Tis the Seaon

Happy Holidays...Seasons Greetings!

What is Good Oral Hygiene?

Good oral hygiene results in a mouth that looks and smells healthy. This means:

• Your teeth are clean and free of debris
• Gums are pink and do not hurt or bleed when you brush or floss
• Bad breath is not a constant problem

If your gums do hurt or bleed while brushing or flossing, or you are experiencing persistent bad breath, see your dentist. Any of these conditions may indicate a problem.

Your dentist or hygienist can help you learn good oral hygiene techniques and can help point out areas of your mouth that may require extra attention during brushing and flossing.

How is Good Oral Hygiene Practiced?
Maintaining good oral hygiene is one of the most important things you can do for your teeth and gums. Healthy teeth not only enable you to look and feel good, they make it possible to eat and speak properly. Good oral health is important to your overall well-being.

Daily preventive care, including proper brushing and flossing, will help stop problems before they develop and are much less painful, expensive, and worrisome than treating conditions that have been allowed to progress.

In between regular visits to the dentist, there are simple steps that each of us can take to greatly decrease the risk of developing tooth decay, gum disease and other dental problems. These include:

• Brushing thoroughly twice a day and flossing daily
• Eating a balanced diet and limiting snacks between meals
• Using dental products that contain fluoride, including toothpaste
• Rinsing with a fluoride mouth-rinse if your dentist tells you to
• Making sure that your children less than 12, drink fluoridated water or take a fluoride supplement if they live in a non-fluoridated area.

For more information, call us today @ 310-322-1814

Bite Problems...

Problems with the way your teeth fit together occur in many different ways. Some bite problems cause discomfort or even pain, and that pain can masquerade as problems that you would not readily associate with your teeth. Some bite problems can cause major damage to your teeth without producing any obvious discomfort.

There are some pretty simple ways that anyone can detect when a problem with the bite is causing or at least contributing to pain or discomfort.

Look for severe wear on your teeth, as this is another sign that your bite is not in harmony. If you have worn all the enamel off the biting edges of your teeth, you will see a darker colored surface. This is dentin and it will wear down seven times faster than the much harder enamel that you’ve already worn through. So ask your dentist to evaluate what is causing so much wear. This wear can be especially damaging when it is on your front teeth, so if you notice your lower front teeth have worn down to dentin, have your bite checked. Better yet, don’t wait till all the enamel is gone. Correcting your bite may stop or at least slow down the wear process.

Severe wear on lower front teeth. If this wear continues the nerves will be exposed and the teeth can become abscessed. Wear that is this severe requires expert correction of the bite as well as restoration of the severely damaged teeth.

For more information…call us today. 310-322-1814

What is Gum Disease?

Gum disease (clinical term: periodontal disease), including gingivitis and periodontitis, is a chronic bacterial infection that, if left untreated, can lead to tooth loss. Gums can become red, swollen and bleed easily or have no symptoms at all. If the condition worsens, gums and bone that support the teeth can become seriously damaged and the teeth can become loose, fall out or have to be removed. Gum disease is often a silent and painless condition and can go undetected or ignored until severe gum and bone destruction occurs.

Traditionally, patients diagnosed with moderate to severe gum disease had to undergo scalpel and suture periodontal surgery. During the surgery, gums are cut in order to scrape tartar off the roots, and drills are used to reshape bone. The gums are repositioned to the tooth with stitches, sometimes along with placement of bone grafts to fill in the defects. Following surgery, gum and exposed roots can be sensitive, painful, and subject to cavities. The conventional surgical process involves procedures that can require from eight to ten appointments and is not a reversible procedure. Call us today for more information at 310-322-1814

Tooth Sensitivity?

What is it?
Tooth sensitivity is something that affects a number of people. It is often caused by eating or drinking something hot, cold, sweet or acidic. Under normal conditions, the underlying dentin of the tooth (the layer that immediately surrounds the nerve) is covered by the enamel in the tooth crown, and the gums that surround the tooth. Over time, the enamel covering can get thinner, thus providing less protection. The gums can also recede over time, exposing the underlying root surface dentin.

The dentin contains a large numbers of pores or tubes that run from the outside of the tooth to the nerve in the center. When the dentin is exposed, these tubes can be stimulated by changes in temperature or certain foods. Good oral health care is a must and affordable at Dr Cardona’s office in El Segundo California….come see us today, or give us a call at 31-322-1814.

The Mouth-Body Connection

You may have heard of the mind-body connection, but what about the mouth-body connection To many people, a dental visit is about getting their teeth cleaned, having a tooth pulled, or getting a filling. However, a dental visit is not just about teeth. It is also about your overall health. What goes on in your mouth can affect the rest of your body. What goes on in your body also can have an effect on your mouth. Many diseases and conditions can affect your oral health. For example, people may get more infections in the mouth if their immune system is weak. The immune system protects your body from illness and infection. It can be weakened by disease, by drugs taken to prevent the rejection of transplanted organs, or as a side effect of cancer chemotherapy drugs. Medicine for other conditions also can affect the health of your mouth. For example, many drugs cause dry mouth. This can increase your risk of dental decay and yeast infections. It also can affect taste. While examining your mouth, your dentist might see a sign or symptom of an illness or disease that you might not even know you have. The dentist may perform tests and/or refer you to a specialist for treatment. If you have certain medical conditions, you may need specialized oral and dental care. If necessary, your dentist can refer you to an expert in oral medicine. Your oral health also can affect other medical conditions. For example, if you are diabetic, a mouth infection can disrupt your blood-sugar levels and make your diabetes harder to control. Researchers also are exploring whether periodontal (gum) disease may increase the risk of various medical problems. These may include heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and premature births. About 35% of U.S. adults have some form of periodontitis. Another 50% have gingivitis, the mildest form of gum disease. Because gum disease is so common, its treatment and management can have important implications for overall public health. For more information, call us today..310-322-1814.

Implants Complications

The vast majority of complications in implant surgery can be prevented by correctly selecting patients and treating difficult cases in the most adequate way, while knowing the risks, trying to avoid them with the necessary information and having carefully devised a specific plan for every patient. For more info...call us today, 310-322-1814

All on 4...

The invention All-on-4™ owes its name to the very nature of the method, which consists of applying a dental prosthesis with at least twelve teeth (bridge) fixed in the jaw, based only on four titanium implants. This is a state - of the -Art technique we offer, right here at home. Call us today. 310-322-1814

Taking Care of Dental Impants

A Dental implant is an artificial tooth that is implanted into the gum with the help of a metal screw. Dental implants are fixed in place and they look and feel like actual teeth. Implants are beneficial to older people who have lost their teeth or people who have tooth loss because of infection or gum disease. Patients do not have to worry about the implants falling out, unlike dentures. Implants are also more resistant to shifting, and the procedure has a high success rate. However, there are some risks and drawbacks involved as well.

To read more: http://www.ehow.com/list_7191467_drawbacks-dental-implants.html#ixzz2AKKBZnbZ

Or call us today....310-322-1814

We Appreciate You

A big thank to all our beloved patients...we have been voted "Best Dentist" in El Segundo.

Much Love from Dr Cardona and Team

New Patient Special...$99.00 = Complete exam, X-rays and cleaning. Call us today to make an appointment. 310-322-1814

Potential effects of the Affordable Care Act

Come see us! or....Call Tosay...310-322-1814

An estimated 3 million children will gain dental benefits by 2018 through health insurance exchanges, roughly a 5 percent increase over the number of children with private benefits currently, the Association said in a report on potential effects of the Affordable Care Act on dentistry.

Beyond the exchanges, more children will benefit through employer-sponsored dental benefits with dependent coverage, “although the number is uncertain at this time,” the Association said.

The law includes pediatric dental coverage in a list of essential health benefits to be provided by small and individual group health plans. The ACA does not address coverage for adult dental benefits. However, some states are looking at adult coverage as a potential optional benefit after the ACA-mandated health benefit exchanges are in place.

The report also examines other potential effects of the ACA

Oral Bacteria May Signal Pancreatic Cancer Risk

ScienceDaily (Sep. 18, 2012) — Pancreatic cancer is highly lethal and difficult to detect early. In a new study, researchers report that people who had high levels of antibodies for an infectious oral bacterium turned out to have double the risk for developing the cancer. High antibody levels for harmless oral bacteria, meanwhile, predicted a reduced pancreatic cancer risk.

Be sure to keep your regular visits....call us today. 310-322-1814.

Avoid Dental problems by taking care of your oral health.

Keep the decay away and save money on dental care. It’s simple: Brush and floss regularly. Only indulge in sugary food and drinks once in awhile, and eat a healthy diet. It costs less to maintain healthy teeth than it does to repair damage. For more information, call us today. 310-322-1814

Get in get the work done!

If you have a large amount of work that needs to be done to your mouth...you can actually save $$$ by biting the bullett and getting the work done.

Then....regular visits and good home care will actually save you $$$ in the end. Preventative maintenance from that point on with go a long long way towards maintaining good dental health.

Ultrathin 'artificial enamel' may have myriad dental uses

Japanese researchers have created an ultrathin, flexible hydroxyapatite sheet that could have several applications in restorative and cosmetic dentistry, from preventing decay and restoring enamel to giving teeth a whiter appearance.

The biocompatible film, developed by scientists from the Faculty of Biology-Oriented Science and Technology at Kinki University in Wakayama, Japan, is made from hydroxyapatite (HAp) that is fabricated into microscopically thin sheets.

The hydroxyapatite film is the first of its kind in the world, according to the research team. And when it is applied to the surface of a tooth it is nearly invisible, stated lead researcher Shigeki Honstu, a professor at Kinki University, in an article by AFP. Honstu, who first developed the material in 2007, noted that the initial goal of this project was to create artificial dentin.

"Because its composition is similar to that of tooth enamel, this HAp sheet can be used for the regeneration and protection of dentine," he and his colleagues wrote in a study testing the technology's use with tooth enamel, 2012, Vol. 493-494, pp. 615-619). In that study, they determined that "the HAp sheet is effective for the restoration and conservation of the tooth in dental applications."

Laser-based fabrication

When completed, the film is only 0.004-mm (0.00016-inch) thick. In order to accomplish this, the researchers separated individual particles of hydroxyapatite from compressed blocks of the material with a laser-based hydrothermal fabrication technique. The particles settle onto a salt block, which is heated to crystallize them, and the stand is subsequently dissolved in water.

Once the film has dried on a filter paper, it is strong enough to be handled with a pair of tweezers. Apatite ceramics typically resist bending, the researchers noted, but this particular sheet is flexible and sheer.

"The moment you put it on a tooth surface, it becomes invisible. You can barely see it if you examine it under a light," Hontsu told AFP. For cosmetic purposes, it can also be turned a shade of white, he added.

Getting the sheet to adhere to the surface of a tooth is aided by minute holes in it, allowing air liquid and air to escape and preventing the formation of bubbles, according to the AFP article.

In the Key Engineering Materials study, the researchers fused a HAp sheet to the enamel of a human tooth sample and found that the HAp film and the enamel were "strongly adhering." The adhesion process, which used a calcium phosphate solution as an adhesive, took approximately one week to complete.

Moving toward commercialization

Now the researchers can affix it to enamel in one day, according to the AFP article. While the improvement is significant, it would still be difficult to properly place it on a human subject.

The researchers also tested the ability of HAp sheets to adhere to other materials -- including those relevant to dentistry, such as dental implants, artificial cartilage, and a 3D titanium scaffold -- with good results.

"The pulsed laser deposition HAp strongly bonds to metal or polymer substrates and exhibits good biocompatibility," they wrote.

Facing It

Your smile plays a major role in how you perceive yourself, as well as in the impressions you make on the people around you. A charming smile can open doors and knock down barriers that stand between you and the fuller richer life you deserve.
Are you ready for a new smile? Perhaps it's time to get a knew one...call us today! 310-322-1814

Easy as 1, 2....3!!!

1.Brush at least two times daily

How do I choose the right toothbrush?

• Bristle: It is important to be gentle to your gums, so a soft –bristled brush is best.
• Size: Select a brush that fits comfortable in all areas of your mouth
• Manual vs. Electric Toothbrush: Both are effective in removing plaque if used correctly.
• Brushing Tips
• Do not press hard! Brushing too hard can cause gums to recede and expose root areas, which can lead to tooth sensitivity to hot, cold, and sweet foods.
• Brush all sides of your teeth gently and slowly for 2-3 minutes in an up and down, as well as circular motion, especially along the gum line.
• Gently brushing your tongue is also helpful in removing bacteria and food particles and may help with bad breath.
• Replace your toothbrush every 3-4 months as the bristles begin to spread.
• Use any kind of toothpaste – as long as it has fluoride in it.
• A pinky-nail size amount of toothpaste is all you need.

2.Floss Daily

Why is it important to floss daily?
Plaque accumulates between the teeth, areas where a toothbrush can’t reach. Flossing helps to break up and pull out the plaque. If you don’t get rid of the plaque between your teeth, cavaties can result, tartar can form, and gum disease may result. Flossing also helps control bad breath.
What’s the best way to floss?

• Ease the floss between each tooth. Try not to snap the floss between the teeth.
• Bend the floss around each tooth to form a “C”
• Move the floss up and down against each tooth, making sure you gently get slightly under the gum line of each tooth.
• Be sure to floss behind the rear-most molars.

Use of mouth rise does not take the place of brushing or flossing.

3.SEE YOUR DENTIST REGULARLY

It is important to see your dentist regularly. Even though you are working hard by brushing twice a day and flossing daily, your dentist will give your teeth an extra special cleaning and remove any tartar that may have formed. If you have a cavity, it is important to get it taken care of as soon as possible to lessen pain and possibly prevent developing a painful infection. Your dentist may also spot other medical problems just by looking in your mouth. Your dentist will let you know how often you should schedule visits.

Healthy Habits for Kids

Start Early

Your child’s baby teeth are at risk for decay as soon as they first appear—which is typically around age 6 months. Tooth decay in infants and toddlers is often referred toa Baby Bottle Tooth Decay. It most often occurs in the upper front teeth, but other teeth may also be affected. In some cases, infants and toddlers experience decay so severe that their teeth cannot be saved and need to be removed.
The good news is that tooth decay is preventable! Most children have a full set of 20 primary teeth by the time they are 3-years-old. As your child grows, their jaws also grow, making room for their permanent teeth.

Cleaning Your Child’s Teeth

• Begin cleaning your baby’s mouth during the first few days after birth by wiping the gums with a clean, moist gauze pad or washcloth. As soon as teeth appear, decay can occur.
• When your child’s teeth begin to come in, brush them gently with a child-size toothbrush and water. A baby’s front four teeth usually push through the gums at about 6 months of age, although some children don’t have their first tooth until 12 or 14 months.
• For children older than 2, brush their teeth with a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste. Be sure they spit out the toothpaste. (Ask your child's dentist or physician if you are considering using fluoride toothpaste before age 2.)
• Until you’re comfortable that your child can brush on his or her own, continue to brush your child's teeth twice a day with a child-size toothbrush and a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste. When your child has two teeth that touch, you should begin flossing their teeth daily.

Teething 
 
Teething is one of the first rituals of life. Although newborns usually have no visible teeth, most baby teeth begin to appear generally about six months after birth. During the first few years of your child’s life, all 20 baby teeth will push through the gums and most children will have their full set of these teeth in place by age 3. A baby’s front four teeth usually erupt or push through the gums at about six months of age, although some children don’t have their first tooth until 12 or 14 months. As their teeth erupt, some babies may become fussy, sleepless and irritable, lose their appetite or drool more than usual. Diarrhea, rashes and a fever are not normal symptoms for a teething baby. If your infant has a fever or diarrhea while teething or continues to be cranky and uncomfortable, call your physician.

First Dental Visit

As soon as your child’s first tooth appears, it’s time to schedule a dental visit. The ADA recommends that the first dental visit take place within six months after the first tooth appears, but no later than a child’s first birthday. Don’t wait for them to start school or until there's an emergency.  Get your child comfortable today with good mouth healthy habits.

Although the first visit is mainly for the dentist to examine your child’s mouth and to check growth and development, it’s also about your child being comfortable. To make the visit positive:

• Consider making a morning appointment when children tend to be rested and cooperative.
• Keep any anxiety or concerns you have to yourself. Children can pick up on your emotions, so emphasize the positive.
• Never use a dental visit as a punishment or threat.
• Never bribe your child.
• Talk with your child about visiting the dentist.

During this visit, you can expect the dentist to:

• Inspect for oral injuries, cavities or other problems.
• Let you know if your child is at risk of developing tooth decay.
• Clean your child’s teeth and provide tips for daily care.
• Discuss teething, pacifier use, or finger/thumbsucking habits.
• Discuss treatment, if needed, and schedule the next check-up.

Fluoride

Fluoride is a mineral that occurs naturally in all water sources, including oceans, rivers and lakes. Fluoride is also added to some community tap water, toothpastes and mouth rinses. Infants and toddlers who do not receive an adequate amount of fluoride may be at an increased risk for tooth decay since fluoride helps make tooth enamel more resistant to decay. It also helps repair weakened enamel. Bottled water may not contain fluoride; therefore, children who regularly drink bottled water or unfluoridated tap water may be missing the benefits of fluoride. If you are not sure if your tap water has fluoride, contact your local or state health department or water supplier.
Note: Discuss your child’s fluoride needs with your dentist or pediatrician. They may recommend a fluoride supplement if you live in an area where the community water is not fluoridated.

Pacifiers

Infants and young children may suck on thumbs, other fingers or pacifiers. Pacifiers dipped in sugar, honey, juice or sweetened drinks, can lead to tooth decay. Tooth decay can also begin when cavity-causing bacteria pass from saliva in a mother or caregiver’s mouth to the infant. When the mother or caregiver puts the baby’s feeding spoon in her mouth, or cleans a pacifier in her mouth, the bacteria can be passed to the baby.

For more information...call the office today, 310-322-1814.

TMD Treatment Alternative TMJ & Bruxism Solution

TMD or Temporomandibular Joint Disorder is an acute or chronic inflammation of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ; the joint connecting the lower jaw to the skull). The disorder and resultant dysfunction results in significant pain and impairment for many.

Bruxism

Teeth grinding or bruxism is a problem that afflicts a large percentage of Americans. Aggravated by stress, this condition frequently runs in families. People that clench their teeth during the day or at night mostly do so without knowing that they are doing it – they can’t help themselves. Those that only grind at night only know that they are doing it if they wake up with jaw soreness or if their dentist notices that they are wearing down their teeth.

Bruxism and TMD can result in headaches, earaches, facial pain, chipped teeth and chewed tissue on the inside of the mouth. Chronic grinding will often lead to a hypertrophied masseter muscle – the main muscle that is used for chewing. This is a muscle that is located at the angle of the jaw. Grinding builds this muscle and makes it stronger, like lifting weights does for the biceps. The stronger the muscle gets, the more damage clenching causes to the teeth. Headaches and facial pain also tend to get worse with time.

Traditional TMD & Bruxism Treatment

Traditionally, treatment of teeth grinding has been led by dentists. Since malocclusion or abnormal teeth alignment is known to make bruxism worse, one of the first principles of treatment is to optimize the bite. Another common treatment is the use of bite blocks to keep teeth from coming together at night. Unfortunately, bite blocks do not help clenching during the day, and frequently do not work at night because people spit them out due to discomfort.

Botox Injections Give Instant Relief

For the past two years, Dr. Cardona has been using Botox to treat chronic teeth grinding. Not only are his patients experiencing instant relief from jaw pain, tension and headaches, but they are seeing a dramatic change in the way that their face looks. The square, severe appearance of their lower face softens into a more normal and esthetically pleasing jaw line.

Botox would seem to be a very logical approach to the treatment of bruxsim. It can be injected precisely into the sorest part of the muscle,weakening the most spastic part of the very large masseter muscle without affecting the ability to chew. Breaking the spasm of muscle often only requires stopping the origin or focal area of contraction and not the whole muscle. Even with only partial relief of muscle tension,pain is less and less clenching occurs.

Three to five injections are done through the outer skin into the underlying masseter or temporalis muscle. It usually takes about 25 to 30 units per affected side as a starting dose.It may eventually take a higher dose to get a more complete relief but his starting dose should at least get some relief.Like all Botox injections, it takes about a week to see its effect, so patients have to be patient.

Call our office today for you next appointment.

(310) 322-1814

Back to school

It is that time of year again when students of all ages are going back to school.On Tuesday, August 28th it was Center Street school who shined for the new year with it's great teachers, staff and students. My daughter had a list of items to bring with her the first day almost a page long.It is important to remember that in addition to the recommended supplies, a healthy mouth is also a necessity.

A dental examination is just as important as your kids immunizations and booster shots and should be a regular part of your kids back-to-school preparations. Dental pain or disease can lead to difficulty in eating,speaking,playing and learning as well as millions of hours of missed class

Students' back-to-school checklist:

1. Regular clinical and radio graphic dental examinations to diagnose,treat and/or prevent dental problems are always important. In school guardians and teachers may not always realize threes a dental problem, so a regular checkup before school is especially important. Your dentist may suggest fluoride treatments or sealants to prevent decay and can diagnose and great dental problems such as decay to save your child discomfort and lost attendance.
2. A regular hygiene program including brushing with fluoride toothpaste and flossing. Visit the dental care section when you're ot shopping for school supplies. If parents buy several toothbrushes they could have their child change to a new one every six months or so, or after an illness. If it's hard to remember when to change a brush, you could try to change it every time report cards ocoe out. Ask your dentist for a recommendion on how often to change toothbrushes and other hygiene tips.
3. A tooth healthy diet plan. Include portable healthy lunch  items and snacks in you child's lunch, including grains, milk,cheese,raw vegetables, yogurt or fruit. If your child eats in the school cafeteria, review healthy, balanced food choices with him/her before the first day of school. It is always a good idea to reduce sugary foods and soft drinks as excessive sugar can not only cause dental decay,but is also unhealthy for a young person's overall health.
4. Wearing a properly fitted mouth guard while participating in organized sports,PE classes or playground activities.

Good luck to the all the kids in the El Segundo School district who went back to school this week.Remember if you take care of your teeth now, they will return the favor for a lifetime!

Delaying Dental Treatment

Delaying Dental Treatment

Modern health care has been spectacular in the last 100 years. Most antibiotics were not available until around WW11. This fact sometimes lulls us into a false sense of security that whatever happens we are just a “pill” away from a cure.

Dr. Cardona believes that pain or discomfort is absolute sign that some pathology or disease is going on. This is true for the vast majority of life’s illnesses except for the “silent illnesses”. But taking care of your dental treatment when first diagnosed can prevent this from occurring.

There are several reason patients delay their dental treatment.

. Severe dental anxiety

. Financial problems

. Time issues… their life is just too busy

. It does not bother me…it does not hurt

. Other

Currently, we are treating dental phobic whose dental treatment went form couple thousand dollars to more than 15-20 thousand.

Severe Dental Anxiety patients we offer the following:

. General Anesthesia

. I.V. Sedation in the dental office with a dental anesthesiologist

.Oral pre-medication (xanax)

.Local anesthesia

Financial options and solutions

Dr. Silvia Cardona provides financial options including Care Credit and Spring stone to help facilitate dental treatment acceptance, making treatment more affordable on a monthly basis.

Time issues

Our office is open Tuesday thru Friday 8:30 am to 6PM.

In addition our office block books to maximize your treatment in the available time.

It does not hurt…it does not bother me.

Some patients find themselves not booking or delaying treatment simply because it does not hurt. The problem is we can’t accurately identify those who will break down rapidly versus those who are on a gradual decline. Certainly, home care (brushing and flossing) along with a proper diet helps tremendously. For those with rapid decline…there are protocols that mitigate the response but we cannot predict to what level.

Catching a problem early is much easier to deal with than waiting for the problem to occur. Please call our office today to schedule your appointment.

310 322-1814

Hey Everyone we are running a contest at the office to grow our social media base.  Like our page on Facebook and if you are one of the first 100 people to do so you'll be entered into win a FREE teeth whiting session with Dr. Cardona!

All you have to do is click the link below and it will take you right to our page.

Dr. Cardona's Facebook Page

How Often Should I see My Hygienist????

   

Three, four, six or twelve month intervals are based on many factors, but the most important factor to take into consideration is your periodontal condition. The absence or presence of a periodontal disease determines how often you should see your hygienist. 

In a normal and healthy mouth a procedure called  oral prophylaxis is preformed. This is the common dental visit  where the hygienist removes plaque and tartar from your teeth to prevent periodontal diseases.  (Most insurance companies will pay for two of these cleaning per year).

In a periodontally involved mouth a procedure called Periodontal Recall is done.  This consists of periodontal scaling, root planning and polishing.  This procedure is done on the tooth crown under the gum line.  This procedure is recommended at intervals of 3 to 4 months.

Periodontal maintenance is a periodontal treatment, not a preventative treatment.  Its purpose is to prevent the return of a worse condition.  (Most insurance companies will pay for about 80% of this periodical procedure 3 to 4 times a year).     

Eating Healthy and Your Teeth

Eating Healthy does not just effect the way your body operates and looks, it also effects your teeth!  

When you eat cretin foods bacteria in your mouth begins to form acids, these acids start the process that can lead to cavities down the road.  

It's the fermentable carbohydrates that mix with bacteria to form acids that begin the decay process. They include the obvious sugary foods, such as cookies, cakes, soft drinks and candy. But they also include less obvious foods, such as bread, crackers, bananas and breakfast cereals.

The longer food stays near the bacteria on the tooth the more damage that will be done as a result of the acidic build up. 

 Some food actually will not just create acids when they are being eaten, the acid will in fact stay on your teeth for the following 30 minutes. 

One a better note there are some foods that help protect our teeth from decay. These foods do this by creating more saliva in our mouths which protects the teeth against acids.  

One great food to eat immediately after other foods is aged cheese which help reduce the effects of acid in the mouth.  

All in all your diet does effect the health of your teeth and just as it is important to brush and floss, it is also important to maintain a healthy diet.  

Have a great day!

-Dr. Cardona

Snap on smiles:

Snap-On Smile® is affordable, non-invasive, and completely reversible. it that can easily and painlessly give you a beautiful smile.

Your Snap-On Smile® is custom made for you to be thin and strong with the look of natural teeth. you can eat and drink with it. You can wear it everyday and remove it anytime. Simply pop it in and out with a simple click.

I personally like this new and innovative idea,  It requires little intrusion on the patient and can be completed in as little a two visits.  

I have attached a photo of how it works. Let me know what you think? Would you use snap on smile?

Hey Everyone,
I just wanted to give you an update on last nights Latina Business Women Awards!  Thank you so much for the nomination for Healthcare Woman of the year!

We had an amazing time! There was great people, food and dancing! 

The Mission of the NLBWA is to encourage Latinas to develop their business and professional skills and to meet their career goals through education, business referrals and networking.

I am excited to say that I am going to be getting involved in this organization and look forward to meeting great new people and supporting Latina business women in our community.

Have a great weekend,

Dr.C

Missing Teeth: One or more missing teeth can negatively affect the appearance of your smile – as well as affect your bite and increase your risk for tooth decay – making replacement an integral part of oral health and facial esthetics. Missing teeth can be replaced by dental implants, bridges or partial dentures.
Harmony and Balance: Uneven, chipped and cracked teeth can be cosmetically bonded for an improved appearance, and a gummy smile can be re-contoured to help improve the overall look of the smile.
Fuller Lips, Smile and Cheeks: An unshapely or aging face can be improved or rejuvenated with certain procedures in the smile makeover category, including orthodontics and/or oral maxillofacial surgery.
A cosmetic dentist will work closely with you to develop a treatment plan designed to achieve exactly what you want from your makeover. This treatment plan may consist of many cosmetic and functionally restorative procedures, potentially including teeth whitening, composite bonding, veneers, dental crowns, orthodontics (braces), oral maxillofacial surgery and gummy smile reduction.

Have a great weekend!

Dr Cardona and Team