From a patient who moved to Hawaii

June 23, 2011 alexnguyen

Email dated June 23, 2011 to her parents. Aloha Dad and Momma,

Dr. Jonathan Kam is my dentist who went to college at UCLA and Stanford. He told me that he knew Dr Nguyen from conferences and his excellent reputation. In fact, when Dr Kam examined my fillings, Dr Kam asked me who did my fillings because they were some of the best fillings he had ever seen and reported he was a "filling snob." I told him Dr Nguyen in San Jose did my fillings and Dr Kam said, "Oh my gosh, I know him! He is an excellent dentist and one of the best." Dr Kam told me to tell Dr Nguyen what an excellent job he did with my fillings. So, That's the story:)

The waves were huge in Waikiki today! They were about 15 ft and yes, I surfed them! It was really fun and I had a great time surfing because it is very rare that Waikiki has big waves like today. I am really excited for Mom to come and wish you were coming too, Dad:( Hope you have a nice rest of the week and talk to you both soon.

I love you,

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Alex Nguyen, DDS is a Saratoga Dentist who practices General Dentistry, Cosmetic, and Implant Dentistry. For over 20 years the practice has been serving the residents of Santa Clara County and San Francisco Bay Area.

So You Think You Can Crown? Don't Be Afraid to Smile Just Because You Have a Crown on Your Front Tooth ! ! !

January 6, 2011 alexnguyen

Three years after delivery, I saw this patient again yesterday for his periodic check-up. The patient had forgotten which tooth he fractured. I had to take a second look to refresh my memory on which tooth I had worked on. This is a crown success story. When science, art, and, care is coordinated between a dentist and a dental ceramist, nature is replicated in the form of teeth. To crown a tooth is one thing, but to give my patient back a tooth in the form of a crown is something else.

This photograph is a tribute to anyone who has crowns on his/her front tooth. It is also my way to say "Thank You !" to all the talented dental ceramists with whom I have had the opportunity to collaborate in the quest for perfection in our work. Thanks for supporting me in delivering nothing but the best result for our patients.

Smile on !

Before Treatment: Tooth # 8 was fractured, and it was the only tooth restored in this case.

Images of actual patients of Alex Nguyen, DDS are Copyrighted and Digitally Embedded to track Unauthorized Use.

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Smiles of Regret. Who Do You Choose to Restore Your Teeth?

November 19, 2010 alexnguyen

Over the years I have had the opportunity to see cases of patients who came to me for initial consultation but ended up elsewhere for the completion of their dental work. Here are some cases where the patients returned to me a few years later to express their discontent and to complain about problems with their teeth. These are smiles of regret. Who do you choose to restore your teeth? Sometimes people will make their choices based on beautiful advertisements that they see. Sometimes the choice may be based on a price tag that may fit their budget at that particular moment. The key to remember is that an unsuccessful restorative case may eventually cost you more time and money to have the work redone.

CASE I: Excess cement materials left under the gum line and around every single restoration. This caused chronic inflammation of the gum and bone loss over time. The patient was also unhappy with the esthetic result.

CASE II: Restorations done without regards to the foundation of this patient's bite. After 3 years, there are gaps between teeth, crowns with open margins, crowns that are breaking away, and discomfort on chewing. There are even teeth left unrestored. The patient was also unhappy with the esthetic result.

Images of actual patients of Alex Nguyen, DDS are Copyrighted and Digitally Embedded to track Unauthorized Use

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Root Canal or Not?

September 14, 2008 alexnguyen

Did you know that tooth pain can be caused by factors other then deep cavities and typical nerve problems?

For Example: If you are a serious grinder, an episode of uncontrolled grinding can cause trauma to the bedding of nerve tissues around the root of your tooth. As a result, that tooth may exhibit a dull ache, sensitivity to hot and cold, and pain on chewing.

In this scenario a root canal is not necessary if the traumatic bite force is recognized and eliminated from the bite. Hence, before you agree to have your tooth root canaled, please make sure all treatment options have been exhausted.

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