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DENTAL
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS, DENTIST SERVING
Mission
Viejo, Lake Forest, Rancho Santa Margarita, El Toro, Irvine,
Coto De Caza, Saddleback, Portola Hills, Trabuco Canyon, Dove
Canyon
MY
FRIENDLY FOOTHILL RANCH DENTIST
Cosmetic Dentistry Foothill Ranch, Dentistry Foothill Ranch,
Dental Foothill Ranch, 92610,
Bleaching, Whitening, Invisalign, Braces, Othrodontics
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FREQUENLY ASKED
DENTAL QUESTIONS
FOOTHILL
RANCH
CA 92610
SERVING
Mission Viejo Lake Forest Rancho Santa Margarita
El Toro, Irvine
Coto De Caza,
Saddleback.
Portola Hills, Trabuco Canyon, Dove Canyon
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ProSmile
Dentistry - 26720 Towne Centre Dr., Suite A,
Foothill Ranch, CA 92610 -
Call (949) 583-1500
DENTAL EXCELLENCE with VIP SERVICE! "Your
Time is Valuable!"
"We
are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act,
but a habit -- Aristotle"
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Accepted
Insurances:
We accept most insurance
plans. Please be sure to bring your benefit card with you
to your appointment. Below is a list of our the most common
insurance plans:
Aetna
Dental Plan
AIG
Blue
Cross
Blue
Shield of California
Cigna
Dental
Delta
Dental
First
Dental Health
Genworth
Financial
GreatWest
Healthcare
Guardian
Dental
Humana
Southern
California Local Union 831
MetLife
PacifiCare
Premier
Access
Principal
Plan Dental
Reliance
Standard
Safeguard
United
Concordia
United
Health Care
United Food
& Commercial Workers
and many more...
Our Dental Services Include:
Cosmetic Dentistry, Lava Crowns, Bridges, Lumaneers, Porcelain
Veneers, Inlays, Onlays, Zoom, Orthodontic, Ortho, Braces
Invisalign, Dental Implants, Periodontist, Cleanings, Bonding,
White Fillings, Partial Dentures, Complete Dentures, Oral
Surgery, Bleaching, Whitening, Restorative Dentistry, Gum
Treatment, Extractions
ProSmile
Dentistry Serves the Southern Orange County and Southern
California
Dentistfoothillranch.com recieves many customers from the
following cities and zipcodes:
Lake Forest
92609, 92630, Foothill Ranch 92610, Mission Viejo 92675,
92690, 92691, 92692, 92694, El
Toro 92609, 92610, 92630, Irvine 92602, 92603, 92604, 92606,
92612, 92614, 92616, 92618, 92619, 92620, 92623, 92650,
92697, 92709, 92710, Laguna Hills 92637, 92653, 92654, 92656,
Laguna Niguel 92607, 92677, Rancho Santa Margarita 92688,
San Juan Capistrano 92675, 92690, 92691, 92692, 92693, 92694
Coto De Caza 92679, Dove Canyon 92679, Cowan Heights 92705,
Silverado 92676, Trabuco Canyon 92678, 92679, 92688, Modjeska
92676, Robinson Ranch 92679, Ladera Ranch 92694, Tustin
92780, 92781, 92782, San Juan Capistrano 92675, 92690, 92691,
92692, 92693, 92694, Ladera Ranch
92694, California
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FREQUENTLY
ASKED DENTAL QUESTIONS
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F.A.Q.'s
FREQUENTLY
ASKED DENTAL QUESTIONS
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Q.
I have some old silver fillings which
are beginning to look bad. What can be
done to improve them.
A.
Silver
amalgam fillings, which are composed
of 50% mercury and 50% silver alloy ,eventually
need to be replaced. It may surprise you
to know that the average life span of
a silver filling is five to eight years.
Your dentist can tell you when they appear
to NEED to be replaced due to leakage,
breakdown or recurrent decay.
If
your concern is strictly COSMETIC, there
are many new methods available to replace
the fillings with beautiful, functional
long lasting restorations.
Such
things as white filling materials, porcelain
inlays , crowns and veneers may be used
to give you the smile you are seeking.
There
is currently a great deal of interest
in new reinforced hybrid materials. These
beautiful resin materials may be reinforced
with fibers, similar to fiberglass, and
used in very conservative inlays and bridges
without having to grind away a whole healthy
tooth.
Q.
I would like to have my teeth whitened.
There are so many products and ads for whiteners
that it is hard to decide which is best.
what do you recommend?
A.
You
are correct. There are many products and
techniques available. Some work great
and some don't work at all. The various
over the counter products give the least
predictable results.
To
get a really great result you should probably
use one of the products sold through dental
offices which utilize custom made trays
for home app- lication of a bleaching
gel.
There
are several great ones out there. Our
favorite is Zoom.
Besides giving a great result, this product
has overcome the sensitivity problem seen
with some of the other products .
We
also get questions about "laser whitening".
With this method a laser is used as a
light source to activate the bleaching
gel which is applied to your teeth in
the dental office. It may be necessary
to use the at home trays in addition to
this initial lengthy treatment. Side effects
can include senstivity to treated teeth.
Q.
I am missing several teeth. A friend
told me that she recently had implants to
replace her missing teeth and is very happy.What
are implants?
A.
Dental
implants are a wonderful way to replace
missing teeth when certain conditions
exist. Such things as your overall general
health and the length of time you have
been missing your teeth must be considered.
The replacement of missing teeth using
dental implants frequently requires a
team approach.
After
your dentist does a thorough examination
and treatment plan the surgical phase
of treatment takes place. In most cases
a periodontist or an oral surgeon will
put the implant(s), the artificial root(s)
into the jaw. When healing is complete,
usually after 4-6 months, The tooth or
bridge segment can be placed on top of
the healed implants by a general dentist
or a prosthodontist . Some dentists are
trained to place the surgical part of
the implant as well as the prosthetic
or tooth part.
You
should ask your dentist if you are a good
candidate for implants and ask for a referral
if he or she doesn't do them.
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Q.
There are so many different toothbrushes
on the market today. How do I know
which one is the right one for me?
A.
This
is a good question, which we hear daily.
The brand of the toothbrush is not nearly
as critical as the type of bristle, the
size and shape of the head and how frequently
you replace your brush.
We
recommend a soft bristled brush with a
small head. The soft bristles are most
important for the health of your gums.
A small head allows you to get around
each tooth more completely and is less
likely to injure your gums.Daily frequency
of brushing and replacement with a new
brush are much more important issues than
the brand you choose.
We
recommend replacing your brush at least
once a month.
My
employees and I all brush, on average,
5 times a day. We brush first thing in
the morning, after each meal and at the
end of the day .
If
you are not able to do this because of
your busy schedule, we recommend brushing
twice a day at a bare minimum.
Q.
When I visited my dentist for my last
checkup, she told me that I have impacted
wisdom teeth and she wants to remove
them. They are not bothering me. Should
I see a specialist if I decide to have
them removed? What should I do?
A.
Having regular dental checkups with x-rays
allows you to learn about potential problems
and have them corrected BEFORE they begin
to bother you. There are a number of reasons
for recommending removal of unerupted
or impacted teeth. Your dentist may have
seen that these teeth could cause problems
for the adjacent teeth if left in place.
There is also the possibility that you
could develop such things as a cyst or
abscess if left in place.
General
dentists who provide any specialty service
such as root canal treatment, braces,
oral surgery or periodontal surgery are
required by law to adhere to the same
standard of care provided by a specialist
Your
dentist should be happy to talk more with
you about this. If you still have questions,
you might want to see another dentist
for a second opinion.
Q.
I just recently went to a new dentist
for a checkup and cleaning and asked him
to check a cap that that was put
on one of my front teeth by my former
dentist. He informed me that I did not
have a cap on any of my teeth. I know
my last dentist fixed a broken front tooth
and said he capped it. Who should I believe?
A.
You have just experienced one of a number
of common misunderstandings we see in
dentistry today. Terminology used in dentistry
is not 100% uniform throughout our profession.
Both dentists were probably "correct".
The
word "cap" as used in dentistry by different
dentists can refer to a number of different
things. A pulp cap refers to a calcium
containing dressing placed under a deep
filling to stimulate healing. A full crown,
made by a dental laboratory which completely
covers the outside of your tooth is frequently
called a cap. A partly broken tooth may
be built up by your dentist in the office
with a bonded filling material. This is
called a cap or "capping" by some dentists.
This sounds like what you probably had
done.
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Q.
My son is six years old and starting
to get his permanent teeth. I am
concerned because the teeth are discolored.
Some even have a brownish or greenish
hue. What caused this and what can be
done about it?
A.
From your description, it sounds like
a very normal situation and nothing to
be concerned about. When the teeth are
forming in the jaws, they are surrounded
by a soft tissue membrane called Nasmyth's
Membrane (named after Alexander Nasmyth,
a Scottish dental surgeon in London who
died in 1847).
As
the teeth erupt, remnants of this membrane
remain on the surface of the enamel. The
fibrous nature of the membrane readily
picks up coloration from food.
In
most cases normal chewing and brushing
will remove the remnants with time. If
they don't come off, they can be removed
by having a professional cleaning.
Other
causes for staining of teeth include high
fevers during infancy, too much fluoride
in drinking water and certain medications
if taken while the teeth are still forming.
Q.
It has been quite a while since I have
been to a dentist because I cannot stand
the sound of the drill. I think
I have a new cavity but am reluctant to
call a dentist . What can I do? I don't
want a toothache and certainly don't want
to lose my tooth.
A.
Dental technology has come a long way
in recent years. If you have a new cavity
that requires a filling, there is "new"
air abrasive equipment which replaces
the drill for removing decay. It is quick,
silent and in most cases you do not need
a shot of anesthetic because there is
no heat or vibration to cause pain.
Air
abrasion theory has been around in dentistry
since the fifties but has only recently
become practical to use because of downsizing
of equipment and the development of filling
materials which can be used with the new
way of preparing teeth for fillings.
Our
patients love it. For youngsters who are
experiencing their first cavity, it is
a great way to go - no noise, no needle,
no pain! It won't work for all cavities,
but with your dislike of the drill, you
should certainly see a dentist who uses
this technology.
Q.
My boyfriend thinks it would be neat if
I got my tongue pierced. What can you
tell me about this? I am a little concerned
about whether it would be safe. I do have
pierced ears and have not had any trouble
with that.
A.
In a word (or four) PLEASE DON"T DO IT!
Fortunately, I have only seen a couple
of these in "real life". I have read of
numerous cases in our dental journals
which have resulted in all sorts of problems.
To
begin with, the tongue is an extremely
vascular organ, which means that it has
loads of blood vessels. A tremendous amount
of swelling is expected when the tongue
is pierced and a large oversized "barbell"
is initially placed to accomodate for
the expected swelling.
This
can cause difficulty in breathing and
swallowing. Eating, drinking and speech
are all impaired. The large barbell flops
around and has caused unrestorable fractures
of teeth when accidentally bitten.
The
barbell can come unscrewed and be swallowed
or possibly be aspirated, sucked into
the lung. Either of these could require
surgery.
I
repeat, PLEASE DON'T DO IT!
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We help
with Cosmetic Dentistry, Othodontics,
Crowns,
Vaneers, Lumaneers, Invisalign and Whitening
(Zoom)
Foothill
Ranch Office
(Serving Mission
Viejo, Lake Forest, Rancho Santa Margarita,
Irvine, Coto De Caza, Saddleback, El Toro,
Tustin, San Juan Capistrano, and beyond)
(949)
583-1500
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"An
honest answer is the sign of true friendship."
Our
Dental Services Include: Cosmetic
Dentistry, Lava, Crowns, Bridges, Lumaneers, Porcelain
Veneers, Inlays, Onlays, Zoom, Orthodontic, Ortho, Othrodontics,
Braces Invisalign, Dental Implants, Periodontist, Cleanings,
Bonding, White Fillings, Partial Dentures, Complete
Dentures, Oral Surgery, Bleaching, Whitening, Restorative
Dentistry, Gum Treatment, Extractions.
ProSmile
Dentistry Serves the Southern Orange County and Southern
California
Dentistfoothillranch.com recieves many customers from
the following cities and zipcodes:
Lake Forest
92609, 92630, Foothill Ranch 92610, Mission Viejo 92675,
92690, 92691, 92692, 92694, El Toro
92609, 92610, 92630, Irvine 92602, 92603, 92604, 92606,
92612, 92614, 92616, 92618, 92619, 92620, 92623, 92650,
92697, 92709, 92710, Laguna Hills 92637, 92653, 92654,
92656, Laguna Niguel 92607, 92677, Rancho Santa Margarita
92688, San Juan Capistrano 92675, 92690, 92691, 92692,
92693, 92694 Coto De Caza 92679, Dove Canyon 92679,
Cowan Heights 92705, Silverado 92676, Trabuco Canyon
92678, 92679, 92688, Modjeska 92676, Robinson Ranch
92679, Ladera Ranch 92694, Tustin 92780, 92781, 92782,
San Juan Capistrano 92675, 92690, 92691, 92692, 92693,
92694, Ladera Ranch 92694 | | |