A Cosmetic Dentist Can Correct a Damaged Smile

At New York Dental Office, we are a cosmetic dentist that can correct and restore your damaged teeth.  We focus on preventative care in order to help our patients to stay in excellent oral health.  Still, when accidents happen, teeth are often damaged in the process.  Whether in a car wreck or sports injury, teeth can become cracked, chipped or even knocked out. In the past, a damaged tooth may have been pulled.  Now, we have a wide variety of solutions for saving your tooth and helping it to look like nothing ever happened. 

One common procedure that we offer is dental veneers.  A veneer is a thin shell that is placed onto the surface of the tooth.  The natural tooth remains intact while the veneer restores the damage so that the tooth can function and appear as it did before.  Veneers can help with small cracks and chips while also addressing cosmetic concerns like dark stains and gaps in between teeth.  Our patients use this procedure to both physically and cosmetically improve their damaged teeth and smile. 

When a tooth has suffered more significant damage, or a large portion of the enamel is gone, a dental crown is often a better solution.  A dental crown can be made of all-ceramic, ceramic-on-metal, and all-metal.  As a patient, you can select the material based on where the crown will be placed within your mouth.  We recommend all-ceramic for front teeth since it looks the most natural and will still do an excellent job at protecting and restoring it.  Unlike a dental veneer, a crown surrounds the tooth which makes it a better option for teeth that need protecting.  As a cosmetic dentist, we can have crowns created to match the exact shade of the surrounding teeth so that it will blend in seamlessly. 

As a cosmetic dentist, we can also perform more basic bonding procedures and treat teeth that are infected.  All of the materials we use look like natural teeth so that you can restore damage without looking like you ever had a problem.  This is ideal for people that want to address their health needs while simultaneously improving their appearance. Cosmetic dentistry allows us to do both at the same time. 

If a tooth has fallen out we have additional options for replacing it.  We can use a dental bridge to replace it by putting a crown on the two teeth surrounding the missing one.  They in turn hold a “bridge” in place along with a synthetic tooth.  This is a permanent way to replace teeth without surgery. Patients that are looking for a long-term and durable solution for replacing teeth can use dental implants to do so.  In this procedure, a metal post is implanted under the gums and secured to the jawbone.  Once the bone and metal have fused together, it will form a secure root system that is as strong as a natural one would be.  A crown is secured to it for a replacement tooth that looks and behaves like a natural one.  

As a cosmetic dentist, these are only a few of the ways we can restore missing and damaged teeth in order to improve our patients’ smiles. 

Use These Teeth Brushing Tips From New York Dental Office

At New York Dental Office, we treat patients of all ages and help them to stay in good oral health.  We recommend having your teeth cleaned at least twice a year so that we can remove bacteria, plaque and tartar and prevent cavities.  This is an important part of preventative oral health care but should only be half of your routine.  You must also brush and floss your teeth at home in order to keep cavities and gum disease from forming. 

Many people make the mistake of thinking that if they brush their teeth once or twice a day; they are doing enough to stay healthy.  Unfortunately, this is not the case.  How you brush your teeth, what you use to do it, and how often all impacts whether or not your teeth and gums will stay healthy.  Use these tips to make sure that you get the best clean possible. 

• Buy a new toothbrush.  When you visit New York Dental Office, we will give you a new toothbrush to take home with you.  It needs to be replaced every three months before the bristles start to fray.  Once they do, you will no longer get as good of a clean.  If you notice that your toothbrush starts to smell bad or look stained during those three months, replace it immediately as that could be a sign of bacteria. 
• Soft vs. hard.  A soft toothbrush is much better for you because it won’t damage the enamel on your teeth.  When you use a hard one or brush too aggressively, the enamel can be stripped away and the dentin underneath exposed.  Dentin is extremely porous and when exposed can lead to tooth sensitivity. 
• Brush away from your gums.  In order to prevent gum disease you need to keep bacteria, plaque and food particles away from your gums.  When you brush, do so in a circular motion that starts at the gum line and brushes away from it towards the center of our mouth.  This will help your gums to stay healthy. 
• Brush often.  Carry a small travel toothbrush with you and use it throughout the day.  If you brush after every meal, you will remove the sugar right away and reduce your risk of getting cavities.  You will also have better breath, and your teeth will be less likely to become stained, so it benefits all of your oral health. 
• Use toothpaste.  Most people use toothpaste but more importantly – use the right toothpaste.  Buy one that has the American Dental Association seal of approval and make sure that it contains fluoride for cavity protection.  When you brush with fluoride toothpaste, you are strengthening your teeth by putting minerals onto them. 

At New York Dental Office, we remind patients that you need to brush for as long as it takes to get your teeth clean.  If they don’t feel clean afterwards, floss your teeth and brush again.  If you feel like they are still dirty, you may have tartar deposits on your teeth that can only be removed by a dentist.