Dr. Strutz Is Not Just Another Prosthodontist

            Years of dental experience in a specialized field, puts Dr. Strutz in a league of her own. Not only is she an assistant professor at Loma Linda School of Dentistry, and board certified in prosthodontics, she works with patients daily to provide fantastic smiles that show off their personality.

Dr.Judy Strutz and her staff will work closely with you to help you see what can be accomplished through corrective dentistry. You may have heard ‘no’ before, or been told you have to suffer with poor or ill-fitting dentures because there is nothing that your general dentist can do. With Dr. Strutz that’s just not the case. As a highly regarded professional, she understands the importance of a smile that is natural, with dentures that fit great and restored self-confidence.  Thousands of Americans do not like their smile. These people may shy away of photos, not look other people in the eye, turn down dinner invitations and may avoid leadership and other social opportunities. 

You can take your life back by stepping into the office of Dr. Judith Strutz.  You don’t have to sit back and watch others live the life you want. Dr. Strutz and her team can be trusted to restore your smile and teeth to optimal health.

Call today and learn what may be available to help you.

                       

             

Laser Surgery & Your School Age Student

Laser surgery can seem scary especially when performed on your infant. While some dentists may recommend you wait if your baby has a maxillary frenum, Dr. Judy Strutz believes taking care of this early on is important. An excessive maxillary frenum can decrease your baby’s ability to eat correctly now as well as in the future. Their ability to speak correctly can also be affected.

            Children that enter school with a frenum may be unable to pronounce certain sounds. If a child by the age of five is unable to say some sounds correctly it may be that they are never able to say them without difficulty. Unfortunately, other children tease or make fun of those with these challenges. It can often become quite frustrating for the child with a frenum when peers ask them to repeat what they are saying. 

“It is possible that some frenum’s will correct themselves over time, I’m just not sure it’s worth the risk to their self esteem to take the chance,” says Dr.Judy Strutz.

            Curriculum requirements mean that students are reading at earlier ages then years ago and are required to orally express their thoughts and understanding of problems. A frenum can impact a student’s ability to not only pronounce certain sounds but to also hear correct sounds when blending.  Research suggests students who are more engaged with their education have increased understanding of concepts.  A combination of increased rigor and increased competition in schools to perform at the top add an immense amount of pressure to a student.

            A child struggling to speak correctly because of this extra piece of skin between their teeth will many times experience decreased self-esteem, causing them to speak in school less and less. An inability to express their understanding of a problem has a tremendous impact on their overall educational opportunities and could impact them for years to come. When faced with these challenges against the ease of a minor laser procedure, the choice is easy.

A Prosthodontist, Not Just A Dentist

While a general dentist may advertise and provide support to you in the area of implants, dentures, jaw pain and other advanced smile techniques; a prosthodontist is a specialized dentist that takes these procedures to the next level. There is no reason for continual heartache and unhappiness with your smile, because Dr. Judy Strutz and her team can provide the smile you have been looking for.

 

Combined, the team at Dr.  Strutz’s office in San Bernardino, California have years of experience working on difficult cases. Including but not limited to full mouth restorations, dentures, and injuries of the mouth due to periodontal disease, accidents or malignancies.

Their goal from the time you enter the office to the time you leave is to provide a comprehensive plan that brings change and happiness to your life. Your overall career success can be impacted by cracked and broken teeth. Your sleep may be impacted by jaw pain. However, you do not need to spend one more minute in pain, discomfort or being embarrassed because there is a dedicated and hard-working group of individuals that want to give you back the smile you need to achieve your dreams. 

Dr. Strutz has extensive experience in working to fit dentures. She will craft and design the fit you need in order for you to have teeth that feel comfortable in your mouth. Without a proper fitting denture you maybe missing out on the nutrition you need to live a healthy lifestyle.

What Is A Prosthodontist?

Dr. JudyStrutz is not just a dentist; she’s also a prosthodontist. A prosthodontist receives an extra three years of specialized instruction that allow them to be certified in restoring beautiful smiles to create a youthful look.  If you have experienced trauma, the loss of your teeth due to periodontal disease or cancer, or you have cracked or broken teeth Dr. Strutz and her team of professionals can help create the smile you are looking for.

 Prosthodontists have specialized training to work with complex cases. Many times these cases are ones your general dentist, or even a dentist who says they specialize in cosmetics, may not have the same or possibly adequate experience to handle.  Dr. Strutz and her team will complete a comprehensive exam that assesses the health of your mouth, your current needs, and then develop a plan that will give you the smile you’re missing.

Prosthodontists have extensive training in esthetic dental work.  Millions of Americans are unhappy with their smile due to discoloration, cracked teeth, or misshapen teeth.  While some dentists take only a few courses on how to handle this situation, a prosthodontist is one of only nine American Dental Association recognized specialties and were truly the first cosmetic dentists. 

In order to provide the best possible outcome, it is important for the dental lab that a prosthodontist works with to be a high quality one. Dr. Strutz prides herself on working with labs that use the top techniques and advanced technology to correctly shape dentures to provide the best fit for you, or crowns and bridges that match existing teeth and restorations.  This lab work is critical to the fit and success of implants as well as other restorations and what helps make Dr. Strutz’s smile makeovers stand out.

Don’t delay, call today for your consultation.

Take Time For Your Smile

Dr. Strutz and her team know your smile is important and it is just as important that you take time to take care of it. Minor issues that come up with your smile can seem small and no big deal, however, it is important that you have minor cracks, and problems with your teeth taken care of before they become bigger problem.

While a small crack in one of your teeth can easily be fixed, a crack in your tooth can mean that your bite is off and once one tooth is cracked other teeth may be impacted which eventually may lead to high levels of pain and more significant damage.  A smile that is not as lustrous and taken care of can then begin to negatively impact opportunities in your career. Dr. Strutz, suggests, “A smile is one of the first things that is noticed about you when you interview for a job. Don’t let yours go untended.”

 Sensitivity to food or drinks can cause a nightmare in your everyday activities. While you may think that it is no big deal, many times this is the first symptom of a cracked tooth. If you have sensitivity for three to four days or the pain is consistent it may mean something is wrong. . Don’t wait.  Taking care of these types of problems can prevent you from having more expensive problems later on down the line. If you are suffering with tooth sensitivity, call today to learn how Dr. Strutz and her team can help.

Frenectomy & Your Child

You are so excited to see your new baby born, and you should be. But then you find she is fussy and can’t seem to latch on to the breast correctly. She has gas and stomach pains after feeding. What is the problem? You’ve removed certain foods from your diet that you were told might cause a problem.  Still something isn’t quite right. Finally, in despair, you consult a lactation consultant or your physician to learn your child has a thicker than normal piece of skin under the tongue or the upper lip. This is commonly called being lip-tied or tongue-tied depending upon where the excess tissue is found.

Not only does this condition impact how your baby feeds, especially if you are a nursing mom, but it can also create challenges in the future in their speech.

And it isn’t only the baby who suffers. Babies who have a maxillary frenum may be unable to move the tongue into the correct location to eat correctly. While an improper latch may not seem important at first, it can cause your child discomfort and lead you to be sore as well. Untreated, a lip or tongue-tied breastfeeding child can cause damage to the nipples and breasts that may eventually lead to an infection.

Midwives used to snip a baby’s excess tissue or frenum using their sharp fingernail however, there are much better ways to handle this condition today. Dr. Strutz and her team are able to use a specialized laser that takes this procedure and makes it simple. “The first step is to come in for an exam,” says Dr. Judith Strutz. Once the exam is completed, if appropriate, Dr. Strutz will be able to perform the procedure in a short amount of time.

After your baby’s procedure is finished you will receive some simple after-care instructions. And best of all, most babies are able to eat immediately after the procedure.

Don’t be frustrated another day. Babies as young as a day or two have had the procedure and parents have seen immediate results. Call today to learn if you and your child can be helped by Dr. Strutz and her team.

 

Frenum And Your Infant

Laser surgery can be done on a young infant if they have a maxillary frenum in order to help alleviate the problems that they cause. A frenum is a muscle that is thicker than it should be and attaches to either the upper gums or the lower tongue to the floor of the mouth. When an infant is born with tongue-tie or a frenum, surgery may be necessary.

The surgery can be completed by prosthodontist, Dr. JudithStrutz, using laser technology.  It is a relatively routine procedure and can be done upon an infant that is only a few short days old. Dr. Strutz will have you hold your baby close, she’ll numb the area and then delicately use the laser to remove the thick skin. Usually infants that are struggling to nurse before the surgery are able to eat almost directly after the surgery.

For an infant, a maxillary frenum can impact how a baby latches on when they are nursing. “A baby unable to latch on correctly can cause them to not receive the nutrition that they need. Also a breastfeeding mother can become sore from the child not latching on correctly,” says Dr.Strutz.   The area corrected by the laser procedure may be sore for a few days but should heal rather quickly. Your child may be a little drowsy, but should recover quickly.   When a laser is used the recovery time is shorter and sutures are not required. To learn more, call our office.

Laser Surgery and Frenums

Laser surgeries are more common in dentistry, and there are a number of procedures that can be completed now. Dr. Judith Strutz now performs laser surgery to correct Lip and/or Tongue-Ties.

There are two types of frenum ties and each one impacts the individual differently depending on the thickness of the skin, the location, and your age.

Tongue-tie, otherwise known as a lingual frenum, is a condition where the muscle inside the mouth and under the tongue is thicker than it is supposed to be. This extra skin may attach between the bottom lower teeth and make it difficult for you to say certain sounds because you are unable to stick or position your tongue correctly to make the right sounds. It may also be painful to eat and you may have difficulty removing food particles from your teeth with your tongue.  

A maxillary frenum is when the thicker skin on the outside of the teeth attaches to the inside of the lips.  An individual that is impacted with this type of frenum may struggle with saying particular speech sounds, eating maybe difficult and, depending on the thickness of the skin, it may push a gap between the two front teeth causing other dental concerns.

The surgery for tongue-tie used to be completed by a midwife that had a sharp nail and would cut the frenum when a baby was born as frenums can prohibit a breastfeeding mother to be successful. However, lucky for us technology has advanced where a special laser can be used to fix either type of frenum easily and quickly. Call Dr. Judith Strtuz today to learn more.