Locations
Hollywood Park Dental
San Antonio, TX
My office hours
Thursday: 8:00am - 5:00pm
Show morePhone
Practice website
Insurances accepted
Aetna
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas
Cigna
Tricare
About
Bio
Born In the UK. Educated in the USA. Lived in Hawaii for 22 years. Recently moved to San Antonio, Texas. Dr. Merrett has a BS degree in Biology from Chaminade the University of Honolulu. He received his dental degree from the University of Pacific School of Dentistry. He continues to take continuing education yearly. He has also been trained at the Las Vegas Institute of Advanced Dental Studies.
SpecialtiesDoctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.
Doctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.
Dentistry
Dentistry - Cosmetic
Dentistry - Endodontics
Dentistry - Prosthodontics
Licenses
United States: Texas
Doctor Q&A
97 Answers
6 Agrees
The number of answers this doctor has agreed with.
A 48-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Merrettanswered
Dentistry 31 years experience
Pain and Kids: I would suggest some childrens Ibuprofen or tylenol (acetaminophen). Makes sure you read and follow the driections on the bottle. You could also cons... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 33-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Merrettanswered
Dentistry 31 years experience
Tens and TMD: The answer to this questions is maybe. It really depends what kind of tens unit you have ? You need tens that delivers controlled, periodic, bilatera... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 45-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Merrettanswered
Dentistry 31 years experience
Sealants: Sealants are mainly used to fill the grooves also known as pits and fissures, to help keep healthy teeth from developing cavities where it is hard for... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 46-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Merrettanswered
Dentistry 31 years experience
Chewing gum bad???: Chewing gum can be bad for teeth if it is loaded with sugar, and your oral hygiene is bad. However, some chewing gums contain xylitol, which has been ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Merrettanswered
Dentistry 31 years experience
Toothloss chew/dip: It is not uncommon to have tooth loss from dip or chewing tobbacco. The dip is very destructive to the soft tissue (gums) of the mouth. You should be ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 36-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Merrettanswered
Dentistry 31 years experience
Donating blood: How about helping out your community? I always think what comes around goes around. Maybe one day you or a member of your family will need blood or a ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 36-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Merrettanswered
Dentistry 31 years experience
Bipolar and Bruxism: Many people who are bipolar are treated with certain types of medications that one of the side affects is bruxism (teeth gnashing). Most of these drug... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 40-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Merrettanswered
Dentistry 31 years experience
Bleaching pain: Stop bleaching for awhile. You can also take an antiinflammatory medicine, like Ibuprofen , advil, (ibuprofen) motrin. You can also brush with Fluorid... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 44-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Merrettanswered
Dentistry 31 years experience
Cephalexin a cure??: Cephalexin or Keflex can work for a tooth infection. It really depends on what type of bacteria are causing the infection? It may bring down the swell... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 31-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Merrettanswered
Dentistry 31 years experience
Crown / root canal: We usually put a crown on after a root canal. The reason is that the structural integrity is compromised after a root canal on posterior teeth. I have... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 40-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Merrettanswered
Dentistry 31 years experience
Cavity untreated: Well that depends on the size of the cavity? It also depends of your eating habits? It also depends on how well you take care of your teeth? The short... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Merrettanswered
Dentistry 31 years experience
Flared teeth: The answer to this question is really up to you. Do you not like the way your teeth look? Is it giving your problems with eating? If the answer is "... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 31-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Merrettanswered
Dentistry 31 years experience
Dental Insurance: Tooth shaping can also be called enamelplasty, if you not adding any other man made materials to reshape the teeth. Usually this is considered cosmeti... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 48-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Merrettanswered
Dentistry 31 years experience
Wisdom recovery: The best way is to follow the instructions given to you from your doctor. No smoking for 24-48 hours. No alcohol for 24-48 hours. No lifting or heavy ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 32-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Merrettanswered
Dentistry 31 years experience
Broken tooth: The quick answer is don't bother. Any part that is missing can be replaced. No need to look for the missing piece.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 44-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Merrettanswered
Dentistry 31 years experience
Veneer Or Jacket: These are 2 names for the same thing. These are usually made of ceramic or porcelain. A full veneer and a jacket crown is like saying soft drinks and ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 19-year-old female asked:
Dr. James Merrettanswered
Dentistry 31 years experience
Abcess and Pregnant: Usually you are pretty safe to get dentistry done after your first trimester of pregnancy. It is more detrimental to you and your babies health to hav... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 34-year-old female asked:
Dr. James Merrettanswered
Dentistry 31 years experience
Temp. Crown : It is not uncommon to have minor discomfort after a crown procedure. It is also not uncommon to wear a temp. For 10 days or longer. If you have more c... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 25-year-old female asked:
Dr. James Merrettanswered
Dentistry 31 years experience
Tmj Surgery: Get as many different opinions as you can before you undergo surgery. Surgery is a last resort. You may want to seek someone out who has been trained ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 44-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Merrettanswered
Dentistry 31 years experience
Flossing a habit: Most have a routine when they get up in the morning add it to your routine. You can also put it in the shower and make it part of your bathing routine... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.6k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A female asked:
Dr. James Merrettanswered
Dentistry 31 years experience
Twisted teeth: If you can eat you don't need braces. However, if you have trouble cleaning your teeth or your want them to look straight, then the answer is yes. Yo... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 35-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Merrettanswered
Dentistry 31 years experience
Oral Cancer and life: The answer to this question really depends on many factors. What type of oral cancer? What stage of cancer? How extensive was it? How was it treated?... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 36-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Merrettanswered
Dentistry 31 years experience
Veneer Side effects: One of the best side effects is having a pretty smile. The only negative I have seen is occasional hot and cold sensitivity for a few days after they ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A female asked:
Dr. James Merrettanswered
Dentistry 31 years experience
Wisdom tooth: You can expect to feel pushing and pressure. You may also hear some noise. Since your tooth is impacted, the surgeon or dentist will probably have to ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 23-year-old male asked:
Dr. James Merrettanswered
Dentistry 31 years experience
Broken Porcelain. : They answer to your question may depend on what material you use to replace the broken crown? The real question is why did my crown break? There are ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 38-year-old female asked:
Dr. James Merrettanswered
Dentistry 31 years experience
Yeast on the tongue: It is possible to have yeast on your tongue. Many times this is the cause of bad breath. I would suggest the you purchase and tongue scraper to help c... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 44-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Merrettanswered
Dentistry 31 years experience
Wisdom teeth: The wisdom teeth coming in can cause all kinds of discomfort. The simple answer is "yes". You should go see your dentist or an oral surgeon to make s... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 44-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Merrettanswered
Dentistry 31 years experience
DDS, DMD, Oral Surg.: Usually the dds or dmd depends on where you went to dental school. Many schools give out a dds and some schools give out a dmd degree. Which is best f... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 42-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Merrettanswered
Dentistry 31 years experience
HIV & Bleeding gums: Hiv is transmitted through blood. If the gums are bleeding there is a chance that the virus could get passed to another person through the blood form ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.9k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 47-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Merrettanswered
Dentistry 31 years experience
Braces and TMJ: The simple answer is yes, or it could. However, many times the TMJ problems (tmd) can be resolved with braces. One reason people suffer from TMJ is be... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 58-year-old male asked:
Dr. James Merrettanswered
Dentistry 31 years experience
Pain after filling: This could be caused by a number of issues. Was it a deep cavity? Are you biting high on the filling? Was the nerve exposed? Does it hurt without any ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 45-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Merrettanswered
Dentistry 31 years experience
Boyfriend/ Plaque: Tell your boyfriend you are not going to kiss him until he starts brushing his teeth regularly. You can also buy a kids mouth wash that has a dye in i... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Merrettanswered
Dentistry 31 years experience
Lost teeth stutter: I believe there is absolutely no relationship from losing teeth and stuttering. You might have lisping or slurring of words, but stuttering? No! stut... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 32-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Merrettanswered
Dentistry 31 years experience
Carbocaine`: The answer to this is yes! however, since there is no vasoconstrictor in carbocaine, you may need to have additional Carbocaine administered more freq... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 34-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Merrettanswered
Dentistry 31 years experience
Tips 4 healthy smile: This depends on what final result you are looking for? Start with the basics, brushing, and flossing. If that is not enough you can try tooth whitenin... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A member asked:
Dr. James Merrettanswered
Dentistry 31 years experience
Swollen Gums: Swollen gums could be a possible sign of infection. Go and see your dentist as soon as possible if you need the swelling to go down in 72 hours. It c... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 40-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Merrettanswered
Dentistry 31 years experience
White Furry Tongue: A white furry tongue could be many things. It could be a yeast infection? It could be a precursor to something more severe. Go see your Dentist, Oral ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
4.1k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 35-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Merrettanswered
Dentistry 31 years experience
Chronic Dental Pain: Go and see your local dentist. Get full mouth series of x-rays , and get a comprehensive exam. Then you will most likely know why you are suffering ch... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 22-year-old male asked:
Dr. James Merrettanswered
Dentistry 31 years experience
Halitosis: Have you tried a tongue scraper? Many times the smells are associated with bacteria on your tongue. Many times it can be a release of a sulphur type ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 35-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Merrettanswered
Dentistry 31 years experience
Remove mercury fill: You should removed the mercury amalgam filings when they are starting breakdown. If they have recurrent decay underneath them, or if you have a sensit... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 39-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Merrettanswered
Dentistry 31 years experience
False teeth material: It depends what you mean by false teeth. Dentures are usually made of acrylic (plastic). Partial dentures can be made of acryllic and metal. Crowns ca... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 31-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Merrettanswered
Dentistry 31 years experience
Cephalexin a cure??: The short answer to this question is no. The antibiotics will help get your tooth abcess under control. However, it will not cure the cause of your ab... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 42-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Merrettanswered
Dentistry 31 years experience
2 root canal tooth: Root canals are meant to save your tooth if your tooth has had trauma, decay to the nerve, or an abcess. However, the nerve system in a tooth is very ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 38-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Merrettanswered
Dentistry 31 years experience
Tooth Nerves: Unfortunately, infected tooth nerves will not heal themselves. When the nerves are infected it usually means that the nerve is dead or dieing. You can... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 31-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Merrettanswered
Dentistry 31 years experience
Eat after root canal: I would suggest that you wait to eat hard or semi-soft things until after you anesthesia has worn off. I would also caution doing any heavy biting or... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 45-year-old female asked:
Dr. James Merrettanswered
Dentistry 31 years experience
Denture with implant: Ask your dentist if they are familiar with a procedure called all on four. Ask them if you are a candidate for non-removable teeth? It is hard to giv... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 28-year-old male asked:
Dr. James Merrettanswered
Dentistry 31 years experience
Ceramic for metal: It is very easy to remove metal fillings for ceramic. It the filling is old and breaking down it is best to replace it. Ceramic restorations are also ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 32-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Merrettanswered
Dentistry 31 years experience
Aesthetic / Cosmetic: These two words are used synonymously. They are really addressing the same types of procedures. Some practioners prefer the aesthetic and some prefer ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 46-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Merrettanswered
Dentistry 31 years experience
Grinding Teeth: I would see your dentist and ask about a few questions. Ask them to make you a nightguard or orthotic to help you protect your dentition. Also have th... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 36-year-old member asked:
Dr. James Merrettanswered
Dentistry 31 years experience
Toothloss chew/dip: It is not uncommon to have tooth loss from dip or chewing tobbacco. The dip is very destructive to the soft tissue (gums) of the mouth. You should be ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.7k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
TestimonialsRecommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.
Recommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.
3
Recommendations
192
Thank you notes
Mar 23, 2015
Great doctor. Consistently gives thoughtful, insightful and expert advice.
HealthTap member
Mar 30, 2015
Dr. Merrett is an amazing doctor! #nationaldoctorsday2015 #virtualflower1
HealthTap member
Mar 31, 2015
Dr. Merrett is an amazing doctor! #nationaldoctorsday2015 #virtualflower1
HealthTap member
Thank you, your answer was very helpful!I have tried them all.In india I found Dentists and ent specialists who are not cooperating.one such
HealthTap member
Thank you. It was a abscess and they have to remove the tooth. She didn't have enough root left to do a baby root canal! Thank you again
HealthTap member
Thank you! Took her to dentist and the tooth has to come out! The nerve is gone! Thank you so much
Education & Training
Medical/Graduate school
Univeristy of the Pacific School of Dentistry
Graduated 1992MD
Residency
University of the Pacific Dental School
Completed 1992
Awards
Best Dentist in Hawaii 2012, Honolulu Magazine
Top Dentist, First Place, Hawaii - Summer
2013
Publications
Dental Products Report
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