 during office hours or send it in writing and we will answer. If you are new to the practice, the services page is a good place to see everything we do, and Dr. Sean Sayyar‘s page covers his training and credentials.