Dr. Goodman's office provides high-quality dentistry in several areas including:

Some patients need to take medications before they have any dental work done to reduce the risk of medical complications.
You may need premedication if you have had recent cardiac surgery, a heart murmur, pacemaker, and artificial joint or pin surgery, and/or rheumatic fever.

Please advise us if any of these items relate to you and keep us updated if your medical health information changes in the future.

Do you participate in any dental plans?

No. Dr. Goodman feels that he cannot render the type of quality care for what the managed care companies pay. Payment is due at the time services are rendered. His office staff will be happy to fill out your insurance forms so that you may file for reimbursement.

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How long will my dental work last?

It is difficult to predict how long any type of medical or dental care will last. It becomes much more predictable when the patient follows a regular routine of preventive care by visiting our office at recommended intervals. Periodic visits for preventive care enables us to detect minor problems before they become catastrophic.

Why do I need x-rays? Aren't they harmful?

Without x-rays the doctor can only see a small portion of your mouth, leaving him to guess what may or may not be going on in the areas where he can’t see. The amount of radiation from dental x-rays reaching the more sensitive cells of the body is approximately the same as that received in a single day from natural sources.

Obviously, a patient would not expect their doctor to treat them while wearing a blindfold. Since the amount of radiation exposure is extremely small, the value of a proper x-ray series by far exceeds the minimal exposure.

What is a dental implant?

Dental implants are small prosthetic posts that are placed into the bone of the upper or lower jaw. They act as replacements for the root portion of lost natural teeth and also serve as an anchor for replacement teeth. Dental implants look and feel exactly like natural teeth -- in fact, no-one (other than maybe your dentist) will be able to tell the difference. Implants are used to replace small bridges, removable partial dentures and missing single teeth.

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Who is a candidate for dental implants?

Dental implants are appropriate for almost anyone who is in reasonably good health and is currently missing teeth or is at risk of losing teeth. You must have enough bone in the area of treatment to provide for the anchorage of the implants.

What is gum disease? Does it hurt? Would I know it if I had it?

Gum disease (periodontal disease) is a bacterial infection that attacks the gums and bone supporting the teeth. In its early stages gum disease is not apparent to the patient. Just as high blood pressure is called " the silent killer", so is gum disease " the silent killer" of teeth. We’ve learned a great deal about gum disease in recent years and we are now able to diagnose it earlier and help patients get it under control much better than in the past.

The earlier periodontal disease is detected, the sooner we can get it under control. If your gums are bleeding ,even slightly, it is often a sign of gum disease. When patients wait until their teeth are loose and painful and their gums are oozing it is much more difficult and costly, if at all possible, to get the disease under control.

Why should I have a root canal?

Having the tooth removed may seem to be the easiest or the least costly choice when an infection is present. Unfortunately, when the patient decides to have that tooth replaced he or she may find the cost to be much higher than saving the tooth with root canal therapy. If the nerve in a tooth dies slowly, the patient is often unaware there is a problem because there is no pain. Meanwhile an abscess, which can only be detected with an x-ray, continues to grow causing destruction of the bone around the tooth. If the tooth is injured and the nerve dies right away it is quite apparent to the patient because it usually is very painful. Most of the time patients do not have to lose the tooth and root-canal will help to save it.

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My teeth are yellow. What are my options?

Yellow teeth can be whitened with bleaching or by placing porcelain veneers or crowns on them. If the teeth are not extensively decayed or filled and generally are good looking, except for the yellow color, bleaching is often the easiest, most conservative and least expensive option.

Does bleaching always work?

Bleaching is an inexpensive process that is designed to take the dark pigments out of the teeth. It will not whiten fillings or crowns on teeth. In addition, certain types of discolorations tend to respond better to bleaching than others. Based on our experience bleaching, we can give patients a reasonably accurate prediction of the results they are likely to achieve.

Can you bleach old fillings or crowns?

Bleaching only affects natural tooth structure, not artificial fillings or crowns.

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I would like to bleach my teeth, but I have fillings or crowns on my teeth. If they won't bleach, what do I do?

If you have old fillings or crowns, don’t be concerned. Bleach your teeth and then, when you are happy with the results, we can replace old fillings or crowns to match your new whiter smile.

How long do porcelain veneers take to get?

Porcelain veneers can be done in as little as two short visits a few days apart.

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