Highly Motivated and Kind Dentist in Palo Alto. 

I am pleased to introduce our unique practice to you. My staff and I dedicate our time to care for one individual patient at a time. I strongly embrace continuing learning with the most advanced dental technologies. Yet we believe and practice the tradition of caring and kind dentistry that only a human can provide.

 I wish you have a pleasant visit to any dentist of your choice.

                           Here is what I do for every new and re-visit person.

First, please think about what you like me to accomplish for you, what is your goal in this first visit?

Some persons want to have exam, cleaning, to check his or her toothache, TMJ (Temporal Mandibular Joint) pain, missing teeth, implant consultation, cosmetic reconstruction, in office bleaching, home teeth whitening, ect…

After filling out new patient information forms, I will go over with you your health history, dental history, and your goal or concern for the visit. 

Then you are seated and I begin with your head, neck, TMJ, and oral cancer screening exam, check your gum, teeth, then go over the cost of regular or deep cleaning, or whatever you like to address first on this day.

Depending on your gum exam, I will let you know what procedure you need and whether it is affordable for you.  If you are in pain and want to address the pain first, I will take some radiographs or x-rays to address your immediate pain.

If you need a deep cleaning or scale root planning according to your gum exam and x-rays, I will not agree to perform a regular cleaning.  I will not do any good to your teeth if I do this. You are welcomed to seek another dentist.

I have always referred patients to Foot Hill College, UOP or UCSF dental schools if they can’t afford the cost of deep cleaning, whole mouth cost around $1100 to $1300 at my office.  Besides the deep cleaning, any dentist in Palo Alto or periodontist in Menlo Park needs to give you prescriptions of PerioRx oral rinse bottle, combination of two antibiotics, and determine if any section of your teeth need laser or further treatment. Deep cleaning alone without diligent brushing and flossing twice a day and these prescriptions will not do you any good either.

After this clinical exam and intepretation of your x-rays, I will make a plan of what you need or want to do with your conditions. I will either make an appointment for discussion of this plan if you have many things to be done. In simple cases, I always go over the x-rays and tell you what is our plan and how much it costs for the next visit and schedule your next appointment.

For returning patient in six months, please always update your health status, your address, phone number, and dental insurance and tell us if you have no change at all. Doing this helps me and my staff very much.  Though I always ask about your health and if you have had any medical condition or heart problem or any change in your health, then I do the oral cancer screening and clean your teeth again or take x-rays if necessary.

If you happen to have many procedures done, I also strongly recommend you to seek a second or third opinion from a dentist who has FAGD or MAGD certificate or any board certified specialist like periodontist, endodontist, orthodontist, radiologist, oral surgeons, or prosthodontist depending what your complexity is.

Understanding and knowing more about a specific procedure, options and choices will help you make happy and satisfying and comfortable decisions.  I am happy to provide all x-rays and my plan so you can compare and think carefully what is good and what makes sense for your treatment.  

In-Office Bleaching and Home Teeth Whitening Risks, Benefits, and Alternatives

These are the two types or techniques of teeth whitening or teeth bleaching on clean teeth that I offer in my practice: in-office or UV light whitening, 1.5 to 2 hour long, and home kit whitening, 4-5 hour a day, 5 to 7 days. The benefits for both techniques will be many. Your teeth look whiter and you feel better about your smile and yourself. Your teeth also may appear cleaner as you speak.

The main risks are sensitivity in teeth, sometimes extreme pain, gum turns white and feels burning in the first few days, your old fillings and crowns will not be whitened as your natural teeth. If you have many teeth with gum recessions, then the neck of these teeth will not be as white as the enamel white part of your teeth and these teeth are also more sensitive then others when exposed to whitening gel.

The alternatives will be asking your dentist in Palo Alto to make veneers or crowns for whiter teeth.

How safe is teeth whitening gel?

I have done home bleaching for my own teeth in the last twelve years. I began in the second year at dental school. I have read studies and experimented different gels on my teeth too. Teeth whitening is very safe at concentration at or below 38%. I do have slight sensitivity when I use the 15% Opalescense gel once in a while.

The UV light whitening technique gives instant whiteness but sometimes not completely white as you expected. It may takes the next two to three days for the gel to work its way to completion. The gel used in this technique is 35 to 38% with UV light assistance. This is so strong that it causes extreme sensitvity and electric shock pain. I had patients walking out of the office crying and calling me at night for Vicodin and pain medicinces for their sensitivity and pain.

The home whitening one is done by you at home using the custom made trays and different concentrations of the gel. You are to wear the trays for four to five hours at night or day as long as you only drink water. You will do this for 5 to 7 days or nights. This is the safest and most sustainable and easy to control. You need to be patient. Most of the times, people tell me they see the change in the second day already.

In Office Whitening using Laser Light or Laser Teeth Whitening:

Most people are interested to have their teeth whitened after one or two hours at the dentist’s chair without having to wait and doing it at home by themselves. This procedure goes like this.

After being prepared, your lips are retracted so your teeth are in the slight opening to biting together potion, your gum is protected by a resin gel. Then either the well trained assistant, hygienist, or a dentist will place the 35 to 38% bleaching gel on the surface of all your natural teeth. The laser light is positioned to shine on all your teeth for 20 minutes interval.

After every twenty minutes, the bleaching gel is changed to a fresh one. There are three or sometimes four intervals of twenty minute sessions like this. The gel and everything prepared in your mouth will be removed and cleaned right here in Palo Alto California. Then either your teeth are really white or 50 to 70% whiter then when you started or very sensitive and extremely painful.

I recommend UV light whitening candidates to have the custom made trays for future touch up of this whiteness and to keep the teeth as white without having to do it again.

The home kit teeth whitening

This is quite simple. The dentist takes the modes of your teeth, makes the trays, gives you the materials, instruction, and shows you how to do it correctly at home.

After whitening your teeth, you need to wait at least 5 days prior to going through a bonding procedure. Do not whiten your teeth 5 days after your bonded fillings are done. The fillings will be de-bonded otherwise.

Home Bleaching Instructions
Using 10%, 15%, or 20% Opalescence Gel

How to use:

1.Clean, floss, ans brush your teeth thoroughly before applying bleaching material to remove superficial biofilms and other materials that interfere with the contact of the gel with the teeth.

2. Inject a bead of bleaching gel (4-5mm) into each tooth on the tray. Bleach upper teeth first.

3. Place the tray over the teeth , and wear over night or day for at least 5 hours.

4. In the morning take the tray off, use liquid soap & water to clean your trays thoroughly, then brush away the material  on your teeth off first prior to brushing your teeth with toothpaste.

5. If sensitivity occurs, stop bleaching, and use the over counter (OTC) desensitizing toothpastes or the provided syringeable products for 10,20, or 30 minutes following bleaching depending on the intensity of sensitivity.

6.Apply desensitizing paste or gel the same way you apply bleaching material into the tray,

7. Resume bleaching after the symptoms subside. If sensitivity persists more than three days, call or see your dentist for advise.

8.Additional bleaching tubes are available at your dentist’s office with a fee.

Important note:

1.Stop bleaching 5-7 days before and after any filling visit.

2.Place bleaching material in the refrigerator after each use.

3.Existing tooth color filling and porcelain crowns do not change color after bleaching.

4.Do not drink coffee or smoke one and a half hours after removing the bleaching tray.

Over the counter (OTC) tooth paste:

1.Mint Sensodyne [Block Drug]
2.Crest/ Colgate Desensitizer
3.Promise
4.Sensitivity Protection Crest

Syringeable products:

1.Relief [Discus Dental]
2.Desensitize[Den Mat]
3.Ultra EZ [ ultradent]

Description / Components/ and how the gel whitens your teeth

1.The bleaching gel contains 10% (15% or 20%) carbamide peroxide and carbopol (polymer)

2.Carbamide peroxide breaks down into hydrogen peroxide, H2O2, (about 3.5%), and urea (6.5%)

3.The carbopol thickens the peroxide and prevents it from exuding from thr custom-formed carrier tray.

4.The hydrogen peroxide of dissociates into oxygen and water.

5.The Oxidation of absorbed pigments within the teeth renders them colorless, thus whitening the teeth.

6.The gel does not damage the surface of the tooth.

7.In most cases, the effects of bleaching are enduring, with very little relapse over many months. Coffee, tea, and smoking may stain the teeth after bleaching. Intermittent “touch up” may be desirable.

8.This type of bleaching may be highly effective on normally developed teeth, however, it is not very effective on developmental defects and fluorosis.

9.It takes about 6 to 8 months of regular bleaching to whiten severe tetracycline stain.

10.Bleaching agents do not lighten any restorative material.

11.It may accelerate the discoloration of acrylic temporaries and amalgam / silver restorations

So good luck with your teeth whitening decision. Dr. Nguyen.

At Menlo Park Dental Excellence our priority is to deliver exceptional care with integrity, kindness, and patient comfort. Our state of the art Palo Alto dental practice is focused on the most advanced technologies in a clean and comfortable atmosphere. Dr. Nguyen and her caring and professional staff in Silicon Valley will ensure that you that have a great experience. Our services include and are not limited to cosmetic dentistry, teeth whitening, crowns, implants, root canal therapy, disease treatment and prevention. We invite you to look through the valuable information on our website to acquaint yourself with our professional team and dental services. Please don’t hesitate to contact us here in Palo Alto with your questions and requests for additional information.–>