General Dentistry

General & Family Dentistry in Palo Alto

Menlo Park, Stanford, Atherton

Here at Extraordinary Smile in Palo Alto, dentist Dr. Zahra Hakim and staff will take great care to make sure you get the dental treatment you need. We get to know you so as to understand your needs and desires with regard to your dental health and we educate you about the various treatment options available so as to help you make the best choices.

Dental Bonding
Bonding is a quick, painless in-office procedure to repair cracks, chips, gaps between teeth or cover stained teeth to enhance your smile. It is a procedure that Dr. Hakim has performed here at our Palo Alto dentistry practice many times. Dental bonding can often be done without anesthesia if there is no decay or pulp exposure. The bonding material is developed in many shades allowing the dentist to accurately match the shade of your natural teeth. The composite resin forms a durable, stain resistant surface that is later smoothed and polished to give it a natural appearance and feel.

Dental Bridges
We will prescribe a dental bridge when one or more teeth are missing and there are healthy teeth on both sides of the open space. Bridges can be made from three types of material, solid gold for reliable long wear, porcelain fused to a gold base for strength and beauty, and high-strength metal-free porcelain for optimum cosmetic results. With proper care, your new bridge will increase your overall health and instill confidence for years to come.

Dental Crowns
Porcelain dental crowns are prescribed when a tooth or teeth are too badly decayed, broken or cracked to be easily restored with a filling. Crowns are normally needed for teeth that have had root canals and are also placed on dental implants to replace missing teeth. They can be made entirely of gold or porcelain fused to a gold substrate for strength and beauty. However, with new technology, crowns can be made entirely from high-strength ceramic and porcelain for beautiful cosmetic results. With proper care, your new crown will increase your overall health and instill confidence for years to come.
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Dental Hygiene and Teeth Cleaning
Dr. Hakim here in Palo Alto believes the basis of sound dental care is routine cleaning and maintenance. Our dental hygienists will customize treatment to ensure your specific periodontal (gums and bone) needs are met and will provide you the best treatment in our dentist office while making sure you understand how to take care of your teeth at home.

Dental Implants
When it comes to replacing one or more teeth in your mouth, a dental implant is often the treatment of choice here at our Palo Alto dental practice, and is also one of the most conservative treatments for tooth replacement. Implants are biocompatible posts that replace the roots of your missing teeth. They are physically and biologically designed to attach to your jaw bone and become the foundation for a natural looking restoration. Your new tooth or teeth will have excellent stability and strength, and will look and feel like your natural teeth.
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Dental Inlays & Onlays
Dental inlays and onlays are some of the strongest and most lifelike dental restorations available. After your mouth has been anesthetized we prepare the tooth in much the same way we would for a standard filling. When the tooth has been prepared to our satisfaction, an impression is made and sent to a dental lab. You will usually be required to wear a temporary filling until the restoration is fabricated. With proper care, your inlay or onlay will increase your overall health and instill confidence for years to come.

Dentures & Partials
If you have lost some or all of your natural teeth, dentures can be used to replace your missing teeth – improving your health as well as your appearance. Dentures prevent the sagging of facial muscles, which makes a person with no teeth look much older. Dentures also enable you to eat and speak normally, little things often taken for granted until natural teeth are lost.

Digital X-rays
We use state of the art digital X-rays and digital cameras to help with an accurate diagnosis of any concerns. Digital X-rays use less radiation to get a diagnostic picture of your teeth and they help the environment by eliminating the use of chemicals to process the film.

Endodontics – Root Canal
Endodontic treatment, more commonly known as root canal therapy, is necessary when the pulp of your tooth becomes inflamed or infected. The inflammation or infection can have a variety of causes such as deep decay, repeated dental procedures on your tooth, or a crack or chip in the tooth. With proper care, an Endodontically treated tooth will function normally for years to come.

Orthodontics
Orthodontic treatment is prescribed to correct a number of common problems. Many people may need orthodontic treatment to correct an “unsatisfactory bite” that has been caused by crowding teeth or extra teeth. Other people may need treatment to realign a jaw that is out of place due to genetics or due to an accident. Many people want to correct one or more crooked teeth caused by thumb-sucking, premature or late loss of baby teeth, or a wide variety of other causes.

Periodontics
Gum disease is usually caused by plaque, a sticky film of bacteria that constantly forms on teeth. If plaque is not removed with thorough daily brushing and cleaning between teeth, gums become irritated and inflamed. The irritated gum tissue can separate from the teeth and form spaces called pockets. Bacteria move into the pockets where they continue to promote irritation. Left untreated, the process can continue until the bone and other tooth-supporting tissues are destroyed. The early stage of periodontal disease is called gingivitis. It often results in gums that are red and swollen and may bleed easily.

Porcelain Veneers
Unlike a crown, which covers the entire tooth, a dental veneer is a thin shell that is placed over the front or visible parts of the tooth. There are two types of veneers, ceramic veneers that are produced by a dental laboratory and resin-based composite veneers. With proper care, your new veneers will greatly improve your appearance and increase your confidence for years to come.
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Teeth Whitening
Your smile is important and is one of the first things you notice when you meet someone. A whiter, brighter smile is beautiful and can help you feel better about yourself and make a memorable impression. We treat our patients with in-office whitening and take-home kits depending on the current status of the teeth and desired outcome. The in-office procedure is safe and produces immediate results.
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Tooth Fillings
Palo Alto dentist Dr. Hakim uses the latest composite and porcelain materials along with the most current dental techniques to restore teeth to their natural color and strength and to give you beautiful and long lasting fillings. Although silver amalgam was the dominant choice years ago, today we have several other preferred options for tooth restoration including tooth colored composite filling materials and cementable resins and porcelains.
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To find out more about our dental practice here in Palo Alto or the other dentistry services we provide, please call (650) 321-3220 or send an email to DrHakim@ExtraordinarySmile.com.

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