Dr. DeJesus is the dentist and owner. She does the exams, fillings, crowns and tooth removals herself.
General dentist · Santa Rosa
Ask what your filling is made of.
Dr. Alba DeJesus is a general dentist in a small Santa Rosa office. She names each material, says why she would use it and what else could do the job, and leaves the choice with you.
The materials guide
What goes into a filling or a crown
Before any work, you can ask what it is made of. Here are the materials we use or get asked about most, in plain words. This guide is about dental materials. It is not a substitute for medical care.
Composite resin: the tooth-colored filling
A mix of plastic and fine glass or ceramic particles. It is placed in thin layers and hardened with a blue light. It bonds to the tooth, so less of the tooth has to be shaped away, and the color can be matched to your teeth. Over the years it can stain or wear, and a large filling may need to be redone sooner than a small one.
Glass ionomer: the filling that sets on its own
Glass powder mixed with a water-based acid. It sets without a light, bonds to the tooth and gives off a little fluoride. It is softer than composite, so it is used where there is less chewing force: near the gumline, on baby teeth, or as a short-term filling.
Amalgam: the silver-colored filling
Silver, tin and copper mixed with liquid mercury, which binds them into a hard filling. It has been used for well over a century and it is strong. We place composite here, not amalgam. If you have amalgam fillings that are holding up, Dr. DeJesus leaves them alone and checks their edges at your exams. She tells you when one needs to be redone and why.
Porcelain and other ceramics: crowns, onlays and veneers
Glass-based ceramics are tooth-colored and are milled or pressed into a shape that covers or replaces part of a tooth. Some are strong enough for back teeth. Some are thin and can chip under a heavy bite, so we talk about your bite and any grinding before choosing one.
The rest of the list, with a table to compare them, is on the materials page.
Your dentist
Dr. DeJesus explains before she starts
A visit here starts with a conversation, before anyone leans back in the chair.
Dr. Alba DeJesus is the dentist and owner. She shows you the tooth, says what she sees, lays out the options and what each one involves, and then you decide. If the answer is to wait and watch, she says so.
How the office works
Care is provided by a general dentist
A written estimate before treatment
Questions about materials answered in plain words
A team of four, so you see the same faces
What we do
General dentistry, and the limits of it
Five kinds of visit, each with a page that says what happens, what to expect and how it is billed.
Cleanings and exams
A cleaning, and a look at your teeth, gums and bite with Dr. DeJesus telling you what she sees.
Cleanings and examsFillings and crowns
Repairing a tooth that has a cavity or a crack, with the material named before the work.
Fillings and crownsTooth removal
When a tooth can't be kept: what happens, what to eat and what the options are for the space.
Tooth removalNight guards and jaw
A guard for grinding or clenching, and a look at a sore or clicking jaw.
Night guards and jawSleep and airway
Questions we ask about snoring and tiredness, and when we write to your physician.
Sleep and airwayWhat we don't do
Dentistry has limits. This page says what this office leaves to your physician or to another dentist.
What we don't do
Your first visit
What happens, in order
Plan on about an hour for a first visit.
- 01
Step 1: Before you come
After you ask for a visit, Wes Hayward calls or texts you and sends the new-patient forms to your email.
- 02
Step 2: We talk
You say what you'd like to know, and what worries you. Dr. DeJesus asks about your teeth and about any allergies or sensitivities.
- 03
Step 3: The exam
Yasmeen Alavi cleans your teeth if that's planned. Dr. DeJesus then looks at your teeth, gums and bite, and takes X-rays only if she needs them.
- 04
Step 4: Your options, in writing
If something needs work, you get the options, the material she would use and a written estimate to take home.
The people
Four people, one front door
A small office. You see the same faces each visit.
Yasmeen cleans your teeth and shows you how your gums are doing, without a lecture.
Kristine Aquino
Registered dental assistant, RDA
- Registered dental assistant license (RDA) · CA License no. 000000
Kristine sets up each visit and works beside Dr. DeJesus at the chair.
Wes Hayward
Office manager
Wes books visits, writes your estimate and answers questions about paying.
The office
Add your photos
Photos of a patient's results belong to the patient. The practice shares one only with the patient's written permission, so this gallery shows the office until then. The owner replaces the sample photos with their own.
Sample photos.
In patients' words
What patients tell us
“I asked what the filling was made of and she told me, then told me what else she could have used. I hadn't had a dentist do that.”
Tina B.Patient
“She looked at my old fillings and said they were fine. No sales pitch, just a plan to check them again next year.”
Orlando V.Patient
“The estimate was on paper before anything started, and it matched the bill.”
Afia K.Patient
Sample reviews.
Questions
Before you ask for a visit
Do you place amalgam fillings?
No. We place composite, a tooth-colored material. If you already have amalgam fillings that are holding up, Dr. DeJesus leaves them alone and checks them at your exams.
Will it hurt?
A cleaning rarely does. If you need numbing for a filling, Dr. DeJesus uses a gel first and then a local anesthetic, and you can ask for a break at any time by raising a hand.
Do you take my insurance?
We file claims for you with dental plans, and what a plan pays is the plan's decision. The fees page lists the plan types and what to ask your plan before you come.
Can I get an estimate first?
Yes. You can ask for a written estimate before any treatment. If you're paying without insurance, we give you one in advance, when you schedule or whenever you ask.
Ask your questions before you book
Send a request and Wes will call or text you back with a time. Please leave out health details; for anything urgent, call us.