Dental Info

Did you know that unhealthy gums might put your brain at risk ? Alzheimer’s is a form of dementia, which harms your memory, ability to think, and can cause changes in your personality. It’s very common and usually affects people aged 60 and over. And, Alzheimer’s might be significantly more likely to happen if your mouth and gums aren’t healthy. The Link is Inflammation A New York University College of Dentistry study found, “long-term evidence that periodontal (gum) disease may increase the risk of cognitive dysfunction associated with Alzheimer’s.” Gum disease is a case of inflammation in your mouth. Inflammation is a natural and appropriate response in your body to fight invaders and infection. Gum disease and oral inflammation can be a minor problem or become very serious. But chronic inflammation causes a variety of health concerns that can affect everything from your oral health to your brain. Unfortunately, inflammation problems are increasingly common in the US. The stud...

Accidents are never planned and rarely anticipated, but good dental care is always ready and available 24/7. Like all medical emergencies, dental emergencies require quality care, and fast! Here’s what to do if you think you have a dental emergency on your hands. What is a Dental Emergency? If you are in a lot of pain or have experienced trauma that puts your oral health at risk, you should seek emergency dental treatment immediately. Sports impact, chewing hard food, using teeth as scissors, and infections can all cause a dental emergency. Pain and swelling, discoloration of gums or teeth, or a broken or knocked-out tooth should send you to Blue Wave Dental immediately. Dental emergencies can lead to complicated health issues if left untreated. What to Do in a Dental Emergency In any dental emergency, call your Walnut Creek dentist and make an appointment right away. Even if the office is closed, our dentists are on call and available to help. At the same time, clean and treat...

Your Mouth: A Picture of Health Did you know that when a dentist looks at your mouth, they can tell a lot more than just how often you’re brushing? It’s true—your oral health is like a window into your lifestyle and habits. Dr. Nisenboym should know. We’ve seen mouths from all over Orange County in our office! If you’re not taking care of the rest of your body, your gums will give it away. Hormones, sickness, stress, diet, smoking, prescription medicine, and more can all affect your gum health, and that goes both ways. If you don’t take care of your gums, the consequences will stretch beyond just your mouth. Unhealthy gums can lead to an unhealthy heart, diabetes, pregnancy complications, memory problems, tooth decay, and more. Your mouth is naturally good at washing away and fighting germs. But without proper oral hygiene, those bacteria can lead to gum disease . When it comes to your oral health, it’s more than just pearly white teeth you want. Healthy gums play an important role...

If you have a crooked tooth, odd spaces between your teeth or a poor bite, you might be considering all of your orthodontic options. Orthodontics is a specialty in dentistry that realigns your bite and teeth for the best possible look and function. Did you know that our ancestors actually had naturally larger jaws? This meant they had more room in their mouths for all of their teeth to fit comfortably. But over time, due to genetic changes, human mouths are smaller than ever before. One out of every five people will have a problem with how their teeth fit and line up in their mouths! Invisalign® is one great option for the modern human who wants straighter teeth, without unsightly metal brackets and wires. If for any reason you aren’t fully comfortable with your smile, Dr. David Nisenboym wants you to know your options. Read more below about orthodontics and Invisalign. Malocclusion When your mouth is closed, your top teeth should rest comfortably on top and a little to the front...

We know a lot of our friends and neighbors aren’t fans of being asked how often they brush and floss, but at Blue Wave Dental , we hope you know it’s because we care and want to help you keep your smile healthy and beautiful for life! Getting to know your habits also helps us personalize your care and offer suggestions such as using a water flosser if the string type floss isn’t your favorite. Our team happens to appreciate the WaterPik® and its comparable effectiveness at removing food debris and getting in those hard-to-reach areas—especially if you’re wearing braces . Floss is Boss Regardless of which flossing tool you prefer, it’s important to remain diligent in the habit. Flossing helps remove plaque, which causes cavities and dangerous gum disease if left to harden and become tartar. If you have any questions about flossing, WaterPiks, or any other dental topic, your Walnut Creek dentist Dr. David Nisenboym would love to hear from you. Contact us today to schedule a visit...

Many people face tooth loss and are unsure of their options. Tooth loss is difficult socially as well as physically. When you lose a tooth, you also lose the bone that supported the tooth—it simply stops growing since it’s no longer needed. After that bone disappears, your jawbone will continue to shrink away as well, which spells trouble for the rest of your mouth and overall facial structure. Tooth loss affects appearance, speaking, and daily functioning—but the All-on-4® solutions can restore your healthy smile in just one day ! These treatments continue to improve over time. As of 2016, more than 100,000 patients have received All-on-4 teeth replacements. If you’re facing tooth loss, you’re not alone—many others have gone before you and achieved success with this procedure. With Dr. David Nisenboym and his team on your side, you can have the smile of your dreams in just one day. Blue Wave Dental explains more about the All-on-4 solution and how to know if it’s right for you bel...

Dr. David Nisenboym is passionate about finding ways to improve the patient experience and achieve lasting results when it comes to the health and appearance of your smile. This requires continuous learning and investing in the types of advanced technologies that will stand the test of time—because keeping up with trends can be exciting, but optimal oral wellness and the overall health it contributes to will always be in style. So, without further ado, we’d love to introduce you to one of Blue Wave Dental ‘s favorites—the Cone Beam Computed Tomography Scan, Cone Beam CT for short (and CBCT for shortest). What the heck is the CBCT? Oh, just a piece of equipment that has revolutionized dental treatment! Does this Machine Possess Magical Powers? While CBCT scans do provide superb detail to a point that could make it seem we have the gift of prescience, a great deal of thanks is owed to scientific progress. We think our patients will appreciate the many benefits of CBCT scans. Wonder...

CariFree ® is a revolutionary dental product line that balances the bacteria in your mouth for a healthier pH level. Once the chemical makeup inside your mouth is healthy and stable, CariFree products have been scientifically proven to prevent cavities. They also offer solutions for sensitive teeth and dry mouth, and xylitol gum in addition to gels, rinses and sprays that keep teeth and gums clean and healthy. Blue Wave Dental carries the CariFree product line because Walnut Creek dentist Dr. David Nisenboym has seen so much improvement in the oral health of our patients. Cavities are caused by bacterial and acidic imbalances in the mouth, but when dentists fill cavities, only the result of the imbalance is being treated—the actual imbalance is not addressed at all. Until quite recently, it was believed that favorable oral hygiene removed bacteria and eliminated decay from the mouth—but it’s more complicated than that. The elevated pH of CariFree products neutralizes decay-caus...

We understand that seeing the dentist can be scary. About 50% of people report having some fear about getting dental work done, and sadly, 15% of people avoid dentistry completely because of fear or anxiety. Your oral health is important, and we don’t want anything to keep you from getting the treatment you need and deserve. The Ancient Greeks used root herbs and alcohol as medical sedatives and anesthetics. The Incas used cocoa leaves to numb patients. As long as people have needed medical treatment, doctors have used sedatives to make them more comfortable. Thankfully, modern science gives us more than herbs and cocoa leaves to aid in our comfort at the dentist. Today, it’s safely used on millions of people in dental offices every year. Different sedation techniques–along with seeing a dentist you trust–will help you feel confident and peaceful about your dental experience. The different medications used in sedation dentistry can help control pain, help you relax, and even help yo...

We’ve all seen variations of DIY methods when it comes to pulling loose baby teeth: the string and door slam method is by far one of the most popular (although we’re not sure why). But our team at Blue Wave Dental is here to advise against this and similarly aggressive techniques so your kiddo will have the safest and most painless tooth loss experience possible. (Growing up is traumatic enough already, right?) Read on to learn more about the dos and don’ts of helping wiggly baby teeth make their grand exit. Why baby teeth? All this wiggly tooth talk might have you wondering–why do we get two sets of teeth? Well, simply because baby mouths are not yet big enough to house a full set of adult chompers. So, we start out with a smaller set of baby teeth to get us through these early, small-mouthed years until our growth and development allows more space for adult teeth to make their entrance. When the permanent teeth start to come in, the roots of the baby teeth dissolve until they’re ...

Good News for Grown-Ups “Adulting” can be hard. Between rent, bills, kids, a career, and other responsibilities, it can be tough to make time for yourself. But independence, parenting, fulfilling work, and the wisdom that comes with age can be pretty fantastic, too. So how does your oral healthcare fit into a grown-up lifestyle? Blue Wave Dental serves adults from all over Walnut Creek. Read more for our tips on how to care for your oral health at this particular stage in life. Priorities : You manage a lot on any given day. Brushing your teeth and making a dental appointment may not feel like the most pressing of matters, but you know they are important in the long run—so you do it. Family Life : Many people are more motivated to take care of themselves when good habits easily fit in with family life, and others are looking to you to set a positive example. Whether you are caring for children or aging parents, preventative oral healthcare is more likely to happen when done toget...

It’s no secret that Californians love sports! The folks around here work hard and play just as hard, whether it’s football, baseball, basketball, or numerous other high-impact sports that can cause harm to your family’s mouths—at least 13% of all oral injuries happen during sports activities. Walnut Creek dentist Dr. David Nisenboym wants you to know how to keep your teeth out of harm’s way and still enjoy a good game, so please read on to learn how to win big with a safe, healthy smile! It’s About More than Mouthguards We know what you’re thinking, mouthguards are the key to staying safe on the field, right? Yes, they are a big part of it, but it takes more than just a mouthguard to keep your kids from getting a chipped tooth while scoring a touchdown . Sports safety for oral health means getting the right mouthguard and wearing it the right way. After all, the best defense is a good offense! Do I Need a Mouthguard? If you or a member of your family is considering mouth protect...

Cold sore . Fever blister. Herpes Simplex Virus-1. These babies go by a lot of different names, but the experience is always the same: Telltale burning or itching near the lip A red bump appears a day or so later The bump becomes a cluster of blisters The blisters dry up and scab over The scab falls off The whole process usually takes two weeks or less. Infamous for irritating pain and ruining first dates everywhere, cold sores sure wreak a lot of havoc for something so small. A cold sore is a symptom of the herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) in your system. HSV-1 is so common that most people are exposed to it in childhood. Many people can have and spread the virus without ever actually having a cold sore. Catching & Spreading a Cold Sore Sadly, once you catch HSV-1, there is no permanent cure. Thankfully, it won’t do much harm. If you have HSV-1, you might occasionally experience cold sores with long periods between each outbreak. This is because HSV-1 has the habit of “...

Cracked, broken, and decayed teeth require restoration or they will break down further until they become infected and/or require extraction . At Blue Wave Dental , our goal is to preserve your natural teeth for as long as possible. Depending on the extent and location of the damage, we will likely recommend an inlay or onlay, or crown. Different levels of the same idea, these restorative dentistry treatments are custom-made to protect your tooth and restore it to its full, healthy, and functioning condition. Another reason you may need an inlay, onlay, or crown is due to extensive tooth decay breaking down your tooth that requires more than a simple filling to fix, or an old filling that needs to be replaced. Here’s how these options compare: Fillings : only fill a small, center portion of the biting surface of your tooth; is not a treatment for extensive damage Inlays : fill a larger portion of the biting surface than a filling contained within the cusp Onlays : fill and cover ...

Cancer is always a scary word—but it doesn’t have to be the last word. Equipped with good information and the best doctors, you can feel empowered to navigate whatever stands before you or your loved one. Oral cancer is common, affecting approximately 50,000 Americans every year. If you have more questions about oral cancer, read more below from Walnut Creek dentist Dr. David Nisenboym . Signs of Oral Cancer Oral cancer is most common among people ages 41-60, and men are at a greater risk of developing it than women. Oral cancer can affect your tongue, cheeks, lips, sinuses, throat, teeth, gums, and roof of the mouth or below your tongue. Unfortunately, it is often detected later than many other types of cancer. This is one reason why it’s so important to know your body and what’s normal (or not) for you. The earlier you can detect any sign of changes in your mouth, the better.  Regular visits to the dentist include regular screenings for abnormalities that may be signs of or...

You might be surprised to hear that the state of your oral health has a lot to do with preventing a stroke. There’s a certain kind of bad oral bacteria that cause gum disease , travel to other parts of your body, and cause harm. A stroke is a common but dangerous medical condition that causes a lack of blood in the brain. The effects of a stroke can be long-term and life-changing. People of any age can experience a stroke, but it’s most common in adults 40 years and older. Oral Wellness The Heart Attack and Stroke Prevention Center lists favorable oral health among its top five factors that prevent stroke , and a growing number of studies are finding the link between certain kinds of oral bacteria and the harm they cause to your brain. For example, these bacteria can travel into your head through your bloodstream, causing brain bleeding and dementia. This sounds scary—and it certainly can be. But with good, simple oral hygiene, you can take care of your mouth and prevent a lot of o...

You had braces when you were younger and never experienced any jaw pain or other TMJ symptoms prior. Then, after you completed your orthodontic treatment, you developed a pain in your jaw, maybe accompanied by popping, locking, clenching and grinding. Maybe you developed these symptoms shortly after having your braces removed, maybe it was a decade later. Either way, could these two things be related? What is TMJ? First, let us explain a little bit about TMJ—what it is, what causes it, and how it’s treated. TMJ stands for the temporomandibular joint, or the jaw joint. TMD stands for temporomandibular joint dysfunction and is used to describe any condition affecting the jaw joint—but TMJ is often used to describe the dysfunction as well. Your TMJ is a complex structure made up of muscles, tendons, ligaments, cartilage, bones, lubricating systems, and shock-absorbing discs—all of which are subject to strain, sprain, and injury just like your other joints like your knees and shoulders...

You love your teeth. You brush them twice a day, floss once a day, and see your dentist regularly. Right? We love your teeth, too! In fact, there’s so much to know about caring for your oral health that dentistry has quite a few categories of specialties and different kinds of dentists. The primary dentist in your life should be your family dentist, also known as a general dentist. Your family dentist is who you will see most often for dental check-ups. But how exactly is family dentistry different from other kinds of dentistry? Dr. Nisenboym in Walnut Creek shares more below about family dentistry. Types of Dentistry All dentists have an undergraduate degree and then go on to about four years of dental school. This earns them either a doctorate of dental medicine (DMD) or doctorate of dental surgery (DDS). To become more specialized, the dentist will need additional education and clinical experience. General Dentist : A family dentist is a general dentist. They treat patients of...

If you and your child are the proud companions of a pet, there’s a good chance you’ve both thought or said something like: “Fluffy’s really living the life. Instead of having to go to school or do chores, they can relax and sleep all day, getting up only to eat or maybe chase a laser if they’re feeling feisty.” However, Fluffy also doesn’t have to floss and brush their teeth, so how do Fluffy’s teeth manage not to suffer from disease and decay? Contemplating this may lead you and your little one to wonder about all kinds of different animal mouths and how they remain clean and strong. Dr. Nisenboym of Blue Wave Dental happens to love talking about teeth of all types, so keep reading to go on a toothy smile safari! Myth Busting Before we start listing fun facts about animal teeth of different species, we’ll answer the question we asked first about Fluffy’s teeth seeming impervious to decay. The myth that dogs have cleaner mouths than humans has existed for some time even though th...