Per the American Association of Orthodontics guidelines every child should have an orthodontic screening by the age of seven to evaluate growth and development of the jaw and eruption of teeth. At this examination we will evaluate you child’s development and assess any potential need for interceptive orthodontic treatment, often referred to as “Phase One treatment”. The goals of phase one are limited to helping growth and development of the jaw in order to create space for the permanent teeth to erupt. Phase one may involves using a removable retainer, expanders, braces or invisalign to help shift the teeth and guide the growth of the jaw. Children then start their journey to a healthier and straighter smile.
The Benefits of Interceptive Treatment
As your child grows it is possible to diagnose early on possible crowding, malformations, or problems in the development of their jaw. Working with their natural growth we can encourage expansion of the jaw, direction of eruption and creating space and help limit the severity of misalignment. By treating early we may eliminate the potential need for more invasive procedures such as extraction of permanent teeth or jaw surgery. After Phase one is complete you child will be given retainers to hold their teethin this position until they are ready for comprehensive treatment or Phase two. Treatment is then completed in this future phase using braces or aligners.
Schedule a Consultation About Retainers
Removable retainers help start treatment for our young patients with dental misalignment. For more information, please contact us at 951-788-8557. We have locations in Corona, Moreno Valley, Riverside, and Temecula.
When you undergo oral surgery or a more extensive restorative treatment, then we want to take steps to ensure you feel comfortable and relaxed. We want to offer a calming agent to help those with dental anxiety too. With oral conscious sedation, we help patients enter a calm but conscious state throughout the procedure.
The Benefits of Dental Sedation
Oral conscious sedation is taken in pill or liquid form prior to a procedure. The effects allow you to enter a calm and relaxed state, with little to no memory of the procedure. You will remain conscious and able to respond to the dentist if necessary. The effects may take time to wear off, so a friend or family member should bring you home. Dr. Kent is certified in administering this sedation, and we will take a number of factors into account before prescribing it, including your medical history and anxiety levels.
Schedule a Consultation About Oral Conscious Sedation Today
To ensure your treatment is a comfortable one, we offer a calming solution with oral conscious sedation. For more information, please contact one of our Riverside Dental Group offices. We have locations in Corona, Moreno Valley, Riverside, and Temecula.
Third molars are sometimes referenced as “wisdom teeth” because they typically arrive during a patient’s late teenage years or early twenties. Because of their late development, a patient’s mouth may not have enough space for them to grow properly. When this happens, they may damage adjacent teeth, affect a patient’s bite alignment, or simply not fully grow in at all (also known as “impacted”) and stay within the gum tissue. We recommend removing wisdom teeth when a patient experiences these issues.
Detecting Wisdom Teeth
If you have never had your wisdom teeth removed or inspected, we will look for them when you visit us for a dental exam. We may use X-rays, too, to help us determine precisely if they are there, because they may be underneath the gumline. If we see wisdom teeth are present and may affect your oral health, we may then decide to recommend their removal.
What is the Treatment Like?
We will begin the treatment by applying a local anesthetic to the teeth and surrounding tissue. Once the area is numb, we will carefully remove the teeth and use sutures to close the area. We may prescribe you pain relievers or antibiotics to help you be more comfortable during the healing process. While the area is healing, we suggest you refrain from prodding the area and that you eat softer foods for a few days. We’ll schedule a follow-up visit to see how well the area is healing.
Schedule an Appointment for Wisdom Teeth Removal with Us
If wisdom teeth are affecting your oral health, we can help by removing them. For more information, please contact one of our Riverside Dental Group offices. We have locations in Corona, Moreno Valley, Riverside, and Temecula.
Accidents and sudden discomfort can happen to anyone at any time of day. To set your mind at ease, we offer emergency dentistry. In many cases, patients find themselves in need of instant relief from sudden pain. Other patients suffer a more apparent concern, such as a dislodged or broken tooth. Whatever the problem, the sooner we see you, the faster we can provide treatment to address your concern. We may even be able to save your tooth or prevent serious damage.
What To Do First
Follow these simple steps for your emergency dental care visit:
If you are suffering from a life-threatening issue like severe blood loss, contact 911 or visit your local emergency room rather than contacting us.
If you are suffering from a dental emergency, call us, so we may schedule your emergency dental appointment.
Remain calm and ask a friend or loved one to drive you to your appointment if you feel nervous or are in severe discomfort.
Before You Visit Us
Before you leave home to visit our office for your emergency appointment, we encourage you to follow some simple steps:
If your tooth has become dislodged, rinse it under lukewarm water. Be careful to avoid detaching tissue. Gently attempt to replace the tooth in its original spot in your mouth. If the tooth does not effortlessly slip into its socket, place it in a sealed container filled with milk or salt water and bring it with you to your appointment.
If you suffer a broken tooth, collect the pieces and place them in a sealed container, such as a plastic bag.
For minor bleeding, place pressure against the area with clean gauze or linen.
If you suffer from pain or swelling, place an ice pack over the affected area. Take over-the-counter pain relievers, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, for relief.
Schedule an Emergency Dentistry Appointment With Us
Contact one of our Riverside Dental Group offices as soon as possible when a dental emergency arises so that we may treat the issue. We have locations in Corona, Moreno Valley, Riverside, and Temecula.
We may recommend oral surgery to help maintain the health and the appearance of your smile. If you have a wisdom tooth impaction or would like to replace a missing tooth with a dental implant, for example, then we may recommend oral surgery. Our team has the skills and experience to provide a safe and comfortable surgical experience.
Do I Really Need These Procedures?
If you have an impacted third molars (wisdom teeth) or ones about to erupt, you may need oral surgery. Third molars are additional teeth that erupt in our late teens or early 20s. In some cases, they move other teeth out of proper alignment or become impacted, only partially erupting and leading to oral health problems. The surgery allows a dentist to remove them before the orthodontic treatment continues.
In other cases, your smile may be crowded. To make room for your smile correction the dentist may suggest an extraction. This oral surgery involves removing one or more teeth to make room. The orthodontic treatment afterward moves the teeth to better positions so you can achieve an even smile.
What are Dental Implants?
Dental implants can replace a lost tooth. Unlike dental bridges or dentures, these replacement teeth are anchored into the jawbone like a natural tooth. They can provide up to 25 years of tooth replacement and are designed to look like your other teeth. Our oral surgeons can place the dental implant post into the jaw, helping stabilize a beautiful new tooth.
Will the Procedure Be Comfortable?
Yes. We begin each procedure with the doctor administering a local anesthetic. We may then offer sedation if you feel anxious about the procedure. Dental sedation helps you enter a calm state. If you have questions about sedation or oral surgery, please contact one of our offices.
Schedule Your Oral Surgery With Us
Oral surgery may be needed to help maintain your oral health and the look of your smile. For more information, please contact one of our Riverside Dental Group offices. We have locations in Corona, Moreno Valley, Riverside, and Temecula.
When a troublesome tooth becomes too unhealthy for other restorative treatments, we may suggest an extraction to protect the health of your entire mouth. For example, if you have an infected tooth for which root canal treatment fails, an extraction will relieve your discomfort while safeguarding the rest of your smile.
What Is an Extraction?
An extraction is a tooth removal. An on-staff oral surgeon will carefully remove your tooth by loosening it from your jawbone and extracting the tooth with special instruments. We will apply anesthesia to ensure the tooth and surrounding tissue is numb. After your treatment, you will require a recovery period that includes eating soft foods and rest. We will also instruct you to avoid dislodging the clots that form in your open spaces, either by touching them or by making a sucking motion with your mouth. The clots allow your mouth to heal successfully.
What Happens After My Extraction?
You will need time to heal after the extraction, and you may need to schedule rest time away from your usual daily activities, such as work. Your dentist will provide you with specific instructions based on your unique circumstances. Once healed, your dentist may complete your smile with the use of a dental prosthetic, such as a dental bridge, dental implant, or a partial denture.
Schedule a Tooth Extraction With Us Today
A tooth extraction may be needed to help protect your mouth’s health. For more information, please contact one of our Riverside Dental Group offices. We have locations in Corona, Moreno Valley, Riverside, and Temecula.
If bacteria make their way into your tooth through small openings or cavities and reach your dental pulp in the lowermost portion of your teeth, the root canals, an infection may occur. This infection may affect the health of your entire tooth and adjacent teeth. Root canal therapy offers a solution for improving the health of your tooth.
What is Root Canal Therapy?
Root canal therapy is a safe procedure that addresses a tooth infection and protects the surrounding teeth and gums. Your dentist will begin by numbing your tooth and the surrounding area. The dentist will then clear away the infection and decayed material before filling the root canals with a special material, and sealing up the tooth. To protect your tooth from future infection, while restoring stability, we may then cover your tooth with a dental crown. We may also prescribe antibiotics for after your therapy to clear up any remaining infection.
Root Canal Therapy Benefits
Root canal therapy may allow you to retain your tooth, so you will not require a costly replacement or extraction. It may protect the rest of your smile from the need for additional restorative dentistry care.
Schedule Your Root Canal Therapy With Us
Root canal therapy may be an appropriate restorative solution to improving the health of your tooth. For more information, please contact one of our Riverside Dental Group offices. We have locations in Corona, Moreno Valley, Riverside, and Temecula.
While routine dental exams and cleanings are vital to keeping up with good oral health, there may come a time when you need more extensive treatment, such as oral surgery or root canal therapy (also called endodontic treatment).
Depending on the nature of your oral health concerns, oral surgery may take on one of many forms, from extracting impacted teeth to replacing lost teeth with lifelike dental implants. If an infection reaches the inside of your tooth, a root canal treatment may be necessary.
Our teams employ dental technology and provide appropriate anesthesia to ensure you obtain treatment with precision and accuracy, within a comfortable and relaxed experience. Click the link below to learn more about our oral surgery and endodontic services:
Schedule an Oral Surgery or Endodontics Treatment With Us
Oral surgery, tooth extractions, and root canal therapy may be appropriate treatments to help maintain good oral health. For more information, please contact one of our Riverside Dental Group offices. We have locations in Corona, Moreno Valley, Riverside, and Temecula.
Because it is possible for teeth to shift towards their original position after orthodontics are removed, retainers are a crucial part of your orthodontic therapy. Your orthodontist will provide retainers and prescribe the frequency of wear that is right for you. There are several types of retainers, the traditional Hawley retainer made of acrylic and stainless steal wires, a clear “invisible” retainer, or a permanent retainer. At the end of treatment you will want to discuss with your orthodontist what type of retention is best for you.
What are Permanent Retainers?
Permanent retainers are fixed in place and cannot be removed. They are attached to the back of your teeth. Everyone who wears braces requires a retainer. However, this doesn’t mean a permanent one is the best choice for your smile. When you visit us, we will look at your teeth, treatment history, and other factors to decide if you need a permanent or removable one.
Retainers help ensure your smile remains as attractive as the day your braces were removed. For more information, please contact one of our Riverside Dental Group offices. We have locations in Corona, Moreno Valley, Riverside, and Temecula
Schedule a Consultation About Permanent Retainers With Us
Permanent retainers help ensure your smile remains as attractive as the day your braces were removed. For more information, please contact us at 951-788-8557. We have locations in Corona, Moreno Valley, Riverside, and Temecula.
Clear aligner therapy is an inconspicuous way of aligning your teeth. There are many different product out there, we choose to use Invisalign as they are the pioneer in clear aligner orthodontic therapy, partnering with Orthodontists for over 30 years. Invisalign offers innovative orthodontic treatments that do not include the use of brackets or wires. For patients dealing with malocclusions, we may suggest Invisalign®, which offers several benefits for individuals who desire a more uniform smile.
How Does Invisalign® Work?
Instead of the metal brackets and wires commonly employed with traditional braces, Invisalign® uses a series of BPA-free clear aligners. The process begins with impressions and images taken of your teeth. These materials are sent to an Invisalign® lab, where experts create your aligners. Once complete, you will wear them every day for between 20 and 23 hours, removing them only to eat, brush and floss. You will upgrade to a new set of aligners about every two weeks as your smile improves.
The Benefits of Invisalign®
Invisalign® offers several benefits over traditional orthodontics, such as:
The Invisalign® trays are made of smooth plastic, reducing irritation to your soft tissues.
Oral hygiene is much easier as you can remove your aligners when you brush and floss your teeth.
Treatment cost is in line with the investment required of traditional braces.
You may continue eating your usual diet and caring for your teeth the same way, since you may remove the trays.
Invisalign is practically invisible and a inconspicuous way of aligning your teeth without bulky silver braces and wires.
Who Qualifies for Invisalign®?
With over 15 years of experience treating with Invisalign, we can treat most patients with Invisalign®. Upon examination our Orthodontists will determine which Invisalign treatment is best for you. Invisalign First is designed for Phase 1 or interceptive treatment, Invisalign Teen for comprehensive treatment of teenagers, and traditional Invisalign for adults. Before deciding, we will first examine your smile and determine your needs and expectations. If you have any questions, we urge you to contact one of our offices today.
Schedule a Consultation About Invisalign® With Us
Clear Invisalign® trays are a great way to align your teeth and improve your dental health in a very comfortable and inconspicuous way. For more information, please contact us at 951-788-8557. We have locations in Corona, Moreno Valley, Riverside, and Temecula.
We’re Here to Help You Smile
We believe in offering all patients a comprehensive approach to dental care, protecting smiles with preventive dentistry, and improving the beauty of their smiles with cosmetic and restorative care.
Dr Sheila Harris and the whole team @RDG is truly amazing. My 3 boys actually like going to the Dentist. True professionals with a side of great pediatric sensibilities. So happy we chose this office. The positive dental experiences as a child makes for an adult who trusts Dentists and will continue great dental health. Thank you all
-Patricia E.
Dr. Koo and the staff from the moment you walk in all the way to the workrooms are excellent. Love this establishment and Dr. Koo is an excellent cosmetic Dr. Very talented and has a Keen eye. God bless this place:).
-Elizabeth V.
The staff is very professional and friendly. I’m not the easiest patient to deal with. They are very patient with me. I would recommend Dental Associates of Riverside to everyone.
-John P.
My kids have had Dr. Kim as their dentist for 7 years. They like him a lot! He's always kind and gentle and professional. In fact, the entire pediatric staff is kind, gentle, and professional. My kids have never been nervous about a visit. Thank you, Riverside Dental Group, for keeping my kids happy!
-Lisa B.
Great dentist! All the staff was helpful and knowledgable. My kids first real dentist visit and they made sure to make them comfortable and enjoy their time there. Very happy to have found a great dentist for my family! Huge plus that they accept first five
-Brittani I.
We are always well taken care of when we visit Woodcrest Dental office!! Very professional! I would recommend trying this amazing dentist. Children and adults the same!!
