San Ramon Cosmetic Dentistry Blog | Sean Michael Anderson, D.D.S.

San Ramon, Pleasanton, Walnut Creek and Dublin, CA

Friday, October 22, 2010

Insurance driven Dental Care?

Why would you let someone who is not a dentist dictate what type of treatment is right for you. Dental technology has evolved just like everything else in the world. The dentistry done today is not the same as what your parents had.

You have options in everything from choosing to do a composite filling instead of silver, or an all porcelain crown instead of a metal one. Somewhere along the way we let insurance companies decide what type of treatment was right for us. As a fact when dental insurance was started in the 1960's the insurance maximum was $1000.00. Don't you find it quit odd that Fifty years later it is still the same with most dental insurance companies. It's time to change the way we think in regards to our dental health and stop letting a third party tell us
what we should do.

We, here at Dr. Anderson's office know that you want the best. We also understand that cost is usually a concern. If you have benefits from an insurance company we would really like to help you maximize your insurance dollars, even if that means phasing out your treatment. Our goal is to help you achieve overall dental health. In today's world $1000 doesn't seem like a whole lot, we think of it as a little extra help. Together we can make your next dental visit pleasant not only in the chair but also in your pocketbook.

posted by Erica at 2:09 PM

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Dental Sealants

Are you the parent of a child between the ages of 6 thru 14? Are you worried about the amount of sugary foods your child eats? Do you think your child could do a better job with their oral hygiene? If you said yes to any questions, we have one more for you. Do you know what dental sealants are?

A dental sealant is a plastic coating applied to the chewing surfaces of back teeth. Grooves in these teeth are so narrow that a toothbrush cannot fit into the spaces to remove plaque, which harbors bacteria that lead to cavities. Dental sealants prevent dental decay in the grooves. First permanent molars erupt into the mouth at about age 6 years. Placing sealants on these teeth shortly after they erupt protects them from developing cavities. Second permanent molars erupt into the mouth at about age 12 years. The greatest chance of decay occurs during the first year after the tooth has come in.

A sealant appointment is painless. No atheistic is required at this visit. Applying sealants does not require drilling or removing tooth structure. The process is short and easy. Sealants can be highly effective in protection against cavities provided the sealant is continuously monitored by a dentist. Sealants should be checked by a dentist during regular check-ups.

At your child's next dental check-up, ask if sealants are right for your child.

posted by Erica at 2:08 PM

Monday, October 18, 2010

You Do Not Have To Live With Jaw Pain Or Tmj

TMJ refers to Temporomandibular Joint Syndrome or, TMD Temporomandibular Joint Disorder. It is a condition that points out the misalignment of the jaw joint. It comes from having an incorrect bite or malocclusion. Malocclusion means that your upper and lower teeth do not close together in the correct way and are misaligned causing trauma. Misaligned teeth cannot support your facial muscles correctly during chewing and swallowing. The muscles change to accommodate your Malocclusion, causing a range of debilitating symptoms.

Here are some of the symptoms experienced in sufferers of TMJ Syndrome:

  • Headache, jaw, ear, or facial pain
  • Being unable to open the mouth comfortably
  • Clicking, popping or grating sounds in the jaw joint
  • Locking of the jaw when attempting to open the mouth
  • A bite that feels uncomfortable or "off"
  • Neck, shoulder and back pain
  • Swelling on the side of the face
  • Ringing in the ears
  • Ear pain
  • Decreased hearing
  • Dizziness and vision problems or other similar problems


If you answered "YES" to any of these symptoms, you may have TMJ Syndrome.

Fortunately for you and other sufferers, after diagnosis at one of our free consultations, we can help you get out of pain.

Dr. Anderson can diagnose and treat TMJ symptoms.
He can help you get out of pain and enjoy life again.

If you want more detailed information visit our website at www.drseananderson.com or Make an appointment now or visit us in our San Ramon office.

posted by Erica at 2:04 PM

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

The importance of baby teeth in your child's oral development

Baby teeth are the primary teeth that appear within your child's mouth from around the age of six months old.

Although only a temporary factor in the long term composition of your baby's mouth, they are an important stage in the growth of the child and proper oral hygiene should be maintained from the moment they appear. Baby teeth are not immune to tooth decay and in spite of their temporary nature, they are very important in the health and development of the surrounding gum and permanent teeth.

At age six most children have enough dexterity to start caring for his or her own oral hygiene, nonetheless, parents should supervise their child's progress.

At age six, generally baby teeth start to be lost and replaced by erupting adult teeth. The exfoliation or loss of baby teeth progresses throughout the life of a child until about age 13 when usually all of the baby teeth have been lost and replaced by adult teeth.

Baby teeth serve many important functions for a developing child: chewing function and efficiency, appearance and self esteem, speech, language development, and they hold a space in the mouth for the eruption of adult teeth.

Primary teeth essentially allow the adult teeth to find their way through the gum in the correct fashion, and act as a guide for the final development of the mouth. For this reason, the importance of the care and upkeep of baby teeth should not be overlooked.

Here at our dental practice we pride ourselves on looking after you and your whole family with the utmost care and attention to detail. It is because we want to see you go through life, free from the trauma of dental problems, from childhood through to your later years that we will always provide you with the necessary help and advice needed for your optimum dental health.

If you would like to find out more about caring for your child's teeth, or any other information relating to the services we offer for the whole family, please do not hesitate to contact us, or make an appointment with Dr. Sean Anderson.

posted by Erica at 2:02 PM

Monday, October 11, 2010

Get a Hollywood White Smile in about an hour

Dr. Anderson's office is excited to share a new and dramatically improved In-office whitening system. Forget about the out-dated way of whitening your teeth with that bothersome ultraviolet light. Sure patient's teeth looked ultra white when they left the office after an appointment where one spent an hour with a strong light shining on their teeth. However, after about 24 hours after the appointment the teeth naturally dehydrated and that ultra bright white color was gone. That person's teeth were still lighter than before the treatment but many were disappointed that their teeth did not remain the color from the day of the treatment. So how is this new system so different?

Boost made by Opalescence, which features a unique, 38 percent hydrogen peroxide power bleaching gel chemically activated formula that allows your dental office to get your teeth their whitest without heat or ultraviolet rays of a light. Not only do you leave the office without having to wait for teeth to dehydrate to get a true sense of your final color, but most treated teeth continue to whitening between 12 and 24 hours after your in-office treatment. Sounds to good to be true, believe it, it works! Call us today and ask for our new "Special priced" Boost Whitening treatment to try it yourself!

posted by Erica at 1:56 PM

Friday, October 8, 2010

Night Guards

Are you feeling stressed out, worried about family, work, and/or money? With today's state of the economy many are feeling overloaded. Do you go to bed feeling completely exhausted only to wake up feeling just about the same way, because you spent most of the night tossing and turning?

Dr. Nancy Rosen, who appeared on "Good Morning America" explained that since the recession hit the number of people who grind their teeth has also increased. Over the last five years Americans who grind their teeth has risen from 5-6% to about 12% of the population. A lot of the time these people do not even know they are doing this. Spouses can often hear their partners grinding their teeth in the middle of the night. Other symptoms to look out for are, waking up with a headache, tension in the head and neck, sore jaw after chewing crunchy foods or chewing gum, chipping of front teeth, and/or a change of your bite.

To help stop the grinding, which is also known as bruxism, is to eliminate stress by using exercise, meditation, relaxation therapy and even hypnosis. While working on reducing stress it is a good idea to also protect your teeth. Night guards do a very good job protecting the teeth and put the jaw in the good position so a person does minimal damage the appearance of their teeth.

Sure one can go to the local drug store and buy an over the counter mouth guard to help. The problem with this, is they are a boil one size fits all product that is made out of a soft plastic. They usually are made for the upper arch and feel like a football mouthpiece that one has to wear to bed. What ends up happening to these "mouth guards" are that they are not worn leaving the teeth unprotected.

Dr. Anderson can help by custom fitting a mouth guard in a proper position. These custom mouth guards are a streamline hard/soft plastic, made to wear on the lower arch not blocking the airway for a comfortable fit and in the end a good night's sleep.

For more information on this product, call Dr. Anderson's office to see if a night guard is right for you!

posted by Erica at 1:53 PM

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Do You Struggle to Pay for Dental Work Not Covered by Your Insurance?

At Dr Anderson's office we are able to offer a variety of payment plans to fit our patient needs. Springstone Financing and Care Credit offer payment plans that are an economical alternative to personal loans and credit cards.

Springstone Financing and Care Credit offer special financing and low payment options, with no money up front and no pre-payment penalties. Both offer No Interest payment plans up to 12 months and should you need a little longer than the 12month No Interest plan they also offer a low interest plan for as long as five years if needed.

Springstone Financing and Care Credit both have easy friendly online application and excellent customer care over the phone to answer any question you may have. You can access more information about our financing at drseananderson.com or call to discuss with one of our financial coordinators.

posted by Erica at 7:15 AM

Monday, October 4, 2010

The Scary Truth about Oral Cancer

The American Cancer Society estimates an increase of over 5% in new cases of oral cancer. One American dies every hour from oral cancer. Even if you don't think you are at risk for oral cancer you may be. 25% of oral cancers occur in people who don't smoke and have no other lifestyle risks. Oral cancer has long been linked to cervical cancer and now studies show it also plays a role in more than 20% of all oral cancers. Anyone who has been diagnosed Human Papolloma virus [HPV}, has a higher probability for oral cancer. Other factors that increases your chances of developing oral cancer include, smoking, chewing tobacco, drinking alcohol, and anyone over the age of 40.

After reading this, do you believe you are at risk for oral cancer? Here at Dr. Anderson's office we are proud to offer the latest technology in early cancer detection. ViziLite is the number one way of detecting oral cancer in the earliest stages. It is a quick and painless screening that detects oral cancer by using a simple mouth rinse and special glow in the dark light. If detected early any cancer cells can be removed in the first stages. Don't procrastinate. At your next appointment, ask our hygienist if this test is right for you!

posted by Erica at 7:14 AM

Friday, October 1, 2010

Sleep Apnea

People who suffer of sleep apnea have a problem where the back of their throat constricts the amount of air that pass through. The airway must be opened to allow air to pass through the throat to breathe normally. A constricted or collapsed airway is what causes snoring or sleep apnea. A dental appliance that is made to treat sleep apnea holds the lower jaw in a forward position so that it does not fall open during the night and cause the airway to collapse. The dental appliance maintains a clear airway to reduce snoring and improve breathing. When the jaw opens and the tongue falls back into the back of the mouth or throat, the airway narrows forcing air through a limited opening. This is how vibration is created in the throat known as snoring. Snoring seems physically harmless, but to a dentist it can be a "red flag" for much more serious and life threatening condition known as Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). If you or a loved one suffers from OSA please contact Dr. Sean Anderson's office for an evaluation. Isn't it time for a safe, quiet and peaceful goodnight's sleep?

posted by Erica at 7:13 AM

925.269.2700

Sean Michael Anderson, D.D.S
Neuromuscular & Aesthetic Cosmetic Dentistry

1501 Bollinger Canyon Road Suite G
San Ramon, CA 94583

Disclaimer: San Ramon, CA cosmetic dentist Dr. Sean Anderson's website only provides information on cosmetic dentistry, neuromuscular dentistry, and family dentistry in Alamo, Danville, Dublin, Pleasanton , Walnut Creek
and the San Ramon area south of San Francisco. This information is not to be taken as medical advice.
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