Every dentist can provide routine preventive care, those twice-yearly checkups and cleanings meant to remove built up plaque and tartar and keep an eye on developing oral health issues. But once a serious oral health problem has been diagnosed, who do you trust to provide the cutting-edge care you need to return your smile to its ideal state of health and function? Dr. Shawn Hofkes, a Cerritos, CA dentist with extensive training in advanced dentistry, discusses why you may benefit from visiting a multi-specialty practice.
Dentistry that Exceeds the Everyday
Before earning their dental degree, a general dentist must complete 3-4 years of classroom education as well as hands-on clinical training at an accredited dental school. After receiving their DDS or DMD designation, a dentist can go on to attend advanced post-doctoral instruction in a wide range of fields. This means that when you opt for a dentist with specialized training, you can feel confident that you’re receiving the very best care available. Advanced dentistry services available at your local multi-specialty practice could include:
- Dental implants. Used to replace the total root and crown structure of a missing permanent tooth, dental implants provide a stable, secure, and long-lasting tooth replacement option that far exceeds traditional dentures or bridgework. However, placing a dental implant requires oral surgery and an expert understanding of dental prosthetics and should be performed by a dentist with advanced training.
- Wisdom tooth removal. Wisdom teeth, referred to clinically as third molars, usually emerge during the late teens or early twenties. Some people have no problems with their wisdom teeth, while many more experience crowding, partial eruption, or impaction which can lead to very serious oral health problems. While a general dentist can perform a simple tooth extraction, you need someone with advanced oral surgical training to remove impacted or problematic wisdom teeth.
- Bone grafting. Just as a house needs a sturdy foundation to stand strong for years, your teeth and jaw also need a stable foundation to remain healthy. Unfortunately, advanced gum disease, loss of permanent teeth, injury, and genetics can compromise the strength of your jaw bone. Bone grafting refers to an advanced oral surgical procedure that uses either the patient’s own cells or donor cells to promote the growth of new jaw bone tissue.
- Conscious sedation dentistry. Patients undergoing oral surgery and patients who experience feelings of intense anxiety or fear associated with dental care can benefit from dental sedation. Depending on the needs of the patient, a trained and certified dentist can offer nitrous oxide (laughing gas), oral sedation (an anti-anxiety pill taken prior to the appointment), and IV sedation (medication administered intravenously to achieve a very deep level of sedation).
About Shawn Hofkes, DDS
With his advanced training in oral and maxillofacial surgery, certification in sedation dentistry, and his many publications in respected dental journals, Shawn Hofkes, DDS is poised to provide exceptional dental care from his comfortable, state-of-the-art dentist office in Cerritos, CA. To schedule your appointment or consultation with Dr. Hofkes, contact us today. We proudly serve patients of all ages from Cerritos, Lakewood, Long Beach, Buena Park, and all surrounding communities.
