Good to know, from the team at mend.
Straight answers on aligners, whitening, emergencies and what things cost, written and reviewed by Dr. Sison.
A loose tooth as an adult: what it usually means and what I check first
An adult tooth should never feel loose. At mend dental in Irvine, the three usual causes are gum disease that has cost bone around the root, grinding that is overloading the tooth, or an…
Oct 15, 2026 · 4 min read · Dr. Monique Sison, DDS Read article
Whitening when you already have crowns or fillings: what changes and what won't
Whitening gel lightens natural enamel. It does nothing to porcelain crowns, veneers or tooth-colored fillings. At mend dental in Irvine, that is the first thing I explain to anyone over…
Read article Gum health
Gum disease and heart health: what the connection means for your checkups
Gum disease and heart disease are linked in research, and chronic inflammation is the likely common thread. Treating your gums is not a heart treatment, and I will not pretend it is. But…
Read article Adults 50+
Caring for an aging parent's teeth: what I want families to know
The three problems I see most in older parents are root decay, dry mouth from medications, and dentures or bridges that no longer fit. At mend dental in Irvine, it is often a son or…
Read article Adults 50+
Blood thinners and dental work: what to tell me before your appointment
Do not stop a blood thinner before dental work on your own. At mend dental in Irvine, most visits go ahead with no change to your medication, and for the few that need planning, I…
Read article Emergency
Tooth pain when you chew on one side: what I look for first
One-sided chewing pain is one of the most common calls we get at mend dental in Irvine. Four things explain most of it: a cracked tooth, a filling that sits high, a cavity between two…
Read article Prevention
Do adults need fluoride? Who still benefits after childhood
Not every adult needs professional fluoride. The ones who do are easy to identify: exposed roots, a dry mouth, a recent cavity, or all-day sipping of coffee or soda. At mend dental in…
Read article Prevention
Cavities at the gumline: why roots decay and how we stop them
Once gums pull back, the root surface they used to cover is exposed, and root surface is not enamel. It is softer, it decays faster, and it is the most common place I find new cavities…
Read article Adults 50+
Antibiotics before dental work: when I ask you to premedicate
Most people do not need antibiotics before a cleaning or filling. At mend dental in Irvine, I ask a few specific questions about your heart and joints at your first visit, and for a…
Read article Insurance & pricing
Using leftover dental benefits before the year ends
Most dental PPO plans give you an annual maximum, often around $1,500, and whatever you have not used by December 31 disappears. At mend dental in Irvine, we can tell you exactly what is…
Read article Prevention
Acid reflux and your teeth: what I see when enamel wears thin
Stomach acid wears teeth differently than a toothbrush does. At mend dental in Irvine, I often spot reflux in the mouth before a patient has connected the sour taste on waking to the new…
Read article Emergency
Toothache that comes and goes: when I treat it vs when we watch
Pain that fades is not pain that is gone. At mend dental in Irvine, an intermittent toothache still gets a cold test, a bite check and an X-ray, because cracks, dying nerves and bite…
Read article Invisalign
When clear aligners are the right call (and when they're not)
Clear aligners are a category. Invisalign is the system I use when the case fits. At mend dental in Irvine, whether aligners are the right call comes down to three things: your bite,…
Read article Restorative
How long a dental bridge lasts, and how I help you keep it
A well-made bridge often lasts many years. What shortens its life is almost never the bridge itself. It is decay in the anchor teeth underneath, gum disease around them, or grinding. At…
Read article Prevention
What I check for oral cancer at every dental visit
Every exam at mend dental in Irvine includes an oral cancer screening. It takes about two minutes, you may not even notice it happening, and it is the part of the checkup most likely to…
Read article Gum health
Periodontal maintenance: why your cleaning changes after gum treatment
After a deep cleaning, you do not go back to a regular cleaning twice a year. At mend dental in Irvine, you move to periodontal maintenance every three to four months, because treated…
Read article Emergency
Tooth abscess warning signs: when facial swelling means call today
If one side of your face is swelling, call us today. At mend dental in Irvine, a tooth abscess is one of the few dental problems I treat as same-day, because the infection can spread…
Read article Cosmetic
Cosmetic dentistry without veneers: the small changes I try first
Most people who ask me about veneers do not need them. At mend dental in Irvine, I start with the smallest change that gets you the smile you want, and most of the time that is…
Read article Prevention
When I watch a small cavity instead of filling it
If you have heard me say "let's watch that one," it was not me being lazy. At mend dental in Irvine, I monitor early decay that has not broken through the enamel, because with fluoride…
Read article Adults 50+
Osteoporosis medication and dental work: what I ask before we treat
If you take a bisphosphonate (Fosamax, Boniva, Actonel, Reclast) or denosumab (Prolia), tell me before any extraction or implant. At mend dental in Irvine, that one detail changes how I…
Read article Gum health
My gums are still bleeding after two weeks of better brushing. Now what?
If you have brushed gently and flossed daily for two weeks and your gums still bleed, the problem is below where your brush can reach. At mend dental in Irvine, that is the point where I…
Read article Restorative
When I recommend a dental onlay instead of a full crown
Whenever enough healthy tooth remains to bond to. At mend dental in Irvine, an onlay covers only the damaged part of the tooth and leaves the healthy walls alone. A crown covers…
Read article Restorative
Should I replace my old silver fillings?
Not automatically. At mend dental in Irvine, I leave a sound silver filling alone and replace one when it is cracked, leaking, or hiding decay underneath. The filling's age is not the…
Read article Adults 50+
Dental care after 50 in Irvine: gums, dry mouth, and keeping your teeth
Looking for a dentist in Irvine who plans care differently after 50? At mend dental I build those visits around gum health, dry mouth from medications, root sensitivity, oral cancer…
Read article New patients
Getting a second opinion on dental work in Irvine
Looking for a second opinion dentist in Irvine? Bring your X-rays to mend dental and I will tell you what I see, including when I agree with the first plan.
Read article Invisalign
Invisalign for adults in Irvine: what changes in your 40s and 50s
Yes, adults in their 40s and 50s are often strong Invisalign candidates at mend dental in Irvine. What changes with age is not whether teeth can move. It is whether gums, bone, bite…
Read article Comfort
Sedation dentistry in Irvine: when I recommend it (and when I don’t)
Sedation dentistry in Irvine is a tool at mend dental, not a default. I recommend nitrous oxide (laughing gas) when anxiety or a longer procedure truly needs it, and I skip it when…
Read article Gum health
Why mend has a periodontist in the same office
Why does mend dental in Irvine have a periodontist in the same office? Because once gum disease moves past a regular cleaning, you need specialist-level care without losing the team that…
Read article Emergency
Cracked tooth: fix it, crown it, or watch it?
Cracked a tooth and wondering whether to fix it, crown it, or watch it? At mend dental in Irvine, cracks that hurt when you bite, leave a sharp edge, or risk splitting the tooth need…
Read article Everyday care
Night guard for grinding: when I recommend one (and when I don’t)
Looking for a night guard for grinding in Irvine? At mend dental, I recommend a custom night guard when clenching or grinding is wearing enamel, stressing fillings, or leaving your jaw…
Read article Prevention
Dry mouth from medications: why careful brushers still get cavities
If you brush carefully and still get cavities, less saliva is often why: many common medications dry the mouth, and dry teeth stay under acid longer. At mend dental in Irvine, I check…
Read article Gum health
Gum recession: why roots get sensitive and when I treat it
Cold drinks that sting near the gumline, or teeth that suddenly look longer, usually mean the gum has pulled back and left root surface exposed. At mend dental in Irvine, I treat that…
Read article Emergency
My crown came off: what to do before you get to the office
If your crown came off, keep it, rinse it gently, and call the same day. At mend dental in Irvine, we can often recement an intact crown in a short visit, or protect the tooth with a…
Read article Restorative
Dental implant vs bridge: how I help you choose for one missing tooth
Both a dental implant and a bridge can replace one missing tooth. The better choice depends on the neighboring teeth, the bone under the gap, your bite, and how long you want the result…
Read article Gum health
Diabetes and your gums: what I watch for at dental visits
Blood sugar and gum inflammation affect each other, so dental visits matter more when you have diabetes. Research links gum disease with diabetes control, which is why I watch your gums…
Read article Restorative
How long do dental crowns last, and when I recommend replacing one
Well-made dental crowns often last many years with normal home care and regular checkups. How long yours lasts depends on your bite, grinding habits, decay at the edge of the crown, and…
Read article Emergency
Toothache on a Saturday? What to do until we open
First-aid steps for the most common dental emergencies, what helps, what makes it worse, and when to skip us and go to the ER.
Read article Insurance & pricing
Is a dental membership worth it without insurance?
The math behind mend’s $399 annual plan, how it compares with buying insurance yourself, and who should skip it.
Read article Cosmetic
Veneers vs. bonding: which one fixes a chipped tooth?
Two very different price points and procedures that can look identical on day one. How much tooth each removes, and how each ages.
Read article New patients
What actually happens at a first visit to mend
The scan, the X-rays, the conversation, and what you leave with. The whole 90-minute first appointment, in order.
Read article Whitening
Does whitening hurt? Why KöR is different
Sensitivity is the number one reason people quit whitening. Why teeth zing, why KöR rarely does, and how to whiten comfortably.
Read article Prevention
"I've never had a cavity": why careful people still get them
You brush, you floss, nothing hurts. So why is there a cavity now? Dry mouth, aging fillings and the spots a brush can't reach.
Read article Gum health
What your bleeding gums are actually telling you
Pink in the sink is not a reason to floss less. What bleeding means at each stage, and why a deep cleaning isn't an upsell.
Read article New patients
How to choose a dentist, from a dentist
Do they show you the X-ray? How often do they say "let's wait"? Who owns the practice? What I'd look for if I were choosing.
Read article Cosmetic
Why we told a patient to straighten her teeth instead of selling her veneers
She came in wanting six veneers. I recommended Invisalign first. Why veneers on a crowded bite chip, and how it turned out.
Read article Invisalign
Invisalign vs. braces: which is right for your smile?
Both work. The right one depends on your teeth, your bite and your life. How I compare appearance, comfort, treatment time, complex cases and cost.
Read article Invisalign
How Invisalign works at mend dental, from first scan to last tray
From the first 3D scan to your last tray: how treatment works at mend, who it suits, and what to expect along the way.
Read article Cosmetic
Crowns vs. veneers: what's the difference, and which do you need?
A veneer is a cosmetic layer. A crown is structural protection. Once you see it that way, the choice usually makes itself.
Read article Invisalign
Traveling with Invisalign: 7 tips to stay on track while you’re away
Business trip or long-overdue vacation, your aligners can come along without slowing your progress. A packing list, wear-time rules, and what to do if a tray goes missing.
Read article