What are Dental Implants?
Dental implants are small screws designed to replace the root of a tooth and restore the physical appearance and the chewing function of patients with partial or full tooth loss. Dental implants are intended for use in either the upper and/or the lower jaw to support prosthetic devices, such as artificial teeth. By integrating with the jaw, they enable restorations that range from replacement of one single tooth to an entire arch of bridgework, or as stabilizing elements for overdenture applications.

Are You a Good Candidate for Dental Implants?
Patients must undergo a medical evaluation to determine whether the implant placement procedure poses any health risks, and whether any factors exist that may affect the healing capacity of either their bones or their associated soft tissues.

Who can receive dental implants?
Patients who are medically fit to participate in a general oral surgical procedure.

Who should carefully consider dental implants?
Patients who have medical or other conditions that may interfere with the healing process of either their bones or soft tissues (e.g., connective tissue disorders, steroid therapy, bone infections, cigarette smoking) must carefully evaluate, with their dentists, the potential risks and benefits of using dental implants.

Precautions for Implant Treatment
Dental implants should not be used in patients that have inadequate amounts of bone to permit placement of implants in sufficient size and numbers to support their biomechanical loads. Mechanical failures, including fatigue fracture of implants, prosthetic screws, and/or abutment screws, may occur if dental implants are insufficient in size or number to support their biomechanical loads, or are not properly positioned. To reduce the risk of overload or fatigue failure, dentists must place the implants and design prosthetics to accommodate the physical or medical conditions of their patients, such as bruxism (i.e., grinding or clenching of teeth) or unfavorable jaw relationships.

Cosmetic Dentistry
Who doesn't want a perfect smile? While few people have one naturally, almost anyone can get one with the help of their dentist. Thanks to advancements in modern cosmetic dental care, you can have a beautiful smile easier than ever before. Your dentist can perform procedures such as teeth whitening, veneers, crowns, and dental implants in order to give you the smile you have always dreamed of!

Whitening
Whitening your teeth can drastically change your appearance and boost your self-esteem at the same time. We can whiten your teeth in just a few treatments with our high quality whitening process. Although effective for adjusting tooth color, teeth whitening is not effective in correcting other possible dental deficiencies. Compared to teeth whitening, all-ceramic dental veneers and dental crowns can both improve the color of a person's teeth, and can correct problems like chipped, crack, or crooked teeth.

Dental Veneers
It is very common for a person to have a chipped tooth; it happens most frequently when we bite into something harder than the enamel on our teeth. Not only can a chipped tooth possibly affect our appearance, left untreated a chipped tooth can lead to future problems with the underlying root. One excellent fix for a chipped tooth is a dental veneer.

A dental veneer is a thin, all-ceramic shell, custom-made to fit over your discolored or chipped tooth. Laminates have brilliant luminous properties and look just like your natural teeth. They are completely metal-free and completely safe.

Dental Crowns
When the outside surface (or dental crown) of one of your teeth becomes damaged due to tooth decay or injury, your dentist will most likely recommend repairing it. If tooth decay has made the tooth irreparable, your dentist will likely want to replace it. Left untreated, a damaged tooth might not only affect your smile, it could also lead to further tooth decay in the underlying tooth and root, resulting in the need for a root canal or other major dental procedure.

Whether your tooth has decayed, or become injured, an all-ceramic dental crown is the most beautiful, precision-made and safe solution for replacing your damaged crown. Best of all, it looks just like your natural tooth - and is completely metal-free.

Dental Implants
Dental implants are artificial tooth replacements that are used to counter tooth loss. Although you have a number of restorative options for the treatment of missing teeth, none have proven to be as functionally effective and durable as implants. In many cases, dental implants may be the only logical choice for the restoration of all necessary functionality of the teeth and supporting structures.

Restorations
Tooth restorations are used in the restoration of existing teeth, the replacement of missing teeth, or the restoration of dental implants. They are crowns, bridges, veneer/laminates and abutments. A crown is a tooth-shaped cap fitted over an existing tooth or an implant. A bridge is two or more crowns joined together to replace a missing tooth, or teeth. Veneers/laminates are a very thin layer of porcelain fixed to the front of the tooth to improve the surface. An abutment is small fixture fitted to the top of an implant and serves as a foundation for a crown.

Dental Bonding
Dental bonding, also known as composite or tooth bonding, is an excellent way to fix cosmetic and structural imperfections in the teeth. Dental bonding can repair cracked, chipped, and discolored teeth as well as replace silver amalgam fillings. Cosmetic bonding can also repair misaligned teeth, providing a straighter, more uniform smile.

Invisalign
Having a confident smile can change everything. And Invisalign makes the decision easy, because you can get a stunning smile without most people even noticing you're going through treatment.

The Invisalign Process
Your Invisalign treatment will consist of a series of aligners that you switch out about every two weeks. Each aligner is individually manufactured with exact calculations to gradually shift your teeth into place. And since your Invisalign system is custom-made for your teeth and your teeth only, with a plan devised by you and your dentist or orthodontist, you know you'll end up with a smile that truly fits.

Your treatment plan begins with a consultation. During that consultation, you and your doctor will discuss the options to treat your particular issue. Once your doctor confirms that your issue can be corrected with the Invisalign system, he will write a detailed treatment plan that determines how each of your aligners will change throughout your program. When you begin treatment, you'll wear each set of aligners in approximately two-week increments. The aligners gently move your teeth into position, and at the end of each two-week period, you "graduate" to the next set of custom aligners.

As you progress through the series of aligners, your teeth will begin moving, little by little. And you don't have to wait until you complete treatment to see your smile change-you may start seeing positive changes early in the process. You will have occasional checkups with your doctor-often as little as once every six weeks-in order to gauge your progress. And at the end of your treatment, you'll be showing off a smile you never knew you'd have before you had Invisalign.

Benefits of Invisalign
*Effective - Even before your Invisalign treatment is complete, your teeth will improve and you will begin enjoying the benefits of a better smile.

*Removability - Unlike braces, you can remove Invisalign aligners to eat, drink, brush, or floss, and for special occasions.

*Customized - Precise impressions are taken to customize your aligners so they work as effectively as possible for your teeth.

*Comfort - Edges are smooth so they will not irritate your gums or cheeks like traditional braces.

*Clarity - Invisalign aligners are virtually invisible, so no one will know that you are straightening your teeth

Family Dentistry
We are a caring, friendly team of dental professionals committed to providing a comfortable dental experience. Our goal is to provide the best dental care possible for you and your family in a compassionate, caring environment. We want to help you maintain your oral hygiene in a way that will keep your teeth and mouth healthy for a lifetime.

Treatment for Dental Crisis
Many people don't see a dentist on a regular basis. They go only when they feel they have a problem. At California Center for Implant Dentistry we call this "crisis treatment" as opposed to "preventive treatment".

While these patients may feel they are saving money, it usually ends up costing much more in both dollars and time. The reason for this is that most dental problems don't have any symptoms until they reach the advanced stages.

An example is tooth decay. At California Center for Implant Dentistry we hear all the time, "Nothing hurts... I don't have any problems". But tooth decay doesn't hurt! Until, that is, it gets close to the nerve of the tooth.

Then a root canal and crown are usually necessary, instead of the small filling, which could have been placed several years ago when the cavity was small. Dr. Chen can usually detect a cavity 3-4 years before it may develop any symptoms. It is not uncommon to see a patient with a tremendous cavity and they have never felt a thing!

The Effect of Diet on Dental Health
Diets low in certain nutrients reduce resistance to oral and dental infections, that is, periodontal disease (gum disease) and decay. Dr. Chen feels a healthy immune system is essential to controlling periodontal disease.

Counseling in the Four Basic Food groups will improve dental health and general health. The consumption of sugar, especially in sticky forms or in a baby bottle while sleeping, contributes to the rapid development of dental decay.

The trace nutrient fluoride, may not be adequately supplied by bottle or municipal water supplies throughout the San Jose area. Supplementation with oral tablets and topical application will reduce the incidence of dental decay by more than 60%.

Together, a balanced diet, daily use of fluoride, effective brushing, and sensible eating habits can reduce the risk of, or even prevent, infectious dental disease.

Dental Decay and Cavity Prevention
Fluoride has been a great benefit to patients of all ages in helping prevent dental decay. Regular brushing and flossing lowers the chance of developing "cavities."

At California Center for Implant Dentistry we know that the most decay-prone areas of teeth are the grooves and depressions on the chewing surfaces of the back teeth, which require further preventive care.

To prevent decay, a plastic-like coating called a sealant should be painted on the chewing surfaces of all the back teeth. Studies have shown that sealants can reduce tooth decay by as much as 90% to 100% in the San Jose area and nation wide.

The American Dental Association recommends, and Dr. Chen agrees, that sealants be placed as soon as the first adult back teeth come in at age 6 or 7. Sealants should continue to be used as each adult back tooth comes into the mouth. All back teeth that need to be sealed are present by age 13. Sealant application is simple, fast, and painless.

Plaque - A Visible Dental Problem
One of the easiest problems to spot is a build-up of plaque. Plaque is the soft, sticky layer of bacteria, which is constantly forming on the teeth.

Usually it is invisible to the naked eye, but when a person is not brushing adequately, it can build up to where it appears to be a thick whitish coating on the teeth at the gum line. If not removed, it can lead to gum disease.

Another potential problem, which is easy to spot, is missing teeth. Many patients Dr. Chen sees assume that if they are still able to eat, they are O.K.

But very often, losing just one tooth can lead to the loss of support, and teeth begin to drift into the empty space, causing a change in the bite. It also forces the remaining teeth to carry an additional load, sometimes past their ability to adapt. In most cases, when even one tooth is lost, the remaining teeth suffer and are more likely to be lost as well.