Coleman Center for Cosmetic Dentistry | Dr. Paul Coleman

The Root of the Issue

2009-12-22T10:01:00.001-08:00

If you are facing the possibility of a root canal in the near future, the reputation of this procedure may cause you to anticipate it with much anxiety. However, most people who have had root canals agree that waiting for the procedure and the anticipation is the worst part of the whole experience. If you are anxious about an upcoming root canal or other major dental procedure the Del Mar dental office of Dr. Coleman offers sedation dentistry to help you relax before, during, and after.

While dentists have been numbing pain for years, endodontists who use sedation dentistry are a comparatively recent development. If you experience intense fear at the thought of going to the dentist, particularly for a procedure such as a root canal, Dr. Coleman can offer you conscious or unconscious sedation dentistry. During conscious sedation, you will be awake and able to answer questions, but will remember little or nothing of the procedure afterwards. During unconscious, or sleep dentistry, you will not be aware of the procedure as it takes place.

Please find out more about sedation dentistry for your next root canal by contacting Dr. Coleman in San Diego today.

Crowning Glory

2009-11-17T09:35:00.000-08:00

If you have dental crowns made of gold or resin that doesn't match your teeth, you may not notice the contrast very often. But even if your crown is on a back tooth, when you speak or laugh, others will notice if you have a gold crown in the midst of otherwise white teeth. For patients in and near Del Mar who are concerned about the natural-looking appeal of their teeth, Dr. Coleman is able to replace old, unnaturally-colored dental crowns with new porcelain dental crowns which are virtually indistinguishable from your natural teeth.

Most people will need at least one dental crown in their life, either because of a broken tooth or to replace a missing tooth. The location of the crown often determines whether you will receive a resin crown or, if the tooth is in a very visible area of your mouth, a porcelain crown. The technology for creating porcelain crowns allows Dr. Coleman to include not only a color that will match your natural teeth, but allows porcelain crowns to so closely match the surrounding teeth in size and detail that it is visually indistinguishable from your natural, healthy teeth.

Please contact Dr. Coleman in San Diego, California to learn more about replacing your old dental crowns with natural-looking porcelain dental crowns.

San Diego Sits Up and Takes Notice

2009-10-20T09:57:00.000-07:00

If your son or daughter attends Helix High School in La Mesa, you are probably already aware of the positive effects a Pure Power Mouthguard can have on your athlete's performance. Dr. Coleman recently participated in the presentation of PPMs to the athletes of Helix to help demonstrate the extra edge proper jaw alignment can give to athletes.

Neuromuscular dentistry has been recognized as an important aspect contributing solutions to problems such as recurring headaches and sleep apnea. Only recently has the acknowledgement of the affect of correct jaw alignment on athletic performance become widely acknowledged.

Athletes with correct jaw alignment really can run faster and jump higher. Your jaw can affect your posture, your hearing, even your vision and reflexes because it is so closely connected to your spine. The difference may not be enormous, but in both professional and amateur sporting events, a half-second quicker responses or the ability to hone your aim even a quarter of an inch can be the deciding factor between hitting a home run or striking out.

A writer at sdbackyard.com took notice, and has posted an article covering the effects and some of Dr. Coleman's comments on the event. You can click on the link below to read the whole article.

http://www.sdbackyard.com/index.php?page_id=1000&site_page_id=5&post_id=52829

If you would like to learn more about what the Pure Power Mouthguard can do for you, please contact the office of Dr. Paul Coleman in San Diego, California.

Oral Surgery to Improve Health

2009-09-22T09:21:00.000-07:00

Oral surgery can help improve your health and there are many reasons for having oral surgery:

Extracting impacted or rotten teeth
Removing wisdom teeth
Having dental Implants
Fitting dentures correctly

Impacted teeth can lead to many health problems such as the crowding or shifting of teeth, jaw pain, and the growth of cysts and tumors. Any of your teeth may become impacted. The most common are the bicuspids and wisdom teeth. It is important to remove your wisdom teeth before they have the chance to grow in misaligned or become impacted.

Dental implants consist of an implant, an abutment, and a porcelain crown. The implant is first inserted in the jawbone by the surgeon. Then an abutment is attached to the implant by a cosmetic surgeon. Lastly, the porcelain crown is placed on the abutment. This procedure results in a natural looking new tooth.

Oral surgery can also be used to properly align the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) when neuromuscular dentistry is no longer an option for treatment. Also, bone grafting helps build up the jawbone where it is weak so it can properly support dentures.

Oral surgery is a last resort for treating sleep apnea. There are severe cases of sleep apnea where removal of the soft tissue in the back of the throat will help open the airways. Please speak with cosmetic dentist Dr. Coleman before undergoing any oral surgery. He will discuss all of your treatment options and may have a better alternative solution.

If you are interested in your oral surgery options, please contact our San Diego cosmetic dentistry office to schedule a consultation.

Crooked Teeth Been Bugging You Forever?

2009-08-15T11:29:00.000-07:00

While many of us did not benefit from going to an orthodontist as a child, others did have teeth straightened. However, as we aged, we gradually got crowded teeth again, especially in the front.

Fortunately, there are many treatments available to help you with this problem. Uniquely trained in cosmetic dentistry, Dr. Paul Coleman can guide you on the best treatment option to help you get the result you are looking for.

For patients who have just minor crowding, a gentle tooth re-shaping can give the illusion of straighter teeth without any shots in one short visit.

For patients who would like their teeth straighter without grinding on them at all, an exciting orthodontic treatment called Invisalign® is available. This procedure eliminates the metal brackets, colorful elastics and wires that have been associated with orthodontic care for decades. Most adult cases can be handled with this new technology. After carefully determining the proper final alignment of your teeth, clear plastic "Aligners" are fabricated. The aligners are virtually invisible when in place and look much like tooth-bleaching trays. Each set of aligners is worn for two weeks, and the teeth gently and gradually move into the next position. Treatment time depends on how much tooth movement is necessary, but it generally takes six months to two years to complete a case.

Another alternative is to have porcelain veneers placed on the teeth. If you have ugly, misshapen teeth, and have orthodontics done, you will likely end up with straighter, ugly misshaped teeth. Porcelain veneers are thin porcelain facings which are bonded on the teeth and can essentially work as "Instant Orthodontics." They are strong, look natural and can change a person's smile in two visits. Talk about instant gratification!

Dr. Coleman has extensive training at the world-famous Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies (LVI). He has completed every cosmetic course offered at LVI, as well as courses in Neuromuscular TMJ care. He is certified in Oral Conscious Sedation ("Sleep Dentistry"), Invisalign and PPM (Pure Power Mouth Guard), and can now offer a comfortable alternative to noisy, cumbersome CPAP’s for Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Please visit Dr. Coleman's website at www.drpaulcoleman.com.
Whatever dental concern you may have, you owe it to yourself to call Dr. Coleman today for a FREE consultation, 858-748-4802.

Are You Eating What You Want, Or What You can?

2009-07-16T15:09:00.000-07:00

Do you have trouble eating certain foods? Do missing teeth or poorly fitting dentures determine what you can eat? Wouldn’t it be great to eat anything you want, just like when you were a kid? How much would that change the quality of your life?

If you have difficulty eating certain foods, or you avoid food you would love to eat because of missing teeth or poorly fitting dentures, you could be a candidate for dental implants.

Dental implants are titanium screws that resemble the roots of the teeth and are placed into the jaw where a tooth was lost. The implant knits to the bone over a couple of months, and once secure, is restored with a crown or non-removable bridge.

Implants can also be used to retain removable full or partial dentures. They can make your denture so secure, you will be able to eat whatever you want without your denture moving all over!

This procedure has been around for over forty years, and the techniques have improved with each passing year. Currently, the best and latest development has come with the advent of Implant Treatment Planning Soft¬ware. This procedure involves taking a CT scan of the patient’s head (a CT scan is like a CAT Scan with only 10 percent of the radiation). This scan is then sent to Dr. Coleman who uses the software to pre-surgically plan the length, width and type of implant he wishes to place in the exact, most stable location. This allows a greater level of precision than ever before. The plans are then sent to a lab where the technicians fabricate a surgical stent which allows Dr. Coleman to place the implant without the use of scalpels or sutures. The benefits to the patient are enormous. Less discomfort and decreased chance of poor placement, numbness, or misaligned implant/crown relationship are just some of the advantages.

Do all implant surgeons use this technology? No, but Dr. Coleman decided this technology is a must for his patients.

Dr. Coleman has extensive training at the world-famous Las Vegas Institute (LVI) for Advanced Dental Studies. He has completed every cosmetic course offered at LVI, as well as courses in Neuromuscular TMJ care. He is certified in Oral Conscious Sedation ("Sleep Dentistry"), Invisalign® and PPM (Pure Power Mouth Guard), and is now offering a comfortable alternative to noisy, cumbersome CPAP’s for Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Please visit Dr. Coleman’s website at www.drpaulcoleman.com.
Whatever dental concern you may have, you owe it to yourself to call Dr. Coleman today for a FREE consulta¬tion, 858-748-4802.

This Headache Bites

2009-06-17T11:40:00.000-07:00

More Americans take time off from work for headaches than any other reason. When asked why they have headaches, they make up reasons: Allergies, sinusitis, stress. That's a biggie, STRESS; it's a typical self-diagnosis these days. Seems everyone is stressed out.

We all know folks who have more stress than we do. But not everyone who is stressed suffers from headaches. So if you suffer from daily or weekly headaches, I would like to suggest you investigate an underlying cause of your headaches that your physician may not have suggested.

TMJ is a really bad name for a common problem. TMJ stands for Temporo-Mandibular Joint. This joint moves when your lower jaw moves around. When people think they have TMJ problems, it should more correctly be termed TMD (Temopro-Mandibular Dysfunction) or MFP (MyoFacialPain) Syndrome.

What causes this problem is a lack of balance between the place your upper and lower jaws line up due to your bite, the joint itself and the muscles that control the way your jaw moves. When these three pieces of the puzzle are not working in harmony, you can experience headaches, ringing in your ears, vertigo, pain behind your eyes, tingling in your fingertips, clicking and popping of the joint, neck pain, insomnia, painful muscles around your face and neck, a tendency to clench or grind your teeth, your jaw becoming fatigued during routine hygiene visits, lack of ability to open wide, jaws that lock open or closed, and more.

If you suffer from some of the symptoms listed above, the office of Dr. Paul Coleman may be uniquely qualified to handle your situation and improve the quality of your life through the techniques learned through the study of Neuromuscular Dentistry.

Dr. Coleman recently had a patient who lost her sense of taste after a long dental visit. She was quite upset as she had previously lost her sense of taste for 8 years following wisdom teeth removal. Understandably, she was worried at the prospect of that occurring again. It was assumed the dental surgery caused the problem. As it turns out, it was from having her jaw open for a long time, not the surgery. Dr. Coleman brought her to the office, relaxed her muscles electronically and her taste returned to normal in a few hours.

These types of instant results are not uncommon.

Dr. Coleman has extensive training at the world-famous Las Vegas Institute (LVI) for Advanced Dental Studies. He has completed every cosmetic course offered at LVI, as well as courses in Neuromuscular TMJ care. He is certified in Oral Conscious Sedation ("Sleep Dentistry"), Invisalign® and PPM (Pure Power Mouth Guard), and is now offering a comfortable alternative to noisy, cumbersome CPAP's for Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Please visit Dr. Coleman's website at www.drpaulcoleman.com.

Whatever dental concern you may have, you owe it to yourself to contact Dr. Coleman today for a FREE consultation at 800-994-0706.

Do you hate wearing your CPAP?

2009-06-14T15:07:00.000-07:00

Sleep Apnea is one of the most serious and under-treated medical condition facing us. An estimated 11 percent of the American public has Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) and that number will only rise in the years ahead as our society becomes more sedentary and over-weight. There are many patients who are suffering from this disease, and are potentially unaware of their condition. Sleep Apnea is serious. Because of the chances of stroke or heart attack linked to this disease, longevity depends on diagnosing and treating this disease.

Generally the patient is tested in a sleep lab, but home monitoring kits are now on the market, making screening easier and cheaper. Once Apnea is diagnosed, common treatment is the use of a CPAP machine. This machine creates positive air pressure through the nose, keeping the airway open. If you currently wear this device, you know how noisy and inconvenient it can be. Unfortunately non-compliance is a major problem. Additionally, many patients who know they have Sleep Apnea refuse to get diagnosed as they know what the resulting recommendation will be (CPAP usage).

Sleep Apnea is a closure of the throat by the tongue while we sleep. The tongue effectively closes off the airway and the patient stops breathing. It is frequent in snorers, especially if the patient is over-weight.

If you have been diagnosed with OSA and hate wearing a CPAP, a simple dental device could solve your problem. While this treatment is not always a match for severe Apnea patients, if you are a mild to moderate patient with Sleep Apnea you may be a candidate.

Dr. Coleman has extensive training at the world-famous Las Vegas Institute (LVI) for Advanced Dental Studies. He has completed every cosmetic course offered at LVI, as well as courses in Neuromuscular TMJ care. He is certified in Oral Conscious Sedation ("Sleep Dentistry"), Invisalign® and PPM (Pure Power Mouth Guard), and is now offering a comfortable alternative to noisy, cumbersome CPAP’s for Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Please visit Dr. Coleman’s website at www.drpaulcoleman.com.
Whatever dental concern you may have, you owe it to yourself to call Dr. Coleman today for a FREE consultation, 858-748-4802.

Cool to Drool?

2009-06-03T08:11:00.000-07:00

Most people would answer, "No, I do not enjoy drooling, it is indeed not cool." BUT that is exactly what many patients do for hours after routine dental appointments. Having provided dental care for over 30 years, I wish I had a nickel for every patient who said "I hate being numb after the appointment is over!." I'd likely be retired by now. (Patients do, however, generally acknowledge that being numb during the appointment is preferable.)

Many patients have to get back to work, speak clearly to others and eat and they just dislike the sloppy feeling the local anesthetic provides. (Does anyone else remember the scene of Dudley Moore in the movie "10" after his dental visit?)

Well, if you are one of the many people who dislike the unpleasant after effects of being numbed at the dental office, help is now available. There is a new medication, recently approved, which dramatically reduces the time needed for the numbness to "wear off."

The medication is called OraVerse. Catchy little name. It is injected in the same location the local anesthetic was placed. Since the patient is numb, he or she does not notice the injection that is given towards the conclusion of the visit. This "reversal" agent decreases the time it takes for anesthetic to wear off by more than 50 percent. So if you are typically numb for 3 to 5 hours after your dental visits, you should be back to feeling normal in half that time.

That is time you can put back in your day, doing what you want without limitations.

My office wants all our guests to have the most comfortable experience possible. It is a commitment that begins when you walk in the door and extends long after you leave. This treatment redefines this possibility if you are one of the many who dislike lingering numbness from local anesthesia.

This medication is safe for children over the age of 6 or weighing over 33 pounds.

Dr. Coleman has extensive training at the world-famous Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies (LVI). He has completed every cosmetic course offered at LVI, as well as courses in Neuromuscular TMJ care. He is certified in Oral Conscious Sedation ("Sleep Dentistry"), Invisalign® and PPM (Pure Power Mouth Guard), and is now offering a comfortable alternative to noisy, cumbersome CPAP's for Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Please visit Dr. Coleman's website at www.drpaulcoleman.com.

Whatever dental concern you may have, you owe it to yourself to contact Dr. Coleman today for a FREE consultation at 800-994-0706.

Helping Sleep Apnea with the SomnoDent MAS™ Appliance

2009-05-15T15:06:00.000-07:00

The SomnoDent MAS™ appliance is a great alternative to the cumbersome sleep apnea treatment called CPAP. Unlike CPAP, the SomnoDent MAS™ appliance does not use a mask attached to a machine to open the airways while sleeping. Instead, this appliance gently moves your lower jaw to keep the airways open. This slight movement prevents the soft tissue in the rear of the throat from collapsing causing breathing to stop.

San Diego Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Coleman treats all three types of sleep apnea:

Central Sleep Apnea
Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Mixed Sleep Apnea

Dr. Coleman will help you understand the causes of sleep apnea and how the SomnoDent MAS™ appliance will reduce the effects. There are several treatment options for sleep apnea. Dr. Coleman will discuss all of these options with you, including the SomnoDent MAS™ appliance.

How the SomnoDent MAS™ Appliance Works
The SomnoDent MAS™ appliance moves your lower jaw slightly forward from its normal position giving the effect of tightening the soft tissue. This tightening effect keeps the tissue from closing off your airways. This not only helps you breath while sleeping, it also reducing snoring.

The lower arch of the SomnoDent MAS™ appliance has a patented mechanism that keeps your lower jaw in the forward position at all times. Because of this mechanism, you are free to move your mouth either during sleep or for any other reason, such as taking a drink of water. Your mouth can remain open or move from open to close without reducing the effectiveness of the appliance.

Also, unlike CPAP, you can use the SomnoDent MAS™ appliance while camping or business trips because it does not require any other special equipment. All you need to get a good night’s sleep is this plastic appliance.

If you live in the San Diego and La Jolla area and are interested in learning more about the SomnoDent MAS™ appliance, please contact our cosmetic dentistry office for a sleep apnea consultation.

Anxiety About Dental Care Has Come To An End!

2009-04-01T11:27:00.000-07:00

Let’s face it; many of us have had some unpleasant dental visits as children, or even as adults. These unpleasant memories can provoke panic and physical reactions for many patients, even sitting in a dental office, which deeply affect us as adults.

Luckily, help is available even for the most apprehensive patient. Oral Conscious Sedation (“Sleep Dentistry”) is a procedure using a small pill taken orally. Dr. Coleman prefers the use of Halcion, a remarkable drug that is perfect for the dental setting. It has unique properties: anti-gag tendencies, muscle relaxant, amnesic effects (the patient seldom remembers much of the appointment at all). It also has a very quick elimination period, meaning that it is quick to exit the body. Generally after the visit the patient returns home, takes a nap and wakes clear-headed. It does not give you the “hangover” feeling IV sedation does. The medication is incredibly safe, but to further protect his patients, Dr. Coleman follows the protocol he learned from the organization Dental Oral Conscious Sedation (DOCS). A detailed medical history is taken and faxed approval is obtained from the patient’s physician. A Pulse-Oximeter records blood pressure, pulse and blood oxygen saturation every two minutes while the patient is at the office for complete safety.

The patient is never unconscious, and Dr. Coleman is careful to maintain the perfect level for sedation so the patient can always respond to verbal communication, but is relaxed enough not to be anxious about treatment.

There are so many people who avoid the dentist due to anxiety. Unfortunately, avoiding dental care for years can have extremely detrimental effects on their overall health. Active gum disease contributes to increased heart attacks, strokes and adult onset diabetes. Dental cavities, left unattended, can result in pain, infection and tooth loss.

One of the advantages of Oral Conscious Sedation is the patient can tolerate long appointments, and generally have their entire mouth restored in two visits. Additionally, patients who would like to improve the appearance of their smile, but are reluctant due to fear, can now get the healthy, young-looking smile they always wanted in a just a few relaxed visits.

Dr. Coleman has extensive training at the world-famous Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies (LVI). He has completed every cosmetic course offered at LVI, as well as courses in Neuromuscular TMJ care. He is certified in Oral Conscious Sedation (“Sleep Dentistry”), Invisalign® and PPM (Pure Power Mouth Guard), and can now offer a comfortable alternative to noisy, cumbersome CPAP’s for Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Please visit Dr. Coleman’s website at www.drpaulcoleman.com.
Whatever dental concern you may have, you owe it to yourself to call Dr. Coleman today for a FREE consultation, 858-748-4802.

Improving Smiles with Dental Implants

2009-03-24T09:58:00.000-07:00

If you have missing teeth, dental implants are a great option to improve the appearance of your smile. This is a permanent cosmetic dentistry procedure that replaces the full tooth including the tooth’s root. Dental implants can be performed on one tooth or on many teeth.

Missing teeth need to be replaced as soon as possible to avoid many tooth problems that may be difficult to correct. Teeth may shift, the jawbone can deteriorate, and gum decay or disease can develop as a result of missing teeth.
The Benefits of Dental Implants

Dental bridges and partial dentures are options for replacing missing teeth. However, dental implants are much more durable and longer lasting because the tooth and the root are replaced. The tooth replacement ends up being stronger as a result.

Other benefits of dental implants include:

• Having the color and shape of your original tooth
• Shrinking of bones and gums is prevented
• Replacement is easy if damage occurs
• No need to remove them when you are speaking or eating
• Minimal maintenance
• Long lasting
The Procedure for Dental Implants
The porcelain crown that is attached to the implant will be the shape and color of the tooth being replaced. San Diego Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Coleman will make sure your tooth looks like your natural teeth and will attach the crown himself.

The titanium rod that the crown is attached to is placed in your jawbone and requires several months for the bone tissue to grow around it. After the bone tissue grows, the porcelain crown is attached to the implant.
Dental Implant Candidates
You are a candidate for dental implants if you have good oral heath, are a non-smoker, and have a strong jawbone. Dental implants can be a part of a personalized smile makeover to help you obtain a healthy, beautiful smile.

If you believe you can benefit from dental implants, please contact our cosmetic dentistry office for a dental implant consultation. Our experienced dentistry staff will show you around the office and answer all of your questions.

Family Dentistry

2009-02-06T14:27:00.000-08:00

Our philosophy is that prevention is always superior to treatment. By attending a family dentistry practice like Dr. Paul Coleman’s, you can rest assured that we’ll educate your children on proper dental hygiene. By doing so at a young age, your children are certain to incorporate healthy oral hygiene habits into their life, thus minimizing the likelihood of invasive and costly procedures.

The American Dental Association (ADA) suggests that you have a checkup twice a year. During these checkups we will:

• Clean your teeth to minimize plaque buildup, prevent tooth decay and ensure your gums are remaining healthy
• Answer any and all questions you might have regarding proper oral hygiene and procedures we believe are necessary for you or your child’s health
• Educate you on the highest-quality dental products and tooth whitening techniques

Establishing a relationship with a family dentistry practice like The Coleman Center for Cosmetic Dentistry is an important step to take for young parents. By attending the dentist practice that your children do, you’re bound to create a healthy relationship with your dentist, which will carry over to your children. Additionally, you’re going to trust your dentists’ judgments regarding procedures necessary for your child’s oral health.

Dr. Paul Coleman is a graduate of the Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies, the nation’s premier school for post-graduate dental training. So you can be confident that your family will only receive the best and most reliable information and care.

If your children are the age of ten or older and are in need of a family dentist, please contact us today to schedule an appointment.

Pure Power Mouth Guard

2009-01-07T12:33:00.000-08:00

The Pure Power Mouth Guard, for contact sports, and the Pure Power Edge, for non-contact sports, is the latest technological advancement that will enable you to elevate your athletic performance to an entirely new level.

Using a TENS (Transcutaneous Electro-Neural Stimulation) machine to relax your jaw, Dr. Coleman is able to find your bite’s most relaxed position. By having your bite and jaw in its most optimal position, you’re going to have an advantage—potentially game-changing—over your opponent:

• Efficient energy use through increased energy conservation
• Greater strength
• Better balance and sense of motion

Regardless of what sport you play, the above advantages translate into better performance. From cycling, where you have a better sense of balance on the bike and thus higher stamina from greater energy conservation, to Manny Ramirez’s rave endorsement of The Pure Power Mouth Guard, the edge it provides cannot be overlooked.

Many of the problems the Pure Power Mouth Guard and Pure Power Edge fix stem from pain experienced by someone unknowingly suffering from Temporomandibular Joint Disorder. Although the PPM adequately addresses this during matches, Dr. Coleman can treat TMD so you’re not experiencing pain in your daily activities.

To learn more about how the Pure Power Mouth Guard can change your game, contact us today for your complimentary consultation.

Smile Makeover

2008-12-08T13:41:00.000-08:00

Modern dentistry has made it possible to obtain a movie-star caliber smile without invasive procedures that cost a second mortgage. No longer do you need to feel embarrassed with a gummy smile or ancient, ugly fillings. With a smile makeover, your entire smile can be transformed to give you the smile you’ve always desired.

Dr. Coleman takes several factors into consideration when designing your new smile. In addition to your goals and expectations, which are discussed in a preliminary consultation, the following factors will be weighed:

Facial bone structure
Gender
Skin and hair tone
Age
Residual oral health issues, such as Temporomandibular Joint Disorder

By bearing in mind the above characteristics, Dr. Coleman will create a smile that is uniquely designed for you, one that will look and feel completely natural.

A smile makeover can encompass numerous procedures or just one. It depends on what your current oral health is like and what your goals are. The most common problems addressed are:

Replacing missing teeth
Applying porcelain veneers to straighten your teeth, close the gaps between them, and whiten discolored enamel
Contouring gums to show off more of your pearly whites

A smile makeover will melt away years of age, while boosting your overall confidence and self-esteem. If you’re interested in learning more about what a smile makeover can do for you, please contact us today to schedule an appointment.

Temporomandibular Joint Disorder

2008-11-06T11:05:00.000-08:00

Temporomandibular Joint Disorder afflicts nearly 40 million Americans, paining them during daily, basic activities involving their jaw and its movement. However, only 5-15% of those suffering from this syndrome seek treatment for it.

Why is this? Each syndrome can easily be misdiagnosed for something else and the true origin of the problem, which lies in your jaw, is never even considered by most people. If you have lingering pain in your neck, back, jaw or head, it’s possible that you’re one of the 85% of Americans not seeking the proper treatment.

Think about the following symptoms and if they apply to you:

Do you suffer from headaches when you awake?
Are your teeth painful and/or loose?
Does your jaw consistently click, lock or pop?
Is there a constant ringing in your ears or pain behind them?
Do any of these symptoms make it difficult for you to sleep at night?

If any of these rather elusive symptoms have applied to you for a significant period of time, it is possible that your jaw is misaligned and you’re suffering from Temporomandibular Joint Disorder.

Another factor to consider is whiplash and trauma. Have you been involved in a car accident that gave a hard bang to your neck or head? Also, did you play heavy contact sports in your youth where you might have suffered from a similar injury? If the answer is yes and you’ve endured the above symptoms for a prolonged period of time, it’s possible that you’re suffering from Temporomandibular Joint Disorder.

There are numerous options to treat TMD, one of which is reconstructive dentistry. However, first the health of your jaw must be assessed.

If you’ve suffered from the above syndromes and nothing seems to address them, please contact us today to schedule an appointment.

Sedation Dentistry

2008-10-03T13:45:00.000-07:00

Take a pill an hour before your appointment, stay conscious enough to respond to your dentist, but have little or no memory of your procedure… It either seems too good to be true or like something out of a futuristic science-fiction novel, but the future is here with sedation dentistry.

Dr. Coleman takes great care to ensure your safety, comfort and to ease your dental anxiety. During a sedation dentistry procedure, our staff will monitor your vitals, your body and mind will be completely conscious and relaxed, and local anesthetics will eliminate any pain.

No longer should your dental anxiety prevent you from consulting with our office and addressing your oral pain. Even if you need to undergo extensive dental work, Dr. Paul Coleman is a certified to perform sleep dentistry, which is another viable option for those extremely fearful of the dentist.

The only downside of sedation dentistry is that you need to arrange a ride home following your procedure. However, this is a small inconvenience when considering how stress and anxiety-free your appointment will be.

Please consult our Questions about Sedation and Sleep Dentistry or contact us to learn more about sedation dentistry.

Reconstructive Dentistry

2008-09-24T15:20:00.000-07:00

Regardless of how superb your oral hygiene is, life happens and hereditary issues or accidents can damage your teeth, jaws or gums. Luckily, Dr. Coleman offers numerous reconstructive dentistry procedures that can alleviate the pain you’re experiencing from these problems.

Dental Implants can replace a knocked out tooth. If a missing tooth is ignored, your other teeth are likely to shift and cause pain in your mouth
Full or Partial Dentures, which look and feel realistic and natural
Root Canal to remove contaminated pulp from within a tooth
A Dental Crown can restore and maintain the use of a damaged tooth

Unlike cosmetic dentistry procedures like a smile makeover, which are done for aesthetic purposes, reconstructive dentistry is to improve your quality of life. Nobody should be in pain while performing basic, daily functions such as chewing, speaking or smiling. Consequently, most insurance companies will cover these procedures.

Outside of insurance concerns, the number one excuse for delaying these procedures is dental anxiety. Dr. Coleman understands this and takes every step to make your visit as comfortable as possible, which is why he is a sedation dentist. Take a pill before your appointment and you will remain relaxed and conscious throughout the procedure.

Putting your pain on the backburner and ‘just dealing with it’ is a dangerous move to make regarding your oral health. If you don’t address tooth decay, loss or pain quickly, it can lead to more costly and invasive procedures down the road.

If you’re experiencing oral pain, please contact The Coleman Center for Cosmetic Dentistry today to schedule an appointment.

Endodontic Care: Relief from Pain, Rescue for Teeth

2008-08-08T10:30:00.000-07:00

Endodontic care, also known as a root canal is a relatively simple procedure that takes one or two visits. It is performed when you have a tooth that is damaged to the point that the nerve has been compromised. Once the nerve is exposed to infection or pressure, your teeth can cause you a great deal of pain. The bacteria will spread, killing the root, which will stop the pain in the short term, but the bacteria will continue to grow and may attack the roots of other teeth and your jaw, in addition to causing the loss of the infected tooth.

However, a root canal can stop the decay and stop up the root chamber with dental bonding to allow you to chew normally. If the tooth has suffered a high degree of decay, a dental crown may be necessary to strengthen and protect the tooth, but it can still be saved.

If you are experiencing tooth pain, do not wait to seek treatment. The sooner endodontic problems are addressed, the better results you can see with more minor treatment. Please contact the Coleman Center for Cosmetic Dentistry today for a consultation.

Tooth Straightening for your Lifestyle

2008-07-01T14:21:00.000-07:00

Many of us missed our chance to get braces. Whether the reasons were economic or we simply didn't want to be a "brace face" during our teenage years, we are now experiencing the negative effects of crooked teeth. Not only are the misaligned teeth unattractive, but they are harder to clean and can even be hard to chew with. And now the stigma of getting braces seems even worse. Not to mention the inconvenience of regular dental visits for adjustments, the discomfort of the wires, and the difficulty in cleaning.

But with Invisalign you can have your teeth straightened without any of these inconveniences. Invisalign is a series of clear plastic trays that are designed by a computer to gently move your teeth in place over a period of weeks. Not only are they clear, but they are removable as well, so you can take them out for meals and for regular dental hygiene.

To learn more about Invisalign, please consult our Invisalign questions page, or contact us today for a consultation.

Sedation Dentist

2008-06-12T08:06:00.000-07:00

Popular culture often represents dentists as being insensitive or worse. This reputation probably began in the 19th century or earlier when dentists were often unlicensed and untrained, as in the Frank Norris novel McTeague, and has continued to the present day as a result of popular media portrayals from Little Shop of Horrors to Marathon Man to Seinfeld. The truth is that Dr Coleman wants you to be as comfortable as possible during your procedure, but he knows that he has an uphill battle when it comes to overcoming dental anxiety fostered by popular culture.

That is why Dr. Coleman is a sedation dentist, offering conscious sedation to help his patients overcome dental anxiety. If you have avoided dental treatment because of your high level of anxiety, sedation dentistry allows you to overcome that anxiety by taking a single pill before your dental appointment. You will then feel relaxed, but conscious during your dental procedure.

If you would like to learn more about how sedation dentistry, you can consult our Questions about Sedation and Sleep Dentistry, then contact us today to schedule a consultation.

Is In-office Tooth Whitening More Effective than Over-the-Counter Remedies?

2008-05-29T12:52:00.000-07:00

Yes. Although many companies claim that you can have whiter teeth as a result of buying their product, the truth is that going to a dentist is the best way to have your teeth significantly whitened.

Over-the-Counter tooth whitening products fit into three main classes, and all of them have disadvantages when compared to in-office whitening.

Whitening toothpastes contain not only the whitening peroxide, but many of them also have harsh abrasives, like silica or aluminum oxide, which seek to whiten your teeth by eroding away the stained enamel. For some people, this may result in whiter teeth, but others will see their teeth get yellow as the dentin underneath the enamel begins to show through. Thinner enamel is also more fragile.

Whitening Strips attempt to apply whitening compound to your teeth by means of a self-adhesive strip that contains whitening compounds, but these strips do not adhere to the teeth for very long and they do not contain very much whitener. They seem easy to use, but provide little if any benefit.

Whitening Trays can be effective if you have very straight, even teeth that can fit into the mass-produced trays put out by the manufacturers. For others, the whitening effect can be uneven as the whitening compounds are applied by the tray to some teeth, but not others, leading to a very bad cosmetic result.

On the other hand, Dr. Coleman can ensure that your teeth get a great result from your tooth whitening, whether you have it done in-office using Zoom! whitening or whether you take advantage of our custom-made trays for home whitening. To learn more, please contact the Coleman Center for Cosmetic Dentistry today.

Endodontics: Take care of your pulp

2008-04-29T15:38:00.000-07:00

While most people have heard of “orthodontics” many people are not familiar with the term “endontics.” Endodontics is the area of dentistry that deals with the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disorders of the dental pulp. The pulp is the soft tissue that is located inside the tooth and contains arteries, nerves, veins and lymph tissue.

You may be familiar with the term “root canal.” Years ago, these two words would strike fear in the hearts of those who had to suffer through this painful procedure. With advances in dentistry and the skill and artistry of highly trained cosmetic dentists like Dr. Paul Coleman, root canals have become a fairly simple and painless procedure.

Endodontic therapy (root canal) is a treatment that saves diseased or injured teeth. An alternative to endodontic therapy is extracting (pulling) the tooth. When you have a tooth that is severely decayed, the tooth will begin to ache. The pain may not be too bad at first or it may come and go, but in time, it will hurt badly and constantly. Left untreated, pulp will die and become necrotic. Pus can build at the root tip, forming an abscess that can destroy the bone surrounding the tooth.

At the first sign of a tooth ache, it is important to contact us because that little tooth ache can quickly turn into a very serious problem that may require endodontic treatment. To learn more, please contact The Coleman Center for Cosmetic Dentistry today.

Treat Smile to a Makeover

2008-03-31T15:53:00.000-07:00

Smile makeovers are quickly becoming one of the most popular cosmetic dentistry procedures today since they can correct several different dental problems at one time.

A smile makeover actually refers to any combination of cosmetic dental procedures that enhances the beauty and appearance of your smile. Smile makeovers can correct any one of the problems below:

Stained, discolored teeth can be whitened
Missing teeth can be replaced
Crooked teeth can be straightened
Gaps between teeth can be closed
Chipped, broken teeth can be repaired
Gummy smiles can be contoured

Smile makeovers are usually created with the use of porcelain crowns, porcelain veneers and porcelain inlays/onlays. These are cosmetic dental procedures that allow the dentist to dramatically change the length, width, color and shape of your teeth.

To learn more about what a smile makeover can do you for your mouth, please contact the Coleman Center for Cosmetic Dentistry today to schedule your initial appointment.

2008-03-30T18:39:00.000-07:00

My Son Paul at UBSB

In November Jan and I had a chance to get up to Santa Barbara to see my son Paul play a fall-ball lacrosse game. They won, the team played great, and we had a chance to meet a friend of Paul's from Madrid, Hanna.

The weather was perfect, we all enjoyed getting to know Hanna (who unfortunately speaks less English than I do Spanish), but it all worked out.

The following weekend, Paul and Hanna joined us down in Poway for dinner. We were joined by Jan's oldest, Stephan, as well as his now fiancee Brianna.