Dental Sealants vs Fillings: Which is best for your teeth?

By Dental Oasis Pleasanton | Date posted: September 3, 2022 | Last updated: September 3, 2022

When it comes to keeping your teeth in decent shape, there is a wide range of preventive as well as restorative options that are available. Two common terms that you are sure to have heard are dental sealants & fillings. Both come in handy in protecting your teeth from tooth decay and are both quick in terms of treatment time. Yet both differ in many ways. Their primary differences lie in terms of:

Preventive Versus Restorative Nature
Area of application
Material Used
Longevity

Difference between sealants and fillings

Let us look closely at the differences between the two.

1. Preventive versus Restorative

The first major difference between dental sealants and tooth fillings is that while one is preventive, the other is restorative.

Dental Sealants come as thin coatings for the tooth. Largely meant to protect the chewing surfaces of the pre-molars & the molars, they perform a preventive function and protect the tooth against potential damage. They protect the teeth both from oral acids that are released by the bacteria after digestion as well as from plaque that cause significant tooth decay. Since dental sealants shield the tooth enamel, it is protected from decay.

Tooth fillings on the other hand are restorative. It is used to repair damage that has already occurred to a tooth by way of a cavity. Oral acids often dissolve the tooth’s enamel. In turn this leads to cavities in the tooth. The filling helps prevent further damage to the tooth as it blocks entry of bacteria that can cause further decay in the tooth.

To put it succinctly, while one is a proactive treatment, the other is a reactive treatment when tooth decay has already set in. While a sealant is a deterrent that ensures tooth decay does not take place, a filling is an inhibitor.

2. Area of application

Fillings are used on any tooth which has been damaged by cavities. The dentist will typically remove the decayed portion of the tooth enamel, clean it & then place the filling. Sealants are applied to the molars & premolars, which have deep grooves & are potential sources for plaque to settle & cause decay. Sealants cover the grooves & provide an effective barrier, thereby protecting the tooth.

3. Material

Material used in dental sealants

Dental sealants are thin, plastic coatings that are painted on the chewing surface of the back teeth. Post its application the bond with the teeth depressions. It is treated with UV light so that it hardens. The tooth surface is next smoothened so that cleaning is not an issue.

Material used in tooth filling

Fillings, on the other hand, are made of composite resins, porcelain, gold, or silver amalgam. In recent times though, Silver Amalgam has been losing its popularity, primarily because it is made up of mercury, silver, tin, copper & zinc & the ill effects of mercury have become well known. A tooth-colored material is often preferred by patients, so that the filling is not conspicuous. Once the cavity is filled with the filling material, it is then hardened with UV light & the area smoothened.

4. Permanence

While both sealants & fillings are known for the fact that they are long lasting, fillings are considered permanent. The material used for fillings can withstand hard bites & rarely need to be replaced. In fact the better the oral hygiene, the longer the fillings last.

Sealants do undergo wear & tear. They can often be removed if sticky or chewy food gets stuck on it. Grinding the teeth at night can also lead to wearing down of the sealant. Over time they can erode, making a replacement necessary.

Can you get sealants on teeth with fillings?

No, Sealants can’t be applied over dental fillings or decayed teeth.

Are sealants worth it for adults?

Yes, adults who want to prevent tooth decay or cavities, can opt for the sealants.

To Sum Up

Whether your teeth require sealants or filling depends upon whether tooth decay has already set in. Your dentist will be in the best position to examine your teeth and recommend the right treatment for your specific diagnosis based on the condition of your tooth. While sealants can be used by adults & children alike, they find a lot of application in pediatric dentistry. This is because children are prone to tooth cavities. The use of sealants can help them overcome the stage where cavities become a reality. In fact, research shows that children who have sealants applied to their teeth have three times fewer cavities.

Additionally, it is important to remember that regular visits to the dentist as also keeping up with your oral hygiene practices are important. In fact, even if you have sealants applied, those need to be periodically checked to make sure that they have not partially come out. In such cases the dentist will correct them, while left unattended they can lead to bacteria acting on the tooth. Even if you have sealants on your teeth, you need to remember that they cannot substitute your daily brushing & flossing routine.

With both these options easily available, you can now stop stressing about developing cavities while adhering to your oral hygiene practices.

With years of experience in dental care services, Our dentist offers you a hassle-free experience when it comes to dental sealants and fluoride. Call us at (925)-846-4491 or email us at office@dentaloasispleasanton.com to schedule an appointment with us.

Prioritize your oral health – How to find the best dentist near you?

By Dental Oasis Pleasanton | Date posted: August 17, 2022 | Last updated: August 17, 2022

Visiting a dentist for preventative regular dental check-ups every six months is crucial to ensure healthy oral health. But many people struggle to find a dentist that delivers an exceptional experience to turn them into lifelong consumers.

Many factors, such as cost, distance, specific specialty, and others, often stand in the way of finding a good fit for all your dental needs. The process may seem overwhelming but can be simplified with a systematic approach.

In this article, we’ll explain how to find the best dentist in your neighbourhood who goes above and beyond your expectations in this post.

Let’s get started.

Checklist to find the best dentist near you:

1. Get recommendations from acquaintances.

Getting recommendations from your family, friends, neighbours, and other acquaintances in your circle helps you narrow down your search for the best dentist near you. You can compile an entire list of recommended dentists and can research them further on your own.

It will help you learn about their experience at the dentist’s place regarding hospitality, treatment, and how well it ends up for the receiver. You will also be able to figure out a fair price for the treatment that you wish to receive while comparing all the fees that every dentist charge in the marketplace.

2. Research the dentist’s reputation online.

Online reputation is a powerful way of evaluating the real-time experience of patients with the dentist. Patient reviews on all third-party sites reflect their true experiences with the dentist and what impressed them while they received their treatment.

You can get all the answers to your questions as you explore their business listings and ratings. It holds up as an integral part of your dentist’s research online.

3. Explore the dentist’s website.

As you get a list of all the recommended dentists near you, head on to check their website for the following things:

Time and distance come into play as crucial choices when you must visit the dentist every few days. Ensure that the dentist’s office is within convenient reach of your workplace or home.

Do give extra attention to the office timings in which the dentist operates to make sure that it accommodates your schedule. At times, in procedures like cosmetic dentistry, distance isn’t a crucial factor as you will be weighing the qualification and experience of the cosmetic dentist more. Also, it would include fewer frequent visits as compared to the others.

4. Learn about payment policies.

If you are planning to use your dental insurance and payment, make sure that the dentist you are planning to receive treatment from accepts your plan.

It will help you receive the most out of your dental insurance and pay the least from your pocket. However, it should not be a major factor in your decision to choose a good dentist for yourself.

Even if it covers some perks in your dental care plan by the dentist of your choice, we recommend you go for it. Prioritize quality dental care over cost of treatment.

5. Double check the dentist’s licence and certifications.

While doing the background checks on your desired dentist, check for their board certification by visiting the American Board of Dental Specialities (ABDS). Next, look for their current state license.

We would suggest you look for other options in your list of dentists if he/she fails to fulfil these above two documents.

6. Set up an appointment for a consultation

Once you are done deciding on the best dentist near you, we would recommend you set up an appointment with them first for initial consultation. You can discuss your treatment options with them and clear up any queries related to them.

Some other questions that we recommend you add to your list are given below.

How do you proceed in a dental emergency care?
How long have you been practising?
What treatments are performed in-house versus what are referred out?

Asking your dentist questions like these will help you learn everything there is to know about them and will help you develop the trust that is necessary before entrusting your dental care in their hands.

Key takeaways

Now that we have laid down a map to find the best dentist near you, it’s time you get started finding the perfect fit for you. Here’s a checklist for a quick recap.

Ask for recommendations.
Explore their website.
Read patient reviews online.
Check for certifications and licenses.
Compare the pricing.
Payment policy for checks
Fix a consultation call.

With everything sorted now, you can get started on your dentist hunt. We assure you that this checklist will help you get through any obstacles in your journey to find the best dentist in your vicinity. It’s high time you take your oral health seriously for a brighter smile.

We provide cutting-edge dental services while maintaining a smile on your face, and building honest and lasting professional relationships. Book your first dental appointment with us! You can also reach us via email at office@dentaloasispleasanton.com or call us on (925) 846-4491.

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Are white teeth always healthy teeth? How to ensure it?

By Dental Oasis Pleasanton | Date posted: June 8, 2022 | Last updated: September 20, 2022

Ask most people and they would do anything to achieve sparkly white teeth. It is known to make people feel more confident and to give a big boost to their self-esteem. Some of it has to do with celebrities and the media. Catch any Hollywood celebrity posing on the red carpet and the one thing you will notice is their white smile. So much so that a white smile is often referred to as a Hollywood smile.

Are white teeth a sign of being healthy teeth?

While white teeth look & feel good, is a white tooth necessarily a healthy smile? Not always. In fact, healthy teeth can range anywhere from white to yellow. This is because different layers of one’s teeth have different colors. While the outer layer or the enamel is blue and white in color, the middle layer of the dentin is light-yellow. If you do not have sufficient enamel in your teeth and have a dense layer of dentin, your teeth are inclined to be slightly yellow in color. Additionally, with age as the enamel wears off, yellowish teeth are a reality. Some of the other factors that influence the color of the teeth include:

Genetics
Diet
Oral Hygiene
Consuming tea, coffee, wine, cola
Smoking
Damage of teeth due to accident or trauma
Tooth decay or root exposure
Certain medical treatments that can cause staining of teeth

Can dental issues affect the color of your teeth?

While many people think that all problems in the teeth will show up in discoloration, the fact is that sometimes issues like gum disease or issues such as tooth grinding may not have anything to do with the tooth color. In fact, sometimes you may not even get to know of some of these issues unless you have regular dental check-ups. So, on the face of it you may have a bright smile while there could be several underlying issues. Clearly then the color of the teeth isn’t a definitive indicator of its health.

On the other hand, if your teeth aren’t sparkly white naturally, it may not be the cause of an alarm, as the color does not necessarily indicate the health of the teeth.

Tips to maintain a healthy and white smile

If you want a healthy and a bright smile, there are several best practices that you need to follow. Some of these include:

Good oral hygiene – Brushing your teeth twice daily is the most important thing to do when it comes to maintaining a healthy and bright smile. Flossing your teeth is yet another must-do. This will ensure that any residual foods are removed that bacteria can feed on. Rinsing your mouth after every meal, use of mouthwash and cleaning your tongue are other things that you must include in your oral care routine.
Do not have food that stains your teeth – It is advisable that you do not have excessive consumption of tea, coffee, soda, red wine that are known to stain your teeth. Additionally smoking tends to stain your teeth.
Reduce the quantity of sugar you consume.
Over & above this regular visits to the dentist are a must-do. This is the only way you can catch any issues that impact your oral health, early.

Teeth-Whitening

If your teeth are healthy otherwise but you are unhappy with their color, teeth-whitening is always an option. For that, it is important that you do not use any over-the counter products without consulting your dentist. The right professional treatment from a qualified dentist, instead is the best way to give you dramatically brighter results.

Your dentist will be able to assess the suitability of the different professional teeth-whitening treatments to your bespoke requirements. These are safe methods that offer quick results. Some of these methods include:

In-office treatment, that in turn can be done in any of the below two ways:

Deep Bleach Teeth Whitening

In this method whiteners with peroxide are used to lighten your teeth. The whiteners contain bleaching agents that can effectively make your teeth look whiter.

Laser Teeth Whitening

This involves applying bleach to each tooth while applying heat to it.

There is also the ability to offer at-home treatments where custom whitening trays are created for your teeth. Putting whitening gel in the trays and wearing the tray for several hours a day is known to show results in about 2 weeks.

Cosmetic Dentistry Options

Apart from teeth whitening there are several cosmetic dentistry options also that aid in you getting that bright smile. These involve the use of fillings such as composite or glass ionomers. The composite fillings particularly are known for the fact that they are tooth colored & can restore your smile like little else.

To sum up

While a bright white smile is good to have, it is more important that your smile be healthy. A smile that is short of sparkly white need not always indicate a problem. To ensure that your teeth remains white you need to undertake several oral hygiene practices as well as stay away from certain foods. There are several tooth whitening services that are available. However, it is imperative that it be undertaken with an experienced dentist.

Above everything it is important that you ensure having regular dental checks ups. Ideally these checks ups should be bi-annual. They are crucial in treating any potential issues quickly. This could range from plaque & tartar that impact your looks as well as health to more life-threatening issues such as oral cancer.

Here’s to those pearly white teeth and staying healthy!

We offer a full array of dental services including root canal, tooth whitening, dentures, tooth extraction, and more to help you maintain healthy teeth. Call us on (925) 846-4491 or email us on office@dentaloasispleasanton.com to schedule a dental appointment.

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Top ways to get rid of toothache and relieve pain fast!

By Dental Oasis Pleasanton | Date posted: April 27, 2022 | Last updated: January 5, 2023

That pounding feeling in the head, throbbing of gums and a sore mouth; are all symptoms of a toothache! Odds are that the pain is even getting in the way of your rest and sleep. If you are faced with a nagging toothache, here is help to get rid of toothache fast. Before we get to what you can do for pain relief, it will be worth looking at some of the common causes of toothaches.

Causes of Toothache

Toothaches can be caused by a number of factors including

Injury

Toothache can be a result of trauma or injury to the facial area.

Sinus

Tooth pain can also be caused by drainage from sinus infections.

Tooth decay

Tooth decay causes nerves in the teeth to become exposed and causes toothache that is often excruciating. The nerve inside the tooth can also be exposed on account of losing a filling.

Infection in the tooth

A pocket of pus in the tooth can lead to infection and pain.

Wisdom Tooth

Eruption of wisdom tooth can cause pain as they break through the gums. They could also be pressing against other teeth and causing pain.

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Gum disease

Toothache can also often be the result of gum disease such as gingivitis.

Temporomandibular joint disorders

TMJ is known to cause pain in the jaw joint as also in your teeth.

Grinding your teeth

If you grind or clench your teeth at night, it could lead to pain.

Irrespective of the reason that you are having a toothache you should see the dentist as soon as possible. In the meantime, the following remedies can offer you some relief.

Ways to Get Rid of a Toothache Fast

Use over-the-counter pain medication

The following OTC medication can offer you pain relief:

Ibuprofen
Acetaminophen
Aspirin

There are also several pastes or gels that contain benzocaine that can dull the pain. A word of caution here though- these gels aren’t suitable for children under the age of two.

Keeping the head elevated

Make sure that your head is propped up. This ensures that blood does not rush to your head as that can aggravate the pain.

Saltwater Rinse

Rinsing your mouth with warm, salty water can be of help. Gentle flossing can also help remove any bits of food that may be stuck around the sore tooth.

Rinsing with Hydrogen Peroxide

Rinsing with a mixture of equal parts Hydrogen Peroxide and water can also help with inflammation and pain. Alternately you could also use mouthwash that contains alcohol to rinse your teeth.

Cold Compress

Using an ice pack can go a long way in dulling the pain and allowing you the much-needed rest. It will work best to apply an ice pack to the affected area for intervals of 20 minutes, and repeating every few hours.

Natural Home Remedies for Toothaches

Clove Oil

It is a natural antiseptic that reduces pain and inflammation. You could either rinse your mouth with it or soak a cotton ball in it and apply it to the area of the toothache.

Willow Bark

It contains salicin that can help in reducing inflammation and pain relief. You can either apply willow bark powder to the area causing pain or gargle with willow bark tea.

Peppermint Tea Bag

A cold peppermint tea bag when applied to the affected area can be of help. Alternately, you can add a few drops of peppermint oil to a cotton ball and apply it to the tooth.

Thyme

The herb Thyme is known to have powerful antibacterial and antioxidant properties. Applying some thyme oil on a cotton ball and applying it to the affected area can bring pain relief. You could also add a few drops of thyme oil to a glass of water and use it as mouthwash.

Garlic

Fresh garlic is known to contain Allicin, which has antibacterial properties. Chewing the garlic clove can help with the pain.

Pro Tip – While using any of these natural remedies do ensure that you aren’t allergic to any of the plants or oils used.

Do remember that while home remedies could reduce the intensity of a toothache, they won’t address the underlying cause. If the pain is severe or if it persists for more than two days, visiting a dentist is non-negotiable.

When Should You Visit the Dentist for Toothache?

If the toothache isn’t excruciating, you may want to observe it for 24 hours to see if it’s a minor irritation. Do not, however, delay seeing a dentist if:

The pain is severe.
The toothache is accompanied by fever or headache.
You experience any trouble in breathing or swallowing.

Depending on what has caused the toothache, your dentist will propose an appropriate treatment. The dentist may take an X-ray to diagnose the origin of the pain and suggest treatment as below:

In case of tooth decay, the dentist will clean out and fill the cavity in the tooth.
If you have a cracked tooth, the dentist will either repair it or suggest a replacement.
In case your toothache is caused by a sinus infection, the right antibiotics will control the infection.
If there are signs of infection, the dentist may prescribe an antibiotic.
If the pain is on account of TMJ, a mouth guard to prevent tooth grinding may be recommended. Other stress-reduction techniques or surgery may also be needed in some cases.

Better still you can reduce the risk of oral health issues by thoroughly brushing your teeth twice everyday and flossing at least once. Eating a healthy diet, avoiding sugary foods can go a long way in preserving dental health. Additionally, you need to be careful not to chew any hard substances that can cause a fracture in your tooth. Last but definitely not the least, regular dental checkups and dental cleanings can ensure that any issues can be caught early before they become painful.

We provide cutting-edge dental services while maintaining a smile on your face and building honest and lasting professional relationships. Book your dental appointment with us and smile on your way to good oral health! You can also reach us via email at office@dentaloasispleasanton.com or call us on (925) 846-4491.

FAQs

Does brushing teeth help toothache?
Brushing will not help you to get rid of toothache. But if you start ignoring the toothache area, then harmful bacteria will build up in absence of cleaning.

Is heat or cold better for tooth pain?
Cold ice can help you to numb tooth pain temporarily. Rub the affected area with an ice bag containing two-three ice in it. Always avoid warm or heated food and drinks.

Can a toothache cause a headache?
Because of trigeminal nerve toothache cause headache.

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