Pregnancy and Oral Health

Pregnancy and oral health are two things that go hand in hand when you are expecting a baby. We encourage all of our patients to take good care of their dental hygiene and oral health when they become pregnant.

 

Most women know how vital it is that they take good care of their physical health, but often don’t consider the impact oral health has on their overall health. A surge in hormones can exasperate the way a pregnant woman’s gums react to plaque. As a result, there is an increased risk of tooth decay, loose teeth, and gum disease if proper oral hygiene isn’t maintained.

 

The following steps are important to follow while you are pregnant.

 

1. Brush your teeth twice a day for at least two minutes each session.

2. Floss your teeth regularly, preferably once a day.

3. Visit dentist Shital Kazi for a check-up and cleaning.

4. Inform Dr. Kazi that you are pregnant and avoid getting x-rays.

5. Avoid eating sugary snacks as it increases the risk of tooth decay.

 

By following these steps, pregnant women have a better chance at maintaining their good oral health during pregnancy. Contact our dentist, Dr. Shital Kazi in San Lorenzo, CA to discuss pregnancy and oral health in more detail.

Cosmetic Bonding

Did you know that a chip, crack or shorted tooth can not only affect the look of your smile, but also your oral health?  While such issues can be considered minor, they are indeed worth fixing. Here at Lewelling Dental Care, we offer cosmetic bonding to quickly and reliably repair small structural issues that affect a tooth.  With cosmetic bonding, we can fill gaps, correct chips and even lengthen the surface of a tooth.  Not only will this service improve the appearance of your smile, it will help to prevent issues such as bacteria proliferation, further breakage and misalignment issues.

 

To learn more about cosmetic bonding and to determine if this service can help you, please visit our website, www.lewellingdental.com. You can also call (510) 276-6040 to schedule an appointment with Dr. Shital Kazi at Lewelling Dental Care in San Lorenzo, CA. 

Invisalign

Invisalign is one of many orthodontic services provided by Dr. Shital Kazi here at Lewelling Dental Care. Invisalign uses plastic aligners that are nearly translucent, are comfortable, and are removable. Patients here at our San Lorenzo, CA office with mild to moderate spacing, overcrowding, and bite issues are great candidates for Invisalign.

 

Invisalign is worn at all times, except during meals and while brushing or flossing your teeth. Every few months, you’ll return to our office for a new set of aligners, which continue moving your teeth to the correct position. By the end of the process, you are left with straight teeth and your overbite or underbite corrected. It is a simple process, with a fabulous end result of a beautiful smile.

 

Patients that choose Invisalign often report they enjoy how easy they are to use and that they did not stain their teeth. Another benefit to Invisalign is that wearers tend to wear them for less time than other types of orthodontics.

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. 

Bad Breath

The topic of bad breath can be tough to confront, whether it’s yours or someone else’s. And, whether or not you know you have it, it’s always a good idea to take steps against bad breath—as they are often one in the same with good dental hygiene.

 

Most bad breath can be traced to a source in the oral cavity, whether it’s trapped food particles or potent beverage residue, bacterial and plaque buildup, unclean dental prosthetics, gum disease, or even cavities. Many of our patients here at Lewelling Dental Care regularly ask us what they can do to prevent bad breath.  Besides completing all necessary dental work and consistently undergoing regular exams, there are a number of steps you can take to reduce bad breath on your own.

• Drink plenty of water: Drinking water helps flush away food and beverage residue. It also keeps your teeth and gums hydrated, which inhibits bacteria growth.
• Reduce intake of coffee and alcohol: Both substances can contribute to stubborn breath and dehydration.
• Abstain from all tobacco products: Cigarettes, pipes and chewing tobacco all contribute to fouls breath and other periodontal issues that feed into the problem.
• Brush, floss and use alcohol-free mouthwash every day: Good oral hygiene controls bacteria and prevents a number of dental problems. Your at-home hygiene efforts are extremely important in keeping your smile beautiful and fresh.  

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. 

Sports Mouth Guards

Mouth guards are essential in any type of contact sport regardless of how old you are. Most people believe that mouth guards are just for sports like football and hockey because they’re high contact, but in reality, you should be wearing one during any sport where contact is even a possibility. We provide custom-fit mouth guards to our patient-athletes to help prevent structural damage to their teeth and jaws. Mouth guards also help prevent lacerations to the cheeks, tongue and lips.

 

One of the most beneficial aspects of wearing a mouth guard is that it can greatly decrease the risk of concussions. There’s been a lot of news lately about the large number of concussions in professional and amateur sports. That’s because we’re finally seeing the negative impact concussions have had on these athletes. Mouth guards will not prevent concussions, but they can decrease the chances of sustaining one. The material we use to create our custom-fitted mouth guards is extremely shock absorbent and reduces transmitted forces caused during your athletic event.  

 

But you can get a mouth guard at any sporting goods store, why would you need one from us? Over-the-counter mouth guards, also known as “stock” mouth guards come in very limited sizes and are considered the least protective. There are also “boil and bite” mouth guards that claim to be “custom.” While these mouth guards are “molded” to your mouth, they do not cover the entire area, and often leave the posterior teeth exposed. Both of these over-the-counter options are bulky, uncomfortable and interfere with speaking and breathing.

 

Custom-fitted mouth guards are the only way to fully protect your teeth. If you schedule an appointment with us at Lewelling Dental Care, we will create a custom mouth guard that is specifically designed to protect your mouth. Our goal is to keep your teeth healthy. If you’re an athlete and you’re using an ill-fitting uncomfortable mouth guard or no mouth guard at all, it’s time to consider one. 

Perio Protect

Did you know that we utilize Perio Protect technology at Lewell Dental Care? The goal of this technology is to manage the oral biofilm for lasting oral health. The method is a combination of non-invasive chemical debriding therapy and traditional mechanical debriding procedures. We use Perio Protect to help manage biofilms, or communities of bacteria, growing in the spaces or pockets between teeth and gum tissue.

 

The chemical therapy involves a tray delivery of solution to chemically debride the biofilm from the periodontal pocket. This process will also alter the pocket’s microbiological environment in order to disrupt biofilm growth. Standard cleaning procedures used throughout the dental field help remove plaque and tartar but bacteria reproduce quickly and biofilms will regenerate very easily unless its environment is changed.

 

With the Perio Protect method, we are able to prescribe solutions and introduce them to the pockets the biofilm has developed. In most cases, we will prescribe oxidizing and oxygenating agents to remove the slimy protective coating of a biofilm and its underlying layers. We will provide you with custom-made trays to deliver the solution to the affected areas. The trays are very comfortable and are worn for just a couple minutes a day.

 

If you are suffering from biofilm growth in the pockets between teeth and gum tissue, set up an appointment with Dr. Shital Kazi to learn more about this innovative treatment option. 

Clear Braces

Teeth, which are protruding, crooked or crowded can make you feel self-conscious about your smile. But fixing orthodontic issues is important for more than cosmetic reasons. Crooked or crowded teeth can be hard to clean, which increases your risk of gum disease. Crooked teeth can also cause abnormal wear of the teeth. In some instances, misaligned teeth can even lead to jaw pain.

Lewelling Dental Care offers options when it comes to orthodontic care. We offer traditional braces and clear braces. Traditional braces are made of metal and are an excellent option in order to straighten and align teeth. Traditional braces can also correct bite issues.

In addition to metal braces, Lewelling Dental Care also offers clear braces. Clear braces are translucent and may make some people more comfortable with the idea of getting braces.

Braces work by gradually moving the teeth into the correct position. The amount of time braces will need to be worn varies based on the extent of the orthodontic issue. Dr. Kazi will be happy to discuss orthodontic treatments and recommend what would work best in your situation.

In addition to orthodontic services, Lewelling Dental Care offers general dentistry, periodontal care, cosmetic dentistry and prosthetic treatments. For more information on orthodontic treatment options or to make an appointment please call Lewelling Dental Care at 510- 276-6040 or visit us at www.lewellingdental.com.