Mission Viejo is a city found in the Saddleback Valley in Orange County, California. It has a population of about 100,000 people as of January 2009. It is mostly residential and as such, several dentists and dental clinics offer their services within 20 miles of the city. There are general dentists, cosmetic dentists, dental implant dentists, endodontists, orthodontists, oral-maxillofacial surgeons, prosthodontists, periodontists, and pediatric dentists.
There are several general dentists in the Mission Viejo area. They include Rodger Kurthy, E. M. Makhoul, the corporation of Elham Khajavi, George Kiriak and Jeffrey S. Montgomery, Alireza Basti, Akash Lapsi, Mary K. Addonizio, Charles J. Thom Jr, Philip A. Farinella, and Kurt R. Schneider.
Dentistry is widely believed to be an important contributor to a person's overall health. Treatments for dental caries include dental amalgam, dental porcelain, dental composite, and metals. Dentists can also prescribe radiographs, medication, and devices that could be utilized at the office or at home. Many practitioners of general dentistry are capable of treating even complex cases, including the extraction of wisdom teeth and the placing of dental implants. Dentists can also provide advice to patients on how to prevent tooth decay through fluoride treatments, tooth brushing, tooth flossing, and tooth polishing. Dental sealants can also be provided to protect teeth from decay. The nine specialties recognized by the American Dental Association include dental public health, oral and maxillofacial surgery, oral and maxillofacial radiology, oral and maxillofacial pathology, endodontics, periodontics, orthodontics, prosthodontics, and pediatric dentistry.
Cosmetic dentistry services include dental implants, teeth whitening, gum reshaping, gum grafts, dental crowns, dentures, and bridges. Cosmetic dentists within the area include Rodger Kurthy, Daniel Jeffrey Cohen, Christopher P. Travis, Cris N. Durghinescu, Bill F. Wight, James K. Kahal, Aria Irvani, Pankaj Narkhede, the Portola Plaza Dental Group, Kurt R. Schneider, and Philip A. Farinella.
Teeth whitening is usually required because the teeth slowly darken as a person ages. Stains from tobacco products, drinks and food also accumulate. Whitening procedures include microabrasion, bleaching, laser tooth whitening, and abrasive tooth whitening. Another important service provided by cosmetic dentistry is the use of dental veneers. These are applied over the front teeth that are crooked, chipped, stained, or cracked.
Endodontics focuses on the treatment of the tissues around the root of the tooth and the tooth pulp. Endodontists are able to save the tooth by treating the injured or diseased arterioles, nerves, venules, fibrous tissue and lymphatic tissue in the tooth pulp. Endodontists in the Mission Viejo area include Roy Hayashi, Shahriar A. Rassoulian, Bruce R. Harkins, Kimberly H. Carter, Arthur Gage, Richard B. Angell, John R. Buoncristiani, John R. Lythgoe, James L. Kloss, and Mahmoud Karimipour.
Dental implants are placed in the jawbone where the patient's tooth had previously existed to fasten a replacement tooth. Another use of a dental implant is to strengthen loose teeth by fastening them with splinted crowns. The fastening material is usually made of titanium because of its compatibility with the bone and tissues of humans. Dentists who can perform dental implants within the Mission Viejo area include Pankaj Narkhede, Robert A. Milner, Richard D. Guthrie, Philip A. Farinella, Kurt R. Schneider, Rodger Kurthy, Daniel Jeffrey Cohen, Nicholas Caplanis, Ajay Setya, and Robert C. Hirst.
An oral-maxillofacial surgeon specializes in treatments for the craniomaxillofacial complex that is made up of the skull, face, neck, jaws and mouth. Some of the treatments that they can provide are dentoalveolar surgery, benign pathology, cutaneous malignancy, cleft palate and cleft lips, chronic facial pain disorders, bite correction, temporomandibular joint disorders, trauma of oral-maxillofacial region, and insertion of bone-fused dental implants. Oral-maxillofacial surgeons in the Mission Viejo area include Ronald L. Wright, Arthur W. Kilkuts, Peter A. Krakowiak, Bao-Thy N. Grant, Jeffrey J. Pulver, Rick Berrios, Jeffrey Lee, Siamak Nasseri, and Keon-Jung Kim.
Orthodontists are focused on the treatment of improper bites that may have been caused by disproportional jaw relationships, tooth irregularity, or both. They are able to align the teeth with or without making any changes in the underlying bones. The bones can be moved through jaw surgery in adults or by changing teeth growth in children. Orthodontists within the Mission Viejo area include Sam Veshkini, Jady Chiawkowsky, Shannon Hilgers Nissen, James Hilgers, Janine Nguyen, Jeffrey J. Staples, Guy W. Mendivil, James D. Clark, James D. Bryan, and Chris Carter.
Pedodontics or pediatric dentistry focuses on the oral health of infants, children and teenagers. Some of the important services given are the application of dental sealant, fluoride treatments, and orthodontics. Some of the pediatric dentists serving the Mission Viejo area are Clara M. Lee, Kathy D. Le, Chrysoula Cutrone, Carolyn E. Chong, Joyce C. Kim, Tina Azin, Sarah I. Mathias, John D. De Lorme, Lonnie R. Lovingier, and John M. Fowle.
Periodontists focus on the structures that support the teeth, such as the gums, cementum, alveolar bone, and periodontal ligament. These tissues are called the periodontium. Periodontal diseases are often caused by the accumulation of bacterial plaque in the gums and teeth, immuno-inflammatory mechanisms, and other risk factors. If not treated properly, periodontal disease could result into the loss of teeth and alveolar bone. Periodontists in the Mission Viejo area include Kevin K. Lee, Kevin J. Hszieh, Tash Farkhondeh-Kish, Mark Redd, E. Clark Wright, H. Michael Hersh, Kian Kar, Nicholas Caplanis, and Ajay Setya.
Prosthodontists focus on the diagnosis, treatment, maintenance and rehabilitation of oral health, appearance, comfort and function in patients with deficient and missing teeth and maxillofacial tissues. Oral function is restored through dental implants, crowns, dentures and other kinds of dental prostheses and restorations. Prosthodontists in the Mission Viejo area include Peter S. Wohrle, Taher Aminikharrazi, R. Bruce Coye, James W. Kim, Michael Choi, David S. Hahn, Glenn Bickert, Christopher Travis, Pankaj Narkhede, and Richard D. Guthrie.
Selecting the proper dentist will always be a personal decision. However, some key factors that you should consider include professionalism, certifications, payment plans and services offered. There are many choices, so make sure to not just settle for the first one you come in contact with.
