Accidents happen, which is why Dr. Kiran Rapal of Kiran Rapal, DDS Dental. in Saratoga, California, offers dental emergency services for her patients who need them. Here’s what she’d like you to know about what to do if you develop a cracked tooth. What’s a dental emergency? A dental emergency...
Lasers have been used commercially in clinical dentistry since 1989, and they’re currently FDA-approved for many different dental procedures. Lasers focus light energy into a narrow, cohesive beam. When that beam hits a tooth or gum tissue, it’s able to remove or reshape that tissue. When compared with standard dental...
Nearly three-quarters of US adults experience anxiety about going to the dentist. And 3-16% of that group has an aversion so strong it’s called a phobia, a fear response that can’t be voluntarily controlled. At the dental office of Dr. Kiran Rapal in Saratoga, California, we understand that the sound...
Dental veneers and dental implants are both tooth-restoration options, but that’s where the similarity ends. Each is used in a very different context and requires a different approach to treatment. At the office of Dr. Kiran Rapal in Saratoga, California, we specialize in many different forms of tooth restorations. In...
Dental anxiety is real. About 75% of US adults experience fear or anxiety about going to the dentist. And of that 75%, 3-16% have fear strong enough to be called a phobia, a fear response that can’t be voluntarily controlled. That leaves a lot of people who can’t maintain good...
The adult mouth contains 32 teeth, including the four third molars, referred to as “wisdom teeth.” However, most people don’t hang on to all those teeth as they get older. By the time they reach 50, the average American is missing 12 teeth, lost to injury, decay, or gum disease....
If you’re waking up each morning with a headache, you’re probably wondering why. In some cases it could be the way you’re sleeping; in others, the pain could be traveling up from tight neck or shoulder muscles. Or, possibly, it could be coming from a completely different place — your...
But even with these many options, a private family practice is still the best choice for most patients. Given my own experience managing a successful dental practice in Saratoga, CA, I am sharing three key benefits to finding a private, not corporate, practice and tips for selecting the right experienced...
One of the significant problems created by incorrect breathing is sleep apnea. According to the American Sleep Apnea Association, approximately 22 million people, including children, suffer from sleep apnea. Various remedies have been discussed, including Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machines and oral appliances. But, very few solutions have focused on breathing...
Mention the word “laser,” and all sorts of Star Wars images start floating in your head. The movies may have introduced us to the concept of lasers, but in reality, the lasers depicted in the films are nothing like those that exist in real life. A laser is an instrument...
Not every person is born with a mouth full of perfectly aligned teeth, meaning that sooner or later, most of us are going to require orthodontic treatment. The standard for centuries has been the wire-and-bracket metal braces used to pull and push the teeth into the correct position, getting many...
In this age of Covid19, we can debate the merits of wearing a mask. What is not discussed is the complications of constant mask-wearing. The consequences of wearing a mask for hours at a time are numerous. Some of the new oral hygiene issues caused by wearing the mask...
Do your discolored, misshapen, or crooked teeth make smiling an embarrassment? Tea, coffee, soda, or red wine can make your teeth yellow, brown, or gray with constant exposure over time. If you skipped braces as a kid, your teeth can be crooked or have an unsightly gap between them. Veneers...