How Screening For Oral Cancer Saves Lives

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Elderly man on grey background

When is it time to visit your dentist outside of routine cleanings? Sometimes taking care of your oral health requires more than only brushing and flossing your teeth. If you have noticed an abrupt change to the tissues of your mouth, it could be time to schedule a visit to receive an oral cancer screening. Permanent discolorations in the form of red or white patches, sores that will not heal on their own, or lumps within the tissue may all indicate the presence of disease, and this form of cancer can be particularly dangerous. This means that obtaining an early screening can increase your ability to recover successfully. Remember that symptoms can affect people of all ages and backgrounds, so do not hesitate to report them to your dentist on time. At your Cerritos, CA dentist’s office, we provide oral pathology examinations and can diagnose abnormalities in your mouth. If we suspect cancer, we can perform a biopsy and consider a variety of treatments that best fit your diagnosis if the disease is present.

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filed under: Oral Cancer, Oral Cancer Treatment

An Important Treatment for Teeth Grinding

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Woman clenching teeth in pain

How do you protect your smile while you are asleep? You might be grinding and clenching your teeth at night without being aware of the harm this behavior causes. If not addressed, damage to your enamel from unconscious wear and tear can lead to serious complications with your oral health. This condition, known as bruxism, can make you more susceptible to bacterial infection as worn enamel exposes the delicate inside portion of your tooth. Your bite can become misaligned and cause problems chewing your food comfortably. If you suspect you have symptoms of this disorder, speak with your Cerritos, CA dentist right away. We offer a treatment to protect your teeth from the damage of nightly grinding and preserve the overall health of your smile.

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filed under: Night Guards

Relieving The Pain Of Wisdom Teeth

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Woman With Braces In Pain

Pain in your face and jaw is an important issue to discuss with your dentist when you attend routine checkups. What you can discover is that the discomfort is not related to tooth decay, but that it is caused by molars that have not yet erupted. As they appear in your mouth, your wisdom teeth can press against adjacent neighbors and damage your enamel or cause crowding. They may even become impacted and potentially cause a variety of oral health issues. At your Cerritos, CA dental practice, we can perform a timely extraction to effectively relieve pain and prevent any further complications from the emergence of your wisdom teeth. We provide guidance through the surgery and during recovery to return your mouth to a comfortable state.

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filed under: Extracting Wisdom Teeth, Wisdom Teeth

Veneers Offer A Natural Look

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Older man looking out window

Imperfections can affect the shape and color of your teeth as you age. Daily wear and tear can make you wonder what options are available to enhance the look of your smile. While certain problems can be solved using the natural material of your teeth, some benefit from a synthetic solution. Orthodontics, for example, can shift your existing structures, but what can you do to change their form and shade? The placement of lifelike porcelain veneers offers a beautiful, new smile with a conservative approach. If you are looking to improve your appearance, your Cerritos, CA dentist’s office provides consultation to determine if this treatment addresses your cosmetic concerns.

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filed under: Porcelain Veneers

Improve Your Smile With Tooth Replacement

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older man smiling

Losing a tooth has a significant impact on your quality of life. Whether caused by injury or illness, a gap in your smile can create great embarrassment with your appearance. It can harm your ability to comfortably bite and chew your food. Your jaw may become sore as you shift the alignment of your bite around the open area. You can even develop difficulty speaking with an altered mouth. Receiving quality prosthodontic care requires knowing what options are available to restore your missing tooth and improve your overall oral health.

Your Cerritos, CA dentist’s office offers a restorative procedure that mimics the appearance of a natural tooth while returning strength to your bite. Placing a dental implant can help you recover from tooth loss and provide critical stability to your jaw bone. We also offer custom dental bridges that return your bite’s function with the placement of a prosthetic across the gap in your teeth. Seeking a tooth replacement solution can return your quality of life after experiencing tooth loss!

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filed under: Dental Implants

Trusted Ways For You To Achieve Better Gums

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Hair Cerritos CA

Periodontal health is more important than most people recognize. They may see the gums as a supporting player in the sturdiness of their dentistry. In fact, this tissue is its own vibrant source of immunological protection. Your gums provide an invaluable barrier between the chaos of your mouth and the vulnerable area beneath the gumline. Your teeth are intended for use in a specific area, and can become susceptible to decay and infection if too much of it is exposed.

Periodontal disease affects over four in every ten individuals over the age of thirty in this country. Despite the stigma of gum infection and inflammation, this is a common condition. Speak with Dr. Hofkes, DDS at Cerritos Dental Surgery in Cerritos, CA about how periodontal grafting can help you restore a beautiful gumline and protect the lasting vitality of your teeth!

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filed under: Gum Disease Treatment

Oral Cancer Screening And Your Health

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Middle Age Man smile with harms crossed

Maintaining the health of your smile requires more than standard brushing and flossing at home. Attending routine checkups allows your dentist to examine your mouth for the signs of oral cancer at each visit. This particular form of cancer can spread aggressively throughout your mouth and to other parts of your body, so it is important that you catch it as early as possible. Identification is the first step in obtaining treatment, and early treatment can provide the difference between success and failure. The disease can affect people of all ages and appear in those with no other poor health conditions. Therefore, everyone should seek regular screening. Please contact your Cerritos, CA dentist’s office if you notice any growths forming within your mouth or other signs of disease. We can perform a scan and determine whether you have oral cancer. If detected, we will provide further guidance for your treatment and recovery.

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filed under: Oral Cancer

Opportune Helpful Dental Improvement

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Man Smiling on Yellow Background

Cosmetic dental treatments provide pleasing results to help you look your best. Improving the quality of your smile and gaining a brand new look lifts your confidence and allows you to live life to the fullest. Conversely, dissatisfaction in your oral appearance can cause unhappiness to permeate your social and professional life. If you are self-conscious about the way you appear when speaking or laughing, you may not interact with other people as often as you would like.

We are living in busy times and it can be difficult to look as good as you would like. Fortunately, at your Cerritos, CA dentist’s office, we know that presenting your smile to others should be something you look forward to each day. We provide cosmetic dental procedures that can enhance your appearance in a timely manner.

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filed under: Cosmetic Dentistry

Has Nightly Grinding Worn Down Your Teeth?

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Man asleep on pillow

Your teeth can become damaged from the gradual wear and tear of daily life as the years go by, but erosion to the tooth’s surface from simple biting and chewing is generally minimal. If you experience serious wear to the enamel of your teeth, you may be grinding and clenching your teeth at night without even knowing it. The problem, when not addressed, can cause stress and pain in your jaw. Concerns that are once cosmetic can progress to actual oral health emergencies as damage to the enamel exposes the inside of your tooth and creates opportunity for infection. Your bite can become misaligned as the surfaces become uneven. Fortunately, your Cerritos, CA dentist’s office offers treatment to prevent teeth grinding at night. We can also discuss solutions to repair damage to your teeth from habitual grinding and restore your confidence in the health of your smile.

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filed under: Night Guards

Restore Missing Teeth With An Implant

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Older Man Smiling

If you have recently lost a tooth, you understand how difficult performing normal activities can be. It can cause embarrassment with your smile’s appearance when viewing the new gap. A missing tooth impacts your ability to speak and will affect your ability to bite and chew your food. Your jaw alignment can shift as you attempt to eat around the missing area. Fortunately, your Cerritos, CA dentist offers a restorative procedure to return strength to your bite and mimic the missing tooth’s natural appearance. Placing a dental implant can reverse the difficulties associated with tooth loss. Discover the advantages of this permanent restoration that can return joy to your smile.

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filed under: Dental Implants