All Coast Dental

Saturday, September 29, 2018

Immediate Dentures

For people who have lost their teeth due to gum disease, tooth decay, or injury, dentures can restore their smile and help them with everyday tasks such as eating and speaking. There are two main types of dentures: full and partial. Our doctors at All Coast Dental will help you choose the type of denture that’s best for you based on how many teeth are going to be replaced.


If a patient is faced with the loss of single or multiple teeth and will be replacing those teeth with removable or partial dentures, immediate placement may be an option. An immediate denture is a complete denture or partial denture inserted on the same day, immediately following the removal of natural teeth. As the healing process continues, the gums which support the denture will shrink. Changes can continue for several months. During this time, it is important to follow up with one of our doctors for adjustments. Not everyone is a candidate for an immediate denture.


If you have questions or concerns regarding dentures or restorative dentistry, please give us a call. To learn about services provided at our practice, visit www.allcoastdental.net for more information. To schedule an appointment with one of our doctors at All Coast Dental in Pacific Beach, CA, call 858-270-4904.  

Wednesday, September 19, 2018

Oral Conscious Sedation

The staff of All Coast Dental has seen many patients who experience some level of anxiety with each dental procedure or appointment. Some patients have had negative experiences with dental procedures that make them anxious, and others may have a sensitive gag reflex that has always made dental work dreadful.  We understand why a dental appointment could be intimidating, but do not want to see patients delaying treatment because of these fears.  Oral conscious sedation is an option we recommend for patients experiencing dental anxiety.  


Oral conscious sedation is administered by taking a pill orally (usually Valium) before a procedure.  The light sedative relaxes the patient but does not ‘knock out’ the patient, as they remain conscious.  They are brought to an extremely relaxed state, and when the dentist begins working, local anesthetic is still used at the site of the procedure.  The combination of oral conscious sedation and local anesthetic means the patient can stay relaxed and usually allows the dentist to complete more work in one session.  This makes a more pleasant experience for an anxious patient, and can even mean less dental appointments overall!


To learn more about oral conscious sedation and all the services we provide, visit www.allcoastdental.net for more information. To schedule an appointment with one of our doctors at All Coast Dental in Pacific Beach, CA, call 858-270-4904.  

Wednesday, September 12, 2018

What Is TMD?

The temporomandibular joint is a hinge that connects your jaw bone (mandible) to the temporal bones in your skull, in front of each ear.  A general term for any problem or issue with this joint is temporomandibular disorder, or TMD.  All Coast Dental can help patients prevent and recover from negative effects of TMD.


Patients that grind or clench their teeth often end up with a sore jaw.  Other patients experience injuries with facial trauma that cause jaw pain, or result in the patient feeling their jaw gets stuck or ‘locks’ in either an open or closed position.  A custom night guard keeps the jaw in a neutral position during sleep, and this helps many patients find relief from TMD symptoms.  For any pain, your dentist may recommend an over-the-counter painkiller or warm and cold compresses.  To prevent further discomfort, you may be assigned stretches for your jaw. 


Whatever your symptoms, you don’t have to suffer with discomfort in your jaw.  To learn more about TMD and the services we provide at the practice, visit www.allcoastdental.net for more information. To schedule an appointment with one of our doctors at All Coast Dental in Pacific Beach, CA, call 858-270-4904.  

Wednesday, September 5, 2018

Baby Bottle Tooth Decay

Children of any age can develop tooth decay, especially babies and toddlers. This is because bacteria in the mouth change the sugar in foods and drinks into acid that attacks the teeth. The most common way this happens is when parents put their children to bed with a bottle of formula, milk, juice, soft drinks, or sugared beverages. Our doctors at All Coast Dental are here to teach your child the importance of oral care at a young age, and to give parents tips as well.


Tooth decay may first appear as white spots at the gum line on the upper front teeth. These spots may be hard to detect at first but our doctors will perform a thorough oral exam once you bring your child in to see us. To avoid baby bottle tooth decay parents should never put their child to bed with a bottle, teach him or her to drink from a sippy cup as soon as possible, and limit the amount of sweet or sticky foods the child eats.


If you have questions or concerns regarding baby bottle tooth decay or pediatric dentistry, please give us a call. To learn about services provided at our practice, visit www.allcoastdental.net for more information. To schedule an appointment with one of our doctors at All Coast Dental in Pacific Beach, CA, call 858-270-4904.  

Saturday, September 1, 2018

Periodontal Maintenance

In its most advanced stages, gum disease can lead to gum recession and even tooth loss.  All Coast Dental wants to make sure it never gets to that point for you and your family!  When plaque builds up on a tooth, the gum starts to pull away from the tooth and form a pocket around the buildup, which only leads to more gum recession.  A scaling and root planing procedure is used to treat this buildup and prevent the later stages of gum disease.


Scaling and root planning are two parts of a deep cleaning procedure your dentist can perform to help reverse the progress of gum disease.  The procedure beings with scaling, which is the process of the dentist removing plaque from the surface of the teeth, all the way down to the gums. Root planing is the term for any minor contouring to smooth the surface of a tooth near the root.  When plaque has been removed and the tooth root has been smoothed, the gums that have pulled away will have a clean, smooth surface to reattach to as they heal.


To learn more about deep periodontal cleaning and the other services we provide, visit www.allcoastdental.net for more information. To schedule an appointment with one of our doctors at All Coast Dental in Pacific Beach, CA, call 858-270-4904.