Sachi and Co Dentistry

Gingivitis is a precursor to gum disease. It involves inflammation—your gums will be red, swollen, and may bleed when you brush. Once you have lost bone around your teeth, you have periodontitis. Treating gingivitis can prevent periodontitis.

A sleep apnea appliance can help many patients with mild sleep apnea. In addition, there are lifestyle changes that help as well, including losing weight, cutting down on alcohol consumption, and quitting smoking.

The most common sign of sleep apnea is waking up without feeling well-rested. This tiredness persists throughout the day. Another common symptom of sleep apnea is snoring—while you can’t hear yourself snoring when you sleep, you might wake up gasping or choking. You may notice that you nod off during the day, have trouble focusing, and that no amount of sleep ever seems to help you feel better.

Scaling and root planing is a minimally-invasive, non-surgical treatment option for gum disease. Even though surgery is not involved, swollen gums can be uncomfortable to clean, so your gum tissue will be numbed with local anesthetic prior to the procedure. Once your treatment is complete, you may experience some tenderness afterwards. Cold compresses and over-the-counter pain medications are usually all that’s needed to alleviate any discomfort. Once your gums heal, the inflamed gums tighten and you may notice more of your roots are exposed above the gums. If you experience increased root sensitivity, call us to discuss treatment options with your doctor.

Gingivitis is a precursor to gum disease. It involves inflammation—your gums will be red, swollen, and may bleed when you brush. Once you have lost bone around your teeth, you have periodontitis. Treating gingivitis can prevent periodontitis.

One of the most common early signs of gum disease is gums that bleed when you brush your teeth. Your gums may be red and inflamed, and sometimes even painful. You are likely to have bad breath or a persistent bad taste in the mouth.

Yes, when it is in its early stages, gum disease is reversible. Usually this can be accomplished with scaling and root planing, a minimally invasive, non-surgical procedure. Once gum disease has progressed, it begins to damage the supporting structures surrounding the teeth; this damage is more difficult and costly to repair and usually requires ongoing maintenance visits to prevent further damage.

After your Invisalign treatment is complete, you will receive a few sets of retainers to help you maintain your beautiful new smile. Initially, you’ll wear these all day, just like you did with your aligners. Then, you’ll switch to nighttime wear only for a year. After this, wearing your retainers three to five nights a week may be sufficient to keep your teeth straight.

If you don’t wear them for a single day, the worst that will happen is your aligners will feel a bit tight and uncomfortable when you put them back on. That said, if you make it a habit to take your aligners out, your treatment time will be longer. Invisalign only works when you wear your aligners!

Both are effective treatment options for orthodontic issues, so it comes down to your personal preferences. Most patients prefer Invisalign because it is discreet, comfortable, and convenient. If you are paying for orthodontic treatment out-of-pocket and if you don’t mind the look of metal braces, you might decide that braces are a better choice for you. There are orthodontic issues that are better addressed with braces than with Invisalign. If this is the case for you, we will let you know during your consultation and provide you with a referral for an orthodontist.

This, too, depends on the number of aligners needed. Most patients have treatment times between nine and 18 months, but if you take your aligners out often and leave them out for hours at a time, you can expect that your treatment time will be longer.

The cost of Invisalign depends on the number of aligners you need. Most patients have treatment costs anywhere between $4000 and $7000. The good news is that if you have dental insurance and it covers the costs of orthodontic treatment, it is likely to cover at least some of the cost of Invisalign.

The restoration attached to a dental implant may need periodic replacement but the dental implant itself often lasts a lifetime. An implant behaves very differently than a natural tooth. An implant is directly connected to the bone unlike a natural tooth that is connected through a ligament. The bite on your implant is specifically balanced to allow for smooth function with your natural teeth and require regular maintenance and an occlusal guard for its health and longevity.

The dental implant procedure itself isn’t painful, as you will be given local anesthesia to numb the area where we are working. Afterwards, it’s common to experience tenderness, swelling, and some discomfort. This is usually easily managed with pain medication, cold compresses, and a soft food diet.

Like any surgery, dental implants carry the risk of infection, nerve damage, bleeding, and damage to surrounding structures. These risks are minimal, but it is important to be aware of them especially if you have a complex medical history. It is important to have an in depth consultation with our doctors in order to understand your specific risks for complications. Dental implants also often take longer to complete than other alternatives but result in a more natural feeling, long-term result.

The cost depends on the type of restoration needed, the number of teeth being replaced, and whether any supplemental procedures, like bone grafting, are needed. The average cost falls between $3500 and $5000 per tooth.

Although it’s frustrating for many patients to hear, you can have perfect oral hygiene and still experience stained or yellowed teeth. Your enamel may have thinned due to aging or other factors. If you drink beverages like coffee, tea, and red wine, use tobacco, or take certain medications, this can also cause your teeth to become stained.

The lifespan of bonding depends on the extent needed and the location of the bonded tooth. In general, bonding on front teeth tends to need replacement more often simply because these teeth are used for biting into foods. You can expect bonding to last between three and 10 years.

Veneers don’t ruin your teeth, per se, but it’s important to understand that once you decide on veneers, there’s no going back—because enamel is removed in order to apply them, you will always need veneers.

The best option for teeth whitening is in-office whitening treatment. It provides the most dramatic results in the shortest amount of time, and because it’s performed by a dentist, it’s a safe option as well.

No, it’s not painful to have a crown placed. When your tooth is prepared for the crown, you will receive local anesthetic injections to ensure that you’re comfortable while we work. You may have some tenderness following the procedure and should call the office if it does not resolve shortly.

Although every patient’s needs and circumstances are different, generally speaking, dental implants are preferable to bridges because dental implants prevent bone loss in the jaw and they don’t compromise the structures of healthy adjacent teeth. An implant can also allow the patient to floss between their teeth.

Many patients opt to have their silver fillings removed because white fillings provide a more aesthetic restoration. Silver fillings contain mercury and although they are safe when stable, some patients prefer to replace them with other alternatives.