PROCEDURES
Nitrous Sedation
Nitrous Oxide sedation, also known as “laughing gas”, is a very safe way to calm your nerves at the dental office. It is an anxiolytic, which means that it helps to lower anxiety levels, but it is also a mild analgesic that helps to lower pain levels. It is administered with a small nose piece and is a form of conscious sedation. Once it is turned off, the patient will quickly stop feeling the effects. It is totally safe to drive a vehicle after nitrous oxide sedation unlike other forms of sedation like general anesthesia. It is very safe for kids and adults. We do not recommend this for our pregnant patients or our patients with COPD.
Ask us about using Nitrous at your next cleaning or treatment!
Root Canal
At Dream Team Dental, your local dentists in Whittier, CA, we offer root canal treatments. People often ask us, what is a root canal? Our teeth have roots, that keep them anchored in the bone. These roots have nerves and a blood supply in them. When the tooth nerve/blood gets irritated, dies or gets infected, the tooth will need a root canal treatment. Root canals are generally painless. After the tooth is anesthetized and the patient is comfortable, the dentist opens the tooth to find the nerve/blood. The infection and nerve blood are painlessly and quickly removed and strong anti-bacterials are placed in the tooth. The tooth is then filled with an inert material to help prevent re-infection.
Root canals can be quick and painless. Although root canals are often the last resort to save a tooth, it can help to keep the tooth around for a long time. After the root canal, the tooth will often need a protective cover to prevent it from breaking. This cover is called a crown.
Cleaning
It is important to teeth and gums clean. In addition to twice daily brushing and flossing, we recommend dental cleanings at least every six months. Over time calculus/tartar builds up on the teeth and gums. Without removing this build-up a healthy mouth can quickly get gum disease (periodontitis). Signs of gum disease are sometimes, bleeding gums, bad breath or odor, and tooth root sensitivity. People are often afraid to floss because they see bleeding, however over-time with enough flossing and proper hygiene the bleeding can be reversed.
For patients with gum disease, a deep cleaning is often needed. It is similar to a regular cleaning however the dentist will painlessly go under the gums, onto the roots of the teeth to remove the buildup.
At Dream Team Dental, we use the newest technology to do fast, efficient and painless cleanings. We use an ultrasonic scaler, also known as a cavitron, to accomplish this.
Make you appoint at our Dental office in Whittier today!
Fillings
When a tooth has a cavity or has broken from trauma, often times the dentist can do a filling. To fill the tooth, the dentist and patient make the choice together to choose a material. We use metal and metal free fillings. For front teeth, we always recommend the metal-free filling material as it is more esthetic and tooth-colored. For back teeth either material can be used.
The tooth is numbed and the cavity is carefully and meticulously removed. Then the tooth is then filled with the selected material. It is important to know that fillings are not recommended for every situation. Sometimes crowns, inlays, onlays or extractions are the better option.
This is a procedure we can do for kids too. We would love to be your kids dentist in Whittier.
Kids Dental
At Dream Team Dental, we are trained and well equipped to be your childrens dentist in Whittier. We have experience with pediatric dentistry from birth. We are trained in many behavior management modalities. We often use nitrous oxide sedation as a very safe and easy way to calm nervous children down. We do all kinds of treatment for kids, from fillings to extractions to space-maintainers.
Kids at different ages have different needs and we understand that. We recommend dental checkups once the first baby tooth erupts. We will use x-rays as needed from about the age of three years old. It is important to maintain the hygiene of children’s mouths, just like an adult.
Emergency Dentist
At Dream Team Dental, we understand a dental emergency can come in different shapes or sizes. We’re always a quick phone call away. If we miss your call, especially if it is not during business hours, we will get back to you as soon as possible. If it is a life-threatening emergency, for example an infection that is causing a fever, trouble breathing, trouble seeing, extending beyond a small region, or uncontrollable bleeding, please immediately go to the nearest hospital emergency room or call 911.
Dental pain and infections are definitely examples of dental emergencies. Fillings and crowns that come off can be considered emergencies too. Dream Team Dental is there for you. We will help to quickly and comfortably get you out of pain and on the right path. It might include an extraction, root canal, medication, filling. We take walk-ins, but calling in before is recommended.
Wisdom Teeth
3rd molars also known as wisdom teeth are problematic for very many patients. From about the age of 16 years old we recommend having panoramic x-rays taken to identify if there is space to potentially keep or to remove the wisdom teeth. In general the extractions are painless and simple, however the recovery might be a little difficult and uncomfortable. We always have nitrous oxide ready to help calm our patients and we use our 3D CT scanner when needed to check for possible complications. Sometimes complications do happen but are often short-lived. Every so often there will be a case that is better served by seeing an Oral Surgeon with general anesthesia and we will make the referrals as necessary.
Wisdom teeth can cause many problems. They can cause resorption or cavities on the 2nd molars, right in front of them. Dangerous cysts can happen that will need attention from a surgeon. Infections of the gums and surrounding tissue can cause significant swelling and possibly even become life-threatening.
