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Showing posts from July, 2018

Electric vs. Manual Toothbrushes

We take professional pride in patients at Dr. Jia Lee’s dental office knowing how to prevent cavities. There are a wide variety of home dental products on store shelves, so it’s understandable that people might be confused about which to use. Today, we want to explain some of the differences between electric and manual toothbrushes. Manual toothbrushes need to be used for at least two minutes per brushing session to get the full effect. They can be used to make dozens of strokes per minute. An electric toothbrush makes tens of thousands of strokes per minute, providing an obvious advantage to people who have difficulty moving their hands or struggle with manual brushing for other reasons. However, studies have not shown any difference in tooth decay rates between people who used electric toothbrushes and people who use manual toothbrushes properly. Recently, some electric toothbrushes have been made with apps and Bluetooth technology meant to provide assistance to people who have diffi

Benefits of Dental Implants

Replacing missing teeth is important to your overall health and also to the health of your other teeth. When natural teeth are missing, you lose chewing ability, and un-replaced teeth can cause other teeth to be lost, tipped, or crowded. Fortunately, Dr. Jia Y. Lee, DDS offers dental implants to patients whose teeth have gone missing due to decay, trauma, or another dental disease. Allow us to explain the many benefits of dental implants. A dental implant is a prosthetic replacement for a missing tooth. There are three common parts to an implant – the implant device itself (which is inserted directly into the bone); the abutment – the piece that connects the implant device to the third part – the overlying crown or denture. Dental implants are a popular and effective way to replace missing teeth and are designed to blend in with your natural teeth. They are an excellent long-term option for restoring your smile. Dental implants are made of titanium and other materials that are compatib

What is Gum Contouring?

At the dental practice of Dr. Jia Y. Lee, we see many patients who are unhappy with their smiles for various reasons.  The overall look of your smile includes the gums, and even when a patient has healthy teeth and gums they may be dissatisfied with the overall appearance of their smile due to excess gum tissue or a lack of tissue.  Gum contouring is a way to give any patient their best smile. A lack of or excess of gum tissue can cause a smile to have the look of elongated teeth or a gummy smile.  To create a balanced look between gum and tooth, a gum contouring procedure can include removing gum tissue, placing gum grafts, or both.  Excess tissue is removed using a laser or scalpel tool.  Soft tissue grafts are harvested from a healthy location in the patient’s mouth, and placed where gum tissue is lacking or has receded.  The result is an even ratio of tooth to gums throughout the whole mouth.  Don’t let your gums keep you from your best smile! To learn more about gum contouring and