Available Treatments for TMJ

Sufferers from TMJ, or temporomandibular disorder, are sometimes surprised at the following treatment option: nothing. Because of its erratic nature and near-inexplicable circumstances, TMJ pain will often die out or correct itself. While difficult to prove, such a cessation may be more likely in cases where the TMJ symptoms are psychological, or stress-related. If you remove the cause of the stress, it follows that the headaches or jaw tightness go away in due time.

Of course, not all TMJ sufferers are this fortunate. Due to the sheer diversity of cases, TMJ treatment plans tend to look daunting on paper. Once a diagnosis is handed down, only you and your doctor can decide which one is best for you.

You may start off with changes in diet, eliminating high-maintenance foods that require lots of chewing or bite force. Ice packs and heating pads are popular destinations for all joint pain, not just TMJ. You can also self-medicate—exercising proper caution—with over-the-counter pain relievers and muscle relaxants. You may choose to microdose anti-depressants, but keep in mind this will have no effect on your depression and mental illness.

Clinically, there are treatments like acupuncture and biofeedback that stimulate and analyze pressure points and muscle groups. At the extreme end of things, you may qualify for an occlusal appliance, like a mouth guard or oral splint.

Ask our TMJ doctor in Thousand Oaks for more.

Decayed Wisdom Teeth

Wisdom teeth are the final molars to erupt, and they usually appear late in your teens or in your early 20s. Sometimes wisdom teeth erupt without difficulty, and there is plenty of room in the jaw to accommodate them. More commonly, wisdom teeth erupt into an already crowded jaw and are difficult to reach easily to brush and floss properly.

If you are unable to brush your wisdom teeth, they are more likely to decay. Decayed wisdom teeth might not have noticeable symptoms right away, but over time, you will develop a toothache that worsens when you eat or drink something hot, cold, sweet or acidic. If the decay reaches the inner parts of the wisdom tooth, it can lead to a serious infection that can extend all the way into the gum tissue and jawbone. It can even affect adjacent teeth.

Although wisdom teeth can be filled or treated with root canals like any other teeth, in most cases, extractions are the best way to manage problems with these teeth. Emergency wisdom tooth removal can eliminate not only the decayed wisdom teeth but the risk of any future problems associated with these teeth. Call our Los Angeles emergency dentist today to learn more or to schedule your appointment.

Why are Orthodontic Treatments Important?

Orthodontics may be best known for improving smiles, but this is not its only purpose. Bite correction can be important for many reasons related to oral health, comfort, and development in addition to increased confidence. Here are some of the main reasons why orthodontic care is important.

Benefits for All Ages

Both adults and children get similar lifelong improvements from braces at our dental office. After having their teeth straightened, patients are less prone to cavities, gum disease, and TMJ. The teeth are more comfortable afterwards because they fit together properly. Of course, patients also enjoy having a better-looking smile.

Advantages Specific to Young Patients

For kids and adolescents, braces can actually support healthy development of the teeth, jaws, and face. More room may become available for adult teeth, preventing overcrowding in the future. Special appliances can correct jaw positioning, allowing for easier speaking and chewing, and a more appealing facial structure. Having bite correction performed early in life can also be faster than having it done later.

An exam can determine the extent of any orthodontic problems and the benefits that treatment can bring. At a consultation with our orthodontist in Houston, you can find out how bite correction may help you.

What You Should Know About Inlays and Onlays

Modern day dentistry has provided us with more effective and safer practices and technology. Exemplary of this are indirect fillings, otherwise known as inlays and onlays. Our Agoura Hills dentist may be able to create these using 4ED technology. Here is some basic information about these restorations and how they are made.

Fillings are used to replace parts of teeth that have deteriorated due to decay, otherwise known as a cavity. We now differentiate between fillings that are placed on the inside of the tooth (inlays), and ones placed on the cusp (onlays).

In the recent past, only direct fillings were performed, which means they were created in the tooth, and cured into place. Indirect fillings are made outside of the tooth, and then put into place. You may think that the former is more effective, but indirect fillings are actually much more effective.

4ED technology allows dentist to take pictures of the affected tooth, which are transformed into a 3D image and sent to a milling machine. This machine creates restorations precise to the map it is given, and fits the space in the tooth exactly. While direct fillings often need alterations afterward to better fit the tooth and bite, indirect fillings are often perfect. If you have a tooth that requires a filling, ask your Agoura Hills dentist if this option might be right for you.

How Does Invisalign Treatment Work?

Many patients who require orthodontic work opt for Invisalign treatment over traditional metal braces. Although not every patient is a candidate for Invisalign, those with basic and straightforward issues usually qualify. Our San Fernando Valley dentist wants all patients to know what treatment with Invisalign involves, in order for them to start preparing as soon as possible.

Invisalign aligners, which fit and stick in place around the teeth like a mouth guard, are custom made to fit your teeth exactly. They are made by taking impressions of your bite, which are sent to a lab where aligners are made. Depending on the type of Invisalign treatment the patient must undergo (i.e. Express, Full, etc.), they will receive between ten and thirty aligners.

These aligners will push the teeth into more correct and healthier places. The patient will wear one aligner for about two weeks, move on to the next one in the treatment, and so on. They can be removed to eat, drink liquids other than water, and when cleaning the teeth.

After treatment is complete, our expert in orthodontics will prescribe a retainer, which looks and fits much like an aligner. This will ensure that your teeth do not revert back their old places, and may only need to be worn at night.

Pros and Cons of Lasers Used for Dental Treatments

Lasers have become increasingly popular in many medical and dental applications. In fact, dental lasers can be used to treat both hard and soft tissues. They can remove decayed tissue, cure dental fillings, treat cold sores and canker sores, remove diseased gum tissue, reshape gum tissue, and speed teeth whitening treatments. There are both pros and cons to using lasers in dentistry.

Pros

The benefits of dental lasers are extensive and include:

•    Pain-free procedures
•    Greater precision
•    Faster healing time
•    Lower risk of bacterial infection
•    Less pain and swelling
•    Greater versatility

Cons

Although lasers offer many pros, they can also bring a few cons as well. They cannot be used on teeth that have previously been filled, and they are also not effective for treating teeth that have large cavities or cavities between teeth. Lasers also may not be effective for removing crowns or dental bridges. However, in most cases, dental lasers are an excellent alternative to traditional dental drills, scalpels and other tools when it comes to treating common dental problems. Call our Los Angeles laser dentist today to learn more or to schedule your next appointment with our team.

When are Dental Implants Recommended?

Patients who are completely edentulous (dental-speak for toothless) are often introduced to implants as a way to cope and replace. Whether you need a full mouth or just a full arch, or even a single tooth, an implant is a proven long-term fix.

A slightly more specific recommendation for an implant might come as a result of trauma, which resulted in a lost tooth. An implant would not only fill the vacancy (with a prosthetic crown) but keep the tooth 100% functional by using an endosseous rootform. This is just more dental-speak for “replacement root embedded in the jaw”.

If you qualify for dentures, you can improve their health and visibility by choosing implant-supported dentures. These operate just like traditional dentures, but are screwed permanently into place using the implant method.

In lieu of dentures, our expert in dental implants in Northridge can replace a full arch of teeth using just four implants. This works for both upper and lower arches. The implants are strategically placed in opposition to each other, maximizing support.

Most patients can get implants. Only those lacking sufficient jaw density, like sufferers from immune deficiencies, may not qualify. Ask your Northridge dentist for more about your candidacy.

When are Lasers used in Dentistry?

Modern dentistry has many tools that were not available even just a few years ago. One of these useful tools is the laser. While it may seem like lasers belong in spy movies or art from the 1980’s, they are actually very useful in many different ways, in cosmetic, preventive, and other areas of dentistry.

Lasers are focused sources of light that create directed heat. Our dentist uses lasers to:

·         Eliminate canker and cold sores

·         Access wisdom teeth that have not erupted yet, or are unable to erupt

·         Remove muscles that inhibit mobility in the mouth

·         Help eliminate or manage gum tissue

·         Remove overgrown tissues (caused by medications or other factors)

·         Help perform biopsies

·         Remove gum tissues for tooth lengthening procedure

·         Help remove decayed pulp in root canal procedures

Lasers are also used in teeth whitening treatments. They can remove external stains, and offer precision, important for avoiding sensitive soft tissues. Patients should be aware that laser dentistry is proven safe, and in fact makes many treatments and procedures even safer.

To learn more about how lasers can help keep your teeth and mouth healthy, talk to our dentist today.

How to Relieve the Pain Caused by TMJ

TMJ pain is no joke. It may seem random, but there are serious physiologic, biologic, and even neurologic answers to what may be going on. A TMJ doctor is still not an expert in treating TMJ pain, but there are ways to find relief on your own.

Many patients start with heat and cold treatments. The nature and placement of the pain may react better to one or a combination of both, but joint pain has been treated with heat pads and ice for generations. Just remember to keep the heat moist, and not to place an ice pack directly on your skin.

Of course, you can always use over-the-counter pain medications. You should be careful to use the correct dosage, and never dip into prescription pills you may have lying around. Prescription pills for pain should only be administered by a doctor. Self-medication could worsen your TMJ.

Some patients are having luck with massage. You can do this yourself, or go to an expert. If you’re self-massaging, familiarize yourself with the masseter muscles just behind your molars. By moving your fingers in a circular motion, you can stimulate the muscles and improve lymph function.

Ask our expert in TMJ relief in Thousand Oaks for more tips.

How Often You Need Dental X-Rays Taken

Dental X-rays are used to see areas between your teeth, beneath the gum line or in the bony area surrounding the tooth. Our West Hollywood dentist often uses them for diagnostic purposes or to create treatment plans. How often you need to have dental X-rays taken depends on your needs and treatment goals. Based on an individual’s decay risk, children typically get X-rays every 6 to 24 months, teens may get dental X-rays every 6 to 36 months and adults will usually get X-rays every 12 to 36 months.

X-rays can:

•    Reveal decay between teeth
•    Show decay under existing fillings
•    Identify bone loss or changes in bone density
•    Diagnose abscesses or infections
•    Reveal cysts, tumors or other abnormalities
•    Monitor growth and development of the teeth or jaws

At your initial visit, a baseline dental X-ray may be taken. This X-ray will show us any areas of concern and allow us to identify changes as they occur in later X-rays. X-rays will also typically be taken before certain treatments, such as dental extractions, root canals and dental implant placement so that we can plan your treatment for maximum safety and effectiveness.

Call our office today to learn more about dental X-rays or to schedule an appointment with our expert in dental X-rays in West Hollywood.

What is Zoom Whitening?

Many of our daily activities and routines have negative effects on our teeth. Foods like hard candies and pasta sauce, liquids such as coffee and energy drinks, and habits such as smoking all lead to yellowing and darkening of the teeth. Zoom whitening is a cosmetic treatment that can eliminate these extrinsic stains.

The process of getting Zoom whitening starts with a visit to our cosmetic dentist in North Hollywood. They will first be sure that there aren’t any dental or oral issues that need to be addressed, as whitening treatment can worsen some conditions. Then they will use a rubber blocker that will protect your gums, lips, and other soft tissues in the area. Next, our expert will apply the Zoom gel to the teeth. A special laser activates the peroxide in this gel. It will be turned on three times, for fifteen minutes at a time. The entire whitening appointment will take no longer than an hour.

Patients can see their teeth up to eight shades whiter than before. Be sure to avoid the substances listed above, as well as other staining foods and habits, to ensure your results last as long as possible.

Are Snap On Smile Kits Safe?

Snap On Smile is the newest way to perfect the look of the smile. If you have cosmetic flaws, such as chips, cracks, and stains, this appliance can cover them without the need for lengthy and expensive treatments or procedures. Snap On Smile fits right over the teeth and “snap” into place. Many dentists in different places offer this appliance to patients with only cosmetic dental issues, but some patients opt for at-home kits, often bought online.

Our Snap On Smile professional encourages patients to come to our office to get their Snap On Smile here. These are designed for your teeth specifically and are made by experts. This means that you can help design the smile you would like, and know that you are getting the best product possible.

At home Snap On Smile kits are not made with this level of care. They come as they are and cannot be customized to your teeth or mouth. This means they will not fix as well, or even properly. While they may not be exactly dangerous, they will not be effective, and may only be good for a few weeks.

While these at-home kits may seem like a steal, you should think of your dental appearance as an investment. Schedule a consultation  today.