How can we help you?
We are happy to answer questions about our services and procedures.
These are a selection of some common questions that patients have. If your question isn't answered here, don't hesitate to contact our office. It's important to us that our patients understand their dental care.
Bone Grafting
To receive a dental implant to replace one or more missing teeth, the implant's artificial root is surgically placed in your jawbone for strength and stability. However, many people lack enough quality bone material to support an implant without seeking a bone graft. At Pacific Coast Dental, we are proud to provide this procedure in the same location as your dental implant.
For numerous reasons, an estimated 50 percent of dental implant candidates will require bone grafting. This breakdown in your natural bone tissue may be due to:
- Age-related bone degeneration
- Advanced periodontal disease
- Facial injury or trauma
- Lack of bone due to missing teeth
How Long Does a Bone Graft Take to Heal?
Your healing period after a bone grafting procedure will vary depending on the type of graft and your overall health. For the smaller socket reconstruction graft, you should be done healing within three to six months. But for a more extensive graft on your bony ridge, your recovery period is significantly longer, extending up to nine months.
This period is vital if you want your dental implant to become a permanent addition to your smile. But once your implant is in place, your jawbone should benefit from the regenerative qualities stimulated by the pressure from chewing.
CEREC Same-Day Dental Crowns and Bridges
At Pacific Coast Dental, we offer numerous dental crown restorations that help shore up and otherwise save damaged teeth before they are extracted. But if you want a new dental crown designed, created, and placed during one appointment, you've come to the right place.
Our investment in leading-edge dental technology includes the tools necessary for CEREC same-day dental crowns and other restorations. CEREC stands for Chair-side Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics and empowers our Pacifica dental office to build dental crowns end-to-end without sending anything to an outside dental lab. Your permanent crown can be made while you wait.
Why We Need Dental Crowns to Restore Teeth
Teeth suffer damage from several sources, but the most common is everyday tooth decay. The bacteria that cause plaque and other accumulations feed on food debris and produce two things: an acidic compound that wears tooth enamel and more bacteria. As this process repeats, pits and holes form in your teeth that compromise their strength and stability.
If we can't repair your tooth with a targeted restoration like a dental filling, an inlay, or an onlay, then we can secure your entire tooth with a dental crown. As a complete tooth cover, a dental crown can protect your tooth remnants, restoring their function while maintaining a natural appearance.
To learn more about how a dental crown might save one of your teeth, we encourage you to call our dental office and schedule an appointment.
Dental Implants
A dental implant is a tooth replacement option closer to your natural tooth than any other option available today. This option offers unparalleled stability and durability with an artificial tooth root that our implant dentist at Pacific Coast Dental places in your jawbone. If you want a tooth replacement that has the potential to last a lifetime, then a dental implant may be a good choice for you.
But this security doesn't appear overnight. A dental implant process takes several months, the majority of which is the healing period for your artificial tooth root. This part is vital to your implant's success because your implant is made from titanium, a material that your bone actually heals around, a process called osseointegration.
Once this is complete, we can place your dental crown or other restoration in one appointment.
How Much Does a Dental Implant Hurt?
Dr. Acosta will ensure that your teeth and mouth have been numbed thoroughly before beginning implantation. Most patients report some soreness for several days after surgery, but this is rarely severe. Over-the-counter pain relievers are sufficient to counteract most of your discomfort during healing.
If you are worried about any portions of this procedure, we encourage you to discuss it with our dental team. In addition, we offer multiple types of sedation to ease your worries and make treatments more tolerable.
Extractions
The Pacific Coast Dental's mission is to provide numerous dental services that maintain healthy teeth and repair tooth damage. But in many cases, severe tooth decay, accidental trauma, and advanced periodontal disease create too much damage for your natural tooth to be saved. So if you have a tooth that requires removal, you can rest assured that when we recommend a tooth extraction, that is your best and only option.
Our dentists may complete most tooth extraction procedures in one visit, depending on your specific health condition. The process begins with a thorough consultation so that we can discuss your particular case and address any of your concerns. Our top priorities are ensuring you're comfortable before, during, and after your extraction. Towards that end, we will carefully and thoroughly numb the area around your damaged tooth so that you will feel little pain. However, if you still feel stress or anxiety, we can offer oral conscious sedation or nitrous oxide therapy to take the edge off and help you relax.
Tooth Extraction Aftercare Is Vital
For the first several days after we extract your tooth, you may experience some soreness and swelling that should respond to your preferred over-the-counter pain reliever. Here are a few other recommendations to speed up your healing process:
- Avoid smoking or drinking through a straw
- Eat only soft foods, such as scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes, and yogurt
- Minimize hot beverages
Rinse your mouth with only warm water or warm salt water – no mouthwash or strong rinses
If you have any questions about your dental extraction and how important it is to replace your missing tooth, we encourage you to call our dental office today.
General Dentistry
Part of our mission at Pacific Coast Dental is the provision of high-quality dental services without the stress or anxiety that our patients have suffered in previous experiences. While many people find sufficient relief in clear information about their upcoming procedures, or distraction from our entertainment systems available in our treatment rooms, some patients need a little more help. This is why we offer both nitrous oxide and oral-conscious dental sedation.
We Provide the Safest, Most Effective Sedation Option in Pacifica
These two types of dental sedation will encourage calmness, but you remain conscious, able to speak, and can follow directions. While nitrous oxide sedation is milder, oral conscious sedation creates a deeply relaxed state. Patients often lose track of time and may not even remember parts of their treatment, which helps excise memories that could trigger future discomfort and stress.
Before offering any form of dental sedation, our dental team will check your medical history to ensure this is a safe option. As further reassurance, a trained professional will closely monitor you throughout treatment so that you can feel comfortably cared for and experience less unpleasantness around specific procedures.
If you think dental sedation will positively impact your treatment experience, we encourage you to discuss your options with our team without delay.
Invisalign® Clear Aligners
Invisalign is a popular new method using clear aligner trays for solving numerous types of tooth misalignments that otherwise can only be corrected by traditional metal braces. Many people prefer clear aligners because they are:
- More comfortable
- Less visible
- Removeable for cleaning
But one question many people ask about this orthodontic treatment is how much it will cost. The answer depends on numerous individualized factors for your particular treatment plan.
Factors Impacting Your Invisalign Treatment Details
The complexity of your treatment is the main factor behind the cost. If your teeth are only moderately twisted or misaligned, it will take fewer trays to straighten your smile. This also translates to fewer dental visits, which will also save money.
You also have a role in ensuring the best value for your Invisalign treatments. You must faithfully wear your aligners 20 to 22 hours per day. But some patients may neglect to wear them as long as directed, leading to longer treatment time and an increase in costs.
Finally, though we cannot generalize as to how much Invisalign will cost without considering your specific situation, the digital planning process does make Invisalign highly predictable. This is because your full series of aligners are produced when the process begins, so you can calculate a nearly exact number of weeks your treatment will require.