Services

What is a root canal?

A root canal is a procedure to treat an infection or inflammation in the pulp — the soft tissue, including nerve fibers and blood vessels — at the center of a tooth. Left untreated, an infected tooth can lead to an abscess or require extraction.

What are the signs that I might need a root canal?

You probably need a root canal if you notice:

• Severe pain in the tooth
• Tooth sensitivity to hot and/or cold foods and drinks
• Swelling and tenderness in the tooth or surrounding gums
• A pimple on the gum tissue
• Pain when you bite down on the infected tooth

How is a root canal performed?

After administering an anesthetic, Dr. Singh drills into the pulp chamber at the center of your tooth. She removes the pulp, cleans and disinfects the interior of your tooth, and fills it with a rubbery substance called gutta percha to prevent future infection.

In most cases, Dr. Singh recommends that you return for a crown to cap and strengthen the damaged tooth.

Is a root canal painful?

The pain commonly associated with a root canal is actually the discomfort you’ve been feeling from the infection leading up to the procedure. The treatment itself is no more painful than a typical cavity filling.

At Singh Dental Center, Dr. Singh offers a variety of anesthetic choices. These options include a local anesthetic to numb the area where the root canal will be performed, but Dr. Singh may also offer oral conscious sedation, where she administers medication to help you relax without putting you fully to sleep.

What can I expect after a root canal procedure?

The root canal treatment should resolve the pain but often the tooth that caused the pain was severely decayed and may now need a crown to protect it. Dr. Singh can place your crown a week or more after the root canal procedure, once the gums surrounding the tooth have had time to recover.

You may feel some discomfort from the inflammation caused by the infection, but usually not from the procedure. Dr. Singh may recommend over-the-counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen.

It’s important to schedule regular checkups to maintain your oral health and prevent future problems. Prompt appointments for root canal treatments are available at Singh Dental Center — call for an appointment or book online.

There are a number of circumstances that may require Dr. Singh to remove your tooth, including:

• Severe decay
• Injury or tooth damage
• Infection not fixable with a root canal
• Crowding
• Gum disease

Tooth extraction is usually the last resort, and Dr. Singh only recommends extraction if she can’t save your tooth with a crown, filling, or root canal. She may also need to extract a tooth if you’re undergoing orthodontic care and need to make room for the improved alignment.

How is a tooth removed?

If your tooth is visible, Dr. Singh may be able to simply extract the tooth using forceps after numbing the area.

However, tooth extraction isn’t always that simple and may require surgical extraction. When performing surgical extractions, Dr. Singh uses oral conscious sedation, administering medication that relaxes you and reduces pain without putting you to sleep.

To remove the tooth, she cuts through your gums and into the bone, if necessary. Once the entire tooth is removed, including bone and root, she stitches the incision closed.

What happens after tooth extraction?

After extraction, you must bite down on gauze for 30 minutes to control any bleeding. It’s also important to avoid talking, eating, and drinking for two hours following the procedure.

When the bleeding subsides, sip on warm water and other clear liquids such as broth or apple juice for hydration. You may need to stick to liquids for about a day, depending on the surgery. As tolerated, add soft foods such as applesauce, mashed potatoes, and soup.

Dr. Singh recommends not smoking or using a straw for the first 12 hours after tooth extraction. She may also caution you about brushing and flossing, especially around the removal site.

After a few days, you should be able to resume your usual eating and brushing habits. Call the office if you experience any pain or bleeding.

Can an extracted tooth be replaced?

After the extraction, Dr. Singh offers a number of options for replacing the extracted tooth, including:

• Crowns
• Dental implants
• Dentures and bridges

If you need a tooth extraction, Dr. Singh provides compassionate care and options for replacement. Call the office today or book an appointment online.

What are dentures?

Dentures are dental appliances that fit in your mouth to replace missing teeth. Dentures look and function similarly to your natural teeth. Complete dentures are the best option when the full set of natural teeth is missing; although partial dentures are an excellent choice if some natural teeth remain.

What’s the process like for a denture fitting?

Dr. Singh will schedule several appointments to fit your dentures properly. During these fitting appointments, Dr. Singh takes impressions and measurements of your jaw to size your dentures and, once your customized dentures are made, ensure that they fit properly in your mouth.

If complete dentures are the best choice for you, Dr. Singh extracts all of your remaining teeth during one or several visits, while you are under anesthesia. Your mouth will need some time to heal, but dentures can usually be fitted 2-3 months after the teeth have been pulled — you may have temporary dentures during this time.

Only some teeth will be extracted to fit partial dentures, which have connectors or clasps to connect to your other teeth.

How do I take care of my dentures?

Your dentures will last for years, especially if you take good care of them. To properly clean your dentures, remove your dentures to brush them, but rinse them first to get rid of any food particles. Use a toothbrush, but choose one with soft bristles and choose a denture cleaner that is non-abrasive. When you take your dentures out of your mouth, ensure to store them in a cup of clean water properly.

If Dr. Singh recommends that you use an adhesive to keep your dentures secure, she will discuss the different options — such as pastes and powders — so you can choose the adhesive type that’s best for you.

Complete or permanent dentures can give you back your self-confidence and help you enjoy spending time with friends and family without being embarrassed by your teeth.

To explore your tooth replacement options with Singh Dental Center , call the office for an appointment or book online to schedule a denture consultation today.

What is sedation dentistry?

Sedation dentistry uses medication to reduce your anxiety and pain while you’re in the dental chair. You may fall asleep, but remain arousable while under sedation.

At Singh Dental Center, Dr. Singh offers oral conscious sedation, administering the medication by mouth rather than intravenously. Oral conscious sedation can take up to an hour to work. If you require sedation for a procedure, Dr. Singh will schedule your appointment to allow time for the medication to take effect.

Is oral conscious sedation safe?

Oral conscious sedation is safe. Dr. Singh and her highly trained staff closely monitor your breathing and blood pressure while you’re under sedation for any possible side effects.

What dental procedures require sedation?

Dr. Singh commonly uses oral conscious sedation when performing oral surgery, such as tooth extraction or full mouth reconstruction. However, because she has a keen understanding of the fears some patients have about dental visits, she may offer the sedative to ease discomfort for her more anxious patients.

What happens after oral conscious sedation?

You may feel sleepy following oral conscious sedation. The staff at Singh Dental Center monitor you for 1-2 hours after treatment. An oximeter placed on your finger monitors your blood oxygen levels, and the staff checks your blood pressure every 15 minutes during the recovery phase.

While you do recover quickly from oral conscious sedation, you should avoid driving and arrange a ride to and from the office. Singh Dental Center offers complimentary drop-off and pick-up for patients that can’t arrange a ride with a friend or family member.

At home, you may need to take it easy and refrain from alcohol and driving for about 24 hours. It’s also important to follow the diet Dr. Singh recommends to restore energy and promote healing.

The goal at Singh Dental Center Dentistry is to make you feel comfortable while you’re in the dentist chair. In some cases, whether for surgery or anxiety, oral conscious sedation is needed.

For a dentist that cares about you and your oral health, call the office to schedule an appointment or use the online booking agent to see if sedation dentistry is right for you.

What is Invisalign?

Instead of metal brackets and wires, Invisalign uses removable, clear plastic aligner trays to straighten your teeth and improve your bite. Invisalign near-invisible aligners are just as effective as traditional braces, but they remain almost undetectable, and most people won’t even know you’re wearing them.

How does Invisalign work?

To create your Invisalign treatment plan, Dr. Singh takes a series of 3D images of your teeth. With these images, a lab is able to produce a series of aligners custom-made for your teeth that will gradually shift them into an optimal alignment over time.

About every two weeks, you swap out your aligning trays for a new set — each set creates incremental shifts in the position of your teeth. You wear the aligners for 20-22 hours a day, but they can be taken out to eat and drink, and to brush and floss your teeth.

How long does Invisalign take?

Every patient is different, of course, but treatment for most people takes about 10-24 months. Adults who need only slight adjustments to their bite or just a small degree of straightening may only need to wear the aligners for a few months.

What are the benefits of Invisalign?

With Invisalign, there’s no need to return to the dentist every couple of weeks for adjustments. What’s more, because there are no metal braces or wires that can break, you won’t need any emergency repair trips to the dentist. Plus, Invisalign can make you less self-conscious and much happier about your appearance during treatment.

Dr Shailaja Singh is an Invisalign Platinum service provider, which puts her in the top Invisalign dentists located in Tracy, CA. When you visit Singh Dental Center, Dr. Shailaja uses the latest technologies and methods for perfecting your smile.

What are the benefits of professional teeth whitening?

Both over-the-counter and professional teeth whitening agents brighten your smile, but the whiteners used at Singh Dental Center are stronger and work faster. In most cases, you can have whiter teeth in about an hour.

So, if you’d like a dramatic change in the color of your teeth quickly, Dr. Singh has the tools to whiten your teeth up to eight shades brighter with Philips Zoom!, her preferred in-office advanced laser teeth whitening system.

During an initial consultation, Dr. Singh can determine whether teeth whitening is right for you. Teeth whiteners can’t fix all stains: yellow stains respond well to whitening, while some brown or gray stains may not respond at all if they’re in the interior of the tooth where standard bleaching agents can’t reach them.

After teeth whitening, you may experience some nerve sensitivity due to the action of the bleaching agent, but the discomfort is temporary.

What are veneers?

Veneers are porcelain shells that cover your teeth. They brighten and fix misaligned, misshapen, gapped, and broken teeth to create a movie star smile.

Dr. Singh creates personalized veneers using a special mold of your teeth. To place the veneer, she recontours your natural tooth, removing a thin layer of enamel, and uses a special dental glue to adhere the veneer.

Veneers are strong and resistant to stains. However, you need to continue to follow the same oral health practices you would use with your natural teeth, including brushing, flossing, and regular visits to the dentist.

What is the Six Month Smiles system?

Six Month Smiles is a cosmetic orthodontic system designed specifically to straighten adult teeth. As the name implies, the system straightens your teeth as quickly as possible, or in about six months.

Six Month Smiles is designed to fix your teeth discreetly with the use of clear brackets and tooth-colored wires. The system is primarily focused on fixing your smile, not your bite, which is why it works so quickly. Pain also tends to be less of an issue with Six Month Smiles because of the shortened treatment time.

If you’re looking for a smile makeover, Dr. Singh has a number of options to meet your needs. Call the office or use the online booking agent to schedule an appointment today.

What is the difference between CEREC® and traditional crowns?

A traditional procedure requires at least two appointments and a few weeks of waiting. The first appointment involves a consultation during which the dentist will get an impression of your tooth and place a temporary crown.  These impression(s) are sent to a dental lab, which use this impression to create a crown that resembles the structure of your natural tooth. This process can take several weeks.

However, a CEREC® crown uses CAM/CAD technology to fabricate a crown in the dentist’s office with-in a couple of hours. Therefore, you do not have to wait to get your new teeth.

What is CEREC® CAD/CAM?

CEREC® CAD/CAM is a highly sophisticated CAD/CAM machine that mills your teeth in just 2 hours. Instead of an impression of the teeth, CEREC® uses a digital image of the teeth that allows for a precise fitting crown. As a result, there are no temporaries and no need for a second visit. CEREC® CAD/CAM is less invasive and delivers durable, natural looking crowns in a snap.

What are the advantages of CEREC® one day crowns?

CEREC® CAD/CAM crowns are matched to your natural teeth and are more convenient to get than their traditional counterparts. In addition, CEREC® crowns are metal free, so all you see in the mirror is natural tooth color. There is no messy impressions, unpredictable temporaries, and ill-fitting permanent crowns because CEREC® CAD/CAM uses digital imaging so you get a precise fit without all the mess. There is no need for a second visit as you get your permanent crown(s) on the same day.

What are dental implants?

A dental implant is an artificial tooth root made of titanium that is implanted into your jaw. Dental implants hold replacement teeth, most commonly crowns or bridges, but they can also support dentures.

Are dental implants a good choice for me?

If you’re self-conscious about the appearance of your teeth, dental implants can restore your confidence and your smile.

During an initial consultation, Dr. Singh will evaluate your teeth and mouth to see if dental implants are the right tooth replacement option for you. She takes X-rays and evaluates your jawbone to ensure that it’s dense enough to support the implant.

In some cases, if you don’t have enough bone in your jaw, a bone graft can be performed, moving bone tissue from another part of your body.

How are dental implants placed?

Dr. Singh will discuss anesthesia options with you during your first appointment, including oral conscious sedation, where she administers medication that helps you relax and numbs the area but doesn’t put you entirely to sleep.

During the procedure, Dr. Singh drills into the jawbone and places a titanium post. Over the next several months, your jawbone will heal, naturally fusing to the titanium post, which also strengthens your jaw. Once you’ve healed, Dr. Singh attaches a connector to the post, which holds and secures your crown, bridge, or dentures.

What are the advantages of dental implants?

There are several great reasons to consider dental implants, including:

• Improved appearance: implants look like your natural teeth

• Better self-esteem: replacing missing teeth will make you want to smile more

• Better oral health: if you’ve been avoiding brushing the gums where teeth are missing, you can now brush and floss just as you would with natural teeth

• Added strength: because implants fuse with your jawbone, they strengthen the tissue and prevent bone deterioration

How do I care for my dental implants?

Implants function, look, and feel like your natural teeth. Even better, they don’t develop cavities! You brush and floss your dental implants just as you would your natural teeth. You’ll maintain regular appointments for checkups and cleanings and to make sure your teeth and gums remain healthy.

Singh Dental Center also offers easy payment plans for dental implants — call today or book an appointment online.