Services
Avalon Dental offers a wide array of services to help you maintain healthy teeth and prevent disease. Below is a list of some of our services as well as some beneficial dental information.
- Bonding
- Cosmetic Contouring
- Crowns and Bridges
- Specialty Dentures
- Cosmetic Fillings
- Excessive or Uneven Gums
- Implants
- Veneers
- Whitening
- Sealants
- Root Canal Therapy
- Extractions
- Scaling and Root Planing
- Flap Surgery
- Dentures
- Jaw/TMJ
- Cosmetic Dentistry
- Emergency Treatment
Clinical/Dental FAQs
Q. How can I keep my teeth and gums healthy?
A. Maintaining a healthy smile has two main components — at-home dental hygiene and professional cleanings and examinations. With simple maintenance, you can avoid many of the problems that lead to toothaches, tooth loss, and many restorative procedures. Regular examinations will also help monitor any signs of serious diseases such as oral cancer, diabetes, liver disease, and nutritional imbalances.
Brushing - Brush at least twice a day with a soft-bristle toothbrush and an ADA-accepted fluoride toothpaste. This is your first line of defense against cavities, gum disease, and subsequent tooth loss. And remember to replace your brush every two to three months.
Flossing - Flossing is the crucial next line of defense in the prevention of cavities and gum disease. When flossing, use an appropriate length of floss. Gently ease the floss between each tooth; then sweep it up and down several times while curving around the tooth at the gum line. Remember to floss behind your last tooth and to floss bridges and artificial teeth with the aid of a floss threader.
Dental Visits - Here at Avalon Dental, Dr. Yu will perform a comprehensive exam at every visit to monitor the progress of your home care and survey the state of your smile at each visit. Dr. Yu will then explain his findings and make recommendations to either maintain or improve your oral health. Afterwards, one of our friendly receptionists will schedule a follow-up visit for you.
Q. What are dental sealants?
A. A dental sealant is a composite resin (high-tech plastic), material that is put on the chewing surfaces of back teeth to help prevent cavities along with good home care. Sealants provide a physical barrier to cavity-causing bacteria so they cannot invade the pits and fissures on the chewing surfaces of your teeth. Remember though that sealants will not prevent cavities without good home care. They are placed to prevent cavities where the bristle of your toothbrush cannot reach.
Q. Do dental sealants replace fluoride?
A. No. Fluorides, such as those used in community water, toothpaste, gels, varnish, and mouthrinse also help to prevent decay. Fluoride works best on the smooth surfaces of teeth. The chewing surfaces on the back teeth, however, have tiny grooves where decay often begins. Sealants keep cavity-causing bacteria out of the grooves by covering them with a safe plastic coating. Sealants and fluorides work together to prevent tooth decay.
Q. What are dental implants?
A. Dental implants can be thought of as substitutes for the roots of missing teeth. They serve as an anchor for a restoration such as a crown or bridge that replaces missing teeth. Implants can be thought of as two separate parts. The first part, that replaces the root of the missing tooth, is placed in the bone of your jaw, usually by a dental specialist, such as a periodontist or an oral surgeon. The second part sits atop the first part and is usually placed by your general dentist. The health of your jaw bone greatly affects the success of dental implants. Conditions such as diabetes and osteoporosis, as well as smoking can be contraindications to placing dental implants.
Q. What is a veneer?
A. You can consider a veneer as a thin porcelain covering that is bonded to the fronts of your teeth. They are elective, cosmetic restorations that should only be placed once you are able to maintain a healthy smile in terms of cavities and gum disease. They are placed after a very thin layer (less than half a millimeter) of your enamel on the fronts of your front teeth are carefully removed to make space for the thin sleeve of porcelain that makes up a veneer. They are made in a laboratory specifically for your tooth and then bonded on with a special dental cement. When treatment planned and placed correctly, a veneer should not irritate your healthy gums nor make your lips protrude more than normal or intended.
Q. How do I stop grinding my teeth?
A. Bruxism is the clenching and / or grinding of your teeth, especially at night. Clenching refers to tightly clamping your top and bottom teeth together. The force of clenching causes stressful pressure on the muscles, tissues and jaw. Jaw disorders, jaw pain, soreness, headaches, earaches, damaged teeth and other problems can result from bruxism. If clenching causes jaw pain, it can disrupt sleeping and eating, lead to other dental problems. Your dentist can make a clear night guard for you to sleep in to alleviate the clenching or grinding.
