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. 

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. 

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.    

Full/Partial Dentures

If you have missing teeth, you know how it can interfere with your speech and chewing. Having missing teeth can also cause the structure of your face to change. In addition to physical issues caused by missing teeth, it can lead to decreased self-esteem or self-consciousness.

 

At Lewelling Dental Care, we offer solutions for replacing missing teeth including dentures. Conventional dentures involve having the teeth extracted and giving the gums time to heal. After healing takes place, dentures are placed.

 

In addition to conventional dentures, we also offer immediate dentures. This option involves placing the dentures immediately after the teeth are extracted. One benefit of immediate dentures is you don’t have to wait for your dentures to be placed. Dr. Shital Kazi will evaluate your situation and determine if immediate dentures are right for you. If you still have some remaining teeth, which don’t need to be extracted, partial dentures may also be a good option.

 

Dentures may take a little time to get used to. In most cases, dentures are a comfortable option for replacing missing teeth. It’s also important patients take proper care of their dentures. Maintaining good oral hygiene is still essential if you have dentures.

 

Our team here at Lewelling Dental Care is experienced in various areas of dentistry including cosmetic, preventative and restorative services. For more information on dentures or any of our services, please call Lewelling Dental Care at (510) 276-6040. 

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.  

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.