Hayward Cosmetic & General Dentistry Blog

If you suffer from chronic headaches, lasting treatment may require little more than realigning the jaw. TMJ, a condition in which the jaw becomes misaligned, has been identified as one of the most common causes of chronic, debilitating headaches. Unfortunately, it is also one of the most commonly overlooked.

If you are looking for headache treatment that produces lasting relief, please call San Leonardo neuromuscular dentist Dr. Gary Fong at 510-582-8727 to schedule a TMJ evaluation today.

Headache Treatments

Dr. Fong has found that customized oral appliances work best for TMJ headache treatment. These nightguards reposition the jaw, allowing for optimal realignment while you sleep. They also retrain jaw muscles, helping produce proper alignment and lasting relief from headaches.

Our nightguards are customized – allowing them to both fit comfortably into the mouth and address each patients’ specific needs. During your headache treatment consultation, Dr. Fong can discuss our services with you in greater detail to help you better understand the advantages offered by noninvasive, medication-free pain relief.

To schedule your San Leonardo headache treatment consultation, please contact Gary G. Fong, DDS today. Dr. Fong serves the Castro Valley area from our conveniently located Hayward office.

Dental implants are the only form of tooth replacement that has the potential of offering life-long results. Once inserted, dental implants undergo a process called osseointegration during which they become accepted by your body as a new tooth root. Not only does this serve to anchor your implant into bone, it helps prevent changes to jaw structure that cannot be addressed by other forms of tooth replacement. For this reason, Hayward dentist Dr. Gary Fong often recommends dental implants above other, less permanent options.

Maintaining Dental Implants

Dental implants can be maintained in the same way as your natural teeth. The quality restorations Dr. Fong uses to complete dental implants are durable and stain-resistant, but should still be brushed after every meal and flossed at least once daily. These simple steps can help ensure your implant and its restoration remain strong and attractive for years to come.

Depending on the type of restoration used, Dr. Fong may recommend avoiding toothpastes with abrasive ingredients. This is something that can be discussed in greater detail during your dental implants restoration consultation.

To schedule your consultation, please contact Gary G. Fong, DDS today. Dr. Fong provides implant restorations for patients living in and around the Hayward area of California. 

Fun Facts

We all need a break once in awhile. Everyday life can be a little too serious. That’s why I wanted to share some interesting facts with you. You can share these with your friends, or show off to your family. Either way our hope is that while reading these you will get a little break from your hectic day. Please enjoy and as always, if you have questions or are ready to schedule an appointment, give us a call!

1. Did you know that the average person produces a quart of saliva daily? That’s 10,000 gallons of spit over a lifetime. Saliva is essential to good dental health because it washes food off the teeth, neutralizes acids in the mouth, fights germs and prevents bad breath.
2. Did you know that 50% of people say that a smile is the first thing that they notice about someone?
3. Today, our society finds a white smile to be attractive. But did you know that in medieval Japan, white teeth were considered to be ugly? Women used roots and inks to stain their teeth black, which they felt was much more attractive.
4. Did you know that just like our fingerprints, everyone’s tongue print is different? Our tongue is the only muscle in our body that isn’t attached to something at both ends.
5. Dentists have been around for a long time. Archaeologists have evidence of the first dental fillings in teeth from people who lived between 7,500 and 9,000 years ago.
6. In China, in 1948, the bristle toothbrush was invented. The bristles were made of the stiff hairs from the back of a pig’s neck. Pig’s hair was used in toothbrushes until 1938 when nylon bristles were introduced.
7. Most Americans did not brush their teeth everyday twice a day until after World War 2. In World War Two, the military required that soldiers brush their teeth twice a day to keep their teeth healthy. The soldiers brought that habit back home after the war.
8. The world’s oldest recipe for toothpaste is from Egypt in 400 AD. The formula included mint, salt, grains of pepper and dried iris flower.  

To schedule a consultation with our Hayward, California cosmetic dentist, please contact our office at 510-582-8727 or message us here.

Neuromuscular dentistry is concerned with the detection and treatment of craniofacial disorders such as TMJ. Hayward dentist Dr. Gary Fong has received special training in neuromuscular dentistry and is pleased to offer this important service individually or as part of your routine dental care.

Symptoms of TMJ may include:

• Clicking, popping, or grinding noises in the jaw
• Pain in the jaw, face, or head
• Difficulties chewing, biting, or opening the mouth
• Ear pain, sinus and eye pressure, and chronic headaches

If you are experiencing any of these issues, a neuromuscular dentistry evaluation from Dr. Fong can help establish the cause and provide the information needed for successful treatment. Only by addressing underlying neuromuscular issues can issues caused by TMJ and similar disorders be treated.

Neuromuscular dentistry treatments offered by Dr. Fong are tailored to meet the specific needs of each individual. Which options are best for your needs will be determined during your diagnostic evaluation.

If you are in need of a neuromuscular dentist, please contact Gary G. Fong, DDS today. Dr. Fong serves Hayward, Castro Valley, San Leonardo, and surrounding areas of California.