Read This Before Your Oral Surgery

Oral surgery is significantly more common than you would think. When people think of the word surgery, they often conjure up images of a doctor standing under an operating light, performing heart surgery. However, oral surgery can involve simple things like removing a tooth or extracting impacted wisdom teeth.  Both simple and complicated surgeries can be performed under the banner of oral surgery. However, what is important for you to remember is that when you come in oral surgery, you are in fact having surgery. As such, you will get detailed instructions from our oral surgery team as to how you should prepare for the surgery, as well as getting post-operative instructions. It is absolutely vital if you are scheduled for oral surgery that you follow the preoperative instructions precisely. Actually, we will go over all of these in the final consultation before the day of your surgery. If you have specific concerns or questions about the process, you should make sure to ask in the final consultative visit before the surgery is scheduled.

Here are a few common practices that will help you prepare for the oral surgery. These are not intended to supersede the specific instructions given by our oral surgeon but rather, to give you a general guideline of how to best prepare for your surgery.

• If you have been scheduled to have general anesthesia with your oral surgery, it is critical that you do not eat or drink anything for a minimum of eight hours before the surgery. If you have any liquid or solid food in your stomach during the anesthesia, this can pose a life-threatening situation. In the event you have actually consumed something in the eight hours before the scheduled time of the surgery, you need to let your oral surgeon know as soon as possible. Similarly, we recommend that you do not smoke or consume alcohol for at least eight hours before the surgery.
• We highly recommend that you brush your teeth prior to your appointment. Brushing your teeth will help greatly reduce the number of bacteria in your mouth and hence lower your chance of catching an infection.
• For the day of the oral surgery itself, we recommend that you wear loose-fitting and comfortable clothes. It is highly recommended that you wear a short-sleeve shirt so it is easier for us to take your blood pressure and apply any necessary monitors. Many patients find that a t-shirt, sweatpants, and gym shoes are the most comfortable way to come in for surgery. It is also recommended that you bring a responsible adult with you, somebody who can drive you home while you are still under the effects of anesthesia. You will be groggy for several hours after the appointment and will be unable to drive.
• Finally, we recommend that you take care of all financial arrangements, ask any questions, make arrangements to collect your prescriptions, and use the restroom before the start of your oral surgery. You may be a little too sleepy to remember these things afterward.

We will prepare you for your surgery during your appointments but feel free to ask questions of our surgeon at any time.

Implant Dentist  >  Periodontist

Cosmetic Dentist in Sunnyvale: Improving on History

When you visit our clinic to see a cosmetic dentist in Sunnyvale, you are joining millions of Americans who are coming to see a cosmetic dentist with the hope of improving their smile. This is this is because in modern western society we place a great deal of importance on the image. Even more important than your outward image, is your inward image, and a beautiful smile helps with both of these. Think about it. A smile can really change the mood in a room, help you introduce yourself to people you've never met before, and even help make a good impression when you are on a job interview. Because of this high level of importance that is being placed on a great-looking smile, where it is an essential commodity both socially and professionally, the field of cosmetic dentistry has really bloomed and helped many people get the smile that they want.  However, many people who come in to get cosmetic dentistry do not realize the incredible history of our profession.

It is true that as a cosmetic dentist in Sunnyvale, the treatments we offer use some of the most sophisticated  and modern advances in dentistry. This is because cosmetic dentistry is often at the cutting edge of all the dental sciences and arts. However, the idea of improving one's look through one's teeth is not an invention of the modern age. While it is true that our current cosmetic dental technology, like porcelain veneers or dental veneers, have developed over the last few years, people have known that oral health and hygiene with a good-looking smile is an important asset since ancient Rome. You might be surprised to learn that as far back as 700 BC the Etruscans crafted dentures which were made from ivory and bone. They used these dentures in much the same way as dentures are used by a cosmetic dentist today, to replace missing teeth. The Etruscans also practiced cosmetic dentistry, using gold for crowns and fillings.

One of our favorite tools as a cosmetic dentist in Sunnyvale, are dental implants. Dental implants are more durable than bridges and more secure than dentures. While dental bridges are still very popular among some patients, we prefer dental implants because, as a cosmetic dentist, we know that dental implants are a much sturdier and longer lasting solution to tooth loss. Dental bridges were initially invented to hide the gap caused by missing teeth. Dental implants are a permanent solution that replaces the lost tooth with a crown and implant which look and feel exactly like the natural tooth itself.  This is because the implant is a titanium post that is secured to the jawbone.  It essentially replaces the lost root through the process of osseointegration.  This allows your new tooth (dental crown) to have the same benefits that your natural teeth have.  The chewing force offered by your jaw is provided through the implant and so is the security.  When you eat, speak, run, or laugh, your dental implant will remain secure.  For these reasons and more, patients visit our office for dental implants on a regular basis.

Dental Implants  >  Implant Dentist