Family Dentistry

Combined Restorative and Cosmetic Procedures

The advantages are:

• Restored function
• Durability and cosmetics

See example:

Cavities and Sealants
Fluoride has been a great benefit to patients of all ages in helping prevent dental decay.  Regular brushing and flossing lowers the chance of developing "cavities."

To prevent decay, a plastic-like coating called a sealant should be painted on the chewing surfaces of all the back teeth. It is a simple, fast, and painless procedure.  Studies have shown that sealants can reduce tooth decay by as much as 90% to 100%.  The American Dental Association recommends that sealants be placed as soon as the first adult back teeth come in at age 6 or 7.  All healthy back teeth are candidates for sealants.

White tooth fillings to replace silver fillings
Many people have had silver fillings placed into their teeth because they had "cavities". These silver fillings are called amalgams.  Amalgam fills the space where the decay in the tooth has been removed.

However, over time, the amalgam corrodes and leaks which blackens the silver, and many times the tooth.

Cottage Dental can provide you with tooth color fillings that are color-matched to your teeth, giving you a healthy, beautiful smile. 

Please feel free to call Cottage Dental at (714) 446-9075 with any questions you may have about the benefits of replacing silver amalgam fillings with tooth-colored fillings.

Silent and deadly periodontal gum disease
Periodontal disease can go on for years without pain and without detection unless specific examination procedures are performed.

Visual oral examination by itself (even by a dentist) will not reliably detect periodontal disease until it has reached an advanced stage.

Early detection and adequate diagnosis require measurement of pockets (the crevice between the tooth and gum) with a periodontal probe. Although the procedure is simple, painless and requires only a few minutes, millions of American adults have never had it done.

Some signs of periodontal disease are: bleeding gums, redness of gum tissue, swelling of gums around the teeth, breath odor, receding gums, mobility of teeth.  Please call our office at (714) 446-9075 to schedule an exam for periodontal disease today.

Emergency tooth trauma
If there is trauma to the tooth and it is loose but still in the mouth, leave it there.
If it is out of the mouth, handle it as little as possible, and simply preserve it in milk.  If milk is not available, lukewarm water will suffice.  Do not attempt to disinfect the tooth, or scrub it, or remove any tissue attached to it.  
Time is of the essence in the long-term success of re-implantation. After 30 minutes, the success potential begins to decline. Please call us immediately at (714) 446-9075 if we can be of assistance.