Steve Lim, DMD, is a highly trained prosthodontist at the Center for Advanced Dentistry in San Jose, California. He provides the highest quality care with a caring, compassionate, and human touch because he believes that comfort is key in dentistry.

In addition to his work at the Center for Advanced Dentistry, Dr. Lim maintains a private practice in San Jose, and hes the president and CEO of APS Global Ventures, LLC, a company that uses CAD-CAM milling technology to manufacture dental implant components.

Dr. Lim loves to promote education and development. For that reason, he helped found and directs two continuing education groups for other dental professionals: the San Francisco Study Club and the Spear Study Group in San Jose, California.

Dr. Derek Tang is a Bay Area native and graduated from the University of California, Davis with a major in Biological Sciences and a minor in Psychology. He also received a Masters degree in Biological Sciences from San Jose State, before graduating with Honors from the University of Utah School of Dentistry with his doctorate in dental surgery.

Dr. Tang is passionate about providing the best personalized dental experience in a gentle manner. He is committed to taking continuing education courses in dentistry so he can deliver the highest-quality care for his patients. Dr. Tang is currently an active member of the Mid-Peninsula Dental Society, California Dental Association, and American Dental Association.

Dr. Phan is a dentist and a medical doctor with advanced specialty training in all oral surgical procures. He treats patients of all ages, from those requiring simple tooth removals to the most challenging anatomically placed teeth requiring complex oral surgery.

The practice leads with kindness and follows with expertise. The Center for Advanced Dentistry team is composed of dentists, dental hygienists, orthodontists, and prosthodontists recognized for their innovation, dedication, talent, and compassion.

There are two main types of dental implants: endosteal and subperiosteal. An endosteal implant is the most common and involves your dentist placing a screw or other abutment in your jawbone surgically.

For a subperiosteal implant, your dentist ensures the framework posts protrude from your gums to support the implants. Subperiosteal implants are ideal for patients who have a minimal bone height or can't wear conventional dentures.

A bridge, extraction, or dentures are potential alternatives to a dental implant. Your dentist can discuss your needs, desired outcome, and pricing to determine your situation's best course of action.

Invisalign is an orthodontic treatment that uses clear plastic aligner trays to straighten your teeth and jaw. It's a popular alternative to traditional metal braces that offers patients a more comfortable, convenient, and aesthetically pleasing approach to orthodontic care. Over 8 million people worldwide have used Invisalign to get a straighter and healthier smile.

Your provider designs your Invisalign aligner tray to fit snugly over your teeth and exert a small but constant pressure that gradually pushes them towards a straighter position in your mouth. Over time, this continuous pressure causes your teeth to shift into their desired arrangement.

If this method sounds familiar, it's because it's the same basic principles on which traditional metal braces operate. The difference is that your Invisalign aligners accomplish this task with an added degree of comfort, convenience, and cosmetic appeal.

When your teeth or jaw are misaligned, it distributes the force in your bite unevenly, which can lead to excessive wear and tear in localized areas of your mouth. Uneven bite force can also cause pain in your jaw muscles and lead to TMJ disorder. Straightening your teeth makes your biting force more evenly distributed across your mouth, alleviating these symptoms.

Straight teeth are also easier to keep clean. If you have crooked or crowded teeth, there are simply more areas for plaque and debris to collect, and if you have particularly tricky nooks and crannies in your smile, it might be more challenging to remove that buildup, which can lead to tooth decay and gum disease. By straightening your teeth, you make it easier to stay healthy.

** Invisalign, the Invisalign logo, and iTero, among others, are trademarks and/ or service marks of Align Technology, Inc. or one of its subsidiaries or affiliated companies and may be registered in the U.S. and/or other countries.

A root canal is a restorative dental procedure in which your Center for Advanced Dentistry provider cleans, disinfects, and repairs the inside of your tooth, or its pulp, to restore it and protect the tooth from future damage. You might need a root canal if your tooth is severely decayed or infected.

To find out if you're a good candidate for a root canal, your Center for Advanced Dentistry specialist asks about your symptoms and reviews your oral health history. They take dental X-rays and examine your teeth and gums. In the case of severe decay or trauma, an extraction might be the best option. For minor corrosion or tooth damage, your dentist might recommend a tooth-colored dental filling or crown instead of a root canal.

If a root canal is the best dental restoration procedure for you, your dentist can numb the treatment area so you don't feel any pain during the process. They make an opening in the top part of your tooth and remove the pulp or tissue in the inner tooth chamber.

Your provider cleans the canals, uses medication to get rid of bacteria, and fills root canals with specialized dental materials or a tiny post to support a crown. Crowns are like caps that fit over your teeth to protect them from future damage and decay. The team at Center for Advanced Dentistry creates custom, long-lasting crowns to give you the best result.

After a root canal, your tooth might feel a little sensitive for a few days. Take over-the-counter pain relievers as needed for relief. Care for your teeth at home by brushing twice a day and flossing your teeth daily. Call your dentist if a crown becomes loose or damaged and attend routine dental cleanings and exams every six months.

Teeth whitening is a cosmetic dental procedure in which your dentist uses professional-strength products to significantly whiten your teeth, improve their overall appearance, and help you gain confidence. The experts at the Center for Advanced Dentistry offer ZOOM! and Opalescence products to give you the most desirable outcomes.

To find out if you're a good candidate for in-office or at-home teeth whitening, your dentist reviews your oral health history and desired outcome. They also complete a dental exam and might take dental X-rays if you're due for them. Your dentist tailors each tooth whitening treatment to your needs.

Proper at-home oral hygiene is the best way to keep your teeth white between dental visits. Brush your teeth at least two times daily, floss daily, and attend routine teeth cleanings with the Center for Advanced Dentistry experts.

Whether you're having pain in your teeth, gums or experience an unexpected trauma, you may need immediate dental care. The team at the Center for Advanced Dentistry provides emergency dental care, regardless of the time of day.

Quickly getting care for your issue can be vital to saving your tooth and keeping your oral health in check. Your dentist is highly skilled, as well as compassionate toward your problem. The trained professionals at our practice know how to keep you calm and treat your emergency with the gentle care you need to get you back to your daily routine.

If your mouth is bleeding, try to stay calm and apply a sterile cloth to the cut to stop the bleeding. If you have swelling, you can also put a cold compress on the area to relieve your pain and decrease inflammation.

Sleep apnea is a type of sleep disorder where you repeatedly start and stop breathing or gasp for air while you sleep. Obstructive sleep apnea is a common form of sleep apnea that obstructs breathing because your throat muscles relax, narrowing your airway.

Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when your tongue gets stuck against the back of your throat and narrows or blocks your upper airway, causing breathing pauses or shallow breathing. Risk factors for developing it include:

To determine if you have sleep apnea, your dentist reviews your symptoms and medical history. They examine your mouth, throat, and breathing and might recommend you complete home sleep tests to measure oxygen levels, heart rate, and airflow patterns while you sleep.

The dental experts at the Center for Advanced Dentistry can customize an oral appliance you wear at night to reduce or eliminate snoring and breathing problems. Oral appliances for sleep apnea are small, flexible mouthpieces. They properly position your upper and lower jaw to keep your airway open and give you a restful night's sleep.

A continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device is another sleep apnea treatment that uses air pressure, tubes, and a mask to push your tongue forward and open your airway during sleep. It can reduce snoring and prevent breathing problems.

Porcelain and ceramic veneers are tooth-colored shells that can drastically improve the appearance of your teeth by enhancing their color, shape, and size. Veneers produce the look of beautiful natural teeth without invasive dental work or downtime. Your dentist creates custom-fit veneers to meet your personalized needs and desired outcome.

Veneers are durable and long-lasting, offering the aesthetically pleasing smile you've longed for. They look and feel just like your natural teeth. Unlike other cosmetic procedures, your dentist has to remove only a tiny amount of enamel from your teeth before placing the veneers.

To find out if veneers are the proper aesthetic dental procedure for you, the specialists at the Center for Advanced Dentistry review your oral health history and desired outcome. They examine your teeth and gums and might take dental X-rays. Other cosmetic dentistry options include dental bonding, crowns, bridges, dental implants, and dentures.

Before veneer placement, your dentist cleans your teeth and removes old surface restorations. They take impressions of your prepared teeth and send the information to a dental lab, where technicians create custom-fit veneers.

When the veneers are ready, your provider uses special resins and a curing light to bond veneer shells to the front and sides of your teeth. Your dentist shapes and polishes the veneers to perfect your smile. The procedure is fast and painless but produces impressive cosmetic results.

To maintain the integrity of your new veneers, brush your teeth at least two times daily. Floss every day and avoid chewing on ice and other hard objects. Attend routine teeth cleanings and dental exams every six months. Call the Center for Advanced Dentistry team if your veneers get damaged or become loose.

Your permanent crown can be made of metal, stainless steel, porcelain-fused-to-metal, ceramic, zirconia, or a resin composite. The material depends upon your budget, the amount of sustained by your tooth, where the damage is, which tooth needs a crown, and other factors that your provider will discuss with you.

The first step to placing a crown involves your provider removing the outer layer of the tooth, along with any decay. They may need to perform a core buildup by inserting a post and covering it with a dental filling to create a surface to attach the crown.