Sunset Dental provides restorative and specialty dental services for patients in Ventura, Oxnard, and Camarillo. Dr. Ronald Atanay, a UCLA School of Dentistry graduate with 35+ years of clinical experience, handles dental implants, porcelain crowns, root canals, TMJ treatment, and dental sealants from one dentist office in Ventura. Call 805-676-1800 to schedule a consultation.
A dental implant is a titanium post surgically placed into the jawbone to replace a missing tooth root. Once the bone fuses to the post over several months, a custom porcelain crown is attached on top. The result looks, feels, and functions like a natural tooth.
Implants are the preferred long-term tooth replacement option. Unlike a bridge, implants do not require grinding down adjacent teeth. They also prevent the jawbone loss that occurs when a tooth root is missing.
Dr. Atanay evaluates bone density, gum health, and overall oral condition before recommending implants. Digital X-rays taken at Sunset Dental give a precise view of bone structure and placement sites. Good candidates have adequate bone density, healthy gums, and no untreated decay or gum disease.
A porcelain crown fully covers a damaged tooth to restore its shape, strength, and appearance. Crowns are placed when decay or fracture has damaged too much tooth structure for a filling to repair.
Dr. Atanay prepares the tooth by removing damaged material and filing it to accept the crown. A digital impression is taken and sent to a dental lab. A temporary crown protects the tooth while the permanent restoration is fabricated. At the second appointment, the permanent porcelain crown is cemented in place.
Crowns also cover dental implants, anchor bridges, and protect teeth after root canal treatment. Insured patients at Sunset Dental receive $100 off the crown and bridge copay.
Root canal treatment is needed when the dental pulp (the nerve and tissue inside the tooth) is irreversibly damaged by decay or trauma. Without treatment, the tooth becomes infected and must be extracted.
Dr. Atanay cleans and shapes each root canal, fills the canals with an inert material, seals the tooth, and typically restores it with a crown. The procedure is performed under local anesthesia. Most patients say it is no more uncomfortable than a routine filling. Avoiding treatment leads to infection, abscess, and tooth loss.
Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ or TMD) affects the jaw joint and surrounding muscles. It causes jaw pain, clicking or popping sounds when opening and closing the mouth, headaches, earaches, and difficulty chewing. More than 10 million people in the US have TMD.
Common causes include teeth grinding (bruxism), jaw clenching, arthritis in the joint, injury, and stress. Dr. Atanay diagnoses TMD through a thorough oral exam, palpation of the jaw joint, and digital X-rays.
Treatment options depend on the cause and severity. Dr. Atanay may recommend a custom night guard to reduce grinding forces, bite correction work, or referral to an oral surgeon for more complex cases. He gives you a clear explanation of what is causing the problem and what the treatment involves before you commit.
Dental sealants are a thin protective coating applied to the chewing surfaces of back teeth. The grooves in molars and premolars collect food and bacteria that brushing alone does not reach. Sealants fill those grooves and create a smooth surface that is easy to clean.
The application takes a few minutes per tooth, is completely painless, and requires no drilling or anesthesia. Sealants are most commonly placed on children’s first and second permanent molars as soon as they erupt. Adults with deep unrestored grooves also benefit. Sealants last five or more years and are checked at routine exams.
The titanium post is designed to be permanent. With proper care, it typically lasts a lifetime. The crown on top may need replacement after 10 to 15 years depending on wear.
The tooth is fully numb before treatment begins. Most patients report post-procedure soreness for one to three days, managed with over-the-counter pain medication. Leaving an infected tooth untreated causes significantly more pain and leads to extraction.
Yes. Dr. Atanay at Sunset Dental in Ventura diagnoses and treats TMD. If your case requires a specialist, he will refer you and explain why.