Treatment

Sealants

What are they?

Sealants are plastic coatings that mechanically attach to the tooth.

Where are they placed?

They are placed on the tops and sides of permanent teeth.

Do they prevent decay?

Yes, but not between the teeth. Brushing and flossing are still necessary.

What are they made of and are they dangerous to your health?

They are made of the same type of material that are used for white fillings in the mouth and they are not dangerous to your health.

What teeth are sealants usually placed on?

They are usually placed on primary and permanent molars and bicuspids.

When is the best time for a sealant to be placed on a tooth?

The best time to place a sealant on a tooth is shortly after it erupts into the mouth.

How are they placed on the teeth?

They are brushed on the teeth.

How long do they last?

Recent studies have shown they last between 5-7 years. Usually the top surface wears from the biting pressures and they need to be watched to make sure they are in place. This is usually done at the 6th month recall visit.

Can they be replaced if they are worn off?

Yes.

Are there any restrictions on eating?

Yes, you cannot chew on ice or popcorn kernels. You can eat right after they are placed.

Do your teeth feel different after sealants have been placed?

Yes, for a few days following the placement of the sealants, you feel as though you are biting on the sealant (which you are). This is normal.

Fillings

A “filling” is used to replace and restore your tooth structure when it is damaged due to decay or fractured with material. Our doctors replace old, broken down metal filling that contain traces of mercury with white fillings (composites) to restore your smile and teeth to a more natural look and feel.

With today’s advancements, no longer do you or your children have to suffer the embarrassment of unsightly and unhealthy silver/mercury filling or metal margins of the past. Eliminate the dark, black appearance in your teeth with new age, state of the art, tooth colored resin.

Bonding

Composite bonding

Bonding is a common solution for:

• Fixing or repairing chipped or cracked teeth.
• Reducing unsightly gaps or spaces between teeth.
• Hiding discoloration or faded areas on the tooth’s surface.

Often used to improve the appearance of your teeth and enhance your smile. As the name indicates, composite material, either a plastic or resin, is bonded to an existing tooth.

Composite bonding has many advantages:

• It is a quick process, which typically takes less than one hour.
• It does not reduce your tooth’s original structure and is relatively inexpensive.
• Composite resins come in many different shades and provide better matching to the natural color of your teeth.

Composite bonds, however, are not as durable and long lasting as veneers and crowns and may need to be re-touched or replaced in the future.

Composite bonds stain more easily and therefore require proper care and regular cleaning. In order to ensure the longest possible duration of the bonding, composites should be brushed and flossed daily.

Crowns

General Information

If a cavity is not caught early, the decay can destroy so much of the tooth structure that there is not enough left to support a filling. A stainless steel crown will save the tooth and prevent the risk of pain and infection. This crown is a pre-made cap that has been trimmed and fitted to your child’s tooth. These crowns cover the entire portion of the tooth at the gum lines.

Stainless steel is a long lasting material in the mouth, and it will serve quite well for the life of the baby (deciduous) teeth. This will keep the tooth and root intact until normal tooth loss occurs.

Stainless steel crowns are used in several circumstances:

• Broken teeth that cannot be repaired by normal fillings.
• Badly decayed teeth where little tooth structure remains.
• To prevent breakage of a tooth which has had a pulpotomy (partial removal of the nerve)

We usually can place the stainless steel crown in one appointment. We will shape your child’s tooth to the necessary form and then trim a stainless steel crown to fit tightly on the tooth. This crown will then be cemented into place. The crowned tooth will usually fall out normally when the permanent tooth is ready to come in.

Instructions for home care:

• There are no restrictions on your daily activities.
• Encourage brushing right away. A clean mouth heals faster.
• The diet should avoid between-meal sweets to help prevent cavities.
• Hard, sticky foods should be avoided.

Notify us if any of the following occur:

• Gum around the crown becomes swollen or tender.
• The tooth that has the crown becomes painful or loose.

Pulpotomy

General Information

A deep cavity in your child’s baby tooth may go into the nerve (pulp) of the tooth. In such cases, a pulpotomy is recommended to save the tooth.

A pulpotomy of a baby tooth is similar to, but not as complex as root canal treatment of an adult tooth. Both procedures prevent unnecessary loss of teeth. Your child’s baby teeth are important in guiding the permanent teeth into position and should therefore remain in your child’s mouth until they are lost naturally.

A pulpotomy removes part of the nerve (pulp) of a tooth to prevent or treat the formation of an abscess. A medicated filling material is placed in the nerve space and a cap or a filling is then used to restore your child’s tooth.

We insist on proper brushing, flossing and avoidance of sweet snacks. Your child should then never again have cavities large enough to require another pulpotomy. To insure this, please be sure you schedule regular checkups every six months.

General Measures.

1. If local anesthetic was given to your child for the pulpotomy, watch him or her for several hours to make sure he/she is not chewing his/her cheek, tongue or lips, which are numb.
2. Brush and floss as usual. A clean mouth heals faster.
3. Avoid hard sticky foods that would tend to remove the temporary filling material.

Medication

Medicines must be fitted to your child’s own particular needs. Do not take or give any medication (not even those you buy without prescription) without telling our doctors. If drugs are prescribed, carefully follow the instructions on the label.

Space Maintainers

General information

If a baby tooth is lost early in life, we may recommend treatment with a space maintainer. This is an appliance that is designed to hold the space of the extracted primary tooth until the permanent tooth erupts into its proper place.

If the primary tooth is lost due to an accident or decay, the surrounding teeth should be held in place to prevent closing of this space. The space maintainer should be used as soon as possible after the loss of the new tooth. Teeth may shift position in a few weeks after the loss of the neighboring tooth. This space maintainer is fixed or cemented into your child’s mouth.

Home Care:

• Hard, sticky foods such as chewing gum and taffy should be avoided.
• Encourage foods that do not place unnecessary pressure on the wires of the appliance.
• If the appliance is fixed and loosens, an appointment should be made to re-cement it immediately.
• Please pay close attention to your child’s brushing and flossing around the teeth where the spacer is cement.

There are various types of space maintainers, and in some cases more than one technique may be tried. With the proper treatment and home care, together we can maintain your child’s dental health.

Teeth Whitening

Your teeth naturally darken over time. Changes in the color of your teeth can be caused by such factors as:

• Food and beverages consumed (i.e. coffee, tea, and soda).
• Childhood medications or illnesses.
• Tobacco use.
• Improper oral hygiene.

Restoring your natural white smile is a priority for our team. We can provide a variety of options for whitening your smile.

Tooth whitening services are growing in popularity. Everyone sees the growing consumer market focused on whiter teeth. The reality is that over the consumer “too good to be true” solutions typically don’t work.

Our doctors are all trained professionals using industry approved methods. Our goal is to meet the needs of every patient, and every patient’s needs are different.

Nothing improves your appearance more than a bright, white smile!

Sedation Dentistry

Sedation dentistry refers to the use of sedation during dental treatment. Sedation is most commonly used during extensive procedures when your child has a dental phobia or finds it difficult to sit still. There are different types of sedation including:

• Nitrous oxide (“laughing gas”)
• Oral sedatives
• IV sedation

If your child has a dental phobia, low pain tolerance, major dental treatment, physical handicaps or strong gag reflexes, you may require sedation. Procedures like fillings, crowns, bridges, pulpotomies, extractions, cosmetic procedures and periodontal treatments often require sedation.

Sedation is endorsed by the American Dental Association and American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and is an effective way to make your child comfortable during the dental visit. Before using a sedative or anesthetic, it is important to tell our doctors about any medications or medical treatments your child is receiving. Before administering any sedative or anesthetic, we explain the process of sedation as well as pre and post sedation instructions.

Dr. Michael Mashni & Dr. James Park, our Anesthesia Doctors have been providing anesthesia for our patients in the past 10 years. They both are graduates of Loma Linda University, active both clinically and academically in their field and provide IV sedations for offices throughout Southern California 

Orthodontics

With early evaluation and diagnosis, your children can achieve optimal orthodontic results. Early treatment provides a range of benefits and often means that a patient can avoid surgery or other serious complications.

How Treatment Works

Your child’s orthodontic condition requires a treatment plan based on a specialized diagnosis of your child’s individual case. The treatment process involves x-rays, dental impressions, and photographs.

Braces have one aim: to use gentle pressure to move your teeth into proper alignment. Treatment time varies depending on age, patient compliance, and the severity of the condition. Generally, treatment lasts for 24 months, and is facilitated by ideal patient cooperation.

Early Treatment

Though an orthodontist can enhance a smile at any age, there is an optimal time period to begin treatment. Beginning treatment at this time ensures the greatest result and the least amount of time and expense.

The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that the initial orthodontic evaluation should occur at the first sign of orthodontic problems or no later than age 7. At this early age, orthodontic treatment may not be necessary, but vigilant examination can anticipate the most advantageous time to begin treatment.

By the age of 7, the first adult molars erupt, establishing the back bite. During this time, an orthodontist can evaluate your child’s front-to-back and side-to-side tooth relationships. For example, the presence of erupting incisors can indicate possible overbite, open bite, crowding, or gummy smiles. Timely screening increases the chances for an incredible smile for your child.

Types of Braces

These days there is a range of different types of braces available. In addition to regular metal braces, there are also less visible braces such as the In-Ovation Brakets, Ceramic Braces, Gold Braces, and Invisalign Braces.