FAQs

As you age your teeth age to, decay, fillings, and trauma or even just normal chewing habits can make your teeth breakdown overtime. A dental crown or a cap is a cover that is placed over a tooth to protect a weakened tooth from further fracturing or deteriorating, a Crown could also be used to replace a discolored or badly shaped tooth or protect a tooth that has had a root canal. Lastly, a new Crown is necessary to simply replace an old worn down or defective crown, it normally takes 2 visits for your dentist to complete your Crown.

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On your first visit, a local anesthetic is administered to make the procedure more comfortable, during this visit your dentist will use a dental handpiece to shape and prepare the tooth so the Crown can properly fit over it. In some instances, the tooth may need an additional procedure to replace areas of decay or old fillings to better support the Crown. Next, an impression of the tooth is taken and a temporary crown is inserted to protect the prepared tooth, this impression is then sent to a dental laboratory where a custom-fit permanent crown is made. In some cases on your second visit, the permanent crown is placed and if necessary adjusted to create a proper fit, if the fit shape and color of the Crown are satisfactory your dentist will proceed with permanently cementing it into place. Keep in mind in some instances the Crown received back from the laboratory may not fit as expected in these cases, your dentist may need to take a second impression or readjust the tooth in order to fabricate a Crown that fits just right.

After, the successful completion of the Crown it is not uncommon to feel some discomfort or mild pain when you chew or sensitivity to temperature changes for a few days. As advised by your dentist you can take over-the-counter pain medicine to alleviate the discomfort, if these symptoms persist more than a few days visit your dentist. finally, if your newly cemented Crown feels too tall or your bite doesn’t feel right you should contact your dentist for further adjustment of the Crown you may ask yourself, can’t I just get a filling instead? The answer is usually no. When a tooth requires a Crown it is already been weakened to the point that it may not be strong enough to support a filling using an unsupported filling instead of a Crown often causes the tooth to fracture beyond the point of repair.

Please keep in mind that the longevity and durability of your crown is directly related to your oral hygiene, and the material selected to make the Crown. All-porcelain crowns are generally considered the most aesthetic choice since they closely resemble the color and appearance of your teeth, porcelain continues to improve, and in fact, there are newly developed porcelain materials such as zirconium and Empress too, that can better withstand the forces of chewing. Porcelain crowns can give you the Hollywood smile that you’re looking for, if you have any additional questions please consult your dentist.

Now that the extraction is completed, here is some advice to help you with the healing process. Do put pressure on the wound first to control any bleeding put constant pressure on the wound by biting on the gauze, also change the Gauze every few minutes for about a couple of hours, a cold compress or ice packs can also help this process. Do stay on a soft diet for the first few days after the extraction, you should stay on a soft diet this decreases the chances that you will disturb the site of the surgery. After a few days it is generally OK to resume your normal diet, do take the pain medicine following the extraction, it is very common to experience some discomfort, normally at the site of the anesthetic or the extraction site itself to alleviate the discomfort you should follow your dentist recommendation on taking an over-the-counter pain medication, when necessary your dentist may decide to prescribe a stronger pain medicine to manage higher levels of pain.

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Do not disturb the site of the extraction! Make sure that you do not disturb the extraction site, this means Do not chew, rinse, or brush directly on the site for at least 24 to 48 hours, do not spit or suck through a straw. This is important because using a straw often causes suction that can remove the blood clot, loss of the blood clot causes bleeding or a painful condition called dry socket. Do not smoke, it is important that you do not smoke for at least 24 hours following the extraction, as smoking promotes the likelihood of bleeding and further delays the healing. Smoking may also cause a dry socket sometimes you may experience discomfort when opening your mouth this is due to muscle spasm or trismus which usually heals on its own in a few days. A little bleeding, swelling and discomfort is normal after a tooth extraction, however, if you have any unusual bleeding beyond 4 to 6 hours post-operation it is important that you contact your dentist immediately or seek assistance at your local emergency room if you are unable to reach your dentist. If everything seems normal you can start to rinse with warm salt water 24 hours post-operation, and be sure to keep the area as clean as possible. Visit your dentist for a checkup in one week after the surgery, so your dentist can remove any suture’s and examine the wound to make sure it is healing properly, unless you have complications in which you need to visit your dentist sooner. If you have any additional questions please consult your dentist

Composite, is the filling material of choice when it comes to matching your tooth color. Composite fillings, consist of plastic and glass particles, they have become the most popular filling materials because they can match your existing tooth color, and they also solidly bond or glue to the tooth after the decay in your tooth has been cleaned a cleansing gel is applied. Next, a bonding solution is applied finally, followed by the composite filling material. Composite is hardened by applying a high-intensity blue light, it only takes a few seconds for the materials to Harden once the tooth is filled and the composite is hard, and the filling is checked to ensure the proper shape and look. At this point, any necessary adjustments are made and then you’re filling is complete, following the filling procedure, it is very common to experience some discomfort normally at the site of the anesthetic or at the tooth itself. To alleviate pain or discomfort it is recommended you take over the counter pain medication if the symptoms persist then you should visit your dentist.

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In some cases, the decay could be quite deep and close to the nerve of the tooth, in these instances, the nerve could already be infected with bacteria even though a filling has been placed, there is still a good chance that the tooth may need to go under root canal therapy to relieve the discomfort. Also, composite fillings may change color over time, and can sometimes chip away from the tooth, please keep in mind the longevity of a filling depends in large part on your oral hygiene and diet. Be sure to maintain your filling with proper brushing and flossing if you have any additional questions please consult Dr. Lieu.

Inlay custom fit fillings are made in a laboratory first, the decay is cleaned from your tooth and then an impression of the tooth is made and sent to the lab, in the interim a temporary filling is used to fill in space and protect your tooth from fracture or further deterioration, it is important that you avoid chewing or applying any stress to the temporary filling as it may be fragile. When the lab receives the impression from your dentist, they will custom make your filling for your tooth, there are several types of materials they can use for the inlay the first type of inlay, is porcelain or ceramic material colored to match your tooth.

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In addition, to being aesthetically pleasing the other benefits of porcelain or ceramic inlays are that they are also quite stain resistant and hard. The second type of inlay is made of a metal such as, gold metallic inlays are well known for their durability, the final type of inlay is made of tooth-colored composites, like the porcelain inlays, composites are also very aesthetically pleasing. All three types of inlays are bonded or glued to your teeth with a special cement or glue keep in mind that you should stay away from eating on the site of a newly cemented inlay for at least 24 hours following the filling procedure, it is very common to experience some discomfort, normally at the sight of the anesthetic or at the tooth itself. To alleviate the discomfort it is recommended you take over the counter pain medication if the symptoms persist then you should visit your dentist, sometimes due to a variety of reasons an inlay will become loose. In this case, you should contact your dentist immediately to have it re-cemented, please keep in mind the longevity of a filling depends in large part on your oral hygiene and diet, so be sure to maintain your filling with proper brushing and flossing. If you have any additional questions please consult Dr. Lieu.

This may be your first visit to the dentist, or just your first visit in a while either way, you may not know what to expect and you may even be a little nervous but sit back, relax, and let us explain to you what we will be doing during this visit.

The first thing we will check during the exam is your face and neck. Checking visually, we will look for any abnormalities such as lumps, bumps, or swelling.

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Checking inside your mouth is next on the agenda during this part of the checkup. We will be looking for any abnormalities in the soft tissue, such as discolorations or ulcers on your lips, gums, tongue, palate, and cheeks.

We will also perform an oral cancer screening and will check your bite and your jaw joint for any problems.

Next, we will check your gums and jaw bone as they are the foundation for your teeth. We will check them for any signs of gingivitis, gum disease, and bone disease.

Checking your teeth comes next. We will be checking your teeth for any cavities or other problems.

Finally, we’ll be sure to look specifically at any areas where you may have symptoms or concerns. In most cases, a clinical exam by itself is not sufficient to completely diagnose all potential problems with your mouth. In fact, the majority of problems with your teeth in the jaw bone, are not visible to the naked eye and that’s why X Ray’s play a key role in allowing a better and more accurate look at what is really going on inside your mouth, below your teeth and gums.

A good example of this would be the use of X Ray’s to better diagnose the destructive periodontal disease by using X Ray’s, your dentist can check for any bone loss and determine the severity of the gum disease.

Based on the diagnosis from the x-ray, your dentist can then determine the proper cleaning or treatment you may require. In addition to revealing any problems that were not visible during the clinical exam, these initial X Rays will also provide your dentist with a benchmark with which to compare against during your future visits. If you have any additional questions please consult Dr. Lieu.

Inlay custom fit fillings are made in a laboratory first, the decay is cleaned from your tooth and then an impression of the tooth is made and sent to the lab, in the interim a temporary filling is used to fill in space and protect your tooth from fracture or further deterioration, it is important that you avoid chewing or applying any stress to the temporary filling as it may be fragile. When the lab receives the impression from your dentist, they will custom make your filling for your tooth, there are several types of materials they can use for the inlay the first type of inlay, is porcelain or ceramic material colored to match your tooth.

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In addition, to being aesthetically pleasing the other benefits of porcelain or ceramic inlays are that they are also quite stain resistant and hard. The second type of inlay is made of a metal such as, gold metallic inlays are well known for their durability, the final type of inlay is made of tooth-colored composites, like the porcelain inlays, composites are also very aesthetically pleasing. All three types of inlays are bonded or glued to your teeth with a special cement or glue keep in mind that you should stay away from eating on the site of a newly cemented inlay for at least 24 hours following the filling procedure, it is very common to experience some discomfort, normally at the sight of the anesthetic or at the tooth itself. To alleviate the discomfort it is recommended you take over the counter pain medication if the symptoms persist then you should visit your dentist, sometimes due to a variety of reasons an inlay will become loose. In this case, you should contact your dentist immediately to have it re-cemented, please keep in mind the longevity of a filling depends in large part on your oral hygiene and diet, so be sure to maintain your filling with proper brushing and flossing. If you have any additional questions please consult Dr. Lieu.

Your third molars, commonly known as your wisdom teeth are typically the last teeth to erupt in your mouth if healthy and functional your wisdom teeth can be useful. However, there are also reasons behind why you may need to consider removing your wisdom teeth in some cases, your wisdom teeth are in fact healthy but because of orthodontic treatment, they need to be removed anyway. In other cases your wisdom teeth can become impacted or only partially erupt through the gum in a misalignment when impacted or partially impacted your wisdom teeth can cause swelling, pain, and even infection of the surrounding gum, they can also put pressure on the adjacent teeth which can result in permanent damage to these otherwise healthy teeth and their surrounding bone.

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Sometimes, impacted or partially impacted wisdom teeth can also lead to the formation of cysts and in worst-case scenarios even tumors, which could potentially destroy an entire section of your jaw. Lastly, a fully erupted wisdom tooth needs to be removed because they are very hard to clean and could cause severe tooth decay, so For these reasons sometimes the smart move is to have your wisdom teeth removed. Before we start it’s important that you notify your dentist of your medical condition such as whether you have any artificial joints, diabetes, or a history of heart and valve conditions, you should also inform your dentist of any medications you are currently or have previously taken such as Redux, Phen-Fen blood thinners, or importantly medications that contain Bisphosphonates . Whether your dentist or a specialist is performing the extraction the procedure is the same, first, a local anesthetic is given to make the procedure more comfortable, in some cases, your doctor may elect to administer nitrous oxide gas In addition to the anesthetic or use a general anesthetic to put you under entirely. Once the area is numb the extraction begins, a dental instrument called an elevator is used to wiggle the tooth in its socket after the tooth is loose and it is removed using forceps or in some more complicated cases a surgical handpiece is also used to assist with the removal of the tooth.

Like most other procedures tooth extraction is not free of possible complications, you should be aware that there is a slight chance of infection, tenderness, prolonged bleeding, dry socket, loosening of neighboring teeth, or their fillings or crowns. Another rare possibility is a tooth being displaced into the sinus, during an extraction of an upper tooth. A jaw fracture is also a very rare possibility. When should you have your wisdom teeth removed? There is no single right answer for everyone, however, if your dentist has advised that your wisdom teeth look potentially problematic, it’s generally best to remove them sooner, rather than later. This advice is based on the fact that the younger you are the faster you heal the likelihood of lingering numbness, jaw fracture, or other complications also increases with age. Lastly the longer you leave the troublesome wisdom tooth in your mouth, the longer it has to cause further problems in the future, so listen to your dentist and don’t delay the removal of your wisdom teeth when advised. Please be sure to ask your dentist for proper home care and postoperative instruction care if you have any additional questions please consult Dr. Lieu.