Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a disorder that causes breaks in the person’s breathing, as well as shallow breathing. These pauses typically last a few seconds, but can be minutes. Not only does it interrupt the patient’s sleep, but it can be dangerous when the patient does not breathe multiple times at night. Dr. Shital Kazi offers a variety of sleep apnea corrections through surgery.

 

Lewelling Dental Care offers procedures to help with sleep apnea, because of the dangerous side effects it can cause. When sleep apnea is left untreated, it can lead to an increased risk of heart failure, high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, heart attack and stroke, in addition to possible arrhythmias. It can also lead to an increase in the risk of work-related accidents and car accidents because of poor sleep. That's why it is important to get treatment if you've been diagnosed with sleep apnea.

 

There are three procedures offered in our San Lorenzo, CA office: uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP), maxillomandibular advancement, and tracheostomy.

 

The UPPP procedure removes excess tissue from the throat and mouth, and is performed in a local hospital. The maxillomandibular advancement also helps with sleep apnea by moving the jaw forward from the facial bones, helping to create an open airway. Lastly, there is the tracheostomy, which puts a tube in the patient’s throat to be covered during the day and open while sleeping.

 

Visit www.lewellingdental.com for more information about treatment for sleep apnea or call 510-276-6040 to set up an appointment with Dr. Shital Kazi. 

Take-Home Tray Whitening

Even with consistent brushing and good oral care, teeth can lose their color. Today, patients have many options when it comes to teeth whitening that include over-the-counter options and professional options that include either in-office or take-home systems. At our San Lorenzo, CA practice, Lewelling Dental Care, we offer our patients custom tray whitening to help improve the cosmetic appearance of their teeth. Having teeth professionally whitened is an excellent way to restore the natural color of teeth quickly and effectively.

 

When it comes to whitening your smile, we will first need to determine whether your teeth are intrinsically or extrinsically stained. Intrinsic stains are on the surface, having barely penetrated the enamel. They are caused by staining agents like coffee or smoking; they can also be caused by old-age. These stains are reversible through take-home tray whitening.  Extrinsic stains develop from the inside of the teeth and are often caused by more permanent staining agents like antibiotics. With an extrinsic stain, the teeth are darkened as a result of bacteria buildup and cannot be reversed by whitening alone.

 

Traditional tray systems include a custom-fitted mouth tray that the patient wears for a period of 40-45 minutes for a few days. We will take a mold of your mouth in order to create a custom-fit mouth tray. You will apply the gel treatment to the mouth trays and wear it for approximately 45 minutes a day. The amount of days the mouth tray is worn depends on how white you want your teeth to be. This often results in a whiter smile of 4-8 shades in just a few days. 

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. 

Dental Hygiene

Dental Hygiene

Oral health and dental hygiene is a top priority of Dr. Shital Kazi. Our patients often come to us for different types of dental procedures and treatments, many of which are prevented by following proper at-home dental hygiene regimes and visiting us in San Lorenzo, CA for regular examinations and cleanings. We make sure all of our patients understand the importance of keeping up with their dental hygiene and taking their oral care very seriously.

Proper dental hygiene does a variety of things for our patients, including helping patients:

• maintain fresh breath.


• keep their teeth and gums clean.


• prevent swollen and bleeding gums.


• have more comfortable professional cleanings.


• reduce the risk of gum disease or periodontal disease.


• reduce the risk of tooth loss as they get older.

In addition, by battling gum disease through proper dental hygiene, patients can reduce the risk of needing more expensive dental procedures, such as implants, dentures, or bridges later.

The important practices of dental hygiene include brushing and flossing twice a day, using a fluoride rinse, visiting us every six months for a professional cleaning and examination, and reducing the intake of sugar, soft drinks and otherwise unhealthy foods that cause tooth decay and wearing down of the enamel. Visit us here at Lewelling Dental Care to keep on top of good dental hygiene.