How a Cosmetic Dentist Can Transform Your Smile

Patients looking to transform their appearance should work with a cosmetic dentist.  This type of dentistry is a specialty where experienced dentists are able to apply medically proven procedures to correct dental problems. This includes implanting new teeth, installing veneers, and turning crooked smiles into something perfectly amazing.

Celebrities have been using procedures for years to improve their smiles.  As most people age the bright white teeth they were born with tend to yellow, chip, move into unwanted places, and deteriorate overall.  This can leave people with an unattractive smile and lack of self confidence.

A cosmetic dentist can restore your confidence with proven procedures that will give you a smile people will remember.  Some common procedures are:

• Laser teeth whitening.  This advanced whitening technique will brighten your teeth by several shades in one visit.  It is fast, easy, and produces wonderful results.  Whitening teeth can make a person appear younger and rejuvenated.
• Implant dentistry.  Patients that have lost teeth can use implant dentistry to restore their smile and the functionality of their mouth.  Losing a tooth can make it difficult to eat and create challenges speaking.  Implant dentistry enables a cosmetic dentist to install a new permanent tooth that looks amazing and functions like a natural tooth.  This can be used to replace any damaged tooth.
• Veneers.  A dentist will install veneers to create a bright, straight, beautiful smile.  When teeth won’t let go of ugly stains or are uneven in length, chipped, or unsightly, veneers are the ideal solution.  When the veneer is installed, the dentist is placing a new front onto your tooth.  Your main tooth is shaved down but stays intact.  The veneer is cemented to the top, creating your perfect smile.

The exact treatment will depend on what the patient’s goals are and what will work best with their teeth.  A patient’s oral health plays a factor in what procedures will work and which ones won’t have the desired impact. 

What is the difference between cosmetic dentistry and going to the orthodontist?

It depends on the type of treatment you receive.  What is widely unknown is that orthodontists cannot permanently move your teeth.  Braces, rubber bands, and other tools are used to push teeth into place, but the roots never move.  That is why people have to wear their retainer after getting braces off.  Most people have to wear a retainer for the rest of their life or their teeth will start to move back.  That doesn’t mean they will go to their original position but typically end up somewhere in between where they started and where they ended up.  This can be extremely frustrating for people that spent years straightening their teeth. 

When a cosmetic dentist performs implant dentistry, the tooth is permanently installed in the exact correct position.  Implants start at the jaw bone with a metal piece inserted to act like the root of a tooth.  The synthetic tooth is created and secured to this root.  When people receive a new smile, using cosmetic dentistry that smile will stay in place longer than anything done with orthodontics. 

Sedation Dentistry is Ideal for Patients Worried About Going to the Dentist

If you have a low pain threshold sedation dentistry is the perfect solution.  Patients can literally fall asleep while having their teeth worked on.  This used to only be an option for small children.  As the technology has improved, dentists like Dr. Pechak have become experts at keeping patients comfortable undergoing dental work.

Some people are not terribly concerned with pain but experience anxiety from going to the dentist.  Anxiety and fear can make getting dental work more uncomfortable and harder to recover from.  When people are mentally and emotionally worked up it causes pain to intensify which only exasperates the issue.

Sedation dentistry is the solution.  Patients can relax and have a calming dental experience.  It can also make it easier for the dentist to do his job.  With a patient relaxed, and holding still, work can be performed faster with fewer interruptions. 

Types of Sedation

Dental patients can have conscious oral sedation where they fall asleep slowly or IV sedation where the impact is immediate.

Conscious Oral Sedation

Patients can take a pill and watch as their fears start to fade away.  There are two levels of this type of sedation, light and medium.  Light sedation makes a patient feel relaxed and comfortable, but they will most likely stay awake for the entire procedure.  Patients are able to respond easily to the dentist’s commands.  This is a fantastic option for patients that want to know what is happening, but are fearful of the process.

Medium sedation relaxes a patient, but they may feel groggy, slur their words, and fall asleep.  While awake, patients can communicate but won’t necessarily remember anything.

IV Sedation

This type of sedation takes place immediately with a medium to high effect.  Many patients go to sleep almost instantly.  For those with extreme fears of dental work, this is probably the best option.

Safety

In order for sedation to be safe it must be administered by someone that has been properly trained and has the right level of experience.  This procedure cannot be conducted by an untrained staff member.  When selecting a dentist make sure you ask about their experience level and who administers the sedation.  Dr. Pechak is an expert dentist patients can count on.

Benefits of Sedation Dentistry

The benefits extend beyond alleviating fear and making the patient more comfortable.  While those things make sedation worth it, another clear benefit is that a patient can accomplish in one visit what it would normally take multiple visits to complete.  Patients can get back to their lives quickly, with less time in the dental chair.

Dr. Jochen P. Pechak and Perio & Implant Center of the Monterey Bay are experts at providing sedation dentistry.  Don’t let fear, anxiety, or a low pain threshold prevent you from getting necessary dental work done.  There is a solution that can improve your smile and keep you feeling calm and relaxed.  Set your appointment by calling 831-648-8800.

Bone Augmentation from an Implant Dentist

Patients should work with an Implant Dentist because they are an expert at implant dentistry and able to provide more comprehensive solutions.  Implants can transform a smile, install a tooth where there is none, and make a person look young again. 

The challenge is that not everyone qualifies for implants.  The patient needs to have enough healthy natural bone to support the implants.  When a dentist installs the implants a metal piece is inserted below the gum line and attached to the bone.  This serves in place of a natural root system and is necessary for securing the new tooth into place.  In order for the procedure to work a patient needs healthy bone to secure the implant to.

An expert Implant Dentist can perform a bone augmentation procedure to help rebuild bone and provide a strong foundation for the implants.  The following are bone augmentation procedures.

Sinus Lift or Sinus Augmentation

The sinus cavity is located directly above your teeth.  This empty chamber is separated from your teeth by a thin bone.  When people have missing back teeth, or are unhealthy, the bone can deteriorate, losing its strength and thickness.  A dentist cannot implant new teeth under these conditions and will often install a piece of bone below the sinus cavity.  It takes four to twelve months for the bone to develop.  After that time, an implant dentist can install new teeth without an issue. Most patients say the procedure causes minimal discomfort or disruption of their life.

Bone Grafts

In a bone graft, the dentist will take bone from another area of your body, or from a donor, and use it to build up your existing bone.  This new bone is added to the jaw line in order to strengthen it.  The new bone fuses to the old bone to create the strength needed to implant the new teeth.  This procedure can be more painful and is usually done while the patient is sedated or under anesthesia.  Patients are given pain medication to use after the procedure and within three months should be able to have their new teeth installed.  When natural bone is, unavailable a synthetic may be used.

Ridge Expansion

This dental procedure is used with the jaw isn’t wide enough to support implants.  A dentist can place a small piece of bone in a small ridge or space at the top of the jaw.  This procedure strengthens the jaw bone to make sure your new teeth will stay in place securely.  How fast you can have teeth implanted depends on each patient.  Some can have the procedure immediately while others require up to 12 months to heal.

Bone augmentation is a viable solution for patients that want to have dental implants, but don’t have the bone strength to support it.  It is critical that patients see an Implant Dentist, someone that is an expert at performing these procedures.  All types of bone augmentation require skill and experience and Dr. Pechak has it.

Find Pain Relief with L.A.N.A.P Laser Dentistry in Palo Alto CA

Those suffering from periodontal disease can find relief with L.A.N.A.P. Laser Dentistry in Palo Alto California.  This disease, also known as gum disease, can be extremely painful and if left untreated can lead to people losing their teeth.  It is important to recognize the symptoms of periodontal disease in order to treat it in a timely manner.

Risk Factors for Gum Disease

Certain people are more likely to develop gum disease than the general population. 

Risk factors include:

• Diabetes.  Diabetics have a greater chance of developing infections overall, gum disease being one of them.
• Smoking. Cigarette smoking is one of the leading causes of periodontal disease and makes it extremely difficult for the body to respond to treatment.
• Hormonal changes.  Women and girls are at greater risk as their hormone's change.
• Medications.  Some medications decrease the amount of saliva a person creates.  Reduced saliva makes it easier to develop the disease.
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Symptoms of Periodontal Disease

• Tender or bleeding gums
• Bad breath that doesn’t go away
• Painful chewing
• Loose teeth
• Receding gums
• Sensitive teeth

Treat Disease with L.A.N.A.P. Laser Dentistry in Palo Alto California

If you are experiencing some of these symptoms, you should schedule a dental exam right away.  It is better to treat the problem at its onset rather than waiting until the pain becomes unbearable.  If the dentist identifies gum disease, they will likely refer patients to a periodontist.   

Traditional treatments can be painful.  In order to treat gum disease, deep cleaning must first take place.  This involves scraping the tarter off of the teeth both above and below the gum line.  To access the area gums are often cut and later sewn back together.  The procedure becomes more painful when tools are inserted in between the gums and the teeth.  The procedure can lead to swelling and bleeding. 

Patients have an alternative with L.A.N.A.P. Laser Dentistry in Palo Alto, California.  This type of treatment is non-invasive and much more comfortable.  A laser is used to remove the diseased tissue and bad bacteria from the gum pocket.  The laser light will destroy the bad tissue and bacteria while an ultrasonic scaler breaks up tarter using sound waves.   Instead of undergoing painful surgery, treatment, and recovery process, technology has made it easier to become healthy and get back to your life quickly.

Benefits of Laser

• No cutting.  This will make recovery faster and decrease the patients pain.
• Done in two hours. You have a life, so go enjoy it.  Instead of spending hours in the chair, and days recovering, you can be back to work or having fun within two hours.
• Lasts longer.  Research found that 98% of patients treated with L.A.N.A.P. remained in good health five years after being treated as compared with only 5% after traditional gum surgery.
• Recover in 24 hours.  Laser treatment helps patients get back to work where traditional surgery takes 2 to 4 weeks to recover from.

Don’t live with the pain of gum disease.  Call L.A.N.A.P. Laser Dentistry in Palo Alto, California to experience how laser treatment can help you.