Our Services
All of Your dental needs in one place
Preventive Dental Care
Comprehensive Dental Evaluations
Evaluations are the most important way we can help you keep your teeth, gums, and mouth healthy and prevent future problems.
The American Dental Association recommends dental visits at least twice per year.
During your examination, our team will take x-rays and images, and evaluate your overall oral health. We check your jaw joint and bite, all existing tooth restorations, risk for tooth decay and gum disease, and conduct an oral / oropharyngeal cancer screening.
Professional Dental Cleanings
Professional cleanings rid the teeth of harmful plaque and calculus buildup. This is important to prevent tooth decay, periodontal disease, and other oral health issues. Cleanings can also remove surface stain, which help to keep your teeth looking whiter and brighter.
Having your teeth professionally cleaned at least twice yearly along with practicing good dental hygiene at home are important to keep your teeth strong and beautiful, and your gums healthy.
Periodontal Therapy
Periodontal disease affects both the gums and underlying bone, and is the leading cause of tooth loss.
After evaluating your gum and bone health, periodontal therapy with our hygienist may be recommended.
This type of cleaning involves removing bacteria from below the gum line. Following treatment, regular ongoing maintenance and proper home care are essential. Periodontal disease cannot be reversed, but we can slow and stop the progression.
Fluoride treatment
Fluoride helps to strengthen the teeth, making them more resistant to decay, and is especially important when primary and permanent teeth are developing. It can remineralize the enamel, reversing initial stages of cavities. Fluoride may also be used as a desensitizing agent on teeth experiencing sensitivity.
We offer fluoride treatment for all of our patients–children and adults–applied in the form of a varnish. In addition to receiving in-office fluoride treatment, fluoride can be applied to the teeth through fluoridated toothpastes and mouth rinses.
Oral & Oropharyngeal Cancer Screenings
In the United States, one adult dies every hour from oral cancer. When oral cancers are identified early, the success rate of treatment is higher and treatment can be less invasive. When allowed to progress, oral cancers can become more involved and spread to other areas of the mouth, requiring more complex treatment.
At Kaka‘ako Smiles, our doctors perform an oral and oropharyngeal cancer screening at every exam appointment. Regular screenings can help ensure early detection.
Night Guards
Unconscious grinding of the teeth during sleep is a condition known as bruxism. Bruxism can result in muscle and/or jaw pain, and can cause teeth to wear down or fracture.
A night guard is a removable, custom-fabricated dental appliance that provides a barrier between your top and bottom teeth to protect them while you sleep. When made correctly, a night guard can help relieve symptoms due to grinding and clenching and protect your natural teeth from damage.
Children's Dentistry
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that your child visit the dentist within six months after the presence of the first tooth or by age one. Regular trips to the dentist allow for early detection of cavities. Dental evaluations also help us identify any oral health-related developmental problems that may occur when young teeth are forming.
Our dental team will work with you and your child to practice proper brushing and flossing, and discuss dental hygiene habits and healthy food choices. In addition to regular check-ups and cleanings, we also offer sealants and fillings.
We understand that a visit to the dentist may be scary for your little one. At Kaka‘ako Smiles, our focus is to make sure your child feels safe and comfortable.
Give your child a solid foundation by visiting us for an evaluation and cleaning twice each year, and help your child have a bright and healthy smile.
Restorative Dentistry
Composite Fillings
Harmful bacteria in your mouth can eat away at your teeth, leading to decay or cavities. If left untreated, a cavity can cause further complications, such as tooth pain or infection.
Composite fillings are made of a tooth-colored, composite resin. This material is safe, strong, durable, and esthetic, and allows us to restore your tooth to its normal function and appearance.
Inlays and Onlays
Inlays and onlays are dental restorations that may be indicated for a tooth that has lost a significant amount of tooth structure. Sometimes, these teeth cannot be restored with a filling. Inlays and inlays are fabricated in a dental lab to create a well-fitting, strong, and long-lasting solution, while allowing us to preserve as much of your healthy tooth as possible.
Crowns
A crown is a fixed restoration that covers the entire tooth. It can renew the appearance and function of a tooth and may be recommended to: protect a weak tooth from breaking, hold a cracked tooth together, cover and support a damaged or decayed tooth, cover a severely discolored tooth, or restore a broken or worn tooth. Crowns are typically made from porcelain, metal, or a combination of both.
Bridges
A dental bridge is used to replace one or more missing teeth and involves placing a crown on each of the neighboring teeth, which serve as the anchors.
Bridges are custom-made to match your natural teeth in color, size, and shape, and are cemented into place.
Replacing a missing tooth or teeth helps to prevent adjacent and opposing teeth from moving. If left untreated, these changes may cause difficulty with eating, speech, and function.
Dental Implants
Another option to replace a missing tooth or teeth is with implants. Implants are metal fixtures that are placed into the jaw bone, and function similar to the root of a tooth.
When paired with a crown, bridge, or full denture, implants can help restore both esthetics and function.
Implants are considered the best option to replace a missing tooth or teeth.
Dentures
Dentures are a removable replacement for missing teeth, and can help you not only eat and function better, but also maintain your natural, beautiful facial form.
This type of dental prosthesis is custom-fabricated to fit your mouth and compliment your facial features.
Complete dentures replace the full upper and/or lower arch of teeth. Partial dentures are used to replace one or more teeth when some natural teeth remain.
Cosmetic Dentistry
Resin Veneers
Resin veneers involve shaping and contouring your teeth through the use of composite resin. This can create a more esthetic appearance and restore the function of teeth that are chipped or cracked; short, discolored, and/or have alignment issues; or if spaces are present between the teeth. Resin veneers can typically be done in a single appointment.
Porcelain veneers and Crowns
Porcelain veneers are thin, durable, tooth-colored “shells.” After being custom-fabricated in the dental lab, they are bonded to the front of your teeth. Veneers look natural and can be a beautiful solution to improve the appearance of your smile.
Teeth Whitening
If you have stained, dull, or discolored teeth, teeth whitening may be a great option for you.
Even healthy teeth discolor over time. Certain foods, tobacco, antibiotics, and genetics can contribute to staining and discoloring teeth. As we age, our teeth naturally darken as well.
Teeth whitening is a simple and effective way to brighten your smile. You can look younger and feel more confident with a brighter smile.
Crown Lengthening
Crown lengthening removes excess gum tissue from around one or more of your teeth, exposing additional tooth structure above your gum line. This procedure can be used to correct a “gummy” smile. It may also be recommended when there is not enough tooth structure above the gums to place a crown.
With more tooth structure showing above the gum line, your teeth can appear longer and your gums less prominent.
Emergency Dental Care
If you are in need of any form of urgent dental care and are experiencing tooth pain, a broken tooth, or oral infection, we are here for you. Whether you are a current or new patient, we will make every effort to fit you into our schedule.
Root Canal Therapy
Root canal therapy is a procedure used to save your tooth when the center or pulp of the tooth is inflamed, infected, or has already died.
This treatment involves removing the pulp. It may be completed in one or multiple appointments depending on the severity of your tooth’s infection. Our dental team always recommends, if possible, to save your natural tooth. By removing the harmful bacteria from inside your tooth, your tooth can begin to heal.
Extractions
Tooth extraction is generally the last resort, but necessary in some situations. When teeth need to be extracted, their long-term prognosis is usually very poor.
Third molars, or wisdom teeth, are the last set of permanent molars to emerge. These teeth are also the most likely to require extraction. Not all wisdom teeth need to be extracted, but the ones that can cause problems, should be removed.
Other teeth may also require extraction if they cannot be saved by root canal therapy or other treatment. Some of the most common reasons to have teeth extracted include: decay, infection, severely progressed gum disease, a cracked tooth, or when crowding is present.
Our philosophy regarding oral surgery is to provide you with the most comfortable care possible.
Other Dental Services
TMJ / TMD Therapy
TMJ stands for Temporomandibular Joint, which is the joint that connects the jawbone to the skull. Temporomandibular Disorder, or TMD, refers to issues affecting the TMJ, and the muscles and soft tissues that surround it.
The most common cause of TMD is subconscious clenching or grinding of the teeth. This usually occurs during sleep, and often when you are experiencing high amounts of stress.
Our dental team is experienced in treating TMD, and can help relieve your pain, reduce stiffness, and increase function of your TMJ.
Sleep Apnea Devices
Sleep apnea is a serious condition that causes a person to stop breathing during sleep. The most common form of sleep apnea is obstructive sleep apnea, which occurs when the airway collapses during sleep. If you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea, we can work with your MD to provide you with effective dental options to improve your sleep and overall health.
Athletic Mouth Guards
According to the Journal of the American Dental Association, each year, an estimated 13-39% of all dental injuries occur while playing sports.
We can fabricate a custom-fitted mouth guard to keep you and your teeth safe and protected while you play your favorite sports.