Big Plans Deserve Bright White Smiles

DO YOU HAVE A graduation, reunion, vacation, or wedding coming up? These occasions mean LOTS of photographs. Are you ready? Whether you’re in the wedding party, a parent to the bride or groom, or just prepping yourself to see old friends, you want to look your best for all those photos.

Your Smile Is The FIRST Thing People Notice

While you’re shopping for the perfect dress, or weighing in at the gym, consider this:

• Most people list a smile as the FIRST thing they notice about a person.
• 96% of adults believe an attractive smile makes you more appealing to the opposite sex.
• Since yellowing teeth are a sign of age, whitening is one of the quickest, most effective ways to look and feel younger.

The good news is that we offer great whitening options for our patients.

Our one hour in-chair process using Award winning Opalesence Boost get great results. It works best if you have your teeth cleaned within one month before the whitening process. It cleans the outside of the teeth to remove stains and then soaks into the teeth to bleach the teeth whiter with peroxide. We then apply desensitizing paste to help reduce any tenderness from the process.

Call us at 212-838-6226 for an appointment.

Dental Laminates Can Improve Your Smile

If you are looking for a solution that will improve your appearance – try dental laminates.  In our dentist office, we treat patients throughout New York that are looking to change how they look - namely their smile.  This is understandable considering that both men and women state that an attractive smile is the best quality that someone can have, and people with a beautiful smile are even more likely to be hired for a new job or to get a raise.  In a highly competitive world – your smile matters.  But what if your teeth are yellow, stained, damaged, or a funny shape? In this case, you can visit our cosmetic dentist office for treatment.

Technology has continued to improve to the point where there are few if any, aesthetic issues with your teeth that we cannot correct.  Whether you have gaps in between your two front teeth, they are crooked or are dull in appearance – we can help.  Even if your teeth are too small for your appearance, we can correct that too.  For this reason, we recommend that you schedule a consultation so that we can examine your teeth and gums, take x-rays and create a treatment plan that will address all of your needs.

Very often, we recommend dental laminates.  This is a diverse solution that works well to restore damaged teeth or to correct aesthetic challenges.  Laminates are bonded to the surface of your natural teeth, so you do not need oral surgery to take advantage of this option.  This means that your recovery time would be far less than if you were to use dental implants to replace your current teeth.  In most cases, this is unnecessary because we can keep your current teeth in place and simply change their appearance.  By leaving them, your roots and tooth structure remain intact, giving your jawbone the stimulation it needs to avoid resorption.  However, if you do need to have a tooth replaced, we can provide you with implants along with your dental laminates.

To create laminates in the perfect size, shape, and shade, we will being by making an impression of your teeth, taking measurements and reviewing a shade card with you.  That way you can select a shade of white that you are comfortable with.  Everyone has their ideal shade of white, so we want to make sure that your laminates fit within your expectations.  While they are being created in the dental lab, we will go to work preparing your teeth.  Since they are bonded to the surface of your teeth, we will remove a portion of the enamel before doing so.  This will ensure that they lay flat and that your teeth do not look overly large.  Since this is often done before your dental laminates are ready, we will secure a temporary set to your teeth to protect them while you wait for the final version to be finished.  Once done, we will remove your temporaries and permanently bond your laminates in place. This will give you a beautiful and natural-looking new smile.

Tooth Colored Fillings Can Restore Your Tooth

Tooth colored fillings are one of those essential components to a dentist visit. When you have cavities, we have to work to remove the decay and then replace the portion of the enamel that we have removed. In addition, the decay tends to eat away some of the enamel, which also has to be replaced. Most people understand that a cavity is caused by bacteria, which leaves a small hole in the tooth. What most of our patients, who come in for dental fillings, do not know is that much of the time your teeth can repair themselves with the help of the minerals in saliva, fluoride, and water. Saliva contains vital minerals like calcium and phosphate, which the enamel can use in self-preservation. However, over the course of time the repeated introduction of food acids leads to a depletion of the natural mineral necessary to sustain a tooth. Often you may notice a white spot on the tooth when this is happening. The bacteria, which occurs naturally in your mouth, forms a thin layer of film over the teeth known as plaque. Every time starchy foods or sugars are introduced to the teeth, the bacteria in this plaque produces acid. Eventually, the acid wears the enamel down, and you find yourself needing Tooth colored fillings.

When it comes to dental fillings, we are passionate about constantly improving the technology that makes dental fillings even better for our patients. There are a number of people who remember that not so long ago when we used to place fillings they were made of metal or amalgam. Today there are a number of different options, including white fillings. Tooth colored fillings can be the same color as your natural teeth, which means they are barely even seen. This allows us to fill teeth closer to the front while giving you a better looking filling. The innovation, however, continues.

A few years ago a laboratory at the University of Maryland Dental School developed a new type of filling that not only fills in the cavity but also works to ensure that if there are any residual bacteria left in the cavity, the filling will kill it. To do this, the filling incorporates silver nanoparticles and ammonia. These two components are both known to kill bacteria. Enamel has the ability to heal itself, and with the help of this new technology we would be able to encourage this healing so that the tooth can replace the tissue lost to decay. While there is still a lot of testing that needs to be done on this technology, and some concerns with the use of silver nanoparticles with regard to how they relate to the overall wellbeing of a person, we are definitely on the road to creating solution that work to kill all bacteria and give the enamel the opportunity to heal naturally.

New York Dental Office  >  Dentistry

The Ins and Outs of Using Dental Veneers

What are dental veneers?

Dental veneers are wafer-thin pieces of porcelain that are used to replace damaged enamel on your teeth in order to rejuvenate your smile. Also referred to as porcelain veneers, dental veneers have a wide range of applications, allowing us to restore your teeth if they are broken, cracked, or chipped, among other things. The dental veneers are extremely thin, which allows them to be easily placed onto the teeth in a way that looks natural. In fact, dental veneers are so natural looking, that most of our patients will even forget which of their teeth have been repaired with the veneers.

How are dental veneers placed?
Before dental veneers are actually placed, we need to determine if you are a good candidate for the product. Typically most people are, but we will schedule an initial first consultation to determine if there are any underlying problems that may prevent you from getting dental veneers and would require different treatment options. During this consultation, we would conduct a smile analysis, which tells us what kind of a smile you are hoping to achieve, and what products can be used to help get you there. We sometimes do a cosmetic imaging to demonstrate the type of smile that dental veneers can help you to achieve.

Once we decide on dental veneers as a great option, we will schedule fitting and placing appointments. The first appointment begins with shaving away a small portion of the enamel. Usually, dental veneers do not require more than a few millimeters to be shaved away. The reason for shaving the enamel is so that the porcelain can fit flush with the tooth, making sure to maintain the natural contour of the tooth, and ensuring that the porcelain veneers look and feel like real teeth. Next, we will make an impression of your teeth and send it along with notes to the dental lab.  While they are creating your permanent veneer, you will need to wear a temporary one that will be removed in a week or two.We will make sure that the color, shape, and size of the veneers gives your teeth a look of perfection and once we have achieved that, the dental veneers will be cemented in place using dental cement.

What are dental veneers used for?
Dental veneers are extremely malleable solutions, so we use them for a wide range of solutions. The most common, and commonly read about, reason people chose veneers is the desire for a perfect Hollywood type smile. This means perfectly shaped, perfectly white teeth. To do this veneers are an excellent choice since they can cover most imperfections perfectly. As such porcelain veneers can be used to correct minor alignment issues, to ensure that you have not unsightly spaces or gaps between your teeth, and to ensure that the teeth are all the right length and size. Veneers are also used to improve and whiten teeth that are stubbornly refusing to respond to the traditional tooth whitening formulas. As we mentioned earlier, one of applications that dental veneers have is to fix broken, chipped, or cracked teeth. This solution is used because the porcelain veneers do not require a great deal of the normal enamel to be removed. Unlike a dental crown, the veneers fit in with the enamel after a few millimeters has been shaved off.

Teeth Whitening  >  Cosmetic Dentist

What You Should Know About Wisdom Teeth Extraction

Wisdom Teeth Extraction
A wisdom teeth extraction is the surgical procedure by which one or more wisdom teeth are removed. Wisdom teeth are the four permanent adult molars located at the very back of your mouth, two on top and two on the bottom. Their rather imaginative name stems from the fact that they erupt much later than the other permanent teeth (approximately between the ages of 15 and 25). The person has already achieved adulthood and is, supposedly, 'wiser'.

Many people have wisdom teeth that erupt normally and cause them no problems. However, countless others are not quite as lucky, in which case wisdom teeth extraction is the simplest course of treatment since our softer, easier to chew, processed and cooked foods have made them largely redundant. While the jury may still be out, many believe that primitive societies needed this third molar in order to be able to chew their coarser food.

While some oral surgeons and dentists recommend wisdom teeth extraction as insurance against future problems, many others are of the opinion that routine prophylactic removal is ill-advised, and wisdom teeth should only be extracted if they develop problems. Wisdom teeth that are symptomatic, i.e., aren't causing problems should be left alone. Most problems with wisdom teeth occur at the time they erupt, i.e. between the ages of 15 and 25. It is very rare that someone over the age of 30 develops any problem with these third molars. During a consultation, we will let you know whether or not yours should be removed.

When Wisdom Teeth Extractions Become Necessary
Many of the problems that surround wisdom teeth are connected with the fact that many people's jaws are not large enough to accommodate a third molar. In these cases, the tooth is said to be "impacted" which means it is so wedged in between the jawbone and the tooth beside it that it cannot emerge normally. In some cases, the wisdom tooth remains under the gums. In others, it erupts only part of the way or at an angle with the top of the tooth facing one of the two sides, or even forward or backward.

An impacted wisdom tooth can cause a number of serious problems including damage to the tooth immediately next to it, or even to the bone itself. If the tooth has only emerged slightly above the gum line, a flap of gum tissue has been known to grow over the tooth. Bacteria from food can flourish in this 'protected' area causing an infection and tooth decay. Besides which, if there isn't enough space for the tooth to erupt properly, often means that it will be hard to reach and, therefore, hard to manipulate a toothbrush around it. Thus if a wisdom tooth is impacted (doesn't have room to grow normally), causing an infection, pain or other complications, it is more than likely that you will have to have it pulled.

The Surgery
Wisdom tooth extraction is almost always performed on an outpatient basis in our clinic. However, if you are considered a high risk for complications or are having all four wisdom teeth extracted at the same time, it may be necessary to have the surgery in a hospital.

Most often, just like most other extractions, wisdom teeth are removed using a local anesthetic that will completely numb the area. Once again, should you opt to have all four teeth removed in one go, a general anesthetic may be used, in which case, you should  not eat or drink anything a certain number of hours before the surgery.  If we have to cut into the gum and remove any bone that is covering the tooth, it is likely that some stitches will be necessary. These will either dissolve over time or be removed at a later date. Regardless, we will ensure that your wisdom teeth extraction is completed in a way that allows you to relax and feel comfortable.

New York Dental Office  >  Tooth-Colored Fillings

Visit a Cosmetic Dentist to Improve the Appearance of Your Gums

As a cosmetic dentist, we are best known for the services that we provide in the realm of appearance. Our primary goal, our bread and butter if you will, consists of helping people to have a better smile. To do this, we work hard on giving you perfect teeth. As a result of the association, many of our patients know us by the work that we do and the procedures that have become common as more people visit us to discuss how their teeth look. Some of the more frequent procedures that we, as a cosmetic dentist, perform are teeth whitening to give you that perfectly white smile, straightening of teeth with braces or Invisalign, replacing of teeth with either bridges, dentures, or dental implants, and fixing teeth that are cracked, chipped or broken with dental veneers or a dental crown. While most of these have applications beyond the cosmetic, they are largely associated with how the teeth look and hence have fallen within our repertoire.

There are a couple of other procedures that we perform, which have even more crossover between the health and function of the teeth and gums, and how they look aesthetically. These are gingivectomies and gum contouring.

There are numerous, cosmetic dentist, procedures that have found use both aesthetically and in the protection of the health of a person's mouth. Among these, gingivectomies are one of the most frequently used for both. A person who has a gum diseases or periodontitis will often find that their gums become separated from their teeth as a result of the illness. This creates an extremely unattractive smile, but more importantly it creates these deep pockets within the gums that allow plaque to build up. Since it is virtually impossible to clean in these pockets, the plaque builds up and becomes a breeding ground for infections. A person who already has an existing condition does not need the added complication of frequent bacterial infections, and so we can remove these pockets. To do so, we will numb the gums around the site with a local anesthetic, so as to perform the procedure without causing discomfort. Then the loose gum tissue will be surgically removed using a scalpel, radiosurgery, or lasers. While we are removing the excess tissue, we will also be sculpting your gums. This is done to prevent your gums from losing their shape after the procedure is completed. Finally, we cover the gums with putty to allow them some time to heal and become normal again.
The gums are an integral part of the mouth. They are responsible for supporting and protecting the teeth and are also an important part of your smile. We know that when the gums get too long they can cause you to have a gummy, and hence unattractive smile. When they get too short, often as a result of gum recession or some other condition, they can expose the root and cause your teeth to appear too large. A gum contouring, done in the clinic where we would lengthen, shorten, or shape your gums, can solve any of these issues very easily and painlessly. As a cosmetic dentist, these are only some of the ways that we can improve the appearance of your gums and smile.

Dental Implant  >  Invisalign Dentist

What Does Science Have To Do With Teeth Whitening?

The science behind teeth whitening is what makes it so effective.  If you use teeth whitening as a way to brighten your teeth and give yourself a better smile, you have stumbled upon the most effective, and inexpensive, way to improve yourself. There is a solution available to you at virtually any price point. So regardless of whether you come in to see us, your teeth whitening specialist or do your whitening at home with a do it yourself kit, you can get your teeth whitened for a very affordable price. Still, the level of results you get will be based on what is happening inside of your tooth (science).
How it works.
A chemical process, teeth whitening should always be carried out with the supervision or oversight of a dentist. This is not because the products available over the counter are harmful, but working with our office can ensure that you have no conditions that could hinder the whitening or become exasperated by the teeth whitening process. Teeth whitening involves a chemical interaction between the chemicals used to whiten and your teeth's organic make up. In order to make the teeth appear whiter, we need to make them more colorless. All matter reflects natural light, bending it so that the brain sees that particular frequency as a unique color. For the teeth, this color is white. Teeth whitening products work because of the oxidization process. However, many of the solutions you buy in the store on remove surface stains and do not start the process of oxidization.
The peroxides used in our solution quickly penetrate the enamel and release free radicals into the organic make-up of the teeth. These free radicals cause the tooth to appear more colorless, and to the brain makes them appear whiter. Since this is a chemical process, it is always advisable to be under the care of a dentist before engaging in teeth whitening. It is also advisable to be careful not to overdo it when it comes to the use of these products. Repeated and frequent exposure to peroxides can cause the teeth to become overly sensitive, and may lead to other challenges.
The two main components used in the manufacture of teeth whitening solutions are carbamide peroxide and hydrogen peroxide. Typically when you are whitening at home, with a do it yourself kit, the solution is hydrogen peroxide based. In the clinic, we will use a carbamide peroxide based solution, which also contains around 35% hydrogen peroxide. Our solution is stronger and produces better results than what you can buy in the store.
Why so many people need to whiten their teeth.
Given the exposure most people have to a variety of foods that stain and discolor their teeth, whitening is a very good option. If you stop and think about the enormous amount of coffee, alone, that is consumed and the effect these gallons can have on teeth, you begin to realize the price your teeth pay for living in the fast paced modern world. On average, 54% of adults drink at least one cup of coffee each day, 68% of those within the first hour of the day. There are over 53 thousand coffee shops to serve you a pick me up, accounting for over $4 billion in imports each year. In terms of this spending a few hundred dollars to fight off the discoloring effects of the chromogen rich coffee we drink, sounds like a bargain. 

Dental Veneers  >  Cosmetic Dentist