Questions for Your Glendale Dentist
There’s a lot to consider when it comes to your oral health care. Fortunately, our Glendale dental office is here to help! We pride ourselves on helping our patients stay informed and educated about the benefits of good oral health care.
We’ll spend all the time you need and answer all your questions until we know you have the information you’re looking for. Before we begin any treatment, we’ll explain everything in detail so you know exactly what you can expect.
Here are a few of the questions we’re asked most often, but we know you probably have others. Please don’t hesitate to call our dental office or fill out our handy online contact form, and we’ll be happy to help.
Preventative Dentistry
For patients who have had oral health issues or noticed that their gums have started receding, this is a valid and important question.
Receding gums happen when the gums around your teeth visibly pull away, possibly even exposing the tooth root. Any pockets or looseness in the gums create the perfect environment for unhealthy and toxic bacteria to set up residence.
Plaque, for example, happens daily after we have a meal or drink something with sugar. The plaque forms a sticky film that covers the surfaces of your teeth. This film allows bacteria to start eating away at your precious enamel, which can keep your gums receding.
Left untreated, this can develop into a severe dental situation that can erode your tooth enamel and lead to bone and tooth loss.
Multiple factors can result in receding gums, especially poor oral hygiene.
Will Your Gums Grow Back?
While some of our tissue does grow back, our gum tissue does not.
Through preventive dentistry, Glendale dentist Dr. Kim can help avoid receding gums. During your regular dental cleaning and exam, we will be able to measure your gums and determine if additional dental procedures like scaling and root planing are necessary.
Antibiotic mouthwash can eliminate bacteria and help stop plaque from growing out of control.
Together, we can keep your dental hygiene in top shape.
Call Us Today to Continue Your Preventive Treatments
Call the dental office of Lucio H. Kim DDS so we can keep your smile beautiful, healthy, and vibrant.
At the dental offices of Dr. Lucio H Kim, we are doing everything in our power to be available for patients in the Glendale, CA area during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Kim is keeping the office open to treat emergency dental issues during this time. We are also providing virtual consults for anyone who has dental related questions in the Glendale area. Please reach out to our Glendale office if you are experiencing a toothache, a chipped or cracked tooth, or any other urgent issue.
Here is a video update from Dr. Kim describing emergency dental services and virtual consults:
The American Dental Association recommends that most adults schedule dental checkups every six months, though some patients, based on their oral health status, may need more frequent visits.
Personalized Recommendations
Regular dental visits are essential for maintaining excellent oral health and preventing cavities, gum disease, and infections. Your Glendale dentist will review your current oral health, medical conditions, and lifestyle habits and create a personalized care schedule to prevent these conditions.
If you have a history of gum disease, frequent cavities, or medical conditions like diabetes, we may recommend more frequent visits, usually every three to four months.
What to Expect at Your Dental Checkup
During your regular dental checkups, you’ll receive comprehensive care that includes:
- Professional teeth cleaning to remove plaque and tartar buildup
- Thorough examination for cavities, gum disease, and oral cancer
- Digital x-rays as needed to detect underlying problems
- Personalized oral hygiene recommendations
- Discussion of any concerns or changes in your oral health
Are You Due for Your Next Dental Visit?
Remember, preventive care through regular dental visits is more cost-effective and comfortable than treating advanced dental problems. If you’re due for your next checkup or aren’t sure when to schedule it, call our Glendale dental office today so we can help you.
The answer to this question really comes down to preference. Many people find that they like an electric toothbrush better than a manual toothbrush because it takes a lot of guesswork out of brushing.
High-end electric toothbrushes have features like a timer to ensure you're brushing for two minutes, alerts to move quadrants so you spend equal time brushing each area of your mouth, pressure sensors to alert you if you're brushing too hard or vigorously, which protects your gum tissues, and Bluetooth connectivity to your phone to provide feedback on your brushing routine.
The truth is, you can also achieve great results using a manual toothbrush as long as you're using proper brushing techniques.
Toothbrushing 101
If you're using a manual toothbrush, hold it at a 45-degree angle against your gums. Brush gently using circular motions, being careful not to irritate your gum tissues. Brush for 30 seconds in each quadrant, reaching the front, back, and chewing surfaces of your teeth.
Whether you choose a manual or electric toothbrush, you must change the brush or brush head every three to four months.
Contact Our Glendale Dental Office
If you have any more questions about whether to choose an electric or manual toothbrush, please feel free to contact us at (818) 242-3739.
Preventive cleaning and checkups every six months are essential for maintaining your dental health and also your general health. Why? Because emerging information has shown that there is a direct correlation between gum disease and other health concerns in the body that are not dentally related such as low birth weight in babies, diabetes, and even heart disease.
Your Dental Cleaning in 91207
During your cleaning, your hygienist spends time removing the plaque buildup that contributes to many concerns like gum disease, tooth decay, and cavities. Your hygienist can demonstrate proper brushing techniques and also recommend products that can help you to improve your oral health like an antibacterial mouth rinse.
Next, Dr. Kim will perform a thorough examination and screen for concerns like gum disease, tooth decay, cavities, and oral cancer. Detecting these issues early on will ensure that you can treat them with easier procedures. For example, a cavity caught early on can be treated with a dental filling instead of a more invasive procedure such as root canal therapy that is needed once decay has progressed into your nerve and caused an infection.
Call Your Glendale Dentist
Visiting your dentist in Glendale, CA consistently every six months will help you maintain excellent dental health and prevent more significant problems in the future.
In our Glendale, CA dental office, we commonly treat tooth and jaw pain.
Teeth grinding and clenching while asleep, commonly called bruxism, are among the top reasons people wake with jaw and tooth pain. Left untreated, bruxism can lead to enamel erosion, wear on teeth, cavities, breakage, and tooth loss, and is even associated with temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMD) or (TMJ).
TMJ means the hinge-like joint that connects your jaw to your skull is not functioning properly. This can cause headaches, jaw pain, neck pain, locked jaw, and clicking sounds in the joint when speaking or chewing.
We offer successful treatments for teeth grinding in Glendale, CA.
Our top Glendale dentist creates custom nightguards, which have saved a lot of smiles. These comfortable nighttime appliances gently thrust your lower jaw forward to prevent grinding and clenching during sleep.
Our custom nightguards in Glendale, CA are known for ease of wear and provide a gentle remedy to help you get the sleep you need without the pain.
The first step is scheduling a consultation with our Glendale, CA dentist!
Get in Touch with Our 91207 Dental Office
If you are suffering the symptoms of bruxism and would like to be evaluated for teeth grinding and clenching in Glendale, CA, give us a call today.
YES. When needed, though.
Not every single time you come in, or just because the insurance pays for it. But generally, as a first-time patient, we need a reference for where your oral condition is. There is so much that we as dentists cannot see under the gums, under the bone, underneath old fillings, crowns or restorations. It's irresponsible to do any kind of exam without relevant x-rays. Dosage is an issue...we don't want to zap you unnecessarily or too heavily.
Our X-Ray Technology
Our machines are new and calibrated to deliver the minimal dosage required for good image resolution. But we never do them unless we need to. You can't have a physical at the doctor's office without a blood test, right? They can't just look at you and give you an accurate assessment or diagnosis. Neither can dentists. The x-rays provide insight into what's "under the hood," enabling me to offer you the best treatment options and outcomes with minimal surprises.
Professional Dental Exams in Glendale
If you have any concerns or questions regarding x-rays, please call Dr Kim at the office.