Cleaning Invisalign

If you are undergoing orthodontic treatment with Invisalign, you will want to be sure to keep your aligners clean. Otherwise, plaque and tartar can accumulate on your aligners, just like it would accumulate on your teeth if you did not clean them.

Invisalign actually sells a proprietary product called The Invisalign Cleaning System. This cleaning system utilizes crystals that the patient adds to water. As the aligners sit in this soaking solution, it will remove dental plaque from them. While the Invisalign crystals are considered effective, some patients find this method a bit pricey. Many have found that retainer and denture cleaners also work well in this same capacity. All of their cleaning actions are enhanced if they are used in conjunction with a vibrating bath.

If you want to clean your aligners with your toothbrush, that is fine, but you will want to make sure to avoid using toothpaste. Most toothpaste contains abrasives that will scratch your aligners. That is why you want to only use water and a mild detergent if you are using your toothbrush to clean your aligners. Diluted hydrogen peroxide solutions, diluted bleach solutions, and diluted vinegar solutions can also be used to effectively clean your aligners.

If you have any questions about caring for your aligners, contact our expert in Invisalign in Beverly Hills for more information.

How Lumineers Work

Lumineers are a type of dental veneer that are so ultra-thin that no preparation of the teeth is necessary beforehand. This stands in direct contrast to traditional veneers, which require the removal of a thin layer of your enamel in order to be placed. The placement of Lumineers occurs over the course of two visits to our West Hollywood cosmetic dentist.

On the first visit, the dentist will take impressions of your teeth. They may also take photographs and other measurements of your mouth. This information is then sent to the lab where your Lumineers will be custom-designed. On the next visit, your Lumineers will be placed. First, the dentist will make sure that your Lumineers are a good fit. Once it has been determined that they fit, your teeth will be moderately etched. This etching ensures that the bonding agent will firmly adhere to your teeth. Your Lumineers will then be bonded into place, one at a time. Since no enamel was removed from your teeth, the Lumineers process is considered reversible.

If you would like to know if Lumineers are the right cosmetic option for your teeth, contact our expert in Lumineers in West Hollywood to schedule a consultation.

Lumineers are a type of dental veneer that are so ultra-thin that no preparation of the teeth is necessary beforehand. This stands in direct contrast to traditional veneers, which require the removal of a thin layer of your enamel in order to be placed. The placement of Lumineers occurs over the course of two visits to our West Hollywood cosmetic dentist.
On the first visit, the dentist will take impressions of your teeth. They may also take photographs and other measurements of your mouth. This information is then sent to the lab where your Lumineers will be custom-designed. On the next visit, your Lumineers will be placed. First, the dentist will make sure that your Lumineers are a good fit. Once it has been determined that they fit, your teeth will be moderately etched. This etching ensures that the bonding agent will firmly adhere to your teeth. Your Lumineers will then be bonded into place, one at a time. Since no enamel was removed from your teeth, the Lumineers process is considered reversible.

If you would like to know if Lumineers are the right cosmetic option for your teeth, contact our expert in Lumineers in West Hollywood to schedule a consultation.

What Do Veneers Look Like?

Porcelain veneers are a great option for patients looking to disguise many dental abnormalities or things that simply make them self-conscious. One of the most common questions about them are about how they look on the tooth.

The most common type of veneer is made of porcelain, the same substance that your china and bathtub are made of. The reason they are made of this is because it has three features that are ideal for oral applications: it reflects light nearly identically as teeth, it can be color-matched to the neighboring teeth, and it is highly stain resistant. Because of the first two reasons, that it reflect light much like natural teeth and that it can be color-matched, porcelain veneers are essentially indistinguishable from natural teeth. In other words, no one will be able to tell you have them at all. All they will see is a perfectly shaped, natural-looking smile.

Because porcelain is non-porous, staining is virtually impossible. This is why it is so popular in bathrooms, as it can be easily cleaned. This means that your smile will maintain that perfect look for years to come.

Perhaps the best way to get a sense of their look, however, is to simply look up dental veneers pictures online or at our office. You may even ask around, as there is a decent chance you know someone who already has them but you never knew it.

If you are in the area, contact our Pasadena dental veneers expert to schedule a consultation to find out if they are right for you.

How Sensitive Teeth are Treated

There can be several reasons why a person may be experiencing tooth sensitivity. Tooth sensitivity can be temporarily caused by hot or cold beverages. A loss of enamel can expose more dentin, which is a very sensitive layer of your teeth. If a cavity or gum disease is the cause of your tooth sensitivity, then you may need to visit our Los Angeles emergency dentist.

In the office, the dentist will determine the cause of your sensitivity. If it is from a cavity, the dentist will drill away the decayed portion of the tooth and restore it with a dental filling. If it is from gum disease, a deep cleaning may be needed. If your sensitivity is being caused by large amounts of your dentin being exposed from enamel loss, there are special in-office treatments that can be done to alleviate your sensitivity. Fluoride treatments can be given to strengthen your teeth. Dental bonding can even be applied over your dentin, providing your teeth with a boundary between it and the stimuli that cause sensitivity. If your sensitivity is being caused by receding gums, our dentist can perform a gum graft to better protect your tooth roots.

If you are sick of dealing with sensitive teeth, contact our expert in treatment of sensitive teeth in Los Angeles to schedule a consultation.

When Dental Implants are the Better Option

Dental implants are just one option among many which dentists use to help restore the mouth of someone suffering from tooth loss or severe decay. Depending on the situation, our Orange County dentist may recommend bridges or dentures to replace lost teeth. There are a few situation that implants are usually recommended, though.

Implants are highly recommended when a patient in their teens through their forties has lost a tooth or series of teeth, often as a result of a physical blow to the face. This is because natural teeth constantly stimulate the jaw bone. When a tooth is missing, the lack of stimulation causes the body to reabsorb the bone mass in that location. When a patient has still decades to live, the bone mass lost in that particular location can be significant, causing cratering in the facial structure. Not only would this be unattractive in their later years, it can also cause problems with neighboring teeth. Implants avoid this problem because they mimic natural teeth in how they stimulate the jaw bone.

Another time that dental implants are a better option is to use a few carefully placed implants to form the support structure for dentures. Although they have come a long way in recent years, standard dentures have a host of problems, including slippage. They also do not stimulate the bone, as noted above. By using dental implants as the support structure of the dentures, slippage is a non-issue. And while they will not stimulate the entire jaw, they will for some of it, helping prevent some of the cratering of the face.

Our expert in dental implants in Orange County would be happy to discuss the benefits further at a consultation.

Cosmetic Options for Dental Fillings

When you go to the dentist for a professional exam and cleaning, one of the last things you want to hear from them is that you have a cavity. While there are certainly worse things that the dentist could say to you, nobody ever looks forward to having a cavity filled. Luckily, the days of only being able to choose from gold or silver fillings are long gone. These days, there are cosmetically pleasing options that are available when it comes to dental fillings.

Composite resin fillings are tooth-colored fillings that are currently very popular with patients who visit our cosmetic dentists in Los Angeles. These fillings can be made to match the color of the tooth that is being filled. Composite resin fillings are bonded directly to the tooth structure, which provides additional support for the tooth.

Porcelain inlays and onlays are also cosmetic options for dental fillings. Like resin, porcelain can also be matched to the color of the tooth that is being treated. Inlays and onlays are indirect fillings, so this type of filling must be custom-designed by a lab before being placed. These types of fillings are usually only used if the tooth does not have the necessary structural support to survive once the decayed portion has been removed. Indirect fillings usually take more than one visit to be placed.

If you think you may have a cavity that needs to be treated, contact our expert in dental fillings in Los Angeles to schedule an appointment.

How to Become an Invisalign Provider

If you are a dentist or orthodontist who wishes to start offering Invisalign, getting set up as an Invisalign Provider is easy. With just a couple of steps, you can be well on your way to reaping the rewards that come with offering your patients Invisalign.

The first step in becoming an Invisalign Provider is to take the class. You can register for the Invisalign training course on their website or by phone, whichever you prefer. The next step is attending the class. During the class, you will learn how to take the records for each patient that will be used to plan out their Invisalign treatment. The record consists of X-rays, photos, and impressions that you will need to take and then send to Invisalign. Invisalign will then send a 3-D model of the mouth of the patient back to you that you will use to plan out the entirety of their treatment. After the course, Invisalign will mail you a Getting Started Kit that will further cover all this information. This kit will include everything that you need to begin treating your first patient with Invisalign.

If you would like more information about becoming an Invisalign Provider, contact our Invisalign provider in Beverly Hills for more information.

Purpose of Root Canal

When a tooth infection escalates, it can unleash a whole storm of systemic problems that may not be limited to your mouth. In addition to causing severe pain, a tooth left to decay may abscess, which can spread elsewhere. To avoid this nastiness, a procedure known as root canal may be performed. Largely preventative, it is a routine part of the repertoire at our Los Angeles dentist office. Stories of root canal being extremely traumatic are largely myths.

Root canal is the name of both the procedure and the part of the tooth it addresses. Extreme decay causes rampant bacteria which can lead to pus pockets beneath the affected tooth. The inner material of the tooth, called the pulp, can end up contaminated as well. What root canal does is dredge the bad pulp from the tooth, emptying the canal and disinfecting it thoroughly. The pulp is then replaced with a material called gutta-percha, the same material used in walking sticks in the mid-1800s.

Sometimes the dentist will address all branches of the root system, depending on how intricate it is. After the tooth is cleaned and refilled, it receives a crown to hide the damage. Typically a tooth that needs root canal is too far gone to fully salvage, but the crown maintains visual order in the mouth and ensures your smile is not affected.

For more on root canal, consult our expert in root canal in Los Angeles.

Hollywood Stars and Smile Makeovers

For the longest time now, Tom Cruise has been synonymous with the term A-list celebrity. But that was not always the case. In fact, even in his first film role, he had one element from his now iconic persona that was completely missing – a perfect smile. Not only was his smile not perfect, but it was legitimately bad at the start of his career. And then he underwent a Hollywood smile makeover, and the rest is history. He is far from the only Hollywood celebrity to have undergone this procedure. Stars like Zac Efron, Gwen Stefani, Celine Dion, and Michael Douglas have all had dental makeovers.

A dental makeover is a procedure or a series of procedures that is designed to provide a patient with the ideal smile. And you do not have to be a celebrity to get one done, either. You just have to go to a dentist that specializes in this type of procedure. A dental makeover can include veneers, crowns, dental implants, dental bonding, teeth whitening, crown lengthening, and dental fillings. In fact, any dental procedure can theoretically be part of a smile makeover. The key is finding a dentist who understands which dental procedures would work best for your individual needs.

Benefits of Invisalign Treatment

Invisalign treatment lets patients enjoy a range of perks while their teeth are being straightened. At the same time, patients gain the same lifelong benefits that are expected from orthodontic treatment. Here is a look at what is offered by this treatment from our San Francisco cosmetic dentist.

Invisalign General Benefits

Once teeth have been repositioned with Invisalign, patients enjoy a better-looking smile and the increased confidence that comes with it. The teeth are more comfortable during meals and conversations because they fit together properly. Risks of tooth decay and gum disease go down, and digestion improves thanks to more efficient chewing.

Unique Advantages of Invisalign

Compared to metal braces, Invisalign is more discreet, comfortable and compatible with oral health routines. At school and work, Invisalign recipients do not have to feel self-conscious because the aligners are virtually invisible. No brackets and wires means that abrasion is absent. Because the aligners are removable, patients can brush and floss as easily as ever.

Most adults are candidates for Invisalign, but an exam from our expert in Invisalign in San Francisco is required to confirm eligibility. Patients can learn more about Invisalign by scheduling a consultation our dentist.