Are You Proud of Your Selfie?

The Selfie Revolution

How are you presenting yourself on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, dating sites etc? Take a look back at photos of yourself. Do you smile fully? Are you proud of your smile? Are you subconsciously hiding your teeth? You may be doing this because there is something you would like to change about them. Does your smile look it’s best? Maybe some whitening is in order? Maybe Invisalign to straighten your smile? Maybe a smile makeover with Porcelain Veneers for your ultimate smile?

Put your best smile forward and call the NYC Smile Spa today to discuss your possibilities. Relax and Smile!

NYC Smile Spa
30 E. 60th St., Suite 1201
New York, NY 10022
P (212) 838-2900

I've Lost a Filling, Is This Urgent?

Why Fillings Are Important

Fillings serve an important function in oral health by restoring tooth structure lost to the decay process. With the materials we use today, dental fillings usually last for many years, but they are subjected to the same stresses as your natural teeth are. Fillings don’t strengthen the tooth, they simply replace lost structure.

Don't Panic if You Lose a Filling

You can wear down, chip, crack, or break your fillings by eating, clenching, and grinding, and sometimes they can fall out completely. While you may not notice normal wear and tear, you should not ignore any fillings that loosen or fall out.  A lost or cracked filling is usually not an emergency unless you are in pain or food is trapping and causing your gums to bleed. In that case, contact our office immediately so we can schedule an emergency appointment. Otherwise we will schedule a regular appointment to evaluate your situation.

Contact Your Dentist

Once you come to our office, we will examine your tooth and advise you of your options. We may be able to replace the filling. If the filling was large, a porcelain inlay or crown may be necessary to properly strengthen the tooth instead of just “filling” it which doesn’t strengthen it much.

A lost or cracked filling may not always pose a dental emergency, but it’s always important to contact us so our team can help you take the proper action to preserve your oral health.

Drs. Michael Krochak and Joshua Perlman
NYC Smile Spa
30 E. 60th St., Suite 1201
New York, NY 10022
P (212) 838-2900

4 Signs That You Have a Cavity

My Tooth Hurts - I Must Have a Cavity

We hear this a lot, and although it is not always true - it is important to know when you do have a cavity. When cavities, also known as caries, are in their initial stages, people often will feel no symptoms, and they won’t experience any pain or discomfort. If you were diagnosed with high blood pressure (also a silent disease, would you wait to have a stroke to address the problem?)  It’s not until the tooth decay has reached a deep level into the tooth that patients begin to notice the signs. If left untreated, the decay may invade the nerve of the tooth and then you will need root canal therapy and much more extensive and expensive work to repair the tooth.

Signs of A Cavity

If you are experiencing any of the following symptoms, you may want to consider scheduling an appointment as soon as possible:

1. A dull or a sharp toothache

2. Tooth sensitivity or mild to sharp pain when eating or drinking something sweet, hot, or cold

3. Persistent bad breath or a bad taste in the mouth

4. Visible holes or discoloration in your teeth (usually black or brown) 

Cavities can happen at any time, to anyone, no matter how old you are. Routine dental care including x-rays is important to prevent cavities or the onset of tooth decay, so it is important to visit our team at NYC Smile Spa for regular checkups and cleanings. If you are overdue or think you may have a cavity, please give us a call to schedule an appointment.

Drs. Michael Krochak and Joshua Perlman
NYC Smile Spa
30 E. 60th St., Suite 1201
New York, NY 10022
P (212) 838-2900

3 Ways to Take Better Care of Your Teeth in 2016

Add Dental Hygiene to Your New Years Resolutions

It's New Year's time, which means we are all closing the 2015 books are looking to make our improvements for 2016. We clearly have a bias here, but we think setting oral health goals for 2016 should be a high priority! That said, here is a great 3 step guide to doing your part in keeping your mouth healthy.

Step 1: The Morning Routine

We tell all of our patients you have two options for morning brushing.  Option one is make it the first thing you do in the morning.  Jump out of bed, head to the bathroom.  Brush away the bacteria that has been accumulating around your teeth all night; that bacteria is a major reason why brushing first thing in the morning is important is for fresh breath.  As we sleep, gravity pulls mucous from our nasal cavity (think post nasal drip) and allows it to collect on the base of your tongue.  This is one of the reasons we get that unattractive morning breath.  So do yourself a favor and brush the back of your tongue with your toothbrush and your favorite toothpaste and have fresh breath to start your day.

Option two, is to brush your teeth 30 minutes after you eat. If you plan on having breakfast before you leave the house then I usually tell people to wait to brush after they have eaten.  Most people will consume at least one acidic beverage for breakfast (coffee, tea, orange juice). These acidic beverages which are necessary for most of our everyday survival actually weaken teeth for about thirty minutes until your mouth can neutralize itself with the help of your saliva.  This is why I encourage patients to wait 30 min after eating/drinking.  The toothbrush, although "soft" can cause some microscopic tooth damage in this 30 minute window when the oral environment is acidic. So if you can’t wait 30 minutes, then you are better off brushing prior to eating breakfast and just rinsing out with water after eating. So figure out which of these two categories fits best into your morning routine! 

Step 2: The Evening Routine

Just like you brush your teeth in the morning, you should be brushing your teeth at night as well. You've heard this a thousand times, but it always surprises us to hear how many people refrain from consistent brushing.

Ideally you want to brush right before bedtime and at least 30 minute after consuming anything, especially if you know it was acidic.

Step 3: Floss!

Flossing is the key to a long life! Okay, that may sound overstated, but it has been proven that flossing prevents periodontal disease which is a major risk factor for a host of medical diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancers, and others.  Many ask us how often should I floss? Once per day will be sufficient and any other times certainly can’t hurt. Floss prior to brushing because you loosen up the plaque and the brushing and foaming action of the toothpaste will then help wash it away. Please ask us to show you our flossing tips at your next hygiene visit. It is mechanically challenging, but we can show you how to make it easier!

Drs. Michael Krochak and Joshua Perlman
NYC Smile Spa
30 E. 60th St., Suite 1201
New York, NY 10022
P (212) 838-2900

Grinding or Clenching Your Teeth is a Serious Problem

Teeth Grinding or Clenching Often Goes Unnoticed

Many people who grind or clench their teeth in their sleep have no idea they’re doing it. In fact, when they wake up in the morning they feel no jaw pain and their teeth are fine: if it hadn’t been for someone telling them about it or your dentist noticing a premature wear pattern,  the teeth grinding or clenching would have gone unnoticed.

Complications of Teeth Grinding or Clenching

There are other people, however, who wake up with jaw pain, shoulder and neck pain, and headaches. Teeth grinding can cause a host of dental complications. From cracked teeth and receding gums to a misaligned jaw, teeth grinding is not something to take lightly.

Why Do We Grind or Clench?

Teeth grinding and clenching is mostly a subconscious stress release habit during certain sleep cycles and cannot be prevented. Clenching is often also done during waking hours and if you have caught yourself clenching, there is a high likelihood that it also occurs during your sleep. Unlike most dental offices, we take our time to question and assess whether you grind or clench because the treatment appliance used are very different and it’s important that the right appliance is used to protect yourself from damage and to relieve any symptoms that you may have.  Clenchers often also suffer from migraines or frequent headaches and the device we make severely cuts down the frequency of these headaches! So if you suspect that you have these habits or have been told by sleep partners, then please let us know at the NYC Smile Spa to evaluate you for the proper appliance before you develop severe symptoms.

Drs. Michael Krochak and Joshua Perlman
NYC Smile Spa
30 E. 60th St., Suite 1201
New York, NY 10022

1. P (212) 838-2900

Halloween Candy - The Safer Way to Eat Your Leftover Treats

The Biggest Halloween Candy Culprits

The biggest Halloween candy culprits are the types that are sticky and chewy.  Think gummy bears, Sour patch kids and Swedish fish.  The reason these are so harmful is that they are full of sugar and when you are done eating they stick to the grooves and pits of your teeth.  They cause damage to your tooth structure well after you have finished snacking on them.  Studies show that the specific bacteria known to cause dental decay uses these sugars as fuel, the bacteria reproduce and their byproducts lead to a highly acidic intra-oral environment.  When your mouth is acidic it causes the calcium (found in your tooth enamel) to leach out.  This leaves your teeth soft and more prone to decay.  

Tips and Tricks to Keep Your Teeth Safe

Some tips and tricks I use when I have a sweet tooth urge and I cannot brush my teeth immediately after involves chewing a piece of sugar-free gum which will loosen up food remnants stuck in those pits and grooves.  Chewing gum stimulates salivary flow which is a natural PH buffer for your mouth, neutralizing the acids. The best gum is xylitol gum, if I can't brush and don't have any sugar-free gum left then I will run over to the sink and swish out with some water.  H20 will help begin to neutralize the pH of my mouth and also rinse away some residues and acids. It is not as ideal as brushing or chewing gum, but it’s a step in the right direction. Moderation is of course the best strategy but we all need treats every once in a while.

As always, a good teeth cleaning is always a great idea to keep your teeth clean and healthy - especially while devouring those spooky treats.  

Book your next appointment today!

Drs. Michael Krochak and Joshua Perlman
NYC Smile Spa
30 E. 60th St., Suite 1201
New York, NY 10022
P (212) 838-2900

The Ultimate Toothpaste Guide

The Truth About Toothpaste Brands

Toothpastes are one of the most over-marketed products on earth! Did you know that Colgate alone has over 32 brands available? It is a multi-billion dollar market so everyone wants a piece of the pie.  At NYC Smile Spa, we will let you in a dirty little secret:  with rare exceptions, as long as your toothpaste has fluoride in it, it doesn’t matter what brand you use and what they claim it’s benefits are!  The removal of plaque comes almost exclusively from the mechanical movement of the brush bristles NOT from the paste. Most of the ingredients are inactive ingredients.

Put Your Fluoride Fears to Rest

For those of you whom are paranoid about fluoride, it is an essential element needed in small amounts in the human diet! But the use of it in toothpaste is strictly topical, you don’t absorb this systemically. There is a constant demineralization of the enamel on your teeth from the acids in your diet. The minerals (calcium and phosphate) in your saliva then remineralize these areas if the amount of acids are not overwhelming.  Fluoride gets incorporated into the tooth structure as a mineral that actually makes the enamel MORE acid resistant than the natural enamel structure. That’s why it’s been such an important public health measure since the 1950’s and has significantly decreased the incidence of decay.

Stop Using "Whitening Pastes"

Whitening toothpastes should be avoided because they simply have extra abrasives added to remove surface stains from food and drink. These abrasives actually can thin out your protective enamel layer.

What About Sensitive Teeth?

If you have sensitive teeth, then any toothpaste that says “for sensitive teeth” has the same extra ingredient that does in fact help. Sensodyne is the classic one and they have 3-4 different brands but they ALL work the same.  We like any toothpaste that has baking soda in it which is a good neutralizer for acids and also healthy for your gums.

So the bottom line is just use any toothpaste with fluoride that you like and make sure to floss and have regular checkups!

Drs. Michael Krochak and Joshua Perlman
NYC Smile Spa
30 E. 60th St., Suite 1201
New York, NY 10022
P (212) 838-2900

Teeth Whitening Safety Measures

Be Careful With Over the Counter Whitening Products

Over the counter whitening products have limited efficacy. There is no ability to customize the treatment for your specific needs and it’s a one size fits all approach. The strength of these products is moderate. Many whitening gels and whitening toothpaste simply have extra abrasives in them to clean off surface food stains but they also WEAR AWAY YOUR ENAMEL!! Professional whitening gels do NOT affect the enamel. Whitening strips often do not completely cover the full tooth surface so many areas are missed and patients have called us saying they have stripes on their teeth like zebras!

The Professional Whitening Method

Professional whitening with the use of custom-made trays is by far the most effective and predictable method of whitening teeth. The customization of the trays allows the whitening gel to properly sit against the full surfaces of your teeth and keep it away from the gums and any areas of gum recession which can be sensitive. Our newest gels only need to be worn for one hour per evening for about two weeks. If you’ve tried bleaching before and have experienced sensitivity, the newer gels have desensitizers in them and we also sometimes first apply prescription strength fluoride gels to “prepare” your teeth for bleaching without sensitivity. .  Another way we deal with the sensitivity issue is by prescribing patient's a less intense concentration of bleaching gel.  Instead of giving a patient the strongest bleaching gel which they wear for one hour, we give them a weaker concentration which they keep in for a longer duration.  Patients can achieve the exact same results with either concentration of gel! We have many variables that we can control with professional products compared to one size fits all over the counter products.

The Truth About Zoom Whitening

Many patients have asked about in office tooth whitening with a light system like Zoom. These systems have proven to actually be LESS effective than the tray method, painful at times and most patients still needed trays to follow up to achieve maximum results. That is why stores like Brightsmile have all gone out of business and most dentists like us have tossed out their Zoom lights as an experiment gone bad.

Call NYC Smile Spa for a proper evaluation to see if you are a good candidate for professional tooth whitening!

NYC Smile Spa
30 E. 60th St., Suite 1201
New York, NY 10022
P (212) 838-2900

Xylitol, The Magic Sugar Substitute!

What is Xylitol?

Many of you may have heard the buzz about the benefits of xylitol. If not, here’s the scoop! Xylitol is a natural plant based sugar substitute. It is a carbohydrate that is recognized as such by the bacteria in your mouth that metabolize carbs and then normally produce acids as their waste product leading to the demineralization (softening) of your enamel and after repeated attacks, cavity formation. Well, unlike other carbs and unlike other sugar substitutes, xylitol actually STOPS the acid formation from the pathologic bacteria in your mouth!! That’s the magic.

How Can I Incorporate Xylitol Into My Life?

The best way to use xylitol is to get xylitol gum. After eating, snacking or drinking acidic beverages, you simply chew a piece of xylitol gum for two minutes to release it into your saliva and then you can spit it out. It then stays in your mouth during that dangerous time after eating and drinking when you often “acidify” your mouth and protects you until your natural saliva buffers your mouth back to a neutral state.

Is There A Brand I Should Look For?

Because it is a natural ingredient and can’t be synthesized, it is not found in most over the counter gums. Trident makes one brand that states “with xylitol” but it is listed after mannitol on the ingredients and it is a subtherapeutic amount.  One brand commonly found in health food stores or Whole foods is called Spry, but we don’t like that brand because the xylitol is sourced in China where regulations are sketchy regarding it’s purity and the amount per piece is less than we can find in safer American brands.

There are some American brands that you can find in some health food stores but the easiest way to get it is to order it online. There is a company that we buy many preventive dental products from called Carifree.com and you can use our coupon code of kro2209 for a 5% discount and stock up!

Drs. Michael Krochak and Joshua Perlman
NYC Smile Spa
30 E. 60th St., Suite 1201
New York, NY 10022
P (212) 838-2900

What is Xylitol?

Many of you may have heard the buzz about the benefits of xylitol. If not, here’s the scoop! Xylitol is a natural plant based sugar substitute. It is a carbohydrate that is recognized as such by the bacteria in your mouth that metabolize carbs and then normally produce acids as their waste product leading to the demineralization (softening) of your enamel and after repeated attacks, cavity formation. Well, unlike other carbs and unlike other sugar substitutes, xylitol actually STOPS the acid formation from the pathologic bacteria in your mouth!! That’s the magic.

How Can I Incorporate Xylitol Into My Life?

The best way to use xylitol is to get xylitol gum. After eating, snacking or drinking acidic beverages, you simply chew a piece of xylitol gum for two minutes to release it into your saliva and then you can spit it out. It then stays in your mouth during that dangerous time after eating and drinking when you often “acidify” your mouth and protects you until your natural saliva buffers your mouth back to a neutral state.

Is There A Brand I Should Look For?

Because it is a natural ingredient and can’t be synthesized, it is not found in most over the counter gums. Trident makes one brand that states “with xylitol” but it is listed after mannitol on the ingredients and it is a subtherapeutic amount.  One brand commonly found in health food stores or Whole foods is called Spry, but we don’t like that brand because the xylitol is sourced in China where regulations are sketchy regarding it’s purity and the amount per piece is less than we can find in safer American brands.

There are some American brands that you can find in some health food stores but the easiest way to get it is to order it online. There is a company that we buy many preventive dental products from called Carifree.com and you can use our coupon code of kro2209 for a 5% discount and stock up!

Drs. Michael Krochak and Joshua Perlman
NYC Smile Spa
30 E. 60th St., Suite 1201
New York, NY 10022
P (212) 838-2900

Holistic or "Whole"istic Dentistry

Everywhere you turn, we are bombarded by the terms holistic or natural. We feel the term holistic is way overused as a catchphrase for an anti-traditional medicine movement that sometimes goes too far.

Many holistic followers embrace any methodology that runs counter to traditional therapies without regard to their scientific validity or a proper body of research through universities and peer reviewed journals.  Much of the research is done in house by the manufacturers of many products used in holistic therapies.

Our definition of holistic is to look at our patients from a “whole”istic viewpoint. That means our treatment decisions, diagnoses and recommendations are based on the whole person’s medical, dental and psychological conditions as well as their esthetic desires.  Unlike many dental practitioners, we don’t just look for holes to fill, whether they be cavities, missing teeth or gaps between your teeth.  We formulate treatment plans based on preventive recommendations to strengthen your teeth before they break, replace fillings when they start to become unstable before decay forms and look at your bite relationship and your whole mouth before making a recommendation for a single tooth.

Although we haven’t used silver mercury fillings in over 20 years, we only replace them when they become unstable (with newer tooth like materials). We don’t replace them if they are stable just because the “holistic” movement falsely claims that they are dangerous.  Not a single valid scientific research study on humans has proven this claim and removing them when they are stable can often harm the tooth even more!

If you develop a cosmetic issue with a front tooth, we evaluate your “whole” smile and make the most conservative recommendation on how to repair this area so that it is not only healthy, but looks natural in harmony with the rest of your mouth.  This is what we consider “whole”istic.

We also consider your medical conditions and your oral health.  They affect one another in numerous ways and unless we take all of these factors into consideration, we cannot achieve predictable results.  We look at our patients as people, not teeth and that’s what we consider “whole”istic.

The health of your surrounding gums, bone and your bite relationship all have to be taken into account to make proper treatment decisions.  Again, this “whole”istic approach is used to care for our patients instead of some unproven holistic fads which prey on people’s fears.

NYC Smile Spa
Drs. Michael Krochak, Joshua Perlman, Evelyn Baran
29 West 57th St., New York, NY 10019
(212) 838-2900

www.NYCSmileSpa.com

May the Floss Be With You!

Dr. Krochak's Take on the Matter

In response to the Associated Press reporting that there isn’t proper scientific evidence that flossing is beneficial, I’d like to respond to my patients and friends. After 34 years of dental practice, I can unequivocally attest to the benefits of daily flossing.  Periodontal disease is a slow chronic disease and the type of definitive study would take decades and thousands of patients and more funding than the government is willing to spend to prove the efficacy of flossing. Shorter term studies and overwhelming clinical evidence from dentists everywhere have demonstrated the benefits of flossing. And there are more benefits than just preventing periodontal disease so read on!

Flossing Removes Bad Bacteria 

Your mouth, as well as your entire GI system, has a biofilm on it. Most people call the biofilm in the mouth, “plaque”.  This film has bacterial colonies that belong there as well as pathological bacteria that cause disease.  Most people know this model from yogurt and probiotic ads for the stomach. These colonies exist all over your teeth and under your gum line.  If these colonies are not mechanically disrupted from growing by flossing in between your teeth, you will be susceptible to decay between your teeth. If the bacteria isn’t removed from below the gum line, you will be susceptible to periodontal disease which eats away your gums and bone around your teeth.

Five minutes after a professional dental cleaning, these colonies begin to reform under your gums.  The longer they stay, the more destructive they become.  If not properly removed, they disrupt the gum attachment and cause the gum to pull away from your teeth and gum “pockets” to form.

If the pockets form, you no longer have access to clean these areas because you can’t floss effectively more than 4 mm under the gums.  The pathological bacteria create inflammation that ultimately can spread through your gums into the bone and cause permanent bone loss around your teeth, not to mention bad breath!

Flossing is Important for Your Overall Health

In addition, your body releases inflammatory hormones in response to this plaque. These inflammatory factors circulate throughout your blood system and become additional risk factors for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, GI disorders, cancers, arthritis, low birth weight babies for pregnant woman and probably other yet to be discovered correlations.  So removing plaque from your teeth is important not just for your dental health but for your overall medical health.

Keep Flossing, Everyone

I’d like to tell this reporter to not floss for a week and then floss between his back teeth and look at what he pulls out on the floss.  If he thinks he’d rather have that gunk under his gums versus removing it, then more power to him.  I hope he becomes my patient because I love placing implants in areas that people lose their teeth!

Yours in health,
Dr. Michael Krochak

www.nycsmilespa.com

Are You at Risk for Enamel Erosion?

What is Enamel Erosion?

Many people consume carbonated or sugary drinks and acidic foods every day but have no idea those beverages may be harming their teeth, making them vulnerable to tooth erosion. The acid in the foods we eat and drink can cause tooth enamel to wear away, making your teeth sensitive and discolored.

Tooth erosion is the loss of tooth structure caused by the demineralization of dental enamel, which is the strongest substance in the human body. Enamel is the thin, outer layer of hard tissue that helps maintain the tooth’s structure and shape. When the enamel is weakened and erodes away, it exposes the underlying dentin, causing your teeth to appear yellow.

Tooth erosion may occur when the acids in the foods and beverages you eat and drink, as well as other factors we will discuss later, demineralize and weaken the enamel on your teeth. Typically the calcium contained in saliva will help remineralize (strengthen) your teeth after you consume foods or drinks that contain some acid. There is a constant demineralization/remineralization cycle occurring throughout your mouth, similar to how your bone constantly remodels itself. However, the presence of a lot of acid in your mouth does not allow for remineralization to happen and tips the scales towards destructive demineralization.

Avoiding Acids

Acid can come from many sources, including the following:

• Drinking carbonated or fruit drinks. All soft drinks (even diet varieties) contain a lot of acid and are capable of dissolving enamel on your teeth. Bacteria thrive on sugar and produce high acid levels that can eat away at enamel.
   
• Most over the counter mouthwashes have acids added for shelf life stability. Read the labels and see our blog about mouthwashes here!
   
• Eating sour foods or candies. All those sour candies may taste great, but these treats can be acidic to your teeth. Sour and fruity candy, such as Starburst and Skittles, are the worst for your teeth since these candies have a low pH value, which is known to ruin enamel.
   
• Low saliva volume. Saliva helps prevent decay by neutralizing acids with buffers in your saliva as well as washing away leftover food in your mouth.
   
• Acid reflux disease. Acid reflux, or GERD, brings stomach acids up to the mouth, where the acids can erode enamel.
   
• Bulimia or binge drinking. These conditions can cause tooth damage because they frequently expose teeth to stomach acids or acidic beverages.
   
• Wear and tear. Brushing your teeth too vigorously or grinding your teeth at night can erode enamel.

Signs of Erosion

Acid wear may lead to serious dental problems. When your tooth enamel erodes, your teeth become more vulnerable to cavities and decay, and you may begin noticing the following symptoms:

• Severe sensitivity or tooth pain when consuming hot, cold, or sugary foods or drinks
   
• Tooth discoloration
   
• Rounded teeth
   
• Transparent teeth
   
• Visible cracks in teeth
   
• Cupping, or dents, that show up on the biting or chewing surfaces of the teeth

How To Prevent Erosion

• Reduce or eliminate altogether your consumption of carbonated drinks. Instead, sip water, milk, or unflavored seltzer, which is slightly acidic but not too bad.
   
• If you must consume acidic drinks, drink them quickly and be sure to use a straw so that the liquid is pushed to the back of the mouth. Don’t swish them around or hold them in your mouth for a long period of time.
   
•  Instead of snacking on acidic foods throughout the day, we suggest eating these foods just during meal times in order to minimize the amount of time the acid makes contact with your teeth.
   
• After consuming highly acidic food or drinks, rinse with water to neutralize the acids.
   
•  Chew sugar-free gum to produce more saliva, as this helps your teeth remineralize. If you can find American made XYLITOL GUM, use that! See our blog on Xylitol for more info!
   
• Brush with a soft toothbrush and be sure your toothpaste contains fluoride. It’s best NOT to brush for 30 minutes after ingesting acidic foods or beverages, waiting until your saliva buffers your mouth to a neutral state. Otherwise, you are actually doing an acid wash on your teeth with the brush.

It's Important to Catch Erosion Early!

It’s important to know that the majority of dental problems, such as tooth erosion, do not become visible or painful until they are advanced. And, unfortunately, serious oral issues are painful and expensive to treat. Regular cleanings at least twice a year by our team at NYC Smile Spa is the best way to hit all the spots you may have missed with brushing and flossing and prevent any issues that may have gone unseen. Cavity prone patients or patients with existing erosions may also benefit from professional fluoride treatments during their regular hygiene visits as well.

Make sure your teeth get the professional attention they deserve! If you are overdue for your next checkup or cleaning, please give us a call to schedule an appointment!

Is Invisalign As Effective As Regular Braces?

For 95% of Cases - YES!

For 95% of the cases, yes it is!  There have been many scientific improvements in Invisalign treatment since it’s inception in 2000. We were one of the first certified Invisalign offices in the country since the year 2000.  There are so many advantages to this technology. Straightening your teeth has so many health benefits in addition to the cosmetic benefits. Better aligned teeth are easier to keep cleaner, the bone around your teeth stay better maintained when the spacing is appropriate and the teeth are crushed against each other. The biting forces are better absorbed by the teeth in the position they were intended to function in which causes less gum recession as we get older. And who doesn’t want a beautiful straight smile anyway?

The Invisalign Advantage

The obvious first one is the aesthetic advantages of wearing clear removable trays to move your teeth as opposed to fixed metal braces.

Secondly, you will have a much easier time keeping your teeth clean and have less danger of decay caused by food entrapment during orthodontic therapy.  Since they are removable and your teeth are not connected, you can floss normally, which is impossible with braces on. Your gums and breath will appreciate that!

Thirdly, conventional orthodontics depends on forces placed by tightening the wires which loosen over time, so you need to go through tightening and loosening cycles.  The Invisalign trays place a more moderate, controllable and consistent force throughout treatment. This often results in treatment times that take 40-50% LESS time than conventional braces.

It all is a WIN, WIN, WIN combination of advantages that especially make it attractive for adult patients, whom often had treatment during their youth but never wore their retainers so they got a relapse of their original orthodontic situation. So as an adult, be prepared for the responsibility of wearing retainers at night for as long as you want your teeth to remain straight!

Schedule your Invisalign consultation today!

The Baby Teeth Guide - How to Care for Your Infants Teeth

When to Expect Your Child's Baby Teeth

Your infant’s first teeth will begin to appear around six to 12 months of age. You might wonder how important these primary teeth really are. After all, baby teeth are destined to fall out within a few years and be replaced by a full set of permanent teeth. However, baby teeth have important functions, and proper care can set the stage for excellent oral and overall health.

The appearance of your baby’s primary teeth around six to 12 months of age coincides with changes in your infant’s nutritional needs. Beginning at six months, exclusive breastfeeding is no longer nutritionally sufficient; this is the age at which you should introduce solid foods.

When To Introduce Soft and Solid Foods

At six to eight months, when your baby can start to chew, strained or pureed fruits and vegetables are appropriate. As your little one’s teeth grow in and chewing abilities progress through 12 months of age, you can gradually add cereal, bread, cooked meats, and other adult foods to his or her nutritious diet.

Although baby teeth are inevitably going to fall out and be replaced by permanent ones, making baby teeth last serves an important role that can have benefits into the future. Baby teeth serve as placeholders for permanent teeth. If they decay and fall out too soon, permanent teeth are more likely to grow in crooked.

How to Take Care of Baby Teeth

1. Do not let your baby fall asleep with a bottle in his or her mouth. The lactose sugars in formula can rot the teeth is they are pooled on the teeth while sleeping.
    
2. Brush your child’s baby teeth twice a day as soon as they come in.
    
3. Floss your child’s teeth as soon as he or she has two teeth that touch.
    
4. It is NORMAL to have spaces around the front baby teeth. This allows room for the bigger permanent teeth to grow in properly

When to Expect Baby Teeth to Fall Out

A baby tooth is intended to remain in your child’s mouth until the permanent tooth underneath it is ready to take its place. Sometimes, either due to a tooth being knocked out accidentally or being removed because of tooth decay, kids lose baby teeth before the permanent teeth are ready to erupt. If a tooth is lost, the teeth on either side of the open space may possibly push into the open space.

The result? There may not be enough room for the permanent tooth when it is finally ready to erupt. Depending on the timing, sometimes a “space maintainer” may need to be place on the surrounding teeth.

When to Bring Your Child For Their First Dentist Visit

Generally, between 2-3 years old. We strongly recommend using a pedodontist, whose office is strictly set up for children, both equipment wise and atmosphere wise. Ask us or your pediatrician for recommendations.