Category: Blog

Teeth Whitening is a treatment administered to discolored or dull teeth. These procedures lighten your teeth’s’ natural color or discolored teeth without eroding the tooth enamel. Teeth discoloration takes place over time without your knowledge. Discoloration can be:

1. Extrinsic – these stains are on the exterior. These stains form on the enamel from food particles that accumulate on the enamel.
2. Intrinsic – food particles seep beyond the exterior and compile inside the enamel.
3. Age-related – as you grow old. The outer enamel wears down, making the yellow dentin noticeable.

What Causes Stained Teeth?

The color of your teeth can help identify the cause.

• Smoking, chewing tobacco, and taking coffee can result in brown Stains.
• Yellow teeth point to stripped enamel from years of wear and tear. Older adults have a higher probability of developing yellow teeth.
• Children may develop white spots on their teeth due to extensive use of fluoride in toothpaste.
• Poor dental hygiene causes black or grey color from tooth decay or gum disease.
• Red wine, fruits, and certain vegetables may result in a purple shade.

Other causes are:

• Genetics
• Injuries trigger prompt teeth to lay more dentin under the enamel
• Dry mouth or lack of saliva
• Accumulated tartar and plaque
• Side effects from some medical conditions, antibiotics, antipsychotics, or mouthwash
• Small cracks on the teeth enamel that hide stains
• Vulnerability to minerals like iron or silver in an industrial environment or from some supplements

What Are The Whitening Treatment Options?

There are various ways. Some of them include:

• Teeth cleaning, also known as scaling, is a procedure that settles extrinsic discoloration caused by a large build-up of plaque. It also prevents periodontal disease and tooth decay.
• Bleaching – This technique makes teeth brighter by removing intrinsic stains. It is mainly assumed to be a cosmetic procedure. Bleaching takes a multi-day process from a dentist near you or home remedies.

Here are some home remedies you may consider:

1. Teeth whitening gel or strips formulated using peroxide. This compound breaks down to oxygen that combines with your enamel illuminating it.
2. Tray-held teeth whiteners. They are filled with bleaching gel and positioned over teeth for a few hours every day.
3. Teeth whitening toothpaste. It may seem to whiten teeth by reducing surface stains, such as those from coffee or tobacco. But they can’t change the natural color of your teeth or lighten a stain on the interior.
4. Dental veneers which can provide permanent teeth Whitening
5. Masking, the dentist utilizes a thin blanket of filling material over the natural teeth to disguise their color.
6. Dental crowns

The Whitening Process

Consult Petaluma Dental Group dentists before acquiring any home kit for bleaching. Different products work favorably for particular stains. If your teeth are yellow, bleaching could help, while gray and brown teeth need stronger interventions. Crowns, fillings, and crowns cannot be whitened once installed.

The first step is consultation. The dentist will analyze your oral health to deduce the proper treatment. If you have gingivitis, our dentist will use an alternative solution since whitening products can cause more discomfort and sensitivity.

Afterward, the dentist will conserve your gums with a rubber guard or gel. The whitening agent will then be smudged to the teeth using a specially made tray built to fit your mouth like a mouth guard. The tray ensures contact between teeth and the treatment.

An in-office strategy can contain laser or power lighting. The complete treatment takes three to four weeks.

How Do I Take Care of Whitened Teeth?

The outcome of teeth bleaching can remain for up to three years. Here are some oral care tips can employ to maximize their lifespan:

• Brushing twice a day
• Flossing
• Attending routine dental check-ups
• Eating a lot of fruits and vegetables
• Cleaning your mouth with an antiseptic mouthwash
• Lowering intake of acidic beverages

What Are The Risks Involved?

You may experience some after-effects such as:

• Tooth sensitivity
• Sore throat
• Discomfort on the gums
• Injury to the enamel
• Stomach pain

These effects are momentary and vanish after the treatment. Consult a dentist if they continue.

Our Cosmetic Dentist in Petaluma, CA, offers comprehensive and effective treatment suitable for you and your family.

Dentistry is exploring so rapidly and opting for new and innovative procedures. You must have heard about the use of laser beams in many treatments, Yes! It can also be used in dentistry. There are so many procedures where dentists prefer to use a laser. Some of the examples of such treatments include removal of some tissues inside the mouth, reshaping the overgrown tooth, teeth whitening, and much more.

A laser is sharp light beams that focus on the area one needs to treat. It is less painful and can be ideal for children as well as for those people who are fearful about the dental procedure.

Types of Lasers Used in Dentistry

Lasers are not only useful in dentistry but are highly useful in other medical practices as well. There is a wide variety of lasers used in dentistry. Here we will discuss some of them in detail.

Carbon Dioxide Laser

Carbon Dioxide Laser is commonly used for soft tissue removal. It works quickly and efficiently. The negative point associated with it is that it is quite expensive. Its use inside the mouth can cause damage to the hard tissues. But Carbon Dioxide Laser works quickly and efficiently on soft tissues. So it is preferred in many dental treatments.

Diode Laser

It is a kind of soft tissue laser. It is quite compact in size and is affordable. They are mostly used for:

• Teeth whitening
• Impression Troughing,
• Gingivectomies and more

We provide effective laser dentistry in Petaluma with the right choice of laser for your dental treatment.

Hard Tissue Laser

Hard Tissue and Soft Tissue Laser is widely used in preparing the procedure for root-canal, veneers, and the one where some part of the bone requires cutting and reshaping for the adjustment of artificial materials.

Hard tissue laser involves a high wavelength and has the capacity to cut bones. So its use involves the reshaping and restructuring of teeth.

Situations Where Hard Tissue Laser Works Amazingly

• Identification of cavities.
• Repairing tooth sensitivity.
• Preparing procedures for different treatments like filling etc.

Soft Tissue Laser

Usually, it involves the use of smaller wavelengths and is easily absorbed by hemoglobin. Soft tissue laser is considered the best thing to let the gum work. Their function is to cut soft tissues and seal those at the same time. While using soft tissue laser, there would be less bleeding and recovery would be much faster. If you want to experience a pain-free process, search laser dentistry near you.

The Procedures Where the Soft Tissue Laser Is Used

• Correcting restricted tongue Moments
• Reshaping of gums to improve aesthetics of the face.
• Correction of folds of tissues inside after placement of Dentures
• For lengthening of crowns.

Generally, all the lasers fall into two categories under soft tissue and hard-tissue lasers. Carbone dioxide laser is an example of hard tissue laser and diode laser is an example of soft tissue laser. The choice of laser depends on patient’s requirements and conditions of their oral health.

What You Can Expect from Laser Dentistry?

There are so many benefits patients get after indulging in laser dentistry in dental treatment. Only professionals can decide when and where the technique should be used.

• Let’s complete the procedure with ease and comfort.
• Anesthesia may not require when using laser for dental treatments.
• Laser sterilization of the gums makes them less prone to infections and bacteria.
• Less bleeding than traditional surgery.
• No-less damage to the gums during the procedure.
• Faster recovery to a normal lifestyle.
• Ease the fear and anxiety and more.

Laser treatments can work wonders for patients who can’t take dental therapies or surgery without being panicked and anxious. Its use in dentistry may eliminate the use of sedatives used to keep patients calm and relax during different dental procedures. Overall, the use of lasers in dentistry is making it more available to patients. Its use is not restricted to some procedures but it can be used for oral to dental problems.

Laser dentistry can be used to deal with simple to severe dental procedures or surgeries involving less pain, bleeding, and a high recovery rate. In cosmetic procedures, it works amazingly. So if your dentist suggests the use of laser for recovering from dental issues, just go for it without thinking so much. If you are on the hunt for quality Laser Dentistry in Petaluma CA, let your search end at Petaluma Dental Group. It provides the best dental solutions at affordable prices.

Have you found a pediatric dentist for your child? The pediatric dentist near you ensures your child preserves that appealing smile that’s free from dental caries and discoloration. Children’s dentistry is a specialty that encompasses various oral care procedures for your child upon the onset of the emergence of the first tooth from the gum line until the teenage years. It’s crucial to make dental appointments for your child to facilitate the proper growth of permanent teeth.

What’s Children’s Dentistry?

Children’s dentistry involves providing care for your children from birth until the teenage years. Our Children’s dentistry in Petaluma offers specialized treatment for both your infant and adolescent child. A pediatric oral surgeon ensures your child finds ideal treatment for all dental emergencies. If your child requires specialized treatment, the pediatric dentist near you may refer your child to other specialists.

The development of both primary and permanent teeth requires proper oral care to prevent them from oral infections and decay. It would be ideal for taking your kid to the Children’s dentistry in Petaluma, CA, to find specialized help and ensure they overcome dental complications that may potentially occur. Pediatric dentistry incorporates therapeutic, preventive, and emergency care.

Services provided by the Children’s Dentistry near You

Pediatric dentists offer your child holistic oral health care, and some of the treatment procedures performed include:

• Emergency dental care due to injuries and severe dental conditions
• Early assessment and treatment for improper bites and misaligned teeth
• Dental exams for your infant to assess the risk of having dental caries
• Handling periodontal diseases
• Diagnosing oral health conditions that are life-threatening
• Preventive oral care through fluoride treatment, cleaning, and making nutritional recommendations
• Curbing oral habits that might cause dental complications

What to Expect During a Pediatric Dental Appointment

Scheduling a dental appointment for your child is a crucial step in keeping tabs on proper oral hygiene. Your child’s specialist performs specialized procedures based on your child’s age. Pediatric dentists near you use advanced tools that are friendly to the oral tissues. It’s vital to accompany your child to the dental exam office to ensure your child feels comfortable during the appointment. Once you nurture your kid on the right oral health practices, dental health will be easy to manage, and dental visits stress-free. It’s essential to provide relevant information concerning your child’s dental health history to ensure the kid finds a suitable treatment plan and well-preserved oral tissues.

The children’s dentistry near you aims at ensuring that the dental visit is enjoyable for your kid. Your child’s specialist handles all dental issues for your child until the teenage years. A proper dental health regimen prevents the decay of permanent teeth. Your child’s teeth are vulnerable to dental caries and oral infections at a tender age, and it’s ideal to find a pediatric dentist for appropriate oral hygiene measures.

Your child’s specialist can take x-rays of your child’s mouth and perform an oral exam to prevent potential dental health issues that may become severe. At our children’s dentistry in Petaluma, we ensure that all the dental appointments are anxiety-free by providing a calming and friendly environment.

When is the Ideal Time for Your Kid to Visit the Children’s Dentistry?

At our Children’s Dentistry in Petaluma, CA, we recommend you to take your child to the dentistry once the first tooth emerges from the gum line. The pediatric dentist examines the growth and detects abnormal development on time. The initial dental appointments are vital in ensuring the other dental visits are comfortable. Examining the gums and cleaning using a soft cloth keeps the gum tissues bacterial-free. It would be best to prepare your child for dental appointments for routine assessments and ensure underlying issues are identified and treated at the early stages. The dental visits take less time, and our pediatric dentists may advise you to make the visits every six months.

What’s the Role of Primary Teeth?

Primary teeth are vital in preserving the space that’s occupied by permanent teeth. If milk teeth prematurely fall off, the developing permanent teeth may become crooked. They are the first set of teeth to provide your child with the initial dental structure, give the facial symmetry, and support your kid’s speech. For an infant, you need to wipe the gums gently to prevent bacterial infection. Once the first teeth emerge, your specialist may recommend you to use a soft-bristled toothbrush and grain-sized fluoride toothpaste regularly. Please schedule an appointment at our children’s dentistry in Petaluma, CA, and preserve your child’s primary teeth, since they are crucial in developing permanent teeth.

The passion of Petaluma Dental Group is to provide a unique and exceptional experience for everyone who comes through our doors and to leave a positive impact on their lives.

This has been the commitment of the Petaluma Dental Group since I purchased it in 2009; but, truly, our hope is to do more than that. Not only do we want to leave a positive impact on those who come through our doors, we want to do so for our wider community and the world, and I think it’s important to share with you the story of our WHY.

The Story of Why

My early life was fraught with my own dental difficulties and plenty of moving — between having a gummy smile until the age of 10, to moving over 13 times in a 4-year span as a teenager, every single experience I had growing up was shaping me and setting me up for what I’m doing now.  The challenges I experienced built character, grit, and passion and helped put my life on the path to become not only the first dentist in my family, but the first to go to college.

Fast forward to the year 2009 — I was working with my own solo practice in Sonoma, and when the opportunity to purchase Petaluma Dental Group arose, I realized something.

My husband and I have two children (who were 2 and 4 years old at the time), and I thought back to my childhood, and I wondered…If my kids live in the same house their whole life and don’t have any exposure to the world, then how will they develop their own grit?  

It has been a dream of mine to be able to teach my kids about living a life of purpose and to be able to actually show them what it’s like to give back to those in need.

Purchasing Petaluma Dental Group was an opportunity to fulfill that lifelong dream of mine. When you have a group working together, like we do with the absolutely amazing team and leaders working together at Petaluma Dental Group, we’re able to support each other and allow one another to live our purpose.  

As such, Petaluma Dental Group is well-equipped to be able to serve and support the community locally and globally.

For example, in addition to our Give Kids a Smile and Super Kids Day events, at least two of our dentists travel 6 weeks out of the year to fulfill their passions, and I have also been able to pursue my calling of giving back with organizations like Missions of Mercy (a domestic philanthropic dental association), as well as international missions, such as the most recent ones this year, where my entire family and I went to serve in places like Haiti (in January), and Vietnam (in March).  

These most recent trips to Haiti and Vietnam were amazing experiences, and presented a bigger opportunity than just allowing me to use my skills to give back and serve others.

It was the opportunity for my children to experience the wider world — its challenges, pains, and needs — and to not only inspire gratitude within them, but also show them the positive impact of a supportive mindset and a servant’s heart.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing some amazing stories from our trip to Haiti and Vietnam (as well as the contributions that our children made), and I would love to hear your stories of passion, too.

I believe we are capable of inspiring servants’ hearts across generations that can lead and support and contribute to a better world, and I believe that when we all give, the world gives back.

When many of us think of spring, we think of spring cleaning! But don’t forget about your teeth! Here are some top reasons to visit your dentist regularly.

Stop tooth loss and prevent cavities

We all know that plaque is the leading cause of tooth decay and can cause cavities if left unattended. Did you also know that gum disease begins when plaque builds up? As gum disease advances, plaque moves further down the tooth where it can destroy the supporting bone in your jaw, causing teeth to loosen and fall out. Regular check-ups and dental cleanings, flossing daily, and brushing twice a day are key factors in preventing gum disease.

Help maintain your overall health

Recent studies have linked heart attacks and strokes to gum disease, resulting from poor oral hygiene. Regular dental cleanings help to keep your teeth and gums healthy and could possibly reduce your risk of heart disease and strokes. Your dentist also screens you for oral cancer, which is highly curable if diagnosed early.

Brighten your smile

A dental cleaning can remove some of the built-up stains that can happen over time by drinking coffee, tea or wine, leaving you with a brighter, whiter smile!

Freshen your breath

Dental studies show that about 85 percent of people with persistent bad breath, also known as halitosis, have a dental problem that is to blame. Even if you brush and floss regularly, professional dental cleaning are needed to remove plaque and bacteria that regular brushing and flossing can’t reach. This will help keep your mouth healthy and fresh.

Save money

Most dental insurance plans pay for all or most of the cost of dental cleanings and check-ups. At Petaluma Dental Group we offer Plan For Health, a wellness program that includes 3 cleanings, all exams and x-rays for a year. It’s a great, low cost way to keep healthy and up to date with your oral hygiene. In the long run you will save money, time and pain by maintaining good oral hygiene at home and visiting your dentist regularly!

Spring is here, and along with it comes baseball season. While we all love baseball, there is a dark cloud that hangs over the sport…the overwhelming use of chewing tobacco. Well, the tide is beginning to turn.

Chewing or smokeless

tobacco, which has been stuffed in the cheeks of major league baseball players for decades, is being banned at a growing number of ballparks. So far, four ballparks have passed bans on smokeless tobacco, including San Francisco. It’s important that children not be exposed to smokeless tobacco or see it being used by their on-field sports heroes.

Did you know that almost 42,000 Americans will be diagnosed with oral and throat cancers this year? The good news is that when cancer is detected and treated early, there is a high survival rate!

Besides environmental factors; tobacco, sun, age, diet and alcohol, HPV (human papillomavirus) has a strong link to oral cancer. Petaluma Dental Group can do a screening to test you for HPV and will be able to tell you more about your susceptibility to oral cancer. Regular visits to your dentist can also improve the chances that any suspicious changes in your oral health will be caught early, when cancer can be treated more easily.

In between visits, it’s important to know the following signs and symptoms of oral cancer. Contact Petaluma Dental Group if you have any of these symptoms and they do not disappear after two weeks.

The symptoms of mouth or throat cancer can include:

• a sore or irritation that doesn’t go away
• red or white patches
• pain, tenderness or numbness in mouth or lips
• a lump, thickening, rough spot, crust or small eroded area
• difficulty chewing, swallowing, speaking or moving your tongue or jaw
• a change in the way your teeth fit together when you close your mouth

So enjoy our beautiful Sonoma County spring, take the kids to baseball games, picnic on our beautiful hills and don’t forget to ask your dentist to do your oral cancer screening and HPV testing on your next visit.