Menlo Park Dental Excellence

After you fill out a new patient information form, we will discuss your health history, dental history, and your goal or concern for the visit.
I then begin to examine your head, neck, teeth and gums. I perform a cancer screening and check for TMJ Disorder. From there, I go over the cost of regular and deep cleaning, and address any other reasons for your first visit.

Based on the results of your gum exam, I will recommend an appropriate procedure and discuss the costs with you. If you are in pain and want to address that first, I will take some radiographs or x-rays to deal with your immediate suffering.

If your tests indicate that you need a deep cleaning or scale root planning, I will not agree to perform a regular cleaning. A regular cleaning will not do you any good under these circumstances. You will need to seek another dentist.

I typically refer patients to Foot Hill College, UOP or UCSF dental schools if they cannot afford the cost of deep cleaning. In my office, the cost of a full-mouth deep cleaning ranges from about $1,100 to $1,300. Besides the cleaning procedure itself, any dentist or Menlo Park or periodontist in Menlo Park will need to supply you with prescriptions of PeriodRx oral rinse and a combination of two antibiotics. This will help to determine if your teeth require laser or further treatment. Deep cleaning alone will not do you any good. It is also essential to brush and floss twice daily and take your prescriptions.

After the clinical exam and x-ray review, I will put together a plan to help you achieve your oral health goals. For simple procedures, I will go over the x-rays with you and explain the plan to you, along with a breakdown of the costs. We will also set up your next appointment. For more in depth procedures, I might schedule another appointment to discuss your procedure in greater detail.

Returning patients are asked to update their health status, home address, phone number and dental insurance information after 6 months. This greatly helps us to keep your records and health information up to date. I will also ask specific health questions, like whether you have had any recent medical conditions or heart problems, and I will perform a follow-up oral cancer screening and teeth cleaning. If necessary, I may also take more x-rays.

If you require many different procedures, I strongly recommend that you seek a second or third opinion from a dentist who has FAGD or MAGD certification. You may also speak to any board-certified specialist like a periodontist, endodontist, orthodontist, radiologist, oral surgeons, or prosthodontist depending on the complexity of your procedure(s).

Understanding your specific procedure, including your individual options, will allow you to make confident and satisfying decisions. I am happy to provide all x-rays and give you a detailed plan so that you can compare and think carefully about what works for you and what makes sense for your treatment.

The UV light whitening technique provides instant results, but you may not notice optimum whiteness right away. It can take two to three days for the gel to work its way to completion. The gel used in this technique is 35-to-38 percent with UV light assistance. This method is very intense, and can cause extreme sensitivity and even electroshock pain. I have had clients leave the office in tears and then call me later requesting Vicodin and other pain medications.

The home whitening method is completed at home without supervision, and involves the use of custom trays. You wear the trays, along with different concentrations of teeth whitening gel, for 4 to 5 hours a day (or at night), while only drinking water. You repeat this process for 5 to 7 consecutive days. This is the safest method, and also the most sustainable and easiest to control. You need to be patient, though. In most cases, people tell me that they start noticing changes on the second day.

After the initial preparation, your lips are retracted in order to expose your teeth, while your gums are protected by a resin gel. At that point, a 35-to-38-percent bleaching gel is placed on the surface of your natural teeth. The laser light is positioned to shine on all of your teeth for 20-minute intervals.

After each interval, the bleaching gel is replaced by a fresh layer. In most cases, you can expect 3 to 4 intervals. The gel, along with everything else in your mouth, will be removed and cleaned right here in Menlo Park, California. By the end of this procedure, your teeth should be very white, or 50 to 70 percent whiter than when you started. Your teeth may also be very sensitive and extremely sore.

For future touchups, I recommend that UV light whitening candidates purchase the custom trays used in at-home treatments. This will ensure that you can keep your teeth looking white without having to repeat the UV procedure at a later time.

After whitening your teeth, you need to wait at least 5 days before beginning a bonding procedure. Do not whiten your teeth 5 days after your bonded fillings are done. Otherwise, the fillings will be de-bonded.

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

How to use:

1. Clean, floss and brush your teeth thoroughly before applying bleaching material. This is important for removing 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 overnight (or during the day) for at least 5 hours.
4. Remove the tray in the morning, and use liquid soap and water to thoroughly clean the trays. Then brush away the material on your teeth before you brush with toothpaste.
5. If sensitivity occurs, stop bleaching and use one of the over-the-counter desensitizing toothpastes listed below, or use the provided Syringeable products. Apply the products for 10, 20 or 30 minutes, depending on your sensitivity, immediately after bleaching.
6. Apply desensitizing paste or gel exactly as you would apply the bleaching material, directly onto the tray.
7. Resume bleaching after the symptoms subside. If sensitivity persists for more than 3 days, call or visit your dentist right away.
8. Additional bleaching tubes are available at your dentist’s office, for a fee.

Important note:

1. Stop bleaching 5 to 7 days before and after any filling visit.
2. Place bleaching material in the refrigerator after every use.
3. Existing color fillings and porcelain crowns do not change color after bleaching.
4. Do not drink coffee or smoke for 90 minutes after removing the bleaching tray.

Over the Counter (OTC) Toothpate:

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]