FAQs: What is Oral Pathology?

Posted by

How often do you have a checkup? Many adults assume a checkup is a very minor procedure and one they can afford to miss. In fact, a checkup allows your dentist to watch for signs of dental disease, including gum disease and oral cancer. At Cerritos Dental Surgery, we offer our patients the latest in oral pathology to identify and address dental disease.

(more…)

filed under: Dental Technology, Gum Disease, Oral Biopsies, Oral Cancer, Oral Cancer Symptoms, Oral Cancer Treatment, Oral Health, Oral Pathology, Oral Surgery

Are Dental Implants the Most Cost Effective Option for Missing Teeth?

Posted by

The effects of tooth loss can be devastating for adults of all ages.   Dental implants can restore your missing teeth and your confidence.   If you are considering restorative treatment, dental implant cost may be your biggest concern.   At our Cerritos, CA practice, we offer high quality implants that are a great investment in your continuing dental health.   A recent study, published in the International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Implants in 2013 indicates that compared to other restorative options, the durability of dental implants may make them a more economical treatment in the long run.  Regardless of the reason for tooth loss (gum disease, tooth decay, etc.), replacing your missing teeth with dental implants offers a number of benefits over traditional prosthetics such as bridges and dentures. Dental implants provide a permanent replacement to natural missing teeth. (more…)

filed under: Dental Implants, Dental Prosthetics, Missing Teeth

Cone Beam Imaging Is Transforming Dentistry

Posted by

Dr. Shawn Hofkes is dedicated to using the latest technology to make your dental treatment more precise, efficient, and comfortable. We now offer cone beam dental imaging at our Cerritos, CA practice. This advanced type of x-ray is a recent development in dental technology, but it is already transforming the way dentists approach oral surgery, as well as cosmetic and restorative work. It also enables dentists to make earlier, more precise diagnoses and create highly personalized treatment plans for each patient. (more…)

filed under: Advanced Dentistry, Cone Beam, Dental Technology

Four Goals of Every Dental Visit

Posted by

No two patients are alike and no two visits to the dental office are the same. Yet, for the endless variety of the dental care experience, your dentist has four goals that he and his staff try to fulfill at every appointment:

1. Make Your Mouth Healthier

The human mouth is an intricate system of muscles, soft tissues, teeth, and bones that must work in tandem to perform tasks essential to life, namely eating and communicating. The number of problems that can go wrong in the human mouth is long. The number of treatment options for those problems is even longer. Regardless of the specifics, your dentist will only recommend a treatment if it will improve or maintain an optimal level of oral health. (more…)

filed under: Advanced Dentistry, Healthy Living, Patient Education

Tags:

Oil Pulling: A Straightforward Look at an Alternative Therapy

Posted by

Natural living enthusiasts have practiced it for decades. Celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow and Shailene Woodley have even jumped on the bandwagon. Oil pulling is all the rage in 2014, yet this ancient practice draws from the Ayurvedic healing tradition of India. Oil pulling is purported to cure a wide range of oral health problems, from tooth decay and gum disease to canker sores. Today, we’re taking an in depth tour of this alternative oral health remedy and examining whether it lives up to the hype. (more…)

filed under: Healthy Living, Patient Education

Tags:

How to Qualify for Dental Implants If You’re Jaw’s Less than Perfect

Posted by

If you lost a permanent tooth in an adolescent accident or if you’ve been wearing dentures for years, you might be concerned that replacing that missing tooth with a dental implant might be beyond your reach. After all, a few quick searches on dental implant websites indicate that poor jawbone density (a common side effect of tooth loss) can negatively impact your candidacy for the implant procedure. However, many of these websites fail to mention that a dental surgery procedure called a bone graft can help replace and regenerate lost jawbone tissue and help you qualify for this life-changing procedure. (more…)

filed under: Advanced Dentistry, Bone Grafting, Oral Surgery

Tags:

Premedicating Before Oral Surgery: What You Need to Know

Posted by

Did you ever wonder why you have to fill out a medical history form at the dentist’s office? After all, he’s just fixing your teeth, right? Actually, the health of your mouth is intimately connected to your general health. Similarly, the state of your general health can amplify the risks associated with certain types of dental care, especially the complex or invasive care offered by an oral surgeon or general dentist who practices oral surgery. Today, we’re looking at two types of premedication commonly used in advance of dental surgery. (more…)

filed under: Dental Implants, Oral Surgery, Patient Education

Tags: