Services

Preventive Dentistry

Preventive dentistry emphasizes the importance of ongoing hygiene procedures and daily practices to prevent tooth decay and other dental diseases and conditions. Effective preventive dentistry combines at-home oral care by patients with chairside treatments and counseling by dental professionals.

Preventive dentistry
Fluoride treatment
Sealants
Mouth guards to protect teeth and to prevent sports injuries
Interceptive orthodontics
Dental education in a comfortable and caring environment
Immediate emergency care

Dental Education

We do our best to encourage a strong brushing and flossing habit and show kids how taking care of your teeth can keep your kids healthy, cavity-free, and set them up for a lifetime of proper oral health.

Learning Proper Brushing Techniques
Importance of Flossing
Mouthwash and Oral Rinsing

Immediate Emergency Care

If you are having a Dental Emergency (bleeding, swelling, accident or severe pain), call our office immediately at: (213) 381-5437

During office hours, emergencies will be seen on the same day. You will be seen by the first available doctor for your emergency care. If you are not having a dental emergency, please schedule a regular appointment to see the dentist. If you are in severe pain or losing blood causing you to become faint or pass out, please call 911 immedietly.

Please note: After-hours calls are for Dental Emergencies only. No Exceptions.

Orthodontics (Braces)

Braces are appliances which apply gentle pressure to move teeth to their desired position. Orthodontics straighten teeth, bring your bite into alignment and improve both the appearance and function of your teeth.

Orthodontic treatment may take anywhere from several months to several years, depending on the nature of the problem. Treatment during childhood usually takes less time because the teeth and jaws are still developing.

Orthodontics can be done on both children and adult, with excellent results.

Interceptive orthodontic treatment preventative treatment to avoid long-term problems. The goal is to reduce the severity of a developing problem and eliminate the cause. The length of future orthodontic treatment may be reduced. Some examples of orthodontic include correction of thumb and finger sucking habits; guiding permanent teeth into proper positions through tooth removal or tooth size adjustment; or gaining or holding space for permanent teeth. Interceptive orthodontic treatment can take place when patients have primary teeth or mixed dentition (baby and permanent teeth). A patient may require more than one phase of interceptive orthodontic treatment to correct their individual issues as each set of teeth is different.

Fluoride treatment

Fluoride is a mineral that occurs naturally in many foods and water. Every day, minerals are added to and lost from a tooth’s enamel layer through two processes, demineralization and remineralization. Minerals are lost (demineralization) from a tooth’s enamel layer when acids — formed from plaque bacteria and sugars in the mouth — attack the enamel. Minerals such as fluoride, calcium, and phosphate are redeposited (remineralization) to the enamel layer from the foods and waters consumed. Too much demineralization without enough remineralization to repair the enamel layer leads to tooth decay.

Sealants

Dental sealants are thin plastic coatings that are applied to the grooves on the chewing surfaces of the back teeth to protect them from tooth decay. Most tooth decay in children and teens occurs on these surfaces.

Protect Teeth
Prevent Decay

Protective Mouth Guards

Athletes are more prone to serious injury when not wearing a mouthguard. Imagine the extent of damage caused by a baseball hitting an unprotected mouth full of braces. Nowadays, parents go to great lengths to buy all the necessary protective equipment to make sure their child avoids injury. However, one very important piece of protective gear is still not worn consistently—the mouthguard.

Sports
Extreme Activities
Outdoor Play

Bonding

Bonding is a procedure that can improve the appearance of teeth that are chipped, broken, cracked, stained, or have spaces between them

With bonding, tooth-colored materials are applied or bonded to the tooth surface. This process can improve:

Front tooth spaces
Discolored teeth
Chips or cracks due to accidents

Bonding is also used to protect exposed tooth roots that result from gum recession and to fill small cavities.

With proper care, bonding usually lasts from 3 to 5 years.

The bonding process involves:

Preparing the tooth surface with an etching solution that allows the natural-looking bonding material (composite resin) to adhere to the tooth surface.
Application of the resin, which is contoured to the proper shape and hardened using a special light or chemical process.
Smoothing and polishing of the bonding to make it appear natural in color and shine.

The procedure may not require the use of anesthesia or drilling, and can usually be completed in one visit.

Wisdom Teeth

Your wisdom teeth or third molars, are the final teeth to develop. Most of us have four wisdom teeth, one in each corner of the mouth. They usually emerge during our late teens or in early twenties.

Often, wisdom teeth can become trapped or impacted in the jawbone and can cause crowding, displacement, decay, infection or even gum disease. Impacted wisdom teeth can grow in many different directions – horizontally, vertically, or at an angle.

We will determine the appropriate diagnosis for each patient, because each case is different and may or may not require oral surgery.

In most cases, it is recommended that impacted wisdom teeth are extracted. Wisdom teeth surgery is performed under local anesthesia in our O.R.

Nitrous oxide anesthesia is available upon request at an additional fee.

Promoting a Healthy Dental Lifestyle