FAQs Related to Our Practice

What Types of Dental Services Are Offered by Grafton Dental?
At Grafton Dental, our services include preventive and restorative dental care. Our preventive care features exams & cleanings, dental sealants, oral cancer screening, fluoride treatment, and patients' education on oral health. Patients can receive treatments and procedures such as fillings, root canals, extractions, bridges, dentures, and implants. We also provide cosmetic treatments like teeth whitening and address dental emergencies such as tooth abscesses, toothaches, and knocked-out teeth.
What Are the Different Cosmetic Dental Services Available?
We provide a wide variety of cosmetic services to help our patients achieve a beautiful, natural smile. We offer teeth whitening to brighten dull, dark, and discolored teeth. In addition, we do veneers and bonding to correct imperfections such as heavily stained teeth that have failed to respond to whitening treatment, and oddly shaped or broken teeth.
Do We Offer Emergency Dental Services?
Of course! We provide dental care to patients with emergencies who have fallen, broken teeth, knocked out teeth, cracked and painful teeth, facial swelling, swollen gums, and more. Our emergency dental care enables us to stop the pain associated with toothaches, tooth breakages, tooth fractures, or even knocked-out teeth. We also treat cases of excessive bleeding related to surgical procedures like extractions. Our emergency care reduces the danger of infection and pain and prevents tooth loss.
What Are the Most Common Dental Emergencies?
At Grafton Dental, we encounter common dental emergencies such as pus pockets or tooth abscesses, broken teeth, badly fractured teeth, excessive bleeding and pain, and injuries to soft tissues. We also see cases of broken orthodontics, such as braces and lost fillings or crowns. These cases can cause significant pain, especially if left untreated. They can also make one susceptible to infection if a wound from a soft tissue injury or surgical site becomes open.
How Many Years of Experience Does Our Dentist Have?
Having begun dentistry in Pleasant Hill in 1981, Dr. Grafton has over 40 years of experience in dental practice. For many years, he helped disadvantaged neighbourhoods in Contra Costa County by providing them with preventive dental care. Dr. Grafton understands that building a strong oral hygiene and oral health foundation begins with the patients understanding their role in fostering dental health.
What Dental Insurance Do We Accept?
We are in network with leading dental insurance, including Delta Dental and Aetna. We accept other insucances as well, including Cigna, Metlife, and Guardian, and third-party plans such as CareCredit®. Contact us to find your financing and insurance options when you get your dental services at our clinic. At Grafton Dental, we are committed to diversifying your dental care financing options so you have more freedom to pay for our services and save on treatments and procedures.
From Which Areas Are We Currently Accepting New Patients?
Grafton Dental is committed to reaching out to as many patients as possible in Walnut Creek and Pleasant Hill. We accept new dental care patients from Concord, Martinez, Alamo, Danville, Clayton, and Lafayette. We want to impact the community in Pleasant Hill, Walnut Creek, and the surrounding areas by providing personalized dental care and treatment.

FAQs Related to Services

How Often Should Fluoride Treatment Be Done?
Dentists can offer fluoride treatments every three to 12 months, depending on the patient's health history. Some people can have them during their routine cleanings and exams, which are done every six months or twice yearly. Those more predisposed to cavities can get their fluoride treatment twice a year. Fluoride treatments are vital in protecting from tooth cavities.
Who is a Candidate for Dental Sealants?
Children and teenagers between 6 and 14 years old are considered the ideal persons to receive dental sealants. As teeth come in, they may be difficult to access, especially when a kid is developing dexterity. Therefore, we see the ideal time to paint fissure sealants on teeth immediately after the permanent teeth come in. Adults who are prone to developing cavities are also a candidate.
How Long Does It Take to Recover from the Extracted Tooth?
After tooth extraction, it would take 1 to 3 months for the soft tissue or gums and the bone to recover completely. However, the timeline varies depending on the location as well as the type of tooth that has been extracted. Also, a person's healing abilities come into play. Typically, the soft tissue will have healed fully in about 3 weeks. The socket will almost have healed by around two weeks.
Why is Oral Cancer Screening Important?
Oral cancer screening is crucial because it allows our dentist to detect early signs. Oral cancer grows rapidly. It can double in size every two weeks! The odds of oral cancer being successfully treated are higher when it is caught at its onset. At an early stage, oral cancer or the lesions prove easier to eliminate and cure. We recommend you get screened for cancer when you check in for routine checks every six months. Our dentist will be able to detect precancerous lesions and cancer in the mouth.
What is a Non-surgical Periodontal Treatment?
It is a non-invasive method of treating gum disease, and it involves procedures like deep cleaning, also called scaling and root planing. Deep dental cleaning helps clean the root surfaces to alleviate tartar and bacterial plaque from the periodontal pockets. Additionally, it smooths out the tooth roots, making plaque difficult to form in those areas. Other treatments include antibiotics and tray delivery systems to combat gum disease.
What Are the Signs That Root Canal Therapy is Needed?
Having severe pain in the mouth while biting and chewing or pimples within the gums are possible indications of a tooth that is in need of root canal therapy. If you have lingering sensitivity on the tooth due to exposure to hot or cold, or spontaneous pain, that could be another sign.. Other signs include deep decay, swollen or tender gums, and darkening gums.
What Types of Dental Fillings Does Grafton Dental Offer?
We offer different types of fillings, including tooth-colored composite resin fillings. These are made from plastic and glass materials. We also do porcelain fillings and crowns, which are also tooth-colored. Many people go for porcelain because it is less likely to chip or break than composite resin. At Grafton Dental, we also offer silver amalgam fillings.
How Do You Know if You Have TMJ Disorder?
If your temporomandibular joints are causing pain and tension within the jaw, you might have a TMJ disorder. A person likely has TMJ disorder if they have TMJ pain accompanied by other symptoms such as neck pain, upper back, dizziness, balance issues, or headaches. Also, an individual could notice clicking or popping sounds while opening the mouth or chewing and ringing ears.
What Are Digital X-rays in Dentistry?
They are a type of imaging that utilizes digital X-ray sensors instead of traditional photographic X-ray films. Digital X-rays produce enhanced images of mouth structures, including the teeth, gum tissue, and oral health conditions with less radiation. These computer-aided images can reveal inconspicuous dental issues such as bone infection, decay inside or between teeth, gum disease, and tumors.
What Are the Reasons for Needing a Dental Crown?
A crown is used to restore a tooth that is weakened due to fracture or extensive decay. The crown also protects the tooth from further breaking. In the case of a “cracked tooth” that is painful to chew on, a crown is used like a cast on a broken bone, to hold the pieces of the tooth together and relieve the pain during chewing. Crowns also help hold a dental bridge in its position and cover a dental implant.
What Are Composite Veneers?
These are tooth-colored veneers applied to teeth to improve their appearance. Unlike porcelain veneers, resin veneers are applied straight to a tooth and then molded and shaped to get the desired look. Our dentist applies the resin material in very thin layers, curing each layer before applying another until we get the desired look. Because composite veneers blend in uniformly with the color of the real teeth, they can improve your smile's appearance significantly.
Can Teeth Whitening Be Done in One Visit?
Yes, a dentist can whiten your teeth in just one visit. Since a dentist uses stronger whitening ingredients than the over-the-counter or take-home whitening kits, you can expect to have the teeth whitened anywhere from 5 to 8 shades within one visit. It may take a week or so for the results to show as the shade adjusts after treatment.
What Are the Different Types of Dentures?
Traditional full dentures help replace the entire patient's arch of teeth. Partial dentures or partials are utilized when some real teeth are still healthy and strong. Immediate dentures are received the same day you remove a tooth or teeth. Implant-supported dentures are anchored or secured by an implant for improved stability and a natural look. In contrast, snap-in dentures are secured onto the existing teeth with anchors or dental implants.
Click to listen highlighted text!