General Dentistry

Westgrove Dental is pleased to offer all the services you and your family need to maintain a healthy, happy smile. Our services are provided by highly trained and talented dentists who are committed to providing the highest level of care possible at our Westmont office.

Our talented dental team can provide all of the services you need in a dental care home. Our dentists can not only help you maintain your oral health, but they can also help diagnose, treat and manage every aspect of your oral care needs. This includes providing routine cleaning, as well as providing gum care, fillings, crowns, bridges, and educating you and your family on preventative methods to ensure a lifetime of good oral health.

Regular cleanings and prevention education are crucial to ensuring a healthy, happy smile. A good preventive program requires the patient and dentist to be a team and work hand-in-hand. Together, we can preserve natural dentition, and work to take proactive measures to keep dental issues at bay.

We work hard to educate patients on proper at-home oral care because home care is essential to preventing dental disease. Our dentists work upon your oral care to ensure your oral health is maintained, or if necessary, restored.

We encourage regular dental exams that include X-rays and cleanings to help us maintain your oral health. X-rays are an important component of your dental care plan. They allow our dental professionals to see beyond what the naked eye can see – using X-rays, we can see and analyze the jawbone, teeth, and underlying tissues. X-rays allow us to accurately detect and treat dental problems. We primarily use digital X-rays for our patients, which use a significantly lower amount of radiation than normal X-rays.

When needed, we will recommend fluoride or sealant treatments to protect your teeth further. These treatments can protect against tooth decay and ensure a healthy smile.

Our general dentistry services include:

Education is the key to prevention. Your dental team will discuss with you how to properly care for your teeth, including proper brushing and flossing technique, and discuss proper diet to maintain oral health. Proper at-home care, paired with regular in-office cleanings, can ensure you prevent tooth decay, periodontal disease, halitosis, and staining. We will also work with you to create a schedule for cleanings and exams, typically every six months, to ensure your smile stays as healthy as possible. Professional cleanings are important because we can remove tartar build-up before it has a chance to harm your smile. Paired with thorough exams, we can catch oral health issues before they have a chance to become a bigger problem. Learn more

Sometimes, patients require a tooth to be extracted. There are a variety of reasons why this may be necessary- advanced periodontal disease, extreme sensitivity, etc. Tooth extraction is a simple procedure that requires no major surgery. After an X-ray of the affected tooth is taken, the dentist administers an anesthetic so the patient doesn’t feel the procedure. The tooth is lifted while the gums and ligaments are softened at the base of the tooth. Then, using a pair of forceps, the tooth is rocked until it pulls from the ligament. The tooth socket is filled with gauze; stitches may also be used to close the socket if necessary. Common reasons to require a tooth extraction include:

• Advanced periodontal disease has loosened the tooth roots
• Permanent teeth are impeded by baby teeth or extra teeth
• Needed for successful orthodontic treatment
• Tooth is deformed or fractured
• Tooth suffers from serious tooth decay that other treatments cannot rectify

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Cephalometric X-rays provide a view of the side of a patient’s head, allowing our dental experts to view the teeth, jaw, and surrounding structures from a different angle. The X-ray is taken from outside of the mouth and provides a unique image of the mouth. This type of X-ray is very useful for diagnosis and treatment planning purposes. Radiation exposure is very minimal, so there is no cause for concern. These X-rays are safe and painless, and our experts take all necessary steps to limit radiation exposure.

Cephalometric X-rays can show us:

• Impacted teeth
• Issues with the temporomandibular joint
• Orthodontic issues
• Broken teeth or injured jaws
• Positioning of the jaws
• Airway problems
• Some types of cancer

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X-rays are an important diagnostic tool for your dental team because they can reveal information that a dental exam may not. X-rays allow us to see below the surface, detect dental abnormalities, and reveal issues that may be hidden from the naked eye. X-rays can show us abscesses or cysts, loss of bone, tumors, tooth decay, developmental abnormalities, poor root position, or abnormalities below the gum line or inside a tooth. Digital X-rays are more efficient and safer than traditional film X-rays. While dental X-rays already emit very low levels of radiation, digital X-rays allow us to get the images we need while exposing our patients to 90% less radiation than traditional X-rays. We take every precaution to ensure the safety of our patients when taking X-ray images. Learn more

Some patients benefit from fluoride treatments. Fluoride offers the most prevention against tooth decay and can be found in city water supplies and many foods. It can also be given as a supplement or a topical treatment for those who require additional protection beyond the fluoride they receive in their daily lives. Topical fluoride can be found in mouth rinses, toothpastes, and gels. We typically recommend professional fluoride application twice a year for children. Professional fluoride treatments are recommended for a few reasons:

• There are deep ruts on the chewing surfaces of the teeth
• The root surfaces of the teeth are sensitive
• Poor oral hygiene habits
• Excessive carbohydrate or sugar intake
• Insufficient exposure to fluoride
• Inadequate flow of saliva
• History of dental decay

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i-CAT 3D imaging allows our experts to quickly, comfortably, and effectively gather imaging that will allow them to make the most precise diagnoses. The i-CAT scanner uses low levels of radiation to create comprehensive 3D images. One scan lasts only a few seconds but provides our Chawla Orthodontics team with the information they need to craft a diagnosis and treatment plan. The scan takes views of the head, teeth, and face using only a fraction of the radiation of other dental X-rays. The goal of orthodontics is to create harmony in the mouth, ensuring the jaws fit together properly and the teeth are ideally aligned. The i-CAT scanner allows us to take the highest quality images of the jaws, jaw joints, supporting bone, and bony structures so we can come to the most accurate diagnosis and craft the ideal treatment plan.

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Panoramic X-rays serve an important purpose in your dental care. They capture your entire mouth in just one image, providing our dentists with a complete view of your entire mouth. With a panoramic X-ray, we can see the upper and lower jaws, all of the teeth, your temporomandibular joints, and even get a view of your nasal and sinus passages. Panoramic X-rays allow us to:

• Identify bone abnormalities
• Locate fractures
• See cysts
• Identify impacted teeth
• Locate infection
• Identify tumors

Panoramic X-rays may be sued to help plan treatment, such as orthodontics, dental implants, or other restorative work. The X-rays are quick, lasting only seconds. They use an X-ray tube that rotates around the head in a semi-circle, beginning at one side of the jaw and moving to the other. This allows for a comprehensive view of the mouth to be performed quickly and easily.

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Sealants are a plastic coating that is applied to the chewing surface of the back teeth or deep pits in the teeth. The majority of decay begins in pits or grooves of the teeth, and the back teeth are the most difficult to clean, leading to higher instances of decay. Covering these teeth and any deep grooves with sealant protects the surface of the tooth from decay. Before sealing, the teeth are properly cleaned and then surrounded with cotton to keep the tooth dry. The dentist then applies a special solution to allow for the sealant to bond to the teeth. Once the teeth are rinsed and dried, the sealant is applied. The material may harden automatically, or a curing light may be used. Learn more

Dental exams and cleanings include X-rays, oral cancer screening, examination for gum disease and tooth decay, as well as an examination of current restorations a patient may have. Professional cleanings include the removal of tartar and plaque, as well as tooth polishing. Plaque is the sticky, invisible film that covers the surface of the teeth. It contains saliva, food debris, and bacteria. If not removed properly, the bacteria can cause inflammation of the gums. And, if left to harden, it turns into tartar that can only be removed using special cleaning instruments. Patients should maintain regularly scheduled dental cleanings to keep their mouths healthy. Once plaque hardens into tartar, it can only be removed by professional cleanings. Learn more

Your first line of defense is yourself. You have to maintain your oral care routine at home to stave off decay, gum disease, and other issues that could impact the health of your smile. We recommend brushing at least twice a day using fluoride toothpaste, flossing once a day, and maintaining a smile healthy diet. A smile healthy diet includes:

• Eating lots of fruits and vegetables, especially leafy greens
• Drinking plenty of water
• Eating whole grains and lean proteins
• Adding dairy-rich foods into your diet

A healthy diet and a proper oral care routine paired with regular professional cleanings and exams will keep your smile healthy and bright. Learn more

Brushing and flossing your teeth regularly is the best way to defend your smile against decay and gum disease. Proper brushing and flossing technique is important. We recommend using a soft-bristled toothbrush paired with fluoride toothpaste. Two minutes, twice a day is the key to brushing. Be sure to brush each surface of the tooth as well as the gumline. When flossing, use approximately 18 inches of floss. Carefully thread the floss in a C-shape between each tooth. Gently slide the floss up and down along the side of each tooth. Proper brushing and flossing, paired with professional cleaning and exams, will ensure your smile stays healthy. Learn more