Removal of Wisdom Teeth

Wisdom teeth are the last teeth to erupt and often make their appearance in the late teens or early 20s. Unfortunately, many people simply do not have enough room in their jaws or have badly positioned wisdom teeth that are threatening their other teeth. Our emergency dentist may recommend removing wisdom teeth if yours are affecting your dental health.

When your wisdom teeth are impacted, or unable to erupt properly, they can increase the risk of decay or gum disease, and they can cause other teeth to shift out of alignment. Extracting these teeth gives your other teeth more room and eliminates the risk of infections around these teeth.

The wisdom tooth extraction process if fairly straightforward. We use a local anesthetic to numb the tooth, and then we extract the tooth. After the extraction, gauze is placed over the socket to control the bleeding. You will need to eat a soft diet for a few days and avoid straws and smoking, which can cause complications. We will provide you with thorough aftercare instructions to promote healing and protect your smile.

If your wisdom teeth are causing problems, we can help. Call us to schedule your appointment with our expert in emergency wisdom teeth removal in Los Angeles.

Different Types of Dental Implants

Dental implants are considered the most effective replacement option for a missing tooth or teeth. There are a few different kinds of dental implants currently available.

The first type of dental implant is the two-stage dental implant known as endosteal implants. The procedure to place this kind of implant requires the dentist to slice open the gums above the missing tooth. A hole is then drilled into the jawbone and the endosteal implant post is placed inside it. The gum is then placed over the implant and within a few months, your bone will have fully fused with the implant. Once healed, a second surgery is required. Our dentist in Noho will reopen the gum to expose the implant and attach the abutment to it. After letting it heal for up to a couple of weeks, the dentist will then fit the patient with a crown.

Another type of dental implant is the one-stage dental implant known as subperiosteal implants. These implants are placed using only one surgery. Another surgery is not required to place the abutments onto the implants, as subperiosteal implants already have the abutment attached to the post of the implant.

Mini implants are another form of dental implants. They are smaller than traditional implants, but are strong enough to be able to be used in many of the same scenarios. They do not require as invasive of a surgery and can be placed by our dental implant dentist in North Hollywood with less bone support than is need for traditional implants.

Costs of Root Canal Treatment

A root canal treatment is used to save a tooth that has suffered an infection or inflammation of its pulp. The cost of a root canal treatment will be determined by a variety of factors.

The first factor to take into consideration is the location of the affected tooth. A root canal treatment for the front teeth is usually a little cheaper than it is for the rear molars. The geographic location of where the service is taking place will also impact the total cost. Large cities tend to cost more than smaller ones and rural areas. For example, the root canal cost in Los Angeles will likely be more expensive than it is in the Midwest. The level of experience of the person performing the procedure will also affect the price. Dentists with more experience tend to cost more than ones who are just starting out, but it is highly recommended to get your root canal done by someone with ample experience performing the procedure. There may also be additional costs for the crown that is used to restore the tooth after the procedure, and for the post that may be required to give the crown enough support.

If you are in need of a root canal treatment, contact our expert in endodontics in Los Angeles to schedule an appointment.

Are Dental Implants Affordable?

You may have heard at this point that if you need to replace a missing tooth, a dental implant is your best option for replacement. When all factors are taken into consideration, dental implants are also a very affordable option.

It is true that a dental bridge is another replacement option that is usually cheaper than a dental implant, but that is really only true in the short term. When you lose a tooth, your body reacts to it by starting to absorb the bone that is located below the missing tooth. If this process is allowed to play out, it will cause your face to sink in and also cause your teeth to shift out of alignment in order to compensate for the missing space in your mouth. A bridge will not prevent this from happening. Only a dental implant will prevent this process from taking hold. That is because when you visit our dental implant doctor in Beverly Hills, the implant will be placed directly into your jawbone. Once your bone heals, it will fuse with the implant. By doing so, it will keep your jawbone stimulated and prevent the bone loss from occurring. So by replacing your missing tooth with a dental implant, you will not only prevent your face from sinking in, but you will also be able to avoid needing orthodontic work done down the road.

If you are interested in learning more about affordable dental implants, contact our office to set up a consultation.

How to Find Dentists Specializing in Invisalign

If you are in need of orthodontic treatment, you may have decided on pursuing treatment using the Invisalign system. It is important to understand, though, that not all dentists and orthodontists offer treatment with Invisalign. Additional training is required of any dental professional who wishes to become an Invisalign provider. If you are not sure how to go about finding a dentist who specializes in Invisalign, rest assured that is an easy process.

If you go on the official Invisalign website, they will actually present you with an option to search for any Invisalign providers in your area by zip code. When scanning the list of Invisalign providers that has come up from your search, pay extra close attention as to whether or not the provider you have selected is listed as an Invisalign Preferred Provider. They may be listed as either a Premier Preferred or Elite Preferred Provider. These providers have gained significant levels of experience using the Invisalign system for straightening teeth. It is best to select a few providers who you are interested in seeing. Make sure to set up consultations with several of them. Then pick whichever one seems to you to be the best fit for your orthodontic needs.

If you have any additional questions about locating an Invisalign provider in the LA area, contact our Invisalign specialist in Beverly Hills for more information.

Pros and Cons of Dentures

If you are missing teeth or will soon be having your remaining teeth extracted, our Los Angeles dentist may recommend dentures. Dentures are a special type of restoration that can replace all of the teeth in one or both jaws. They allow you to eat again and smile confidently without any unwanted gaps.

Pros

Having a beautiful smile again is one of the biggest pros of dentures. We use natural-looking materials to design a smile that looks just like or even better than your natural smile. Dentures can replace many teeth at once, and they can be easy to use without the need for multiple appointments spaced over several weeks or months. In fact, we can often have your new dentures ready to wear in just two or three appointments.

Cons

Dentures will need periodic adjustments as your gums and jawbone change over time. You can minimize this by choosing implant-supported dentures, which are attached to a series of dental implants, which act as roots for your new teeth. Implants also stabilize dentures so that they work and feel just like your own teeth.

Call us today to find out more or to schedule an appointment with our expert in dentures in Los Angeles.

Advantages of Lingual Braces for Orthodontic Treatments

It used to be that if you needed orthodontic treatment, your only real choice was traditional metal braces. One of the main complaints that people always have about wearing this type of braces is that they are highly visible to the outside world. Lingual braces were designed as a less noticeable alternative to traditional braces.

Lingual braces still utilize metal brackets and wires in order to straighten teeth, but they are unique in that they are placed on the backside of your teeth. This unique feature of lingual braces makes it so that nobody will ever know that you are wearing any braces at all. The aesthetic appeal is definitely one of the biggest advantages that lingual braces have over traditional braces. Our orthodontist in Los Angeles has patients requesting lingual braces just for this reason alone. Many patients also find them to be more comfortable since they are often custom-designed using an impression of your teeth. Another advantage is that it is easier to play wind instruments and contact sports with the brackets and wires beings situated on the tongue-side of your teeth. Also, lingual braces are just as strong as traditional braces when it comes to moving your teeth into the proper alignment.

If you are interested in learning if lingual braces are a good option for your orthodontic treatment, contact our expert in lingual braces in Los Angeles to set up a consultation.

Purpose of Braces

Orthodontic braces are strongly associated with their cosmetic benefits, but aesthetic improvements are only one part of why braces are used. With straightening of bite irregularities comes better oral health and comfort, supporting overall well-being for life. Here is more about the purpose of this treatment.

Cosmetic Enhancement

Like other parts of the body, the smile depends on proper proportions to look good. When the teeth are straight and evenly spaced and the smile is symmetrical, high self-confidence is more likely to be present.

Oral Health

Teeth that are straight and fit together properly are less inclined to harbor food particles and bacteria and develop cavities. In the long term, jaw strain and tooth loss are also less likely to occur.

Comfort

When teeth do not meet correctly, they may cause pain when patients speak and chew. Braces will ensure that the teeth fit together as they should, increasing comfort and quality of life as a result.

A variety of orthodontic options are available to address goals related to treatment time, convenience, appearance and other factors. However, different types of braces all are used for the same purposes listed here. At a consultation with our orthodontists in Rocklin, you can find out which types of braces will meet your needs.

Veneers and Root Canal

Veneers and root canal are both common treatments, but they are unlikely to be used together on the same teeth. However, improperly placed veneers can make root canal therapy necessary over time. Here is a look at why these treatments are usually used separately and how one can lead to the other.

Root canal therapy is often finished with placement of a crown on the treated tooth. This serves multiple purposes, including aesthetic preservation, protection from breakage and blockage of bacteria from entering the tooth. Like veneers, crowns are tooth colored and stain resistant. However, unlike veneers, crowns cover the entire tooth rather than just the front. If a crown is ever damaged, it will be replaced with another crown and not with a veneer.

Placement of veneers requires removing some enamel and seating the veneers properly. If this process is incorrectly performed, the nerves of treated teeth could stay exposed and vulnerable to infection. This could result in the need for root canal.

Infected teeth can appear unsightly, but the internal location of the problem prevents purely cosmetic options, such as veneers, from being solutions. When infections are absent in unsightly teeth, allowing for selection of veneers, our Los Angeles dental veneer dentist will place the veneers properly so that root canal is unlikely to become necessary later.