Our Studio City office offers Root Canal Treatment

Teeth problems can seem to suddenly develop, but in reality it can be a slow process.  Once you begin to have a toothache, it may be too late to simply remove tooth decay and fill the tooth.  You may have only two choices to consider.   The first choice may be to lose a tooth, and the second choice involves saving teeth.   Your Studio City dentist can discuss these options with you, and hopefully you will not have to lose any teeth.   Endodontic dental care is about caring for teeth root problems and their surrounding tissue.   Sometimes tooth decay can progress to the point where it affects the nerve of your tooth, and you begin to have pain.  If not taken care of, this can cause one to lose the tooth, and it may spread to surrounding teeth.  Dentistry professionals have the training and experience to help you with your teeth problems.  Instead of extracting an affected tooth, a procedure known as a root canal can eliminate the problem without the loss of teeth.   When you make a dental appointment for tooth pain, you will receive an x-ray of any affected teeth.  The dentist will examine the x-ray and discuss the problem with you. If a root canal is needed, you can discuss the process and what is involved.  During a root canal the affected tooth will be deadened, so you will not feel any pain.  This usually involves an injection, and may take a few minutes for it to take effect.  Afterwards, the area will be numb. Your Studio City Dentist can perform a root canal procedure in the office.  The tooth is drilled and the root is removed. You will receive a temporary crown, until your new crown is ready.  When the new crown is installed, your tooth will be as good as new. In fact, it may be better than before.

Please call our Studio City office for a free consultation for your root canal treatment.

(818) 762-0105

Oral Cancer

One of the big reasons oral cancer has been on the rise is because of the the HPV -16 virus (the one responsible for a majority of the cervical cancers).   Researchers have noted a 5 times increase in the occurrence of oral cancer in those under the age of 40 due to the exposure of the HPV virus in sexually active adults.   The current research recommends annual screenings for those over the age of 17.

From Dr. Weil’s health e-letter he discusses 5 ways to prevent oral cancer .

1. Don’t use tobacco. Up to 90% of patients with oral cancers use tobacco, and the risk increases with the amount smoked or chewed. Quitting smoking and chewing tobacco will lower your risk, even after years of use.
2. Moderate your drinking.   About 75% to 80% of patients with oral cancer drink alcohol frequently
3. Limit your exposure to sunlight.   More than 30% of patients with cancers of the lip have outdoor jobs associated with prolonged and repeated exposure to sunlight.
4. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.   A diet low in the natural antioxidants fresh produce provides is associated with an increased risk of developing cancer of the oral cavity.
5. Know the Signs. If you have a sore in your mouth that doesn’t heal easily or is always bleeding, or a persistent pain in the mouth or ear, see your dentist or physician immediately. Early detection and treatment increases chances of recovery.

Here at our Studio City dental office, we have techniques that we use to screen for oral cancer and it could be very helpful in early detection.  Ask Dr Maya about it when you come into the office!

Dental Implants

Dental Implants are quickly becoming the standard of care for replacing missing teeth in the mouth.  For years the only way to replace missing teeth in the mouth was to either place cemented bridges (which could have meant the loss of significant tooth structure to the teeth left to hold the bridge and also can create a difficult are to keep clean) or to use a removable partial denture (which many patients have found to be a poor compromise to a cemented bridge).  The doctors at the Dr Maya’s dental office are having a special through the rest of the year; implants can be placed for as low as $1000 per implant placed (this does not include the cost of the restoration on top of the implant).

 We are often asked why missing teeth should be replaced.  Actually, this is not a simple question to answer as it is dependent on each individual patient’s needs and the location of the missing tooth to be replaced.  Missing teeth can be esthetic issues so the implant and crown are done to match the mouth and smile and your esthetic concerns are answered.  This is of course the simple straight forward reason implants are such a great restorative procedure.

 However, replacing missing teeth have many functional purposes as well.  The replacement of missing teeth stops other teeth from shifting and creating problems for the bite and normal function and in some cases can lead to jaw joint disease.  The replacement teeth can assist in proper chewing which allows for a healthy and improved diet.  Replacing missing teeth can also improve your speech and in many cases provide the support for natural facial contours.  Lastly, replacing missing teeth using implants can help decrease bone and gum tissue loss associated with missing teeth.

 Special pricing for implants at the dental office of Dr Salomon Maya can run as low as $1000 per implant.  There may be additional fees if any type of grafting is needed to help make sure you get the best result possible.  Also, there are additional fees for the crowns that go on top of the implants.

 Call us today at 818-762-0105  today for your complimentary consult to see if implants are right for you.

Dry Mouth and How it Affects you

September 2, 2009

Dry mouth is a major concern for the doctors at the dental office of Dr Maya.   Decreased salivary flow or  XEROSTEMIA  is often called “cotton mouth” and it has been estimated that it affects as many as 1 in 4 adults.  Once thought to be only in senior citizens, dentists are finding dry mouth across a wide age range.  Saliva is very important for digestion, it helps prevent cavities and protects all the different tender tissues in the mouth and it helps us to taste our food.

 The major cause of dry mouth is that it is the most common side effect of both prescription and over the counter medications.  It is believed that up to 90% of all issues with dry mouth are because of meds, such as antihistamines, antidepressants, antihypertensive (blood pressure) and decongestants to name a few.   Other causes are side effects of diseases and infections such as Alzheimer’s, diabetes and HIV/AIDS.  Lastly, the lifestyle choices of smoking, alcohol and caffeine can all contribute to dry mouth symptoms

Some signs of dry mouth include a sticky feeling in the mouth, a constant desire to drink, thick or ropy saliva and bad breath.  If you have dry mouth you increase your chances of getting deep cavities around the gum line of your teeth and also you increase your chances of getting gum disease. 

How do you get relief?   Besides the normal home care of brushing twice a day and flossing, you can chew sugarless gum or sugarless candy.  Avoid overly salty food, citrus juices and real dry foods.  You should avoid mouth rinses that have a lot of alcohol in them, and limit your caffeine and alcohol consumption.  Of course, you should be drinking plenty of water.

Lastly, if you feel you have any of the above symptoms you should see a dentist as soon as you can.  If your biofilm is acidic  medications that dry your mouth may be very detrimental to your teeth and can cause massive decay that can cause you to lose some teeth.  Call us today at 818-762-0105 if you have any questions or would like us to take a look at your mouth.

Gum disease and its link to heart disease

For several years, Dr Maya and Dr Gomez  have been telling our patients about what has been called the Oral Systemic Link.  There has been a growing body of science to show a link between  gum disease  and heart disease.  Now, in concert with one another, both the American Journal of Cardiology and the American Academy of Periodontology have come out with strong recommendations in dealing with their patients who are at risk for either heart or gum disease.

Some of the specific recommendations are as follows

Patients with gum disease  (periodontitis) who have one known major atherosclerotic CVD (Cardiovascular Disease) risk factor such as smoking, immediate family history for CVD, or a history of increased amounts of lipids in the blood should consider a medical evaluation if they have not done so in the last 12 months.

A periodontal evaluation should be considered in patients with atherosclerotic CVD who have: signs or symptoms of gum disease (THE NUMBER ONE SIGN IS USUALLY BLEEDING GUMS), significant tooth loss and unexplained elevation of hs-CRP or other inflammatory biomarkers.

IT BOILS DOWN TO THIS.   Both heart and gum disease are inflammatory diseases.  Untreated chronic inflammation can lead to dysfunction of the affected tissues (This is the cause of both gum tissue and bone loss secondary to the bacterial infection of gum disease). 

And this is only the tip of the iceberg, there are potentially multiple relationships between the chronic inflammation of gum disease and other systemic disease in the body.

For years the motto at MayaDental has been, the healthier the mouth, the healthier your body.

If you know anyone who has recently discovered they have, or are at high risk for heart disease let them know we can help them. We are centrally located at our Studio City Dental Office at 12840 Riverside Dr Suite 404  Studio City, CA 91607.  Our phone number is 818-762-0105.  You can visit us on the web at www.mayadental.com

SPECIAL OFFER FOR OUR PATIENTS: Mention this blog and get off 10% up to $100.00 off of any previoiusly diagnosed dentistry to get you back into the swing of it at our new office. Offer expires September 1 , 2009

Prevention is the best medicine

I see so many instances in my Studio City Dental practice where prevention could save not just teeth but also lots of money!  A few days ago, an 18 year old young man came into the office for a checkup and cleaning.  It had been a few years since he had come to the office.  He came in because he was having some discomfort in a tooth and also wanted to whiten his teeth with our ZOOM whitening.   We took some Xrays and I did an examination.

After reviewing the xrays, I discovered he had 9 cavities!  The tooth that was bothering him needed  root canal treatment and a crown as well.  He was shocked by this news and couldn’t quite believe it.  But it was true.  I explained to him how these cavities formed and how we were going to fix them.  I told him we would fill his cavities with tooth colored fillings, as we do not use the mercury containing fillings anymore.    I also explained to him how the root canal could have been avoided if he had come for regular checkups.  A simple preventative measure like a few xrays per year could have saved him thousands of dollars, not to mention the pain he was having. 

In my years as a Studio City dentist, I have seen how important it is for us to get our teeth checked regularly and cleaned professionally.  This checkup appointment usually takes about 45 minutes and costs about $100.  This is a small price to pay in order to avoid much higher costs down the road.  This kind of prevention will help avoid costly and painful instances which more often that not, come at the worst times! 

IT ALL STARTS WITH HYGIENE

Day in day out at my Studio City dental practice, I see various dental problems among the general population. I can confidently say that most of these problems arise from the lack of proper dental hygiene. Periodontal disease is the #1 cause of losing teeth. The disease can start with gingivits, which affects more than 50% of my patients. If it is left untreated, the disease will progress in stages. You will not typically feel any pain with its progression until the disease reaches an advanced stage. It is at that point that the tooth will loosen and either fall out or will have to be taken out. The problem is that it is too late at that point. We need to catch the problem way before this happens. Genetics does play a part, however, if one brushes and flosses properly on a regular basis, the probability of periodontal disease greatly decreases. In fact, it is not just periodontal disease that decreases but also dental cavities that decrease.

I see it all the time. Here is a typical scenario. A teenager comes into the office and I find 6 cavities on them. They all show to be growing in between the teeth. This tells me that the teenager is not flossing properly on a regular basis. Even though you cannot see them, these cavities could be large! This can be prevented by flossing every day and also making sure you get your teeth cleaned every 6 months. This will greatly decrease the probability that cavities will form, even in teenagers! The moral of the story is that you need to floss your teeth daily, not just brush them!

So as you can see, simple habits like brushing twice a day and flossing daily can help you keep your teeth healthy and keep them forever! : )