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. 

Crowns

If the structure of your tooth has been compromised due to a severe decay, a chip or fracture, it harms the esthetics of your smile and puts your mouth at risk for bacterial infection, further decay and even bit misalignment.  Here at Lewelling Dental Care, we help our patients avoid such complications and restore the beauty and function of their smiles with reliable dental crowns. 

 

Crowns work to protect the structure of your tooth like a small suit of armor, while appearing as natural as normal, healthy tooth enamel.  The crowns we provide are custom crafted and securely bonded to your tooth’s structure, ensuring long lasting and reliable functionality. When you restore your smile with a crown, you will not need to make any long term dietary modifications or perform any additional oral health maintenance beyond daily hygiene measures, regular dental exams and cleanings, and crown replacement approximately every fifteen years.

 

We have a full explanation of the crown placement process and other details right on our website, but we are happy to answer all of your questions directly - simply schedule a full consultation with Dr. Shital Kazi by calling (510) 276-6040.

Dental Hygiene

Your daily dental hygiene is one of the biggest factors in your periodontal health. This can be for better or worse based on your individual habits. Brushing, flossing, a sensible diet and diligent biannual checkups all contribute to healthy dental hygiene and reduced risk of developing gum disease.  It is also wise to abstain from tobacco, alcohol, and foods high in sugar.

 

Maintaining good dental hygiene is simple but it goes quite a long way. We invite you to Lewelling Dental Care to ensure that your efforts have been effective and provide any necessary periodontal health treatments, including scaling and root planning and professional cleanings. Call 510-276-6040 to arrange your appointment or visit www.lewellingdental.com to learn more about oral hygiene.        

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.