Laurel Dental Preventative Dentistry

Laurel Dental San Carlos Preventative Dentistry

Laurel Dental Preventative Dentistry

From porcelain veneers and tooth whitening, to gum contouring and composite bonding, we have a treatment option to fit your individual dental issues.

Many people only go to the dentist when something is wrong. That is truly a shame, because they are missing out on so many preventive services that can save discomfort — and expense — down the road. Regular dental visits are essential to make sure oral health problems — from tooth decay to oral cancer — are detected and treated in a timely manner. Dr. Wu and her staff have the training and expertise to develop a prevention plan to ensure your child maintains a healthy smile. Your child’s prevention plan includes routine dental visits for cleanings, polishing, and fluoride treatments. If needed, Dr. Wu can also apply sealants to cavity prone areas, and recommend a mouthguards to prevent sports injuries to the teeth and face. In addition, she can provide an early evaluation of orthodontic problems and refer to an orthodontic specialist at the appropriate time. Most importantly, preventative dentistry results in less extensive and less expensive dental care.


Grading your overall Dental Health from both a functional and esthetic approach

Grading your overall Dental Health from both a functional and esthetic approach

Although we do want you to have a healthy, bright smile, we first want to ensure it is a healthy one. We achieve ther by ensuring every patient receives a thorough comprehensive new patient dental exam. Here is what you can expect during your first visit and your new patient exam: Your first experience with Dr. Wu and her staff will be the Comprehensive Dental Examination. Dr. Wu can sit down in a relaxed "one on one" atmosphere to find out together the true level of your dental health. We feel that by taking the time to understand your dental condition and desires, we can better educate both ourselves and our patients. We want our patients to understand what treatment needs to be done, why it is being done, and any fees associated with treatment. With modern Dentistry, it is possible to restore most Dental conditions to a positive, stable, long term result. Done with both esthetics and function working hand in hand to reach a desirable result. In many studies, it is now apparent that our dental health direct affects our overall health and can contribute to other health issues. It is important that you complete an oral health exam initially and then annually to ensure your oral health. Call today to set up a comprehensive exam for you and your loved ones.

Oral cancer, the sixth most common cancer, accounts for almost 4 percent of all cancers diagnosed

Oral cancer, the sixth most common cancer, accounts for almost 4 percent of all cancers diagnosed

During an oral cancer exam, your dentist will carefully examine the tongue, inside of your mouth, and your lips to look for spots or sores that are flat, painless, white, or red. Many of these spots or sores are harmless, but some aren't so you will likely need a test to determine if a problem exists. Dr. Wu may choose to perform a brush test, which involves scraping a miniature brush across the suspicious sore or discolored area in the patient's mouth. The cells collected on the brush are sent to a lab for analysis. If the results show suspicious cells are present, a biopsy can then be performed. Oral cancer, the sixth most common cancer, accounts for almost 4 percent of all cancers diagnosed, with more than 30,000 new cases of oral cancer reported annually in the United States. The vast majority of oral cancers occur in people older than 45 years, with men being twice as likely as women to develop the disease. During the initial exam, your dentist will look inside your mouth, checking the gums, lips, and other soft tissue for any strange spots or sores. In some cases, the doctor may use special equipment such as VELscope or ViziLite to highlight any areas of concern. If an area looks suspicious, the doctor can perform a brush test, gently scraping cells to be sent off to the lab for further assessment.

Periodontal disease is the number one cause of tooth loss in the United States today

Periodontal disease is the number one cause of tooth loss in the United States today.

Periodontal disease is the number one cause of tooth loss in the United States today. About 80% of all adults have some degree of periodontal disease. Periodontal disease starts with an infection of your gum tissues called gingivitis. Ther infection is caused by an accumulation of plaque and biofilm around your teeth. Plaque is a soft material made up of bacteria (germs). The severity of the infection is determined by the strength of the bacteria (germs), and your body’s resistance to infections (immune response). Research has shown that people who have any form of diabetes (especially insulin dependent) or have a family hertory of diabetes, people who are tobacco smokers or tobacco chewers, heavy users of alcohol or drugs, steroid users, people with rheumatoid arthritis or people undergoing radiation or chemotherapy, have a lower immune resistance. These people are at a much greater risk to the bacteria (germs) in their mouth and therefore must be monitored very closely in order to achieve the best results in controlling periodontal disease.

Sport Guards: Sports guards are responsible for preventing over 200,000 oral injuries in the United States annually

These oral traumas will happen to children, high school and college level athletes. In fact, dental injuries are the most common type of orofacial injury sustained during participation in sports. Obviously dental injuries could also be significantly reduced if children, teenagers and adults involved in sports wore custom fabricated mouth guards. These custom-made mouth guards are made by the professional dental office. According to the American Dental Association, the lifetime dental costs can approach several thousand dollars per tooth (or teeth) in a sporting injury. The total rehabilitation costs for a single knocked-out tooth are more than 20 times the preventative cost for a custom laminated, professional grade mouth guard. Dental appliances provide a non-invasive (non-surgical) form of treatment for snoring and sleep apnea. Dental appliances are relatively less expensive than some of the other treatment options.

Snore Guards a dental appliance for treating Snoring and Sleep Apnea is a small plastic device

Snore Guards a dental appliance for treating Snoring and Sleep Apnea is a small plastic device that is worn at night while you sleep. It is made so the lower jaw is moved forward allowing the airway to stay open during sleep. Dental appliances are generally easy to wear. They generally take only a few weeks to get used to. Its compact size makes it easy to take with you when you travel.

Keeping your teeth clean every day is one of the most important things you can do to keep your smile healthy

Keeping your teeth clean every day is one of the most important things you can do to keep your smile healthy. Regular check-ups and cleanings at the dentist are important, too. At Laurel Dental, our doctors will examine your teeth, then customize your cleaning as part of your personalized care.

Regular dental hygiene is important to our overall health.

Regular dental hygiene is important to our overall health. Here, we provide excellent care for your teeth and gums through regular dental cleaning visit and X-rays, which can reveal tooth decay below the surface. No matter how careful you are, some plaque and tartar need to be removed with dental instruments or an ultrasonic device.

You can rely on DCD 24 hour to provide you expert dental emergency services 24 hours a day, seven days a week in the east bay

Unfortunately, dental emergencies can happen at the most unfortunate times and when you least expect them. When a tooth’s nerve becomes inflamed due to decay, a sedative filling can be just the thing. A sedative filling contains a mild pain reliever along with zinc oxide, which has disinfecting properties. Sedative fillings are only temporary, but they alleviate the emergency and provide the protection and relief you need, so that once the inflammation has calmed, the affected tooth can be addressed with the appropriate dental care.

If you are on the East Bay and experience a dental condition which causes pain and discomfort, you can rely on the 24 hour dentist

If you are on the East Bay and experience a dental condition which causes pain and discomfort, you can rely on the 24 hour dentist to provide you expert dental services 24 hours a day, seven days a week. From the routine to the extreme, Dr. Wu will provide you expert care that relieves your pain and suffering at a reasonable rate. Easy to find because we are located in the heart of the San Carlos (click here for our location) you are just minutes away from relieving your pain.

Nitrous Oxide Sedation

Nitrous oxide is often used as a conscious sedative during a dental visit. The gas is administered with a mixture of oxygen and has a calming effect that helps phobic or anxious patients relax during their dental treatment. Because it is a mild sedative, patients are still conscious and can talk to their dentist during their visit. After treatment, the nitrous is turned off and oxygen is administered for five to 10 minutes to help flush any remaining gas. The effects wear off almost immediately.

Nitrous Oxide sedation for dental patients who have heightened anxiety about visiting the dentist

Nitrous Oxide sedation for dental patients who have heightened anxiety about visiting the dentist. Nitrous oxide is a non-allergenic, non-irritating gas that affects the central nervous system. It's one of the safest forms of sedation available and patients who have used it report very few, if any, side effects. If you're like most patients, you'll begin to feel the nitrous oxide take effect within 3 - 5 minutes. Following treatment the effects of ther gas are completely reversed within 3 - 5 minutes, simply by breathing normally. In fact, you will be able to safely drive home or to work following your appointment.

Cosmetics

From porcelain veneers and tooth whitening, to gum contouring and composite bonding, we have a treatment option to fit your individual dental issues.

Restorative

We offer the most advanced restorative dental treatments available. Restorative treatments are utilized to restore broken down diseased teeth back to their proper form, function and aesthetics.

Emergency Service

Our emergency dentist takes care of all types of dental emergencies such as extremely tooth pain, swellings, infection, broken teeth, lost crown, any trauma to face or teeth.