If your teeth are losing their pearly whiteness, don’t fret. You have many options available to help. And teeth whitening is big business; in 2015 alone, Americans spent more than $11 billion on whitening products and treatments. At the dental office of Kiran Rapal, DDS, Inc., Dr. Rapal and her team understand that you may...
The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) connects your mandible (jaw) to your skull. It’s a hinge joint, and the hinge is what allows you to yawn, chew, and move your jaw up and down when speaking. If the TMJ becomes injured or damaged, you may experience a localized, painful condition called temporomandibular...
For many teens, getting orthodontic work is almost a rite of passage. And today, more adults are jumping on the bandwagon, recognizing the importance of a well-aligned bite. But a mouth full of metal can deflate your self-confidence, announcing to the world that you’re having work done. And the traditional...
People fear going to the dentist for a whole host of reasons. Some have had a bad experience in the past, while others become anxious about the office itself, such as the smells and sounds. And those who have a mental health condition like anxiety or PTSD can simply become...
You always hope you’ll never need it, but sometimes emergency dental treatment is a necessity. Do you know what constitutes an emergency? At Kiran Rapal, DDS, Inc. in Saratoga, California, Dr. Rapal and her staff understand that dental emergencies can be both painful and frightening. That’s why they use state-of-the-art...
If your New Year’s resolutions contain anything related to your aesthetic goals, you should include teeth whitening on the list. A bright smile lights up your face and conveys a healthy sense of self-confidence. And Americans across the board are flocking to this dental treatment in a big way. In...
If your jaw locks either open or closed, you have an issue with the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), the hinged joint that connects your mandible (jaw) to your skull and allows you to yawn, chew, and move the jaw up, down, and side-to-side when speaking. The locking is usually accompanied by...
Tooth decay, accidents, and gum disease are the leading causes of tooth loss. If you’re one of the 120 million people missing at least one tooth, you’re likely exploring your replacement options. Dentures, bridges, and implants are viable options, but which one is right for you? Dental implants are a...
You probably don’t give a thought to how you can yawn, chew, and move your mouth up and down while talking. If you did, you’d know that the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is what allows you to do all these things, because this hinged joint connects your mandible (jaw) to your...
Your smile is one of the first things others notice about you, but what if you don’t feel terribly comfortable revealing your teeth? If you’re bothered by your smile, due to factors such as crookedness, crowding, or gaps, braces are no longer your only option. Invisalign® is a very popular...
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...