Losing a tooth can be traumatic! It can affect your confidence to smile and your ability to eat. You may be asking “what are some replacement options?”. Great question! There are 3 main option to replace a tooth. Each have their own pros and cons. Lets briefly review them now:

1. Partial/Denture: While a denture is used when all the teeth are missing, a partial is used when one or more teeth are missing. Both partials and dentures have some movement and they need to be removed daily to be cleaned. This option is the most affordable but also the least comfortable. Although partials/dentures are a long-term option, most patients end up unhappy with them and transition to something that is NOT removable like a bridge or implant for long-term satisfaction.
2. Bridge: If there are teeth around the missing space, a bridge may provide a good compromise between cost, function, and esthetics. A bridge is fixed and it does not move or come out. It costs more than a partial but provides far better function and esthetics. Bridges can provide a ‘set-it-and-forget-it’ option that does not need too much care beyond normal brushing and flossing.
3. Implant: As long as the missing tooth space allows for it, an implant is the best option to replace a missing tooth. Just like a bridge, it provides strength and stability but while a bridge requires the teeth around it for support, an implant supports itself and does not need the support of other teeth. It is also the most expensive option of the three but provides the most natural replacement of a tooth available with todays advanced technologies. An implant may also serve as a foundation for future support if further tooth loss occurs, serving as sort of an insurance policy for the future.

In certain complex cases, a combination of the above options can be used to provide a balance between strength, cosmetics, and function. No matter which option you decide is right for you, SDDS Dental is able to help.

To schedule, please call us at (661) 831-0800 or fill out the form below to get started:

Congratulations on your decision to improve your smile. Veneers or a smile makeover can have a dramatic impact on your smile, your confidence, and your appearance. A smile makeover can often times take years off your age giving you a more youthful, vibrant appearance. Your smile makeover journey will start with an evaluation at SDDS Dental, where detailed cosmetic photographs and a 3D digital scan is taken of your teeth. Don’t worry, this isn’t an x-ray and no radiation is used. Dr. Safaei will then plan your cosmetic case with you, discussing your goals and what you want to achieve. A treatment plan will be customized for you to achieve those goals. Your new smile can be yours in as little as 2 weeks from start to finish! To see an example of Dr. Safaei’s cosmetic work, see below:

To schedule, please call us at (661) 831-0800 or fill out the form below to get started:

Crowded, crooked, or spaced out teeth can have a negative impact on your life. It can lower your self esteem and keep you from being the best you possible. It can also negatively impact your dental health because if our bites are not aligned correctly, it can lower the life span of our teeth and gums. Depending on the severity of your concerns, using clear aligners like invisalign can not only fix your bite problems but also give you back your self esteem by cosmetically fixing your smile. Look at the dramatic change of the case below:

To schedule, please call us at (661) 831-0800 or fill out the form below to get started:

‘What a beautiful white smile’. We all wish for a compliment like that. But that beautiful white smile doesn’t come naturally to all of us. Teeth can be discolored for several reasons:

• Smoking
• Diet – YES, your wine, coffee, tea, and certain other foods are affecting the color of your teeth
• Internal staining from tetracycline or other medicines
• Improper Oral Hygiene – insufficient or incorrect hygiene can affect the color of your teeth
• Drug use
• Cavities/Fillings
• Poorly done or old dental work

You may be asking how can I get a beautiful white smile. Luckily there are several ways to get your smile, beautiful and white. Depending on the reason for your discolored teeth, tooth whitening or cosmetic dentistry may give you the results you’re looking for. Tooth whitening can range from anything from over the counter whitening systems to in-office whitening done at SDDS Dental. To achieve the most optimal results, cosmetic restorations can permanently change the color of your teeth. Cosmetic restoration may also be able to instantly change the shape, size and angles of your teeth giving you a thorough rejuvenation. One of the greatest benefits of cosmetic restorations is that they are color-safe, meaning that they will not stain or change color! Even with your diet! Take a look at how addressing discolored teeth can dramatically change your smile:

To schedule, please call us at (661) 831-0800 or fill out the form below to get started:

Often times we are born with a small tooth or a tooth that is shaped differently. This can happen for many reasons, but no matter why they occur, misshapen or mis-sized teeth can become an eyesore in an otherwise beautiful smile. These scenarios can often times be corrected with a single restoration on the affected tooth. The restoration is shaped and expertly color matched to complement the rest of the teeth and blend in, completing a beautiful smile. The case below shows a tooth that is slightly smaller than the others. This creates an illusion of an ‘unpleasant’ smile. A simple restoration was able to bring out the full effect of this smile, create balance and harmony in the smile.

To schedule, please call us at (661) 831-0800 or fill out the form below to get started:

OOPS! You bit into your food and something chipped or broke your tooth. Or maybe you got into an accident or fight and broke some teeth. Chipped/Broken teeth can cause immediate concern and depending on the size and location, it can develop into something much worse. Not to mention chipped teeth in the front can be unsightly. Not to worry! At SDDS Dental we can repair your chipped tooth! After evaluating the severity and location of your chip we can plan the appropriate work needed to get it fixed! In some cases we can even get it started in the same appointment! Here are a few satisfied patients who fixed their chipped teeth at SDDS Dental:

To schedule, please call us at (661) 831-0800 or fill out the form below to get started:

OUCH! Toothaches can really get in the way of your day-to-day. Tooth pain can be caused by a number of things from clenching to severe infections. Lets follow some steps to find out what’s causing your tooth pain.  The first thought you may be having after a toothache is “Am I going to need a root canal?”. Maybe, but maybe not. But don’t wait to find out. The sooner you find out the easier and cheaper it will be to fix. If a root canal is needed to relieve your pain, remember that although there is a common perception that root canals are painful, this isn’t true and most root canal procedures can be painless. At SDDS Dental, we’ve had patients snoring through their procedures. And if it ends up that you don’t need a root canal, then you have taken an important step in getting yourself out of pain, so congratulations on taking that step. That first step is easy and it just takes an x-ray and exam to have Dr. Safaei properly diagnose the reason for your toothache so that we can get you pain free and back to your day to day. To schedule, please call us at (661) 831-0800 or fill out the form below to get started:

Seeing blood when you brush or floss can be scary. You may be thinking “Should I stop brushing/flossing?” The simple answer is no but to be sure we must learn a bit more about why your gums are bleeding. Bleeding gums is often a sign of gum disease (periodontal disease). Gum disease is progressive and is best prevented or kept from progressing further. When your gums bleed, this is their way of telling you that they need some attention. Often times, plaque and debris will accumulate around the gums and cause irritation and inflammation of the gums. This is called gingivitis. If gingivitis is not treated it will progress to Periodontitis, which is when the inflammation begins affecting your bone, leading to bone loss. Periodontitis is the leading cause of tooth loss. Fortunately, the treatment for gum disease is proper at home care along with gum therapy which can be scheduled at SDDS Dental. Our office can help treat your gum disease with the appropriate level of gum therapy  based on your specific stage of gum disease. Let us help diagnose you and help you get your bleeding gums under control! To schedule, please call us at (661) 831-0800 or fill out the form below to get started:

Can’t eat ice cream or drink cold water because your teeth are sensitive? Most of us at one point have experienced a sharp sensitivity to cold. It stops us in our tracks! Tooth sensitivity can be your body telling you to pay attention to a certain area. Sensitivity can be caused by gum recession or another issue like a cavity, gum disease, etc. Even the occasional clenching and grinding can cause sensitivity. So lets find out why your teeth can become sensitive in the first place. When it’s caused by gum recession, microscopic tubes in your tooth are becoming exposed to the environment when they normally should be covered/protected by your gums. As those gums recede, these tubes open up a pathway for the outside world to interact with the nerve of your tooth. So when something cold hits that tooth in just the right spot, it sends a signal down that tube to your nerve causing sensitivity. In these situations, a sensitive toothpaste can help or a layer of protection can be placed in that area by SDDS Dental to cover the tube so that the pathway is protected again. To treat sensitivity caused by other reasons, the area will need to be looked at professionally to provide a proper diagnosis.

To schedule, please call us at (661) 831-0800 or fill out the form below to get started:

Sometimes its hard to know where to start. Or maybe its been so long that you’ve been to the dentist that you just don’t know what you need. In these cases we can schedule you for an initial check-up appointment where you can sit down with Dr. Safaei and together find a place to start. We can discuss your goals and guide your treatment according to your needs. To schedule, please call us at (661) 831-0800 or fill out the form below to get started: