Can bridge be done over the Implants?
October 28, 2009 — pannuddsHere is a actual patient success story from our San Jose Office.
What is it?
An implant-supported bridge is similar to a regular dental bridge, but it is supported by implants and not by natural teeth. In most cases, when an implant-supported bridge is used, one implant is placed in the jawbone for each missing tooth and then, instead of placing a separate crown on top of each implant, the crowns are connected to each other to form one piece.
When is this used?
An implant-supported bridge is used when more than one tooth is missing. It also may be used when your dentist is concerned that you might put too much pressure on individual implants that are not connected to each other. For example, clenching or grinding your teeth can put a lot of pressure on individual implants and increase the chance that they will loosen from the bone and fail. If an implant-supported bridge is used, it reduces the pressure on the individual implants in the bone, and spreads it across the entire bridge.
If the implants will be placed next to natural teeth, the natural teeth and surrounding gums must be in good health. If you don’t have enough bone to place and support the dental implants, the supporting bone can be built up using bone augmentation or grafting before the actual implant procedure.
What is a palatal expander?
October 26, 2009 — pannudds
A palatal expander, also known as a rapid palatal expander, rapid maxillary expansion appliance, palate expander or orthodontic expander, is used to widen the upper jaw so that the bottom and upper teeth will fit together better. It is thought this can only be done when the patient is still growing, unless surgery is used to separate the two halves of the palate, however there is evidence to the contrary. It is most often followed by braces to straighten out all the teeth now that room has been created.
The expansion process usually results in a large gap between the patient’s top front teeth, although this does not always happen. This gap is closed naturally and the teeth may overlap which leads to braces being needed. Sometimes with expanders, the patient has to turn the expansion screw themselves to tighten up the expander. For expansion that is not managed by the patient on the and lower jaw, a bionator may be a more suitable alternative.
Although it may vary from person to person, most usually feel slight pressure on their teeth. As the patient turns the expansion screw using the key, a space develops between the front two teeth. Some may notice a larger space while others do not notice a space at all. It usually takes several days to adjust to eating and speaking after first receiving the rapid palatal expander. Patients may experience pain and headaches while wearing palatal expanders and when the screw is turned. They may also feel a sore on their tongue from contact with the expander’s metal bars.
Patients who have expanders may experience extra saliva and lisps (pronouncing the letter S as a T sound) or a slight ‘hissing’ S sound.
When the palatal expander is first removed, patients usually report that their mouth feels extremely big and spacious.
Permanent Fixed Lingual Retention (PFLR)
October 26, 2009 — pannuddsInvisible Wire Retainer or Fixed Lingual Wire
Once braces are removed, we bond a lingual wire/s to the inside of the front teeth to hold these teeth in place as we know your front teeth have a potential to relapse (go back to the way they were before treatment).
THE WIRE MUST STAY IN PLACE FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE FOR YOUR FRONT TEETH TO REMAIN STRAIGHT!
Once the wire/s are fitted, you may find that your tongue will play with the wire and that your speech is affected, however, these feelings will recede after a short period of time.
If you are fitted with a PFLR, you will need to:
- Eat normally, use your teeth normally, do not tear at crunchy foods or crunch ice-cubes, etc. with your teeth.
- Keep the wire/s clean by using a toothbrush and dental floss.
- Attend regular dental reviews and have recommended treatments as required by your dentist (usually every 6 or 12 months).
What is invisalign case refinement?
October 26, 2009 — pannudds
As you can see from the 2 above pictures, the after picture still shows there is still mild crowding; therefore, refinement is necessary to fine tune and perform finishing movements to complete the treatment. Getting a refinement done on your Invisalign treatment can be simple. This means that Invisalign will make more trays for you, until you reach the look you want. Refinement records are the same as the records taken to begin your invisalign treatment. A set of accurate molds are taken and these are sent to invisalign for a new clincheck video to be set up. This video will determine the number of aligners and therefore the refinement treatment time. You wear the refinement aligners in exactly the same way as you did previously. Refinement can be done for 1 or both arches. Check out the second clincheck video in the above case, it starts from where the AFTER image of first clincheck ends. If any questions about the Invisalign Case refinement, please feel free to as Dr Pannu, Invisalign Elite provider at pannudds@yahoo.com
Satisfied Dental Implant Patient: Ben Kwok
October 22, 2009 — pannudds
Dental implants or implantation is simple to understand and really not so complicated a procedure to do. It’s really just a new way to replace missing teeth, and a benefit which eventually will see your entire mouth restored to near-complete natural condition. The implant is made out of incredible material called titanium. And once this is implanted, it then becomes integrated with the bone (and even causes bone to grow back).
To see more dental implant photos click here
Top 5 reasons why you should use your insurance benefits to the fullest!
October 20, 2009 — pannuddsYour dental insurance… USE IT OR LOSE IT! 
1. Yearly Maximums. Dental insurance plans put a maximum on the amount of money they’re willing to pay for your dental care. Maximums vary from one company or policy to the next, but typically fall around $1000. Sounds like a lot of money, doesn’t it? Insurance companies consider this amount to be a good investment. Allowing you to get regular dental care, your carrier can prevent the need for more serious (and more expensive) dental procedures down the road. Why not do you both a favor and use it, ensuring your mouth is in tip-top shape when next year rolls around?
2. Premiums. You’re probably paying a monthly premium to keep your insurance. Even if you don’t need extensive treatment, you should use that money for regular check ups and cleanings to prevent costly procedures in the future. Don’t throw your money away!
3. Deductibles. Insurance companies typically expect you to pay a certain amount of money for your dental care each year – usually about $500. If your smile isn’t in good shape, our office can create a treatment plan to put you back on track. Deductibles begin anew each year, so spreading out this care over more than 1 year will mean you have to pay more out-of-pocket.
4. Inflation. It seems everything becomes more expensive from one year to the next, and dental materials and equipment are no exception. Putting off necessary dental care could mean that you’ll have to pay more down the road.
5. Dental Problems Escalate. If your pearly whites are anything but, they’re only going to get worse. That is, of course, unless you take advantage of your insurance benefits so you can tend to your teeth and gums. A little cavity that isn’t bothering you one year may become a major headache (or toothache!) the next.
Finish 2009 and start the New Year Right! By scheduling an appointment for some maintenance care or corrective treatments / procedures on your teeth! Pannu Dental Clinics can help you work out a treatment plan which will be accommodated in the timeframe of what’s left for the year to report your FSA expenses. This will also help you estimate your contribution to the plan for next year, too!
If you have questions regarding this matter, please call (408) 826-1200 and (510) 792-9292 or email us at info@pannudental.com.
Dr. Victor A. Peritore, latest addition to the Pannu Dental Clinic
October 16, 2009 — pannudds
Dr. Victor A. Peritore is our in Office Endodontist (Root Canal Specialist). He graduated from the University of California , Davis in 1997. After working for four years in Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology he enrolled in the Case Western Reserve University School of Dentistry, graduating in 2005 with the Dean’s Award for Academic and Clinical Excellence. He completed a hospital-based General Practice Residency at University of California, San Francisco in 2006 and obtained his Endodontics certification and M.S.D. at Case Western in 2008.
He is a member of the California Dental Association, American Dental Association and the American Association of Endodontists. Dr. Peritore grew up in San Francisco and San Bruno and currently lives in San Jose with his beautiful wife Maria.
Dr. Pannu was recently invited by NBC 11 to talk about dental implants and cosmetic dentistry in their show Living Well
October 16, 2009 — pannudds
Dr. Nguyen discusses treatment for Baby Caries (Infant Tooth Decay)
October 16, 2009 — pannudds
Before DS Cupertino
Dr. Andrew Nguyen discusses tooth decay in infants and children more commonly known as baby bottle tooth decay. It can destroy the teeth and most often occurs in the upper front teeth. But other teeth may also be affected. Decay occurs when sweetened liquids are given and are left clinging to an infant’s teeth for long periods. Many sweet liquids cause problems, including milk, formula and fruit juice. Bacteria in the mouth use these sugars as food. They then produce acids that attack the teeth. Each time your child drinks these liquids, acids attack for 20 minutes or longer. After many attacks, the teeth can decay. Watch how
After DS Cupertino
to prevent this and know that this is something that we can treat and care for at the Pannu Dental Clinics.
He ACTUALLY loved Invisalign!
October 15, 2009 — pannuddsHere’s another patient who suffered from severe crowding with his teeth. See what he has to say and why he thinks you should get Invisalign if you are in the same situation too.
Combo treatments: Crowns, Caps and Invisalign (Is it possible?)
October 14, 2009 — pannuddsHi Dr. Pannu!
I had a crown done a few years ago that aesthetically helped the appearance and strength of my teeth. However, I still have some problems with crowding and although I know that even if the artificial tooth is cemented properly, I want to know if Invisalign will dislodge the tooth. Can you please enlighten me more about this?
- Kaye C. (Fremont, CA)
Hi Kaye,
Invisalign / Braces will not affect any crown or root canal treatment. Please see link of our before and after patient here
Invisalign works on existing Crowns and Caps
October 14, 2009 — pannuddsPeople who have done prior treatments like root canal or crown are good candidates for Invisalign / Braces as well. Initially, the patient was hesitant and was scared that the crown may come off during the treatment but as you can see, Invisalign worked really well for him. Check out his before and after pictures. He has seen great improvement with his condition in a matter of just 12 months of Invisalign treatment.
Before Invisalign
After Invisalign
We accept HSA/FSA
October 1, 2009 — pannuddsA health savings account (HSA), is a tax-advantaged medical savings account available to taxpayers in the United States who are enrolled in a High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP). The funds contributed to the account are not subject to federal income tax at the time of deposit. Unlike a flexible spending account (FSA), funds roll over and accumulate year over year if not spent. HSAs are owned by the individual, which differentiates them from the company-owned Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA) that is an alternate tax-deductible source of funds paired with HDHPs. Funds may be used to pay for qualified medical expenses at any time without federal tax liability. Withdrawals for non-medical expenses are treated very similarly to those in an IRA in that they may provide tax advantages if taken after retirement age, and they incur penalties if taken earlier. These accounts are a component of consumer driven health care.
Proponents of HSAs believe that they are an important reform that will help reduce the growth of health care costs and increase the efficiency of the health care system. According to proponents, HSAs encourage saving for future health care expenses, allow the patient to receive needed care without a gate keeper to determine what benefits are allowed and make consumers more responsible for their own health care choices through the required High-Deductible Health Plan.
A flexible spending arrangement (FSA), or Flexible Spending Account, as they are commonly called, is one of a number of tax-advantaged financial accounts that can be set up through a cafeteria plan of an employer in the United States. An FSA allows an employee to set aside a portion of his or her earnings to pay for qualified expenses as established in the cafeteria plan, most commonly for medical expenses but often for dependent care or other expenses. Money deducted from an employee’s pay into an FSA is not subject to payroll taxes, resulting in a substantial payroll tax savings.
The most common FSA, the medical expense FSA (also medical FSA or health FSA), is similar to a health savings account (HSA) or a health reimbursement account (HRA). However, while HSAs and HRAs are almost exclusively used as components of a consumer driven health care plan, medical FSAs are commonly offered with more traditional health plans as well. An FSA may be utilized by paper claims or an FSA debit card also known as a Flexcard.
