Dr. Victor Chan Wong, DDS

Celebrating Lunar New Year - The year of the Pig

Happy teeth = Happy kid = Happy parents!

Merry Christmas and HAPPY holidays!

It doesn't matter who you cheer for, what matters is that you brush your teeth TWICE a day for TWO minutes!

WHAT IS A ROOT CANAL AND WHEN DO YOU NEED IT? This procedure is done to save the tooth by removing the infection from the tooth and stop its progression. You will need a root canal when the caries (cavities) reach the nerve located on the inside of your tooth and starts spreading along the pulp chamber and nerve canals. Some of the the symptoms are sensitivity to cold and hot, constant pulsating pain, and/or swelling. However, sometimes pain can be absent! It usually happens... when you have constant on and off pain and all of the sudden the pain is gone. This can be the result of the infection killing your tooth because it has expanded throughout the whole tooth, therefore giving you the false feeling that since you no longer have pain everything is okay. This can be dangerous since pain is a warning sign from your body telling you there is something wrong. In the absence of pain, the infection can grow to the point of causing massive swelling and inflammation which can lead not only to losing your tooth but also to potential life threatening conditions. The American Dental Association describes the procedure as follow... During treatment, your dentist will: -Create an opening in the top of your tooth and remove the tooth’s nerve from inside the tooth. -Clean inside the tooth and each root canal. -Fill the root canals with a rubber-like material to seal them against future infection. -Place a temporary filling on the tooth to protect it until a definitive restoration like a permanent filling or crown can be placed at the earliest opportunity. The American Association of Endodontics recommends to never choose extraction [over a root canal] because you think it will be cheaper! When a natural tooth is extracted, it must be replaced with an artificial tooth to prevent other teeth from shifting, and to prevent future dental problems. The cost of a denture, bridge or implant,plus the extraction, often is higher than the cost of an endodontic procedure that would save the tooth for years to come. And remember.... "Only brush and floss the teeth that you want to keep!"

Cool braids Cool dress Cool shades Cool smile NO CAVITIES

"I believe the most important thing a person can do is to help others have a better life" -Dr. Charlie Goldstein

CLEAR ALIGNERS If you are one of the millions of people that suffer from minor teeth misalignment or have shifted teeth because you have forgotten to wear or have lost your retainers from previous orthodontic treatment, clear aligners are a perfect option for you. They are nearly invisible and will help you straighten your teeth without the mess of metal wires. Clear aligners are clear plastic trays that are formed to the shape of a patient's teeth. These custom orthodontic a...ppliances gradually improve dental appearance and function by applying gentle, consistent pressure to a patient's teeth. If you are interested give us a call and set up an appointment for a free consultation and find out if clear aligners are a good option for you!

What is a dental filling?! The first step to prevent further decay on teeth with caries (cavities) is to remove the infected portion of the tooth. Once that is completed, the next step is to restore the tooth, also know as a dental filling. In our office we use resin-based composite (tooth color) fillings in order to bring back the tooth to its proper function, and esthetics. Prior to placing the filling material in your teeth, a series of steps are required to bond the mate...rial to the tooth, and therefore increasing its strength. Once this is done, probably you will see a devise "hovering" around your mouth that will shine a blue light on the recently placed material causing it to harden. Last but not least is the bite adjustment. This is done so that the newly placed restoration is in harmony with the opposing teeth while chewing. We use a visual aid called articulating paper that shows us where the restoration needs adjustment when you bite down so it feels natural when you chew. Just because your tooth had a filling it does NOT mean your tooth is out of danger of getting infected again with caries! That is why it is very important to follow with proper oral hygiene at home by brushing TWICE a day for TWO minutes, FLOSS once a day and go to your general check up with your dentist!

Why are you brushing your teeth?! Brushing your teeth is an everyday routine, for most of us at least, that is essential not only for our oral health, but for our overall health. Think about this; teeth are used for a very important task in our lives, EAT. Eating provides our daily intake of nutrients required for our bodies to operate and carry out our daily activities. We have different types of teeth with assigned tasks that work together to start the process of digesting ...food. We have molars and premolars which are used to chew and grind food, and incisors and canines which are used to pierce and tear food into smaller pieces. The human body generally has 32 permanent (adult) teeth and 20 primary (baby) teeth. That is quite a few teeth that you need to take care of! Meaning there is plenty of room for bacteria and food debris to attach to your teeth! Which is why you need to brush TWO times a day for at least TWO minutes, but DON'T forget to brush your TONGUE. Bacteria and food particles can get trapped on little spaces that your tongue has and cause halitosis (bad breath). Brush all the surfaces of the teeth and the entire top surface of the tongue using gentle pressure. And remember. "Only brush and floss the teeth that you want to keep!"

What are dental caries "CAVITIES"??? If you ever wondered about cavities (or as your dentist calls it: Dental Caries) here is some information. Dental caries usually begin asymptomatically as a destructive infectious process of the enamel. Bacteriaprincipally Streptococcus mutanscolonize the organic buffering biofilm (plaque) on the tooth surface. Over time, dental caries extend to the underlying dentin, leading to cavitation of the enamel. Without management, the carie...s will penetrate to the tooth pulp, producing acute pulpitis. Should the infection spread throughout the pulp, irreversible pulpitis occurs, leading to pulp necrosis (1). IN OTHER WORDS Bacteria use the food that you eat and create an acidic environment that starts melting away the outside layer of your tooth (enamel) and then continue to the inside part of your tooth (dentin) creating a "cavity". Generally, the initial infection doesn't cause you any issues and you won't feel pain despite you having dental caries. If left untreated, it can infect the tooth nerve and eventually can kill the tooth. Your dentist, with the help of radiographs and clinical examination, is able to diagnose dental caries and determine the severity of the infection. (1)Durso SC. Oral Manifestations of Disease. In: Kasper D, Fauci A, Hauser S, Longo D, Jameson J, Loscalzo J. eds. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 19e New York, NY: McGraw-Hill; 2014.