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. 

Dental Veneers

If you’re ready for a total smile makeover, or your teeth have multiple issues with chipping, cracking, stubborn staining or moderate misalignment, veneers may be your answer.  Here at Lewelling Dental Care, we provide veneers as part of our comprehensive cosmetic dental services.

 

Veneers work by covering your existing tooth structure with a custom crafted porcelain shell that is designed to cover discoloration, restore enamel and reshape the tooth to create a more idealized smile. They are permanent and require no special maintenance beyond brushing, flossing and regular dental checkups.

 

The veneer planning and placement process requires just two or three visits and provides beautifying results that has the potential to last a lifetime. To find out if this cosmetic solution is right for you, please call us and schedule your consultation for dental veneers.    

Sports Mouth Guards

With baseball and softball season starting up again, we thought it would be a good idea to talk about protecting yours or your children’s teeth with sports mouth guards. Mouth guards are made to protect teeth, but not many people know that they are also used to protect the head against a blow to the jaw that could result in a concussion and loss of consciousness. At Lewelling Dental Care, we provide custom fitted mouth guards for athletes to protect their mouth and head.

 

While most people think that mouthguards are only used in “contact” sports, many athletes across all sports are utilizing mouth guards. Mouth guards can be worn by athletes of all ages who participate in sports such as:

• Football
• Hockey
• Lacrosse
• Wrestling
• Basketball
• Baseball/Softball
• Soccer

Traditionally, mouth guards cover your upper teeth only. If you have braces or any other fixed dental appliances on your lower jaw, Dr. Kazi will make a mouth guard for your lower teeth as well. Dr. Kazi will evaluate each patient to determine what kind of mouth guard is best for you.

 

A custom-made mouth guard will be comfortable, durable and easy to clean. Over the counter mouth guards often restrict breathing and speech. Custom mouth guards are made of thin plastic that is hardened to protect your teeth. The thinness of a custom-made mouth guard allows for easy breathing and does not hinder speech skills whatsoever. If you are interested in a sports mouth guard for either yourself or your child-athlete, make sure to give us a call!

Bleeding Gums

If you have bleeding gums, it is most likely due to having a form of gum disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, half of the adults in the U.S. have periodontal disease, which is a more severe form of gum disease.

Gum disease can cause bleeding gums, as well as swollen gums, loose teeth, tooth loss, infection, and many other problems, which is why our Lewelling Dental Care dentist Dr. Shital Kazi encourages all patients to visit our office immediately after discovering bleeding gums.

Aside from bleeding gums, other symptoms of gum disease include shifting or loose teeth, deep pockets forming between the gums, changes in tooth arrangement, and bad breath that doesn’t go away.

Here at Lewelling Dental Care, we provide several treatment options for bleeding gums and gum disease, depending on other factors our patient is experiencing. Gum disease treatment usually involves various procedures like deep cleaning, scaling and root planing, and some surgical treatments. Antibiotics can help with some infections, but periodontal treatment is the best option.

Call us here at Lewelling Dental Care in San Lorenzo, CA at 510-276-6040 to talk about your treatment options if you have bleeding gums.

Source: http://www.perio.org/consumer/cdc-study.htm

Loose Teeth

Feeling loose teeth in your mouth is one of the most unpleasant and unsettling things that can happen with your teeth. Immediately you feel like something must be very wrong and that you might end up losing a tooth. You’re also hoping that you can find an effective treatment option that helps you save your teeth.

Severe form of gum disease, excessive clenching or grinding of the teeth, or even pregnancy, are among the many reasons our patients experience the feeling of loose teeth. Any time a tooth is weakened, whether following a root canal procedure or due to the bone structure being lost from periodontal gum disease, it can make the teeth loose.

Along with the feeling of loose teeth, patients may experience other symptoms. For example, patients might experience discomfort while chewing, pain along with the slight tooth movement, or the gum tissue is swollen, red, and damaged, the latter of which may be likely signs of gum disease.

The treatment for loose teeth depends on the cause. If the tooth is loose because it has been weakened, putting a crown over it can be helpful as it saves the tooth structure. However, if a loose tooth is due to clenching or grinding, we provide occlusal (bite) treatments of the teeth. Orthodontic procedures are also helpful in some cases.

Call us here at Lewelling Dental Care at 510-276-6040 to speak to our dentist Dr. Shital Kazi about your loose teeth right away so we can help you to save them.

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.

Full Dentures

Getting full dentures involves removing all the natural teeth and replacing them with prosthetic teeth. At Lewelling Dental Care, we understand if you are transitioning into full dentures, you’re likely to have questions. Our dentist and staff are happy to walk you through the process and answer all of your questions.

Having full dentures does not mean you will compromise appearance or function. In fact, getting full dentures can be beneficial in the following ways:

• Improved Appearance: Dentures can replace missing teeth and give you the confidence to smile again. Also, missing teeth can cause facial muscles to sag. Full dentures can prevent this from happening.


• Restore proper chewing and speaking: Missing teeth can mean difficulties chewing and eating. It can also cause problems speaking. Getting full dentures will help improve chewing and speech difficulties associated with missing teeth.


• Increased Self-esteem: Improving your appearance and smile is not only about looking better, but it can increase confidence. Improved confidence and self-esteem carry over to almost all areas of your life.

Getting full dentures can improve your appearance, functioning and quality of life. Dr. Kazi and her staff at Lewelling Dental Care want you to have a positive dental experience. We aim to provide excellent customer service to meet your needs.

For information on full dentures or other services call Lewelling Dental Care at (510) 276-6040.

TMJ

Jaw joint pain can interfere with proper sleeping, eating and other health problems, including headaches. At Lewelling Dental Care, Dr. Kazi provides treatment for jaw joint pain, which is often caused by temporomandibular disorder.

The temporomandibular joint connects your skull and lower jaw and controls jaw movement. In some instances, problems with the joint can develop leading to the following symptoms:

• Pain in the jaw


• Trouble chewing


• Facial pain


• Headaches

Jaw joint pain can be frustrating and inhibiting.  The good news is treatment is available. Dr. Kazi diagnoses and treats TMJ at our office.  Treatment may include education on symptom management and possibly wearing a night guard. Jaw joint pain can be successfully treated, so it does not have to interfere with your daily life. Dr. Kazi and her caring staff can offer you solutions for jaw joint pain.

If you’re suffering from jaw pain, call Lewelling Dental Care today at (510) 276-6040. We offer convenient appointment times including evening and Saturday appointments.

Inlays/Onlays May Be a Great Option for Repairing Your Damaged Teeth

At Lewelling Dental Care, Dr. Kazi wants to provide you with options when it comes to repairing damaged teeth. Since each patient’s dental needs are different, the best treatment for one patient may not be the best treatment for another.  That’s why we provide options for replacing teeth damaged by decay or injury.

Traditional fillings, also called direct fillings, are a good choice for patients who need to repair damaged teeth. However, when restorative needs are more than a filling can provide, inlays and onlays are the ideal dental option.

Inlays/onlays are used to repair a tooth, which has been damaged by decay, such as a cavity or injury. These molded dental prosthetics are applied to the damaged tooth, preserving its structure and the health of your smile. 

Some advantages of an inlay/onlay are it often covers less area of a tooth than a traditional filling. This means more of the natural tooth is preserved. In addition, inlays/onlays fit precisely, which reduces the amount of bacteria that can get between gaps or spaces. Inlays/onlays are also stronger than traditional fillings and tend to last longer.

Dr. Kazi will be happy to discuss inlays/onlays with you and help you decide what works best for you. For more information or to schedule an appointment call Lewelling Dental Care at (510) 276-6040.

Sports Guard

Playing contact sports is not only a great way to get exercise, but it can also be fun. Nothing ruins the fun and competition of sports faster than an injury. While people participating in sports often remember protective gear, such as helmets and pads, sports mouth guards are also an essential piece of equipment.

Dr. Kazi and her staff at Lewelling Dental Care can provide custom fittings for sports mouth guards. Whether you are an adult or child, you need to protect your teeth during contact sports, such as football, lacrosse, wrestling and other sports where physical contact is possible.

A sports mouth guard can limit injuries to your teeth, tongue and the soft tissue in your mouth. For example, a properly fitted sports mouth guard can prevent teeth from damage, such as chipping or fractures.

Although over the counter sports mouth guards can be purchased in sporting goods stores, they may be uncomfortable and not provide proper protection. Dr. Kazi will custom fit a sports guard for your mouth. A custom fit mouth guard provides a better fit and better protection against injury.

After a mold of your teeth is taken, a guard is made out of thin plastic, which allows for easy breathing and speaking. Both of which comes in handy on the playing field.

Call Lewelling Dental Care at (510) 276-6040 and have Dr. Kazi custom fit you for a sports mouth guard.