Chet Hawkins, D.D.S.

1. What you should know about Sleep Apnea

   With all the latest talk about the many benefits of getting enough sleep at night such as helping with losing weight, preventing high blood pressure and reducing chances of illness, there is a sleep disorder that prevents people from reaping these benefits and more from restorative sleep. It’s called sleep apnea and it currently affects 28 million people. Read on for what you should know about this disorder.

   With all the latest talk about the many benefits of getting enough sleep at night such as helping with losing weight, preventing high blood pressure and reducing chances of illness, there is a sleep disorder that prevents people from reaping these benefits and more from restorative sleep. It’s called sleep apnea and it currently affects 28 million people. Read on for what you should know about this disorder.

   What is it?

   Sleep apnea is a chronic condition where a person has abnormal pauses of breathing while sleeping. The pauses can last a few seconds to minutes at a time and happens 5-100 times an hour, which often triggers insomnia for those who suffer from it. This is caused when the muscles relax and causes the airways to collapse. Persons with sleep apnea are usually formally diagnosed by participating in a sleep study, also known as polysomnogram. There are three types of sleep apnea— central, obstructive and complex sleep apnea, which is a combination of both.

   Central sleep apnea is the least common type of sleep apnea. This happens when a part of the brain doesn’t send the right signals to the breathing muscles, which causes pauses in breathing.  This type of apnea is common in people who use specific types of medicines or have certain types of medical conditions. Those who have this usually don’t have problems with snoring.

   The more common sleep apnea type is obstructive sleep apnea, which happens when there is full or partial blockage of a person’s upper airway during sleep. Because the diaphragm and chest muscles have to work harder to open the obstructed airway to get air into the lungs, it causes a snort or loud snoring sound when breathing resumes. This can cause a reduced oxygen flow to vital organs and/or irregular heart rhythms.

   What are the symptoms and what causes it?

   Symptoms are loud and chronic snoring, pauses in breathing, choking or gasping during sleep and daytime sleepiness. Some causes include smoking, having a BMI of 30 or more or a neck size of 17” or more for men and 16” or more for women.

   What is the typical treatment?

   Treatment falls into four general categories: lifestyle changes, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), oral appliances and surgery. Here is a description of each:

   Lifestyle changes include losing weight, reducing intake of alcohol and to stop smoking.

   CPAP is a non-surgical procedure that uses a mask over the face and is hooked up to a machine that helps by increasing air pressure in the throat so the airway does not collapse when a person breathes in. This method has been very successful in treating sleep apnea but can be cumbersome to use on a long term basis. Studies show that patients that use a CPAP reduce snoring by 65 percent.

   An oral appliance involves a small device made of plastic that goes in the mouth-- similar to a sports mouth guard or orthodontic retainer. These help prevent the collapse of the tongue and soft tissues in the back of the throat and it keeps the airway open while sleeping, which allows more air in. Dr. Chet Hawkins offers a simple oral appliance (mouthpiece) that maintains proper jaw alignment to effectively control sleep apnea.

   Surgery—this treatment option is usually a last resort after other treatment options have been exhausted. Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) is one of the most popular surgeries to treat sleep apnea followed by tonsillectomy and/or adenoidectomy, which is often used for children. Tracheostomy is another surgery option for those who have tried everything else.

    

1. What Is Cosmetic Dentistry?

   A cosmetic dental procedure is one that aims to improve the general look of someone's teeth. It is designed to improve your smile, thereby making you appear more acceptable in society. No one likes the look of a gummy smile, or one where there is missing teeth, decayed teeth or broken teeth. In fact, as a society we are quite obsessed with presenting a beautiful smile to the world, hence our need for cosmetic dentistry.

   A cosmetic dental procedure is one that aims to improve the general look of someone's teeth. It is designed to improve your smile, thereby making you appear more acceptable in society. No one likes the look of a gummy smile, or one where there is missing teeth, decayed teeth or broken teeth. In fact, as a society we are quite obsessed with presenting a beautiful smile to the world, hence our need for cosmetic dentistry.

   The goal of the dental work cosmetic dentists perform is not necessarily to make your teeth function better, or correct something that isn't working efficiently. That may also happen, but their primary goal is usually centered on aesthetics and creating a smile makeover for you that is hopefully an all-white flashing gleam that causes instant envy in all who are fortunate enough to see it.

   Of course, it should also be pointed out that cosmetic dentistry treatments will not lessen any of the essential functions of your teeth in any way. It should be seen as an extension of normal dental care, something that will make you look and feel much better.

   Cosmetic procedures to your teeth can sometimes improve general function

   There are, however, many cases where cosmetic procedures to your teeth can improve their general function. Reconstructive dentistry may be necessary following an accident that caused extensive tooth damage, for example.

   It can also be something much more simple like reshaping a tooth that is a mismatch with the others, thereby making it more effective, as well as looking better. Porcelain crowns on broken teeth don't only look good. They become the new surface of the teeth that allows them to bite more efficiently, helping you to eat more easily.

   Restorative dentistry treatments, such as dental fillings in small cavities, used to typically be done using amalgam, or gold at best. This always left a dark and unsightly patch on the tooth, thereby telling the world that your teeth were not perfect.

   Today's dental fillings are quite different. Now you can choose porcelain, or other composite dental materials, colored fillings that closely match the color of your teeth, making the filling virtually invisible. This is another good example of where traditional dentistry and cosmetic dentistry can successfully meet.

   Teeth whitening is popular

   One of the most common and popular dental services designed to make your smile better is teeth whitening, or teeth bleaching as it's sometimes called. It is possible to buy do-it-yourself home kits, but you will get much better, more professional looking, results if you get your dentist to do it.

   Laser teeth whitening uses a bleaching gel that is light-activated. This is one of the cosmetic dentistry treatments where the results can be seen almost immediately following the procedure, which takes around two hours or so.

   Your teeth will have to be properly prepared before the teeth bleaching procedure can begin. This involves scaling and polishing to remove tartar and any stains. The color of your teeth, their exact shade of white, will also be recorded using a color chart, or even through taking an accurate digital photograph.

   As the whitening process of the teeth involves a laser, it is first necessary to protect all other close by areas, such as your gums, cheeks and lips. The bleaching gel is then exposed to the laser light three times, for fifteen minutes each time.

   Dental implants look natural

   False teeth, or dentures, usually look like exactly what they are. They often don't look natural, and they usually don't behave naturally either. They can fall out of your mouth sometimes if you are not careful, and you need to remove them anyway in order to clean them.

   A much better solution, and one that does look and act completely natural, is dental implants. They are still essentially and technically false teeth, but they allow you to do just about everything you can do with your real teeth.

   Small titanium rods are inserted into the jaw bone to hold one or more false teeth. The bone eventually fuses with the metal rod, creating an even more natural effect. The tooth, or row of several teeth thus supported behave quite naturally. They are permanently fixed and perform just like your real teeth, allowing you to eat naturally.

   You are also able to clean your dental implants in exactly the same manner as you would your natural teeth. Unlike a set of dentures, particles of food cannot get in behind the plate as there is no plate. Each false tooth sits naturally where your real tooth once stood and is fixed in place, looking real and feeling real.

   Cosmetic dentistry has come a long way since its early beginnings. George Washington, for example, was said to have worn dentures made from wood. Others wore false teeth fashioned from ivory, or even the teeth of dead animals, if they could be made to fit. Today's cosmetic dentistry options are much more sophisticated, effective and aesthetically pleasing, as well as being safe and surprisingly affordable too.

1. What is TMJ Syndrome?

   Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) syndrome, sometimes also known as temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD), can have many different possible causes. It manifests itself in the form of pain, both chronic or acute, in the facial muscles that control the chewing action.

   Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) syndrome, sometimes also known as temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD), can have many different possible causes. It manifests itself in the form of pain, both chronic or acute, in the facial muscles that control the chewing action.

   You have two temporomandibular joints, one on each side of your face, connecting your lower jaw (mandible) to your upper jaw (maxilla), which is part of your skull (temporal bone). If you place the fingers of each hand at the bottom of each ear and just in front of it, you will feel the temporomandibular joint in action when you open and close your mouth.

   If you develop problems in this area, there will likely be pain, either in your neck, face, ears, or you will simply have a general headache. Your jaw may feel stuck, locked in one position and difficult to move. You may also experience difficulties when you try to bite, and this attempted action may be accompanied by a popping or clicking sound.

   The TMJ has two basic actions: a hinging action and a gliding action. The hinging action occurs when you open and close your mouth, and the gliding action occurs when you open your mouth wider than usual. These actions, in various combinations, allow you to chew food, talk and yawn.

   What causes TMJ syndrome?

   There are four basic causes of TMJ syndrome. These are: certain bad habits; general wear and tear as you age; trauma; and disease. Bruxism, or grinding teeth, and teeth clenching are two bad habits that can result in a lot of facial pain. Grinding your teeth can cause muscle spasm and severe pain, and biting things, such as chewing gum or fingernails, can lead to a clenched jaw with severe pain in the joint.

   As we age, some things naturally wear down through continued use. This can result in painful joints in all parts of your body, and the temporomandibular joint is no exception. Another possible cause is trauma, such as a punch to the jaw, or an accident involving the head, for example. Bruxism and teeth clenching is another form of trauma, and they can all lead to considerable pain.

   Disease in the joint can also be the cause of pain. Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are examples of diseases that can affect any joint in the body, and that includes the temporomandibular joint.

   What are the TMJ syndrome symptoms?

   The symptoms of this very painful condition are often mistaken for an ear problem, as the pain is often centered in that area. Treatment for an ear infection will, of course, have no effect if the problem is actually TMJ syndrome. There can also be a ringing sound in the ears, or even a loss of hearing ability.

   When there is jaw pain felt in the joints and the muscles of the face that control those joints, the pain will often radiate down to the neck or shoulders. The pain may only manifest itself when you actually move your jaw to eat, talk or yawn, but be more or less dormant when your jaw is at rest.

   Moving your temporomandibular joint may also cause certain sounds to occur, such as a grating, popping or clicking. These sounds may also occur without any associated pain, in which case treatment may not be necessary.

   It is also possible for the jaw to dislocate and lock fully open. Conversely, it may not be possible to open the jaw at all, and if it can open, it may swing noticeably to one side or the other. Rather than being a gradual effect, a change to any of these conditions can often be sudden and unexpected, resulting in understandable fear and confusion.

   When does medical care become necessary for TMJ syndrome?

   It should be noted that if jaw dislocation occurs and the jaw locks itself wide open, or if you cannot open your jaw, you need to seek emergency medical care immediately. Otherwise, some mild pain in the jaw joints is fairly common. If the pain becomes severe and constant without let up, you should definitely seek medical care. TMJ syndrome, if treated early, can be dealt with quite effectively and easily.

1. What are Veneers

   Charles Pincus is the dentist responsible for the concept and creation of dental veneers. He lived and worked in California, and came up with the idea in the 1930s. Initially it was used in the Hollywood film industry to enable the movie stars of the day, who often had stained, discolored, chipped or broken teeth, to have a more perfect smile.

   Charles Pincus is the dentist responsible for the concept and creation of dental veneers. He lived and worked in California, and came up with the idea in the 1930s. Initially it was used in the Hollywood film industry to enable the movie stars of the day, who often had stained, discolored, chipped or broken teeth, to have a more perfect smile.

   However, the early Pincus porcelain veneers, held on to the tooth by ordinary dental adhesive, didn't stick for very long and soon fell off. They served their purpose though, as the tooth veneer only had to stay attached to the tooth surface for as long as it took to make a movie. Nevertheless, it was the birth of modern cosmetic dentistry.

   It wasn't until the early 1980s that the business of dental implants using veneers really took off. Two researchers working in 1982, Simonsen and Calamia, discovered that thin veneers of porcelain could be etched through the use of hydrofluoric acid, and with composite resins they could then achieve a bond strength that made contact of the porcelain veneers to the surface of the tooth almost permanent.

   Porcelain veneers are extremely durable and strong

   Porcelain veneers are also known as dental veneers or porcelain laminates. Porcelain in itself is a brittle material, but when thin shells of porcelain are firmly bonded to the surface of teeth, it becomes extremely durable and strong. This happens mainly because the underlying teeth provides a strong enough structure for the firmly bonded wafer-thin shells of porcelain to almost become an integral part of the overall structure.

   There are two main advantages of porcelain veneers over all the other dental bonding materials that are commonly used for cosmetic purposes. The main advantage is the fact that porcelain very accurately mimics the qualities of a real tooth, thereby giving a completely natural appearance.

   A tooth is actually made up of two basic parts, the outer layer and the inner part. The outer layer is made of tooth enamel, a very hard substance. The enamel is translucent, but the inner part of the tooth is not. The enamel doesn't immediately reflect light. The light that strikes it penetrates through the outer layer until it strikes the inner tooth part where it is reflected back through the enamel.

   This way of reflecting light is what gives teeth their particular radiant, lustrous appearance. That is one of the reasons why most sets of dentures don't look realistic. They tend to look too sharply shiny, without the characteristic luster that the translucent tooth enamel gives.

   Porcelain has the same lustrous quality of teeth

   Porcelain, on the other hand, is translucent in a similar way to tooth enamel. It handles light in much the same way, which means that teeth treated with dental porcelain laminates look very much like real teeth.

   Porcelain has one other quality that makes it attractive to the cosmetic dentistry industry. It is excellent at resisting discoloration and staining. The veneers are easily cleaned and stay clean too. Typical staining agents like tea, red wine, cigarettes and black coffee don't affect porcelain in the same way they affect tooth enamel. This is because porcelain is a glassy material, a type of ceramic, with a surface that is difficult to stain.

   Having dental porcelain laminates applied to your teeth is a painless procedure. It is also a relatively quick procedure that gives you instant perfect results. There is no special precautions to take once the procedure is complete, as you can treat your new porcelain dental veneers just as you would treat your own natural teeth.

   Typical cases where shells of porcelain are bonded to teeth in order to improve the appearance include: teeth that are stained or discolored, for whatever reason; teeth that have become broken or chipped; teeth that have gaps between them, where veneers can close the gaps; teeth that are out of alignment, where veneers can straighten their appearance; and teeth that have become noticeably worn.

   Dental veneers made from porcelain can be expected to last for around fifteen years or so. The procedure has become affordable for everyone and is now a very popular part of dental restoration work. With all the excellent qualities surrounding the results of this type of dental surgery, it's enough to make a cosmetic dentist smile.

Professional Development

Professional Accomplishments

Residency

Board Certifications

Fellowships

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General Dentistry

• Digital X-Rays
• Fluoride Treatment
• Sealants
• Dental Exams & Cleanings
• Dental X-Rays
• Home Care

Cosmetic Dentistry

• Smile Makeover
• Dental Implants
• Porcelain Inlays
• Porcelain Onlays
• Composite Fillings
• Porcelain Crowns (Caps)
• Porcelain Fixed Bridges
• Porcelain Veneers
• Tooth Whitening
• Invisalign
• Orthodontics
• Tooth Contouring and Reshaping
• Cosmetic Gum Surgery

Restorative Dentistry

• Dental Bonding
• Dental Implants
• Inlay Restorations
• Onlay Restorations
• Composite Fillings
• Crowns (Caps)
• Dentures & Partial Dentures
• Fixed Bridges
• Root Canal Therapy

Sedation Dentistry

• Oral
• Intravenous
• Nitrous Oxide
• General Anesthesia

Periodontal Treatment

• Diagnosis
• Treatment
• Maintenance

Additional

• TMJ Treatment
• Sleep Apnea Treatment