Children's dental health is not just about cavities

March 16, 2014 alexnguyen

Regular dental exams and cleanings for children should be a routine part of health care. Beside checking for cavities and gum health, it is also extremely important to monitor the eruption pattern of children's teeth. Severe malalignment of the jaw and teeth can be treated effectively when caught early on in life. Leaving the eruption pattern uncontrolled can negatively affect the development of the facial profile of the young patient, and will create problems with the bite and joint health.

Bite problem and joint issues do not manifest until later on in life when tooth wear/fracture, and joint pain are noticed. In many instances early orthodontic treatments could have saved the patient's teeth in order to ensure a life time of functional stability for the dentition.

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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.

Restoring Worn out Front Teeth

September 15, 2013 alexnguyen

Restoring worn out front teeth is all about the details. Properly designed restorations using the right materials, technique, and collaboration with the right ceramist can bring back years of life to the front teeth. Here is an example of a case where we used a combination of teeth whitening, crowns, and veneers on the four front teeth to restore this gentleman's smile.

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

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Where to Start When it Comes to Implant Teeth

May 12, 2013 alexnguyen

When it comes to Implant teeth, the work should begin with proper diagnosis and treatment planning with the restorative dentist who will fabricate your final restorations. If the restorative dentist does not place the implants, he/she will coordinate with the surgeon so that the outcome of the treatment can be optimized for both esthetic and function. In the case below the patient went to an oral surgeon before coming to me for a consultation for crowns to be placed on the implants in her mouth. This is actually a reversed pattern of treatment. Sometimes the ideal final result cannot be achieved because the implants have been placed in the wrong position.

We will be gathering some detailed diagnostic records and studies to come up with a plan to restore these teeth, but there are obvious issues with the case.

In the X-ray you can see that Implant # 1 and # 2 were placed too close to each other. Here are the potential problems:

1. The crown for Implant # 1 may be much smaller than its ideal size.

2. The gum tissue between the teeth for Implant # 1 and Implant # 2 will not have any room to sustain a normal shape and healthy environment.

On the other hand, you can also see that implant # 2 and # 3 were placed too far from each other. Here are the potential problems:

1. The crowns between these 2 implants may appear unusually large/wide and may not fit the patient's smile esthetically.

2. It may also be impossible to create normally looking gum tissue between these two implant teeth.

Additionally, Implant # 3 was placed too close to the adjacent natural tooth. This may cause the natural root to resorb if indeed the threads of the implants have impinged on the ligaments and/or root of the natural tooth.

To ensure an optimal dental implant result, it is always recommended that the patient seek proper consultation with qualified clinicians prior to proceeding with the treatments.

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Things about Teeth that can Stress You Out !

April 28, 2012 alexnguyen

This patient had TMJ problem. She went to see a "TMJ Specialist" who does orthodontics. This is how her teeth look at the completion of the orthodontic treatment. Everything looks nice and straight from the front, and the smile is beautiful. However, when you take a closer look at the back teeth - She's missing teeth contacts in the molar areas on both sides of the mouth. With this much spacings in between the teeth, the patient would have to exert extra forces as she tries to chew her food. That in turn takes a toll on the chewing muscles, excessively stresses her joints, and defeats the original reason of her visit to a "TMJ Specialist".

Front Teeth after Orthodontic Treatment:

Back Teeth after Orthodontic Treatment:

Before choosing a "dental specialist". It is important to understand what your problem is, how the problem can be fixed, and what to anticipate at the end of the treatment. The last things about teeth that you would want to deal with may be things that can stress you out !

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My tooth hurts. Does it mean that I have a cavity?

August 12, 2011 alexnguyen

Today I will tell you that the answer to this blog heading is: NO ! Sometimes when a tooth comes into contact with the opposing teeth in a way that directs excess force to the neck of the tooth, this can cause micro-fracture of the enamel there. When the outside layer of the tooth (enamel) is stripped, the inside layer (dentin) is exposed. The tooth can become sensitive to substances that are cold, sweet, sour, etc...

There is no cavity in the photographs below, but the symptoms make the patient think that a cavity is there.

Take a look at the indentation (the notch) at the neck of this tooth:

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Now...

Observe how the same tooth is the only one that contacts the lower teeth when the patient moves her jaw from side to side.

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