Featured Articles

Sonoma Smiles Helps Support Our Troops

November 9, 2011 Nor Cal Dentist Archives, Events, Featured Articles
veterans day

Happy Veterans Day

Dr. Wayne Sutton and the Sonoma Smiles staff are working hard to help support our troops who need restorative and cosmetic dentistry treatments but may not be able to receive them through the VA. Dr. Sutton is a part of the recently launched A Soldiers Smile charity event in which he and other Academy of Comprehensive Esthetics (ACE) dentists will provide free dentistry treatments to select soldiers. The event, which kicked off this past weekend, is endorsed by decorated military veteran and celebrity Montel Williams who has already appeared on national TV promoting the event and the dentists.

Our veterans health care system can make it difficult for them to get the dental care they need because there are certain restrictions put in place that apply when dental care is necessary. In fact, the law has restrictions on providing health care for veterans based on their condition in or out of service and their income level. These laws make it difficult for veterans to have access to dental procedures that may help to improve their health.

Instead of waiting for our health care system to make corrections or improve it is through the generous efforts of Dr. Sutton, the other ACE dentists and Montel Williams that the A Soldiers Smile charity is being made possible. Select soldiers will be eligible for dental care that helps to improve their health as well their self-confidence. The charity, which has already begun will be taking place at select VA hospitals where the dentists will be providing the necessary restorative and cosmetic treatments to soldiers who deserve it.

Given the state of the health care benefits eligible to veterans ACE and Montel are hoping that this event will bring awareness to these unfulfilled needs. This Friday the 11th marks Veteran’s Day, be sure to thank a soldier for their service defending our freedom.

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Tooth or Sinus Pain When Flying?

September 28, 2011 Nor Cal Dentist Dental Pains, Featured Articles
Sinus pain when flying

Tooth or Sinus Pain When Flying

It is not uncommon for people to experience tooth or sinus pain while they travel on airlines. This has to do with the way the body responds to pressure changes which means these pains can also happen when diving. When you fly the air pressure in the cabin of the airplane is lowered and when you dive the pressure increases the farther you go. There is a technical term for this pain called “barotrauma,” also referred to as a “squeeze.”

A squeeze occurs when the pressures outside the body and inside the body are not equalized. Normally the body organs transmit pressure equally from outside to inside. When pressure changes problems within the body structures that are filled with air and that have rigid lining such as the middle ear spaces and sinus cavities of the skull occur. You are probably familiar with the suggestions to “clear” your ears or swallow, yawn, chew gum, or move the jaw side-to-side to equalize pressure. The reason these methods are suggested is to equalize the pressure in these air-filled, rigid walled structures mentioned above.

Our sinuses in particular have small openings which make it possible to clear them when changes in pressure occur so that the fluid that accumulates is drained. When we find it difficult to clear this area it probably means these openings or membranes are filled with fluid because of the changes in pressure.  The skulls largest sinuses are adjacent to the nose and the lower walls of these upper jaw sinuses are adjacent to the back teeth and upper jaw. The same painful reactions can be felt from a toothache as from a pain in the sinuses. The shared nerves can cause pain in either area and are often felt during flights or while diving.

If you have frequent pain each time you dive or fly it is important to consult with your dentist to see if your pains are associated with a defect in a filling or tooth that is trapping air. Often the first sign of a damaged tooth is pain in response to pressure change. For more information on these pains contact us today.

 

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Improve your Smile with Tooth Colored Filings

September 20, 2011 Nor Cal Dentist Featured Articles, Tooth-Colored Fillings
White dental fillings

Tooth-colored Fillings

Countless patients have visited our office seeking cosmetic solutions to the silver amalgam fillings they have had for years. As the public becomes more aware of the cosmetic dentistry options available to them such as with tooth-colored fillings more and more people are seeking this treatment. We are able to replace old amalgam fillings with new white fillings that are matched for shade and fit. Additionally new restorations are made using minimally invasive techniques that preserve as much healthy tooth structure as possible.

With modern advancements in dentistry tooth-like materials such as composite resins and porcelains have allowed us to create natural looking and feeling restorations for your teeth quickly and easily. With these materials we have managed to mimic nature’s combination of strength and resilience while creating suitable replacements to metal fillings. The process of bonding resin to the tooth’s dentin (protective layer) is made successful by specially preparing teeth and then sealing them for use. We use special adhesives to restore damaged teeth back to the full form and function that originally existed.

Dental fillings and their placement rely heavily on the expertise of the dentist performing the procedure and their ability to blend art and science. Effective tooth restoration involves specialized knowledge of the shapes and fit of your teeth and their function. Where older restorations such as gold or amalgam were used because of their strength characteristics they failed in that they cannot handle the flex properties of the surrounding tooth when exposed to hot’s and colds. Newer developments suggest that mimicking the properties of natural teeth is better than going towards the stronger and stiffer concepts of the past.

Modern dental restorations such as tooth colored fillings offer many advantages both in appearance and in functionality. Done correctly, they strengthen and stabilize the tooth giving patients a tooth that looks natural and functions as such. Additionally these treatments are more conservative and cheaper than those of the past resulting in another reason to smile.

 

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Dental Veneers Create Beautiful Smiles

August 13, 2011 Nor Cal Dentist Archives, Featured Articles

If you have ever wondered how so many celebrities or beauty queens have such perfect, bright teeth chances are they have dental veneers.  Veneers are thin shells of porcelain tooth-like material that are adhesively bonded to the tooth and are used to repair damaged teeth or simply beautify one’s smile.  The process of manufacturing veneers is fairly tedious but the results can be amazing.  Because all veneers are custom made for each tooth that they replace, your cosmetic dentist must be skilled in the art of fabricating them so that they look and feel natural in a patient’s mouth.  This is why it is so important to choose a qualified cosmetic dentist who is experienced in blending art and science for the ultimate in looks and functionality. » Read more..

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CT Digital Scanning for Face and Jaw

August 13, 2011 Nor Cal Dentist Archives, Featured Articles

Advances in technology mean that doctors have better resources to help prevent issues before they become problematic or better treat problems that are preexisting.  Rohnert Park Digital Imaging employs the use of a highly advanced digital x-ray scanner that is specially designed for scanning the face and jaw areas.  The machine combines a series of X-ray views taken from many different angles to produce cross-sectional images of the bones and soft tissues in this region.  This offers the doctor a detailed visualization of the entire facial region as it provides detailed views of a patient’s face from many different angles.  Additionally the machine minimizes exposure to radiation as it does not require multiple exposures to catch the multitude of angles it provides. » Read more..

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