Frequently Asked Questions

A: We love seeing your children in our office! We even designed our office in such a way that kids really have a good time while they are with us. Most of our team are parents themselves, so we completely understand that having outstanding dental care, even for your littlest family members is important!

Your child should come in for their first visit by their first birthday. That way, Dr. Kerr can make sure his or her first teeth are developing normally and check in with you, the parent, to answer all of the questions you probably have! Some of the things we discuss at your child’s first dental visit include:

• Nutritional counseling and suggestions

• What to expect in the coming years and months

• How to brush and floss your child’s teeth at home

• Any special instructions to keep your little one’s smile healthy

We want what is best for you and your child. If we ever think that your child could benefit from treatment with a pediatric dentist, we will recommend one of our trusted colleagues.

As your little one grows, we will incorporate treatment that will help them continue to develop a positive attitude about dentistry and maintain a beautiful smile.

A: At our Osceola, IA dental office, we provide a number of great options when it comes to replacing a missing tooth. If you are facing a dental extraction or if you are tired of looking at the gap in your smile, we offer a solution so that you can enjoy a complete smile!

Fixed dental bridges – A fixed dental bridge suspends an artificial tooth to fill the gap in your smile. While this is a great option, esthetically, you may find that avoiding chewing on one side of your mouth can be tedious. Dental bridges do keep your remaining teeth from shifting, but do not prevent bone loss.

Dental implants – A dental implant is easily the most popular and recommended way of replacing a missing tooth. A dental implant closely mimics your natural tooth and even has a titanium root that will integrate with your bone, providing a stable foundation for your dental crown.

Dental implants help patients avoid dietary restrictions and preserve valuable bone that is the foundation for your remaining teeth and your facial structure.

To determine which option will match your lifestyle, budget, and oral health needs, just give us a call! We look forward to helping you have a healthy, attractive smile!

A: Did you know that most people have one or more missing teeth?  This can drastically affect your quality of life when missing teeth impact the type of foods you can eat or even how your smile looks.  A dental implant is often the best and most conservative way to replace a missing tooth.  Just like a tooth is made up of multiple parts, so is an implant.  

The implant itself is a titanium post that gets inserted into the bone, replicating the root of a tooth.  Having the implant in the bone also helps keep the bone from deteriorating which normally happens once a tooth is removed.  Then we use a custom abutment that gets inserted into the implant and acts like the part of the tooth that comes out of the gums and is the base for which the crown sits on.  To finish the process a crown is made to fit on top of the abutment and looks just like a natural tooth so you can chew better and have a better-looking smile.

Dental implants have a high rate of success, around 95%, and with the right maintenance can last a very long time.  They also don't require cutting down neighbouring teeth like a bridge does.  For these reasons, they are a great long-term investment for your oral health when you are missing a tooth.  If you are thinking about getting a dental implant, come see us at Kerr Family Dental in Osceola for a consultation to see if it is the right treatment for you.

A: If it is nighttime or the weekend, you might be hesitant to call our office if you experience pain or something abnormal when it comes to your dental health. It’s tough to know when a dental emergency actually becomes a real dental emergency, right?

That is why we are here to answer your questions, even if it is after hours. It is important to give us a call at the first sign of trouble, though, because we can help determine right away if you will require an emergency dental appointment.

Pain is a great indicator that something is wrong. It is your body’s way of telling you that it needs attention! If you start to feel dental pain, it is always best to err on the side of caution and call our Osceola, IA dental office right away.

Some other common dental emergencies include:

• Sensitivity to hot or cold

• Pain when biting down

• A lost restoration such as a filling or crown

• Trauma, such as an accident

• A cracked or damaged tooth

If this ever happens to you, the Kerr Family Dental team is committed to restoring your oral health quickly so that you can get back to work, school, and your busy schedule.

A: When patients come to our Osceola, IA dental office, they are trusting us with their dental care and to help them make decisions regarding their oral health. In most cases, we can treat you here at Kerr Family Dental without the need for a trip to a specialist. Dr. Kerr even performs surgeries such as dental implants, extractions, and periodontal treatments. He also does most root canal treatment in our office. We even welcome kids without the need to visit a special pediatric dental office.

Of course, every situation has the occasional exception to the rule. If Dr. Kerr feels you would be more comfortable or experience a better outcome by a trip to a specialist, he will refer you to one of our trusted colleagues and follow-up with them – and you- regarding your dentistry.

Simply put, we want you to have successful, high-quality dental care. We want your treatment to be comfortable. Most times, we can provide you with just that! If you do need a specialist at some point, we will always recommend someone that we would recommend for our own friends and family.

If you have questions about your treatment plan, just give us a call!

A: If you are like most patients, at some point you will see a photo of yourself and wonder how your teeth became so yellow. Even if you don’t use tobacco or drink coffee, this can happen as you age, making you feel self-conscious about the appearance of your smile.

Stained teeth are a natural part of the aging process, and it’s one that most people don’t like at all. At Kerr Family Dental, we can take years off of your smile with professional teeth whitening.

We offer custom take-home whitening kits that contain professional strength whitening gel – stronger than anything you can find over-the-counter. We will provide instructions based on your level of staining, your oral health, and how well you tolerate teeth whitening products without experiencing sensitivity. 

One of the best features of our custom take-home whitening kits is that you can use them for many years to come for touch-ups so that you can enjoy a lifelong bright smile that everyone will appreciate.

Whitening works best right after a dental cleaning because the gel can come into direct contact without tartar getting in the way! Give us a call or inquire at your next dental cleaning! We look forward to giving you great results.