We commonly have patients and/or parents question why we obtain a panorex as part of our comprehensive assessment for oral surgical procedures. A panorex is an x–ray that provides a full view of the upper and lower jaws, teeth, temporomandibular joints (TMJs) and sinuses. Without this critical piece of data, we can sometimes miss pathologic…
Blog—Educational
Will extracting my third molars help my other teeth?
This is a typical question from patients during our consultation. Patients are usually referred to my office by their general dentist for a consultation in regards to their impacted or symptomatic third molars. Understandably, most patient are scared and a bit skeptical when they first present to our office for surgery. Surgery is scary thing…
Extraction of wisdom teeth with just “infiltration”?
Categories: Pain, Wisdom Teeth
Recently at University of Pacific (UOP), one of my dental students brought up the topic of “infiltration” versus “nerve blocks” for the extraction of teeth – more specifically 3rd molars. Wondering why are we still providing IAN (Inferior Alveolar Nerve) nerve blocks in the lower jaw…
Bacteria’s Great Odyssey
Categories: Blog
If a tooth’s pulp, the innermost layer, becomes infected it is in grave danger. Without proper prevention or early treatment, the tooth can die and fall out. So how does a tooth reach this ruinous point? In this blog post, we will examine bacteria’s journey to infection of the pulp. Bacteria Packs its Bags, Forms…
All Oral Bacteria are Not Equal
Categories: Blog
The mouth harbors a diverse and plentiful microbial community due to its hospitable environment. It is warm, nutrient-rich and maintains an ideal pH balance. The highly diverse microflora inhabits the various surfaces of the normal mouth- gums, teeth, tongue, and cheeks. What many people don’t realize is that most of the bacteria are beneficial organisms and live…
Dental Implants- Five Things You May Not Know
Categories: Blog
How much do you know about dental implants? With the increasing popularity and availability of dental implant surgery worldwide, patients are gaining more and more knowledge about dental implants every day. But did you know these five important facts? Dental implants are appropriate for almost all ages. Not just for the elderly, dental implants are…
At what age should I brush my childs teeth?
Categories: Blog
I get this question on a weekly basis: When should I start brushing my little one’s teeth. Well…as some of you may be aware The American Academy of Pediatric Dentists (AAP) recently issued new recommendation on this topic. All children should start brushing with…
Tooth Fairy is still in a recession!
Categories: Extraction
As many know, the Tooth Fairy visits our office frequently, mostly due to the fact that we see many children that lose their baby teeth. We sometimes get asked about the fee that a Tooth Fairy should leave under the pillow. Well….according to this article that fee is decreasing? This is despite the fact that…
Traveling and Oral Health – Tips for the Holidays
Categories: Blog
We don’t have to tell you: the winter holidays mark one of the busiest seasons of the year. With shopping, parties and vacations jam-packed on the calendar, it’s no wonder that many people take shortcuts when it comes to oral health maintenance during this time. If you are traveling during the holiday season and you…
Dental Implants – Are They Right for You?
Categories: Blog
Not everyone is blessed with perfect teeth. Many people would tell you they lack the smile they’ve always wanted due to genetics, disease, and sometimes even accidents. Fortunately, we have a solution. With dental implants, you will no longer feel self-conscious about your smile; but rather delight in having a new and improved grin! What…
