DENTAL PROCEDURES

Nitrous Oxide sedation, also known as “laughing gas”, is a very safe way to calm your nerves at the dental office. It is an anxiolytic, which means that it helps to lower anxiety levels, but it is also a mild analgesic that helps to lower pain levels. It is administered with a small nose piece and is a form of conscious sedation. Once it is turned off, the patient will quickly stop feeling the effects. It is totally safe to drive a vehicle after nitrous oxide sedation unlike other forms of sedation like general anesthesia. It is very safe for kids and adults. We do not recommend this for our pregnant patients or our patients with COPD.  

Ask us about using Nitrous at your next cleaning or treatment!

A root canal treatment is a procedure employed to try save you from losing a tooth. Our teeth are composed of different parts, one of them being the pulp or nerve and vasculature. The tooth’s pulp is contains the nerve, blood vessels, and connective tissue. When this area becomes inflamed, necrotic or infected, treatment should be taken in order to try to save the tooth from extraction or serious infection.

How to tell that I might need root canal treatment?

Sometimes, the tooth may be asymptomatic or without symptoms, but sometimes symptoms do present. Below you will find a series of symptoms that may indicate you may need a root canal treatment.

Toothache

Toothaches are unfortunately common, but certain toothaches may indicate the tooth has inflamed/infected pulp. If you experience spontaneous pain in the middle of the night that may likely be an indication that you may need a root canal treatment. 

Abscess

If you see a bump or pimple like structure on the gums around a tooth, that may be an indication that an infection is growing and you may need a root canal treatment 

Sensitivity

Extreme pain to both hot and cold food and liquid is an indicator of the needs for a root canal treatment.

Discoloration

Dark discoloration of a tooth is a sign of necrosis. This is a sign that the tooth may need root canal treatment.

Waiting is not your friend

Masking the pain using pain medications such as ibuprofen, orajel or tylenol will only give time for the situation to deteriorate. Please make an appointment with a dentist for an exam. It is generally recommended to try to save teeth as opposed to extracting teeth and possibly replacing them with other prosthetics down the line.

The Root Canal Procedure

If the determination is made that the tooth needs a root canal procedure and all parties agree to go forth with it, the first step is likely getting the patient anesthetized. The root canal procedure is a multi step process requiring the use of hand and mechanical brushes that help clean the tooth along with a series of disinfectants used within the root of the tooth as well as multiple radiographs. Teeth receiving root canal treatments often need crowns as well in order to restore the tooth into function and eshtetics. After the root canal treatment is completed, the dentist will often prepare the tooth for the crown and take the impression for the final crown during the same appointment. The patient will leave with a temporary crown that day and return on a later date for the final, laboratory fabricated crown.  

It is important to teeth and gums clean. In addition to twice daily brushing and flossing, we recommend dental cleanings at least every six months. Over time calculus/tartar builds up on the teeth and gums. Without removing this build-up a healthy mouth can quickly get gum disease (periodontitis). Signs of gum disease are sometimes, bleeding gums, bad breath or odor, and tooth root sensitivity. People are often afraid to floss because they see bleeding, however over-time with enough flossing and proper hygiene the bleeding can be reversed. 

For patients with gum disease, a deep cleaning is often needed. It is similar to a regular cleaning however the dentist will painlessly go under the gums, onto the roots of the teeth to remove the buildup.

At Dream Team Dental, we use the newest technology to do fast, efficient and painless cleanings. We use an ultrasonic scaler, also known as a cavitron, to accomplish this.

Make you appoint at our Dental office in Whittier today!

When a tooth has a cavity or has broken from trauma, often times the dentist can do a filling. To fill the tooth, the dentist and patient make the choice together to choose a material. We use metal and metal free fillings. For front teeth, we always recommend the metal-free filling material as it is more esthetic and tooth-colored. For back teeth either material can be used. 

The tooth is numbed and the cavity is carefully and meticulously removed. Then the tooth is then filled with the selected material. It is important to know that fillings are not recommended for every situation. Sometimes crowns, inlays, onlays or extractions are the better option. 

This is a procedure we can do for kids too. We would love to be your kids dentist in Whittier. 

At Dream Team Dental, we are trained and well equipped to be your childrens dentist in Whittier. We have experience with pediatric dentistry from birth. We are trained in many behavior management modalities. We often use nitrous oxide sedation as a very safe and easy way to calm nervous children down. We do all kinds of treatment for kids, from fillings to extractions to space-maintainers. 

Kids at different ages have different needs and we understand that. We recommend dental checkups once the first baby tooth erupts. We will use x-rays as needed from about the age of three years old. It is important to maintain the hygiene of children’s mouths, just like an adult. 

At Dream Team Dental, we understand a dental emergency can come in different shapes or sizes. We’re always a quick phone call away. If we miss your call, especially if it is not during business hours, we will get back to you as soon as possible. If it is a life-threatening emergency, for example an infection that is causing a fever, trouble breathing, trouble seeing, extending beyond a small region, or uncontrollable bleeding, please immediately go to the nearest hospital emergency room or call 911. 

Dental pain and infections are definitely examples of dental emergencies. Fillings and crowns that come off can be considered emergencies too. Dream Team Dental is there for you. We will help to quickly and comfortably get you out of pain and on the right path. It might include an extraction, root canal, medication, filling. We take walk-ins, but calling in before is recommended. 

3rd molars also known as wisdom teeth are problematic for very many patients. From about the age of 16 years old we recommend having panoramic x-rays taken to identify if there is space to potentially keep or to remove the wisdom teeth. In general the extractions are painless and simple, however the recovery might be a little difficult and uncomfortable. We always have nitrous oxide ready to help calm our patients and we use our 3D CT scanner when needed to check for possible complications. Sometimes complications do happen but are often short-lived. Every so often there will be a case that is better served by seeing an Oral Surgeon with general anesthesia and we will make the referrals as necessary.   

Wisdom teeth can cause many problems. They can cause resorption or cavities on the 2nd molars, right in front of them. Dangerous cysts can happen that will need attention from a surgeon. Infections of the gums and surrounding tissue can cause significant swelling and possibly even become life-threatening. 

Invisalign is a clear aligner used with the goal to straighten and reposition teeth. It is a modern orthodontic treatment that is able to treat people in a discreet fashion and manner. Invisalign is a treatment modality that is personalized for each patient to align their teeth, just like traditional braces. At Dream Team Dental, our specially trained orthodontist can provide you with all the information needed regarding Invisalign to give a better understanding of the treatment. If both parties agree that it is the correct treatment for the patient, a custom set of aligners is fabricated for the patient to begin. 

Benefits of Invisalign Treatment

• Invisalign offers an array of advantages to the patients.
• Invisalign is nearly invisible on the teeth, being made of clear plastic.
• The patient can remove the aligner while eating and brushing their teeth which allows for easier hygiene than traditional braces.
• There are no food restrictions during the Invisalign treatment, unlike traditional braces.
• The patient can easily clean the aligner.

Invisalign Procedure

Before seeing the orthodontist, a dentist must ensure the patient has adequate dental health to begin any orthodontic treatment including invisalign. The orthodontist would then do a thorough consultation of the patient which includes taking specific radiographs to evaluate the patient in addition to taking other records. If both parties agree to move forward, impressions of the teeth and mouth are taken as well as a series of diagnostic photographs. This information is then used to fabricate custom clear aligners. The orthodontist formulates a treatment plan with the team at Invisalign to meet the orthodontic needs and desires of the patient. 

In the following appointment, the orthodontist and the team may add buttons and attachments to some teeth to help adhere the Invisalign to the arch. The patient may experience discomfort for the first week or so as there is tension on the teeth. This is a typical feeling with each new aligner. 

The orthodontist instructs the invisalign patient to wear the aligner for  22 hours a day for maximum effectiveness. The patient must regularly visit the orthodontist to ensure the teeth are moving the direction desired. Multiple aligners are required for the entire treatment for aligning the teeth to their desired position.