Teeth Whitening:
According to people when they are asked, “What would you most like to improve about your smile?” The most common response is: Whiter & Brighter Teeth. If you are not happy with your smile, teeth whitening may provide the solution. Our office uses ZOOM Advanced Power one hour teeth whitening A whitening gel containing a high concentration of hydrogen peroxide is applied to the teeth.
In-office teeth whitening can often be accomplished in one visit to the dentist.
Home teeth whitening may be recommended to enhance the effects.
Dental Crowns:
Also known as “caps,” preserve the functionality of damaged teeth. Crowns may be used to protect a cracked tooth, restore functionality of a tooth with excessive decay, or replace a pre-existing crown. The purpose of a dental crown is to encase a needy tooth with a custom-designed material. During the crown procedure, Dr. Rangel prepares the tooth and makes a molded impression to send to a dental laboratory. A fitted, temporary crown is created during this visit to temporarily protect the tooth while the final restoration is being made in the dental laboratory. Dr Rangel is proud to announce that she send all her cases to Esthetic Professionals Dental Laboratory to assure the best quality and materials on every restoration, performed by the best dental technicians in Los Angeles. Once completed, the crown is cemented at a later visit.
The three predominant choices of restorative materials for the full coverage crowns are:
- Porcelain-fused-to-metal
- All-ceramic (all-porcelain)
- Gold
Porcelain Veneers:
If you are looking to improve your smile, beautiful, custom-fitted veneers can provide the answer. Veneers provide an alternative to traditional crowns.
How Are Veneers Applied?
The tooth is reshaped initially to allow for the added thickness of the veneer. A molded image is taken of the reshaped tooth and sent to a dental laboratory where the veneer is custom-made to fit your mouth. The veneer is applied with adhesive material which bonds it to the original tooth structure.
Dental Implants:
Missing teeth can be replaced with predictable results using fixed bridges or dental implants. A dental implant is a metal device designed to replace missing teeth. The device is usually made out of titanium and is surgically placed into the jawbone where the tooth is missing. Unlike a dental bridge, an implant is permanent.
Dentures vs. Implants?
When replacing dentures, implants can provide even more benefits. Implants do not slip nor do they have the potential of limiting the diet to easily chewed foods as can happen with poorly fitting dentures. If appropriate, implants are the method most able to surgically restore one or more missing teeth to their original conditions.
Restoring Chipped Teeth: Bonding has recently grown in popularity as a solution for the repair of a cracked, decayed, chipped or otherwise cosmetically unattractive tooth. With the direct bonding technique, the bonding resin material is painted on the natural tooth to fill, cover and protect the flawed area. Bonding can be painless and non-invasive. It is accomplished in one visit to the dentist - no mold-taking, no “temporary,” no lab-fabrication. Bonding can also serve as a solution for chips, gaps between the teeth, staining, splotches from wearing braces, crookedness or even misshapen teeth. Plus, it’s relatively inexpensive.
Tissue Recontouring: Esthetic crown lengthening is only one procedure that can create striking and immediate results without surgery. Also known as gum. Recontouring or a “gum lift”, it’s used by Dr. Rangel to reveal the beautiful tooth structure hidden beneath too much gum tissue. This common procedure involves the removal of gum tissue, bone or both to expose more of a tooth’s structure.
Gum Disease (Non-surgical Gum Therapy): Periodontal disease is not only the leading cause of tooth loss in adults, it’s also been linked to heart disease, low infant birth rate and a whole host of other potentially dangerous conditions.
What is Gum Disease?
Gum or periodontal disease (also known as periodontitis) is an inflammatory condition affecting the tissues surrounding a tooth, and is the leading cause of tooth loss. Gingivitis is a bacterial infection of the tissues in the mouth and potential precursor of gum disease.
Once gum disease sets in, the toxins produced by the bacteria damage the teeth’s connective tissue and bone, effectively destroying them and fostering tooth loss.
The Signs of Gum Disease
Since bone recession is not visible to the naked eye, and if left undetected, may contribute to tooth loss, it is important to visit Dr. Rangel for professional examinations and dental cleanings to identify gum disease.
Here are some common signs of gum disease you and your dentist can look for:
- Bleeding gums during tooth brushing or otherwise
- Sensitive, red or swollen gums
- Bad breath
- Teeth that are loose or appear to have shifted.
Root Canal:
Root canal therapy restores and saves an average of 17 million teeth each year. Keep your tooth and stop the pain - sounds better than a tooth extraction, right?
A root canal procedure involves tooth disinfection and the removal of all debris (nerve tissue, lymph tissue, blood tissue, bacteria and infection) from the coronal pulp chamber and its associated canals. Once an affected tooth’s canals are sufficiently cleansed and shaped, they are filled with materials designed to prevent pain and infection from recurring.
Root Canal Signs
Certain signs may indicate that you have a diseased tooth or infected nerve and therefore may need a root canal. These signs include:
- Minimal to severe pain
- Tooth discoloration
- Swelling and irritation in the surrounding gum tissue
- Signs of infection visible on a radiograph
Diagnostic Wax-up:
If you are considering changing your smile or reconstructive dentistry it is important to understand the significance of the diagnostic wax-up. A diagnostic wax up is the next step towards collecting the objective data (both functional and esthetic) needed for developing the cosmetic change or reconstructive dental procedures and treatments.
A wax up starts with dental impressions of your teeth and gums, an occlusal record or bite registration, and for many cases a facebow transfer for an articulator. The models are then sent to the lab and the changes that you have discussed with Dr. Rangel can be made to the teeth on the model. When the wax up is finished you and Dr. Rangel, can now evaluate a tangible 3-dimensional model of your new teeth. If you are happy with these changes then Dr. Rangel, can predictably make alterations to your teeth and provide you with temporaries that look fabulous.
Dental Imaging – Virtual Smiles:
Have you always wanted to change something about your smile, but were hesitant because you did not know how you would look afterwards? Now, with Dr. Rangel, you can see exactly what your new smile will look like.
Not only is it possible, but we do it every day and our patients love it. New software for digital imaging has made it able for us to show you your new smile in just two appointments.
Dr. Rangel will take a series of photos which will be used as a blueprint for the creation of your new smile.
Preventive Dentistry:
If you want to keep your teeth for life! The Preventive Dentistry is going to help you keep your teeth and gums healthy today and every day. In our office we provide the three levels of preventive dentistry: the use of a topical fluoride gel to prevent caries is an example of primary prevention, a dental restoration is an example of secondary prevention, and a fixed bridge that is an example of tertiary prevention.
