General Dentistry

Dental Exam

A comprehensive dental exam will be performed at your first visit, Professional dental exams are all about prevention – preventing existing problems from getting worse and preventing dental problems from developing in the future. Regular dental exams make it possible to identify and treat a problem in its earliest stage – which is not only good for your oral health but also good for your budget!

In doing so, the patient’s immediate health needs as well as the effects of the long-term and complex interplay between biological, behavioral, psychosocial and environmental influences are taken into account.

Oral Cancer Screening

We have the skills and tools to ensure that early signs and symptoms of oral cancer and precancerous conditions are identified. While these symptoms may be caused by other, less serious problems, it is very important to visit our office to rule out the possibility of oral cancer. The most common symptoms of oral cancer include:

Red or white spots or sores anywhere in the oral cavity
A sore that bleeds easily or does not heal
A lump, thickening, or rough spot
Pain, tenderness, or numbness anywhere in the mouth or on the lips
Difficulty chewing, swallowing, speaking, or moving the jaw or tongue

At Shafaa Integrative Dentistry, Our team is trained in a simple, quick screening that involves an examination of your oral cavity as a whole, and not just your teeth, to detect cancerous and precancerous conditions.

Besides a visual examination of your mouth, we will also feel the tissue of your mouth and throat to detect any abnormalities. If we find an area of concern, we may perform a simple test, such as a brush test, which collects cells from a suspicious lesion in the mouth to be sent to a laboratory for analysis. If this test comes back atypical or positive, we may recommend a biopsy.

Full Mouth Rehabilitationg

Full mouth rehabilitation involves a series of treatments customized for the specific patient’s needs.

Rehabilitation for one patient could mean installing dental implants in place of missing teeth and treating the patient for periodontitis. For another patient, it could be as simple as filling in a few cavities and undergoing a thorough teeth cleaning.

Regardless of the treatments involved, every full mouth rehabilitation has the goal of restoring the patient’s oral health. The treatment is not usually thought of as a cosmetic option, but rather as a necessity for those with serious oral health deficiencies.

The typical benefits of full mouth rehabilitation include:

Relieving tooth pain
Filling in missing teeth
Straightening teeth to maintain oral health
Alleviating gum disease
Resolving tooth decay
Cleaning off built-up plaque
Restoring self-confidence

Digital Dental X-Ray & Intra-Oral Camera

Digital x-rays use a sensor in place of film. That sensor is connected to a computer, making the image immediately visible on the screen. Because the sensor is so sensitive, a minimal amount of radiation is needed to see the picture, meaning less radiation exposure to you. Also, no dangerous chemicals are needed to develop digital x-rays, making them more biologically and environmentally friendly.

Intra-Oral Camera is a tool used to record videos and take still snapshots of your mouth. This provides us with a way to visually communicate your oral condition to you. We know it is much easier to understand what is happening with your health if you can see the problem for yourself, firsthand.

Laser Teeth Cleaning

A laser teeth cleaning, also known as an ultrasonic cleaning, is a popular alternative to traditional teeth cleanings.

With a laser teeth cleaning, an ultrasonic scaler (rather than a manual probe) is used to remove deposits, kill harmful microbes and eliminate bacteria around the teeth and gums through high-frequency sound waves.

Many patients find laser teeth cleanings more comfortable than traditional teeth cleanings because they are quicker, quieter and pain-free.

Periodontal Assessment

Gum disease is a serious condition that can destroy your teeth and your smile and make you more susceptible to dangerous health conditions.

In fact, periodontal

is directly linked with conditions like:

Heart disease
Stroke
Diabetes
Obesity
Premature labor

Symptoms often include gums that bleed, are swollen, receded, bad breath and heavy tartar buildup. As the condition progresses, bone loss begins to occur. Ultimately the teeth become mobile and eventually fall out.

Mercury-Free & Mercury-Safe

We practice mercury-free dentistry. This means we do not use mercury amalgam “silver” fillings but nontoxic, biocompatible materials such as BPA-free composite (tooth-colored filling material). But more than that, We practices mercury-safe dentistry. As a mercury-safe dentist, We takes extra precautions to protect the health of the dental team, patients and environment. For while mainstream dentists believe there are conditions in which this neurotoxin is begin – such as when it’s packed into a drilled-out tooth – the mercury-safe dentist knows that any mercury exposure is potentially harmful.

The safe removal protocol has been formalized and adopted by the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology (IAOMT) as the standard of care. We follow these guidelines with every patient who turns to Shafaa Center for mercury removal.

Additionally, we always use a rubber dam with suction. The patient will breathe in oxygen during the procedure while Dentist and assistant each have their own half face respirator mask (with mercury rated filter cartridges). We keep a vacuum next to the patient and use a whole-room purification system to keep the air clean.

TMJ Therapy

It may be hard to imagine that a problem in your jaw could actually be the root cause of pain in almost any other part of your body. Severe headache, jaw/neck/back/shoulder pain, and a wide variety of other symptoms have been associated with TMJ, temporomandibular jaw disorder, many of which can improve with the right type of treatment therapy for the jaw joint.

TMJ can often be traced back to an improper bite, misaligned jaw joints, joint inflammation, or an injury to the jaw or face.

We will take a full medical and dental history and talk to you about any habits or behaviors that could be triggering symptoms. The goal of TMJ treatment is to stabilize your bite so that your teeth, jaw muscles and jaw joints work properly together without strain – and without pain!

Sleep Apnea

Chronic sleep disorders affect more than a good night’s sleep. If you are suffering from a sleep disorder, your body has to work harder to maintain proper overall health. Excessive daytime sleepiness, depression, mood swings, learning and memory difficulties, weight gain, and headaches are all known effects of sleep disorders.

Additionally, conditions such as high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, heart attack, and stroke are all associated with sleep disorders.

Among the most common sleep disorders today is sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a common and disconnecting sleep disorder where the airway closes multiple times during sleep. Airway blockage may be caused by large tonsils, a long soft palate or uvula, excessive fleshy tissue of the throat, excessive relaxation of the tongue, or local inflammation due to foods, chemicals, airborne pollutants and pathogens, environmental toxins, etc

When someone has sleep apnea resulting in obstruction of the airway, they cannot breathe, significantly reducing oxygen levels, disrupting sleep quality, and putting them at risk for a multitude of chronic health issues.

Because of the severity of some of the side effects, Dr Partovi is recommending overnight sleep screening for everyone, even children. This involves taking home one of our overnight sleep apnea screening machines where you can sleep in the comfort of your own bed. In the morning, after returning the screening machine to our office, Dr will evaluate your results to determine whether you have sleep apnea, if so what treatment route is best for you.

Treating these conditions begins with addressing the factors that are most likely to aggravate the problem, such as obesity, your sleeping position, or smoking.

Another way, Using a small oral device known as a mandibular advancement device (MAD) can help to properly position your jaw in order to keep your airway open as you are sleeping.

In the most severe cases, surgery may be suggested.

Emergency Care

A toothache or broken tooth can be one of the most painful experiences that you ever go through. We offer fast, same-day emergency dental appointments. Her goal is to help you:

Alleviate Pain as Quickly as Possible
Restore Your Broken Tooth
Provide You With Fast, Same-Day Service

Dental emergencies aren’t something that you usually plan for – but we do.

Dr. Ellie Partovi
DDS. MS.