Stained Teeth

Here at Lewelling Dental Care in San Lorenzo, CA, our patients experience a variety of dental imperfections, including lack of luster of their teeth. Stained teeth are an unfortunate result of smoking, drinking certain beverages, and eating foods with high amounts of sugar — in addition to the natural aging process.

Our dentist, Dr. Shital Kazi, provides teeth whitening procedures right here in our office that help patients whiten their teeth. While the tray whitening system we offer can whiten our patient’s teeth up to eight shades, we still believe preventative measures are an important way to keep a smile bright.
Dr. Shital Kazi recommends avoiding the following things that can stain or discolor the teeth:

• Red wine
• Black coffee
• Tea
• Smoking cigarettes
• Dark-colored sodas
• Berries
• Soy sauce
• Sugar and sweets

Our dental office provides the take home whitening system, which utilizes custom-made trays from impressions of the patient’s teeth and whitening gel to whiten their teeth in the office and at home. Our take-home trays are reusable, so our patients can use them again and again should the brightness of their smile fade.

If you have stained teeth and want to whiten them, contact us here at Lewelling Dental Care in San Lorenzo, CA at (510) 276-6040.

Migraines and TMJ

Migraines and TMJ seem to go hand-in-hand with those who suffer from both. TMJ is the term used for the joint connecting the lower jaw and temporal bone of the skull, called the temporomandibular joint. Because this joint is responsible for so many daily functions like talking, opening and closing the mouth, and chewing, it is also susceptible to a condition called TMJ disorder.

The following symptoms are common among people with TMJ disorder:
1. Headaches and migraines
2. Teeth grinding
3. Ear pain
4. Clicking and popping sounds of the jaw
5. Difficulty chewing
6. Pain while opening or closing the mouth
7. The jaw getting stuck in the open or closed position

Migraines are a severe type of head pain that also accompanies other symptoms like dizziness, flashes of light, sensitivity to bright lights, nausea, and vomiting. Unfortunately, a misaligned jaw, and the pain that may come from it, can trigger migraines in some of our patients. This is why we provide treatments to alleviate the pain here at Lewelling Dental Care, including night guards to reduce teeth grinding.

If you feel your migraines may be stemming from TMJ, visit our dentist Dr. Shital Kazi in San Lorenzo, CA to get started on treatment.

Clicking / Locking Jaw Joint

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is responsible for clicking and locking of the jaw joint. Usually, this is due to a disorder of this joint, which not only causes locking of the joint, but can also cause pain and problems chewing as well.

Here at Lewelling Dental Care, we provide diagnosis and treatment of disorders relating to a clicking and locking jaw joint. Treatments include dental procedures and orthodontic appliances that help prevent some of the side effects of TMJ disorder.

TMJ disorders cause more than just clicking and locking of the jaw joints, though this is one of the most common signs. Other symptoms include problems chewing, grinding the teeth at night, pain when opening or closing the mouth, ear pain, jaw pain and headaches, and hearing popping sounds when opening the mouth. Clicking and locking of the jaw joint often causes teeth grinding, which can be damaging to the teeth enamel and tooth structure. Patients with this condition often wake up with a sore jaw from clenching or grinding.
Dr. Shital Kazi provides oral appliances, such as mouth guards, to help keep the pain to a minimum. It is not always possible to prevent TMJ disorder, but the teeth can be protected and the pain minimized through treating the different side effects.

Call us at 510-276-6040 to find out more about treatments for clicking and locking jaw joints.

Bad Breath

Bad breath is something our patients often experience, and is one of the common things they ask us about at our practice. Quite often, having bad breath, also called halitosis, is the result of decay and can be remedied with proper cleanings and periodontal health.

Lewelling Dental Care offers a variety of dental services that help clean the patient’s mouth. Whether that means a regular cleaning, treating gum disease, or providing tips and suggestions for improving their halitosis, we help patients find better self confidence.

In general, bad breath can be caused by a number of things, including the following:

• ·         Failing to brush and floss regularly.
• ·         Smoking cigarettes.
• ·         Not drinking enough water.
• ·         Suffering from dry mouth, also called xerostomia.
• ·         Taking certain medications.

During the first dental visit, we determine the root cause of the bad breath. This helps guide us in the right direction for the best treatment options. In some cases, it is simply a matter of a deep cleaning, while other patients need treatment for periodontal disease. If you are struggling with bad breath in San Lorenzo, CA call Dr. Shital Kazi to schedule an appointment for a professional cleaning and check-up.

Teeth Whitening

If you are not happy with the shade of your teeth, you are certainly not alone. Many of our patients struggle with discoloration or staining of their teeth, which can be a natural progression due to things like tooth decay, drinking coffee or red wine, and smoking cigarettes. Lewelling Dental Care provides the tray whitening system for teeth whitening the teeth up to eight shades whiter. With the tray whitening system, custom trays are made to fit over our patient’s teeth perfectly.

This is a great benefit over store-bought trays that hardly fit right. A whitening gel is placed on the teeth, followed by the trays. We perform the first treatment in our office, then send the patient home with the gel and trays, where they repeat the process several times over a few days.

They are left with teeth that are about 5-8 shades whiter, and they stay white for quite a long time. They keep the trays for future use as well, since they were made from impressions of their own teeth. Patients enjoy not having to deal with sensitivity or soreness following this teeth whitening treatment.

Schedule an appointment with Dr. Shital Kazi in San Lorenzo, CA by calling (510) 276-6040 for custom teeth whitening.

Traditional Braces

For misaligned teeth, spaces between the teeth or problems with your bite, you have multiple options for correcting these dental problems. A classic method is with traditional braces, which are made up of metal brackets, wires, and rubber brands. Regardless of the patient’s orthodontic problems, including severe cases, traditional braces are highly effective. They also cost less than some other types of braces, and most dental insurance policies have at least partial coverage.

Dr. Shital Kazi promotes the following benefits by offering traditional braces:

1. They are less expensive than other types of orthodontic braces.

2. They help with all levels of teeth problems, including severe overbites, underbites or crossbites.

3. Protruding teeth are corrected with traditional braces.

4. Most dental plans covering orthodontic treatment include coverage for these braces only.

5. They can take the same amount of time as other orthodontic options.

6. They have a very low risk of damage.


Whether you have mild spacing problems or a severe overbite, traditional braces are a very good option for orthodontic treatment. To learn more about traditional braces, contact Lewelling Dental Care at 510-276-6040 to schedule an orthodontic consultation.

Dental Implants

Dental Implants

Patients who have missing teeth are at risk for more than just aesthetic issues. Their adjacent teeth may start shifting, they can experience rapid bone loss, and if multiple teeth are missing, it might cause their cheeks to look shrunken in.

To mitigate these risks, here at Lewelling Dental Care, we offer dental implants for patients who want to replace their teeth permanently. While there are other options in dentures and fixed bridges, dental implants are the most permanent option available.

There are many reasons a tooth might have been lost or needs to be extracted. Tooth decay, congenital defects, trauma, injury, or advanced gum disease may all play a role in the causal factors of missing teeth.

But with dental implants, our patients have the opportunity for a stable, secure and natural-looking alternative. The implant includes a titanium metal post implanted into the jawbone, where the bone gradually heals and grows around the post. This holds it in place and is healed in about three months. Then, the abutment and crown are placed over the top, which look just like a natural tooth.

Call us directly at 510-276-6040 to learn more about dental implants offered by Dr. Shital Kazi.