Clear Braces

Braces aren’t just for teenagers anymore; people of all ages are turning to braces in order to improve their smiles. These days, adults make up nearly half of orthodontic patients hoping to finally get the perfect smile they've always dreamed about. That’s why Dr. Shital Kazi offers a clear braces option for her San Lorenzo, CA patients.

While traditional braces are the most commonly used to correct alignment and structure, there are other treatment options available. Dr. Kazi offers clear braces for those who are more concerned about aesthetic appearances. These braces are made from ceramic and provide a certain degree of transparency to mimic the color of your natural teeth, this makes them less visible. They are as effective as traditional braces and function the same way.

Braces are typically worn one to three years, but it really depends on each individual case. Patients who have greater pride in their smile will go further to keep up their oral hygiene. Poor oral health, particularly gum disease, has been linked to heart disease, strokes and other heart conditions, so keeping good care of your oral hygiene could improve your overall health.

If you are interested in improving your smile with braces in San Lorenzo, CA, schedule an appointment with Dr. Shital Kazi by calling (510) 276-6040. For more information on other services offered by Dr. Kazi, visit www.lewellingdental.com.

Sport Mouthguards

When it comes to protecting your mouth during physical activity, especially during contact sports, a mouthguard is an essential piece of equipment everyone should own. While collision and contact sports, such as boxing and football are higher-risk sports for the mouth, patients can suffer a dental injury during non-contact activities too. The best, most protective mouthguard is one that has been custom-made for your mouth. That’s why our dentist, Dr. Shital Kazi offers custom sports mouthguards to patients of all ages at Lewelling Dental Care in San Lorenzo, CA.

You might be asking yourself what the benefits of custom-mouthguards are compared to a stock mouthguard or a “boil and bite” option. Mouthguards created by a dental professional such as Dr. Kazi are based on a mold taken of your mouth, which means they only fit your mouth. Custom mouthguards are made of resilient and tear resistant materials, ensuring a proper fit for ultimate comfort. A properly fitting mouthguard must be comfortable, odorless, tasteless and most importantly, protective.

Dr. Kazi encourages patients to let her know if they participate in contact-oriented sports. She is able to layout the risks of injury to the teeth, jaw and oral soft tissues (mouth, lip, tongue, and cheeks) to help educate patients. From there, Dr. Kazi will discuss your protective options and create a plan of care to keep your teeth safe.

To learn more about custom sports mouth guards, visit our website, www.lewellingdental.com. If you are interested in scheduling a consultation with Dr. Shital Kazi here at Lewelling Dental Care in San Lorenzo, CA please call (510) 276-6040. 

Benefits of Digital X-rays

Dental technology has improved greatly over the years, enhancing every step of dental care, from diagnosis to treatment. New technology has even made dental X-rays safer and more convenient, and many dentists have adopted digital radiography to view their patients’ teeth.  At our office, we have many state-of-the-art technologies, including digital X-rays, to provide our patients in San Lorenzo, CA with the best dental care available.

Digital X-rays are taken in a similar manner to traditional X-rays that use film, but rather than placing film in the patient’s mouth, a digital sensor is used. This sensor is connected to an imaging program on a computer that projects the image, allowing Dr. Shital Kazi to view your teeth more closely and with better accuracy than traditional dental X-rays. Better images mean that there is a greater chance that the dentist will spot potential problems and be able to fix them before they become more serious or possibly more painful. In addition to better accuracy, digital radiography produces 80 percent less radiation than regular film X-rays, granting peace of mind to those who take X-rays frequently.

Whichever treatment you’re receiving at our practice, from a regular check-up to dental implants, we will strive to provide you with the best service with the most up-to-date technology.

To schedule an appointment at Lewelling Dental Care, call (510) 276-6040. For more information on our practice, visit www.lewellingdental.com.

Deep Cleaning

If your teeth are sensitive or your gums bleed when you floss or brush, you might be suffering from gum disease. Patients who come in for regular cleanings are much less likely to suffer from periodontal disease.  If you’re not taking care of your oral hygiene, the bacteria and plaque can advance to gum disease and it becomes more difficult to treat. While gum disease sounds like a scary thing, the good news is that there are treatment options available. At Lewelling Dental Care, our dentist, Dr. Shital Kazi treats San Lorenzo, CA area patients with a procedure known as “deep cleaning.”

Gum disease is the leading cause of tooth loss in the United States. There are many different forms of periodontal disease but all of them can cause serious damage to the mouth. The mildest form of periodontal disease is gingivitis. Gingivitis causes the gums to become red, swollen and bleed easily. The biggest cause of gingivitis is lack of a regular oral hygiene regimen. Preventative measures, such as regular brushing and flossing, go a long way when it comes to preventing periodontal disease. Gingivitis is reversible with professional treatment and good oral health practices at home.

We offer a non-surgical, non-invasive option known as deep cleaning for our patients who have chronic gum disease. This procedure is a great alternative to surgical options. Deep cleaning involves removing built-up plaque below the gum line using either manual scraping instruments or an ultrasonic tool. Then, Dr. Kazi will essentially gently sand your teeth, removing rough spots on the tooth surfaces and roots, which tend to harbor bacteria.

If you fear that you might be suffering from gingivitis or gum disease, set up an appointment at our San Lorenzo, CA practice so we can go over treatment options. 

Bridges

If you need a tooth replacement or restoration after an accident, infection or extraction, a bridge can be just what you need to renew your smile.  Dental bridges can be used to fill smile gaps by using surrounding healthy teeth as support and creating a complete, cohesive and natural look.  This restorative allows you to enjoy a full diet, easy hygiene and maintenance, and protection against issues that can result from missing teeth.

 

Bridges are custom crafted from many different materials, including dental porcelain which can be matched to the precise shade of your surroundings.  This ensures that your bridge will virtually indistinguishable from the rest of your smile, even in highly visible portions of the mouth.

 

If you are in need of a full tooth restoration, contact us here at Lewelling Dental Care to determine if dental bridges are right for you.  

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. 

Teeth Whitening

Teeth whitening is an excellent way to gain a boost of confidence, make a great impression every day, and feel great about smiling overall. Many of our Lewelling Dental Care patients have been thrilled with the results of our teeth whitening and bleaching services.

 

One of the benefits of the teeth whitening and bleaching service we provide is its convenience. Through the use of custom trays and a specialized, prescription whitening gel, you can whiten your teeth at home, when it’s most convenient for you.  By repeating the at-home teeth whitening process several times, you should already begin to see some improvement.  Once the full process is complete, you can expect a smile brightening improvement of up to eight shades.

 

If you’re ready to brighten your smile with our custom teeth whitening and bleaching system, contact us here at Lewelling Dental Care.   

Partial Dentures

Here at Lewelling Dental Care, we aim to offer our patients with comprehensive services that suit their diverse needs, including those patients who need dental prosthetics. If you have just several missing teeth and you’re seeking an aesthetic, affordable and non-permanent prosthetic, partial dentures are one option for filling gaps in one or more areas of your smile. Inconspicuous mental framework keeps partials securely in place when worn and also allows them to be easily removed for cleaning, care and adjustments.

To find out if partial dentures or other prosthetic like bridges and implants are right for you, call us here at Lewelling Dental Care.

 

Deep Teeth Cleanings

Even the most rigorous among us, who brush and floss properly on a daily basis, cannot gain the results you would get through a professional, thorough teeth cleaning.  Thorough teeth cleanings remove plaque and tartar that easily collects and becomes almost impossible to remove with household dental products. We provide thorough teeth cleanings to our patients to help protect the teeth from decay and address plaque buildup in gum pockets, where periodontal disease can easily develop. Since the gums are frequently overlooked in the daily teeth cleaning process, we recommend that our patients consider periodic teeth cleanings to preserve and protect their periodontal health.  Call us directly to schedule an appointment for this essential and effective oral health service.  

Tooth Colored Fillings

When you have a cavity, a filling ensures that your tooth is preserved from further decay and the risk of infection is minimized. In the past, fillings were primarily completed with dental amalgam, which was effective and economical but highly visible and unaesthetic. Thankfully, we now have a better solution available.  Tooth colored fillings fill cavities while being virtually indistinguishable from your tooth enamel, even in easily visible portions of the mouth.  They also offer a number of material benefits that our Lewelling Dental Care patients find favorable, including resistance to structural changes due to hot and cold temperatures, less sensitivity and long lasting integrity that may never require replacement.

To determine whether or not tooth colored fillings are the best option for you, we welcome you to visit us and get the answers to all of your questions.

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.