Posts by Dr. Chea Rainford

With your help, dental visits can be a positive – even fun – experience for your kids. Our staff will spend a lot of time with your kids to help them feel comfortable and understand what they can expect. You can help us make their next visit a successful one by working with us to…

Sometimes it’s not enough to have a great dentist, caring dental staff and soothing office environment – you or your children may still feel anxious about dental visits. That’s why many dentists use nitrous oxide; it helps calm patients of all ages – from timid tykes to anxious adults. Nitrous oxide (also known as “laughing…

Gum disease may seem like a condition that only affects adults, but the reality is that it can develop at any age, including the teenage years. In fact, according to TeenHealth.com, nearly 60% of 15-year-olds show signs of gingivitis, the early and reversible stage of gum disease. Other studies suggest that teenage girls may be…

Do you feel uneasy about going to the dentist? If so, there are ways to calm those nerves so you can get through your dental appointment with ease. Using sedatives and pain relievers, along with local anesthetics if appropriate, we can put you into an extremely relaxed state, while leaving you awake and able to…

On your last visit, you may have noticed we paid special attention to your gums. That’s because recent studies have shown a link between oral health and overall health, so keeping your gum tissue healthy is one of our top concerns. You can do your part by keeping a close eye on your gums between…

How we perceive our smile and appearance affects our self-esteem, our moods and how we function in social and business relationships. Common conditions that impact negatively on your smile include broken, cracked or worn teeth, discolored teeth, missing teeth, crooked teeth, decayed teeth, gaps between your teeth and/or “gummy smiles.” Each patient and each specific…

Ever use someone else’s toothbrush? You may think twice about doing it again after reading this: • Toothbrushes can be a source of repeated dental infections. • Toothbrushes can cause a bacteremia (bacteria entering the bloodstream) that may result in an endocarditis (a heart infection). • Toothbrushes can harbor and transmit viruses and bacteria. • Toothbrushes can retain 50%…

Chronic symptoms of the head and neck can often be attributed to: • Headache — the temporalis muscle (it closes and clenches the jaw) • Sinus pressure and pain — the lateral pterygoid muscles (it moves the jaw side to side and/or forward) • Neck stiffness and pain — trapezius muscle (it stabilizes the skull during jaw clenching…

Invisalign® utilizes 3-D computer technology with clear, plastic removable “aligners” to move teeth at a rate similar to traditional braces, but without any metal or wires. The “aligners” can be removed to eat and clean your teeth and are generally undetectable when worn. The computer imaging technology can predetermine and develop a treatment plan from…