White Fillings

If you have a cavity that you need to fill or are hoping to replace an old filling with a newer and higher quality restoration, we can do this with white fillings. White fillings are made from composite resin, mixed to match the color of your tooth. They help fill a cavity in order to prevent further decay and destruction of the original tooth’s structure.

• Benefits to getting white fillings here at Lewelling Dental Care include:
• Preventing further damage of your tooth
• They do not contain mercury
• They match the color of your tooth
• Less of your tooth structure needs to be removed
• They don’t expand or contract in your tooth

Most often, white fillings are used to protect a tooth that has a cavity or tooth decay inside the tooth. However, it can also be used here in San Lorenzo, CA for cracked or broken teeth, as well as for teeth being worn down due to clenching and grinding the teeth. For white fillings, the tooth is first prepared by removing any possible decay, then numbing the area. The filling is prepared to match the tooth and then bonded to the tooth.

 

If you are interested in learning more about white fillings, visitwww.lewellingdental.com or call 510-276-6040 to schedule an appointment with Dr. Shital Kazi. 

Night Guards

Night guards provided here at Lewelling Dental Care help our patients get relief from their jaw pain and headaches, and protect their teeth. Some patients find themselves clenching and grinding their teeth either during the day or, more often, at night while sleeping.  Most patients are not even aware that they even have this problem that is slowly damaging their teeth.  It is more problematic at night because it can happen for hours at a time while sleeping. Teeth clenching and grinding stresses and wears down tooth enamel.  These problems can also cause irritation to the gums. Not only do our patients complain of headaches, and jaw pain, but can also have ear pain frequently because of excessive teeth clenching and grinding.

 

Dr. Shital Kazi offers a solution from our San Lorenzo, CA dental clinic in the form of night guards. Night guards are custom made for the patient, based on impressions taken of their teeth. Every night, the patient is instructed to wear the night guard which protects their teeth if they start clenching or grinding them. It acts as a barrier between the top and bottom teeth, so they can’t grind anymore and their teeth are protected.

 

We also recommend that our patients refrain from alcoholic drinks and caffeine before bed because it can exacerbate the grinding problem. To ask us about night guards for your teeth grinding, contact us today.

Dental Bonding

Of all the cosmetic and restorative procedures, dental bonding is one of the easiest and most affordable. Called bonding because tooth-colored resin is bonded to your teeth, the procedure is used to repair teeth that are discolored, unevenly shaped or chipped. At our office, we can even use bonding as an alternative to amalgam fillings if only a small filling is required.

 

Bonding is achieved by applying incredibly strong resin to the tooth in need of restoration. The procedure can usually be accomplished in one visit and allows you to keep most of your tooth’s original enamel, which makes bonding preferable to veneers or crowns in many cases. Once the right color resin has been chosen for your smile, Dr. Shital Kazi will slightly abrade your teeth to roughen the surface. Then a conditioning liquid is applied to help the resin adhere. The putty-like resin is then applied to your tooth and molded and smoothed until it is in the proper shape. It is hardened with an ultraviolet light or laser. After the bonding material has hardened, Dr. Kazi will trim and shape it even more and then polish it until it shines like a tooth. Altogether, the procedure usually takes between 30 minutes to an hour for one tooth.

 

If you’re unhappy with your teeth but unwilling to go as far as veneers, bonding can be used to improve your smile quickly and effectively. 

TMJ

TMJ issues affect many Americans daily. This disorder causes pain in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) that connects your lower jaw to your skull at the temporal bone. This joint controls many jaw functions and any pain in this area may cause jaw joint muscle problems, known as temporamandibular disorder (TMD). At Lewelling Dental Care, Dr. Shital Kazi and her team have trained extensively in the diagnosis and treatment of TMJ and offer various treatment options to new and existing patients.

 

Symptoms of TMJ are wide-ranging. Patients will often feel pain when opening or closing their mouth, trouble chewing food, their jaw will become stuck, headaches are quite common and they will often hear a clicking or popping noise when opening or closing their mouth. These symptoms can be associated with a lot of other health problems so if you are feeling any of these symptoms, make sure to ask during your next appointment.

 

Treatment for TMJ can go many different ways. Pain relievers and hot/cold compresses are short term methods and often do not solve the problems. Another possible treatment for TMJ would be wearing a night mouth guard, this will lessen the effects of teeth grinding that can cause TMJ. More permanent solutions include possible surgery in severe cases, but behavioral treatments to change the way the jaw muscles are used can be enough to solve the problem permanently. 

Bonding

Bonding

At Lewelling Dental Care we can transform your smile with dental bonding, which is among the easiest and most affordable cosmetic dental procedures. Called bonding because a tooth-colored resin is bonded to your teeth, this process is used as an alternative to amalgam filling and to repair decayed, chipped, unevenly shaped, fractured or discolored teeth. We achieve this by applying incredibly strong resin to the tooth you would like to restore and then shaping and polishing it until it matches your surrounding teeth.

Not only can this procedure be accomplished in only one visit, but this process also allows you to keep most of your tooth’s original enamel, making bonding preferable to veneers or crowns in many cases. Once we have chosen the right color resin for your smile, your teeth will be slightly abraded to roughen it and then coated lightly with a conditioning liquid, which will help the bonding material adhere. Then we will apply a putty-like resin that will be molded and smoothed until it is in the proper shape and then hardened with an ultraviolet light or laser.

After the bonding material has hardened, we will trim and shape it even more and then polish it until it shines like a tooth. Altogether, the procedure usually takes between 30 minutes to an hour to complete one tooth.
If you’re unhappy with your teeth but unwilling to go as far as veneers, bonding can be used to improve your smile quickly and effectively. Schedule an appointment with Lewelling Dental Care to get bonding performed in San Lorenzo. Just call (510) 276-6040. For more information, visitwww.LewellingDental.com.

Bonding

Bonding is an effective method for correcting a tooth chip, fracture, gap, or even lengthening a tooth that is too short or has been broken. A vast number of structural issues can be addressed through the process of bonding.

By using composite, tooth-colored resin, the enamel of a tooth can be coated, protected and expanded to create a restorative and/or cosmetically pleasing result. Bonding is also effective when a restoration exceeds the limits of a filling but doesn’t call for a full crown or veneer.  We offer this service to Lewelling Dental Care patients who are seeking a quick and secure smile fix.