General and Family Dentistry

General dentistry focuses on preventing, diagnosing, and treating dental conditions to maintain oral health. At Sage Dental, we provide routine services like exams, cleanings, and preventive treatments such as fluoride applications and sealants. Common issues are addressed such as cavities, gum disease, and toothaches with fillings, root canals, and extractions as needed. Our team of experts also educate patients on oral hygiene practices and offer guidance on diet and lifestyle choices affecting dental health.

Emergency Dental Services
Periodontal Therapy with Laser Treatment
Gum Bleaching & Depigmentation
Root Canals
TMJ & TMD Treatment
Tooth Extractions

Emergency Dental Services

A dental emergency can be serious, so if you have injured your teeth or gums, getting immediate treatment is the best way to prevent further damage and avoid the need for more extensive procedures.

Here are some of the Emergency Dental services Sage Dental provides here in San Jose, CA:

  • Toothache Relief
  • Chipped or Broken Teeth Repair
  • Knocked-Out Tooth
  • Extruded (partially dislodged) Tooth
  • Lost or Loose Filling Repair
  • Lost Crown Repair
  • Emergency Cavity Treatment
  • Sore or Swollen Gum Relief

Valuable Tips:

For a Toothache
Clean your mouth out by rinsing thoroughly with warm water. Gently floss around the tooth to remove any food particles that may be trapped between your teeth or just under your gum line. If your tooth continues to hurt, call our office as soon as possible.

For a Chipped or Broken Tooth
Save the tooth’s pieces and rinse them and your mouth with warm water.  If they’re dirty, place them in a towel or dishcloth in a sink (so the pieces don’t fall into the drain), and gently rinse them.  Then place the pieces in a small container and cover them with milk, water with a pinch of salt, or your saliva and call our office.

Lost Filling or Crown
You can temporarily relieve the pain at the exposed part of your tooth by using clove oil (available over-the-counter). Dip a cotton swab in the oil and apply it to the exposed part of your tooth. Putting an ice pack on your face over the area that hurts may also relieve the pain.

Periodontal Therapy

Sage Dental Offers a Full Range of Surgical & Non-Surgical Periodontal Gum Related Therapies!

Clean, healthy gums are especially important for your oral health and your overall health in general!  If left untreated, periodontitis and other gum conditions will progress and could cause tooth loss and other problems in your mouth. The primary goal of Sage Dental when it comes to periodontal gum treatment is to control the cause and the risk factors associated with gum disease.‍‍

Here Are Some of the Periodontal Services We Provide Here in San Jose, CA!

Laser Gum Therapy
One significant difference in our office regarding the treatment of periodontal disease is our use of the soft-tissue laser. A gum pocket is composed of the tooth root on one side and the inner gum lining on the other. The root can be detoxified very efficiently with periodontal scalers and the use of ultrasonics. However, removing diseased tissue from the inner gum pocket, called curettage, was more difficult with the limited effectiveness of hand instruments. The advent of the laser has greatly improved our ability to achieve this, and has resulted in greatly reducing the number of patients needing periodontal surgery. Our certified hygienists have been using the diode laser since 1997 – ask any of them how the laser might improve your situation.

Gum Bleaching (Gum Depigmentation)
If your gums are discolored, but are otherwise healthy, then you are a good candidate for Sage Dental's Laser Gum Depigmentation treatment here in San Jose. This procedure removes a thin top layer of your gum tissue and during the healing process, a new tissue is created which will tend to be pink rather than brown.Although darkened gums can be caused by smoking, medication side effects, and even metal fillings, for most people the most common cause of is genetics. Melanin, which is responsible for eye, hair, and skin color can build up in the gums, making them look brown or black instead of pink. This build-up of Melanin is not an indicator of a disease, and people who seek treatment generally aren’t doing it for health reasons, but rather to just look better.

Non-Surgical Periodontal Therapy
Non-surgical therapy removes plaque and calculus by controlling the growth of harmful bacteria and by treating conditions that encourage gum disease. This type of treatment may be all that’s needed, especially when periodontal disease is caught early. You may also need to have certain procedures, such as replacing worn fillings or crowns with overhanging margins that can accumulate plaque, taken care of before periodontal therapy can begin.

Occlusal Adjustment
An improper bite or a traumatic occlusion may increase bone destruction attached to such offending teeth. We may either choose to adjust your bite so that your teeth meet properly and function better or construct a custom bite guard or splint- a removable device that fits over upper or lower teeth – to protect teeth surfaces and relax tense jaw muscles.

Scaling and Root Planing
Scaling is a type of cleaning that removes plaque and calculus from the teeth at and slightly below the gum line. Root planing smooths root surfaces, so the supportive tissues can better reattach to the tooth surface. Often, this will be done with local anesthesia so you can relax and feel nothing as we rehabilitate your gums.

Antibiotics
Periodontal disease is a bacterial disease and the key to controlling or eliminating it is the effective reduction or elimination of the harmful bacteria. An adjunctive option to scaling and root planing may be provided in either pill form or applied directly to the infected area (gum pocket) in the form of antibiotic powder. An antibacterial mouth rinse also may be prescribed to help control the harmful effects of and reduce bacterial plaque.

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Gum Bleaching and Depigmentation

If you have darkened gums but are otherwise healthy, Sage Dental can help! With our Laser Gum Depigmentation treatment Sage Dental will remove a thin top layer of the areas where your gums are black or brown, resulting in a beautiful new pink gum tissue.

What Causes Dark Gums?

While the normal color of the gums and gum tissue is pink, darkened gums can be caused by a number of things including smoking, medication side effects, and even metal fillings. However, for most people the most common cause is melanin. Melanin, which is a pigment responsible for the color of your hair, eyes and skin, can build up in the gums making them look brown or black instead of pink. This discoloration can range from just a few spots, to covering the majority of the surface of the gums.

Are You a Candidate?

If you are interested in having this procedure performed, your gums should be healthy and you should already be practicing good oral hygiene. If your gums are swollen or inflamed due to periodontal issues or gum disease, then Sage Dental will treat these conditions before the gum depigmentation treatment can begin.

The Treatment Process

Laser Gum Depigmentation procedure vaporizes and removes a thin top layer of the gum tissue and the cells that produce melanin. As your gums heal which may take about two weeks, the new tissue that is created will be pink instead of brown. Immediately after the treatment is completed, you will be able to speak and eat normally, and may have a slight bit of discomfort for just a short period of time.

Root Canals

Root canal therapy is used to alleviate pain. Most of our patients who have had one say they did not experience any pain during the appointment and felt so much better afterward. Also called endodontic treatment, a root canal involves removing the nerve tissue (pulp) located in the center of the tooth and at its roots. Once the pulp is removed, each empty root canal is filled with a rubber-like material and medicated cement. The opening in the tooth is then closed with a temporary filling and after a bit of time a crown will be placed. The nerve of the tooth is not important to its health as long as the tooth has already broken the gum line — it simply provides sensation to hot and cold and your chewing will not be affected by the procedure. Sage Dental's highest priority is to save a tooth whenever possible and using tooth extraction only as a last resort.

TMJ & TMD Treatment

Changing lifestyle has caused a new array of diseases observed in people. One of such is TMJ. Associated with lockjaw and unusual sounds, the patients tend to suffer from excessive pain. If not treated at the right stage, it can turn out to be the cause of another set of problems.

What is TMJ?

TMJ stands for temporomandibular joint. This disorder relates to the person’s jaw joint and is also known as TMD or temporomandibular joint disorder. People who suffer from TMJ complain of clicking or popping sounds from their jaw joints. They also complain of severe headaches or migraines. It is essential to get this disorder treated; otherwise, it can lead to several problems including severe headaches, pain in the jaw joint, disability in hearing, pain in shoulder, neck, arms, and back, numbness and a poor body posture. TMD can also cause damage to your teeth in the form of wear or fractures. The gum tissues can also be affected in the form of recession and bone loss. The patient might also suffer from severe pain in their jaw joints. They can observe noises, locking and severe muscle pain.

Why is TMJ caused?

There can be several reasons for having TMJ. Such causes include an unhealthy lifestyle for genetic disorders. Some of the causes of TMJ are-

  • Teeth grinding– This can happen when the person is sleeping or is under great stress.
  • Dislocated bones– TMJ can also be caused if the person has a dislocated jaw joint.
  • Excessive stress and trauma– TMJ is a common sight in people who lead a stressful life. Stress can cause the jaw muscles to tighten. If a person has received severe trauma due to some form of an accident, then it might also become the reason for TMJ.
  • Disorders like osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis– If the person suffers from these disorders, especially in their jaw joint, they might suffer from TMJ.

What are the Symptoms of TMJ?

  • Headaches- The patient might complain about severe headaches.
  • Pain in various body parts– Usually, patients suffering from TMJ observe pain behind the eyes, in their shoulders, facial muscles or neck.
  • Sensitive, worn down, sore teeth
  • Pain in the ear.
  • Excessive clenching or grinding of teeth.
  • Different sounds in the jaw joints– The patients complain of clicking or popping sounds of their jaw joints.
  • Limited opening of your mouth– The patient might also have a limited opening of the mouth and may face problems in closing the mouth.
  • Lockjaw- This is the most common symptom of TMJ. The person can suffer from frequent to occasional incidents of lockjaw.
  • Cervical neck problems and a weak head and neck posture.

How is TMJ treated?

The TMD treatment San Jose‘s process will widely depend on the diagnosis of the disease. There are several ways in which the TMJ can be treated. These include-

Physical Therapy– It can be done in the form of ultrasound or by using heat and ice treatments. These treatments can help strengthen your jaw muscles. The therapy also includes sessions in which the patient is told ways to avoid the pain caused due to TMJ. Activities such as teeth grinding and clenching can be harmful to the jaw muscles. A physical therapist can help keep the TMJ in check. However, it is not a complete treatment for the disorder.

Restoration of teeth– TMJ can be effectively treated by reshaping the structure of the teeth of the patient. The worn out and newer artificial ones can replace damaged teeth. It is also known to reduce pain effectively and improves the smile of the patient.

Surgery- In this process, the needles will flush out the debris from the jaw joint of the patient. The procedure is called Arthrocentesis. Certain injections used in the procedure are known to reduce the pain of the patients significantly.

Dental Orthotic– It is a splint that the patient wears on their teeth. This is one of the most common treatments and helps the jaw muscles relax preventing lockjaw.

It is comfortable and helps the jaw muscles rest and heal.It is essential to get treated at an early stage to avoid further damage to your teeth and jawbones. The patients can visit their nearest dentist and get their jaw joints checked if they observe any of the symptoms.

Tooth Extractions

If you have a tooth that has been damaged by decay or a fracture, Sage Dental will first try to repair and restore it with a filling, crown or other treatment. However, on occasion, the damage may be too extensive for the tooth to be repaired and may need to be extracted.

Simple Tooth Extraction

A simple tooth extraction is one where the tooth is visible and can be removed without oral surgery. With most simple extractions the discomfort level is quite low. You will generally not need prescription pain medication and will do just fine with an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory.

Complex (Surgical) Tooth Extraction

A complex or surgical tooth extraction is one that is performed using oral surgery to remove the tooth. Wisdom teeth removal for example would be considered a complex extraction as they generally require removal by an oral surgeon. Whether you need a simple or complex tooth extraction, every effort will be made by Sage Dental to remove the tooth with the least amount of bone removal and irritation to the surrounding tissues. In doing so, the need for a bone graft is greatly reduced, healing occurs more rapidly, and you experience the least amount of discomfort.

Take your first step to a healthy smile

Make Sage Dental your provider for all your dental needs.

In addition to English, we speak Cantonese, Mandarin, Polish, Spanish, Tagalog and Ilocano.

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