Dental Blog

We understand dental phobia. It's something that we've written about on this blog before, and its something that many dentists have tried to mitigate, either with movie goggles that patients wear during dental check ups, or with sedation. But at the end of the day, visiting a qualified licensed dentist is important for a vast number of reasons, and dental anxiety is something that has to be overcome.

A new study recently released said that women in their forties are more likely to suffer from dental anxiety than any other group. In our midtown Manhattan dental office, our dentists do everything we can to make our patients feel comfortable, and we'd like to think that none of our patients have any kind of undue fear about visiting our office. But for those with true dental phobia, a trip to the dentist's office is more than just an intimidating prospect, it is downright terrifying. If anyone in the Manhattan area is too afraid of what a dentist might do to your mouth to visit a dental office, we ask you to please check out our office. We hope that our comfortable, relaxing atmosphere and friendly, people-loving dentists can do enough to make you feel at peace. We also offer movie goggles, which help provide nervous patients with the feeling of being in a movie theater rather than a dentist chair. So if you do suffer from dental anxiety, try your hardest to overcome it. Just like we'll try our hardest to make you know those fears are unfounded.

While our last post talked about how even young children are susceptible to cavities, there is still a large chunk of time between those early years and the adult years that are (hopefully!) filled with healthy brushing and dental habits. We’re talking about teenagers, and there are many things teenagers do that can lead to periodontal troubles down the line. In our midtown Manhattan dental office, we’re always pleased when our patients are young men and women who are serious about dental health. But here are some tips on things for those young people to avoid when they’re in school or in home.

Chewing ice is a habit many teenagers have, but chewing ice can lead to microfractures in your teeth that create an entryway for bacteria. Too much bleaching can wear down teeth, as can drinking too many sugary sports drinks that have acids in them that can further wear down enamel. Chewing tobacco is another habit common in teens, but it contains grit and sand that wears down teeth, as well as chemicals that can cause serious oral problems and even oral cancer.

Teenage years can be tough, but they can also be great fun. Our qualified licensed dentists want to make those years as easy as possible by protecting all our patients from dangerous lifestyle choices. And teens that avoid these common things can look forward to a healthy mouth for years to come.

If you're a parent, you know that there's nothing more important than your child's health. Our dentists know that the health and safety of a child comes before anything else, and we are on hand in our midtown Manhattan dental office to offer all the help that we can. Which is why we were distraught to learn that dentists nationwide are seeing more and more preschool aged children showing up to their offices with cavities. We've written before about the importance of getting your child to begin his or her 6 month regular dental check ups early, but now we want to impress upon you some more information about just how important that is.

Dentists say that it is not unusual to see children in their offices awaiting surgery because they have cavities. Many parents say they don't like to brush their childrens' teeth because the children don't like it. To that our dentists say it's much better to make your child brush his or her teeth than to make him or her go under the knife. Other parents say that because the teeth aren't permanent, it doesn't matter so much if they suffer from plaque build up. This too is false. A child's mouth will be much healthier if it stays clean, and children who keep their mouths clean will develop healthy habits they can take with them forever.

We love seeing our patients and their children in our office, and we love working with children. But while we love helping children keep their mouths clean, we don't like to operate on cavities in their mouths. Knowledge about dental health is a first step towards making sure that doesn't happen. Keep your child's mouth clean, and we'll make sure they end up on our smile gallery!

Dental anxiety tends to pop up whenever an appointment draws near, and sometimes it can make a 6 month dental check up at the dentist’s office a stressful and overwhelming ordeal. At our midtown Manhattan dental office, we want to ensure the comfort of our patients during their short stays, and make each visit as enjoyable and relaxing as possible.

Distracting patients during dental procedures is a great way to alleviate anxiety. Our Manhattan office offers state-of-the-art video glasses called movie goggles, which allows our patients to view their favorite movies or TV shows while they have work done. Surrounding noises are drowned out by the stereo sound of the movie goggles, and the virtual screen allows patients to simply focus on what is in front of them. Our dental technology is here for the comfort of our patients, and having them walk away with a pleasant experience is what we strive for.

There's a reason why a qualified licensed dentist is both licensed and qualified. In our midtown Manhattan dental office, our dentists go to graduate school to learn everything there is to know about how to protect your mouth from bacteria that can lead to cavities, plaque build up, and various forms of gum disease. Our dentists are professionals, and they've devoted themeslves to being experts on the subject of teeth.

But a new study shows that many people go to emergency rooms rather than a practiced dentist's office when they develop teeth problems. This is a problem for two reasons: the first, it actually costs more overall than a quick visit to the dentist will. This is because most people who go to the ER are only treated for the symptoms of their problems, while the problems themselves remain. The second reason is that doctors in ERs are usually not dentists, and they aren't schooled in the proper care techniques that professional dentists are. ER's can provide pain killers, but they can't do anything to treat issues like sleep apnea. Nor do they have any access to cosmetic dentistry, such as teeth veneers.

We understand that for many people, ERs seem like the more affordable option. But we want everyone in Manhattan to know that an emergency room is no substitute for a dental office, and 6-month dental check ups in our office are actually financially beneficial in the long run. We feel it is our duty to let you know this. After all, we're professional dentists.

Let's face it, everybody needs a change from time to time. Whether it's because of a new job, family, or just for the adventure, most people will at some point in their lives pick up and move somewhere else. We recommend moving to Manhattan! Seriously, it's beautiful here, there's so much energy and excitement it will take your breath away. Not to mention, right in the middle of the city you will find our midtown Manhattan dental office!

But seriously, when people move, not only do they have to find new friends, new stores to shop at and new restaurants to eat at, they have to find a new qualified licenced dentist too. So here are some things everyone should consider when making a decision about what new dental office to pick.

Our patients will tell you, the first thing you should do is check with their insurance company, and find out what local dentists they cover. Next, ask friends or even your old dentist who they recommend. Chances are, if your friend has been seeing the same dentist for years, he or she is pretty good. Third, check with the American Dental Association's website, for inside information and recommendations from the dental community. This can give valuable insight into what kinds of dentists are around. Finally, schedule a dental exam. A preliminary meeting with a possible new doctor will usually tell you all you need to know about whether the two of you will get along.

When choosing a new dentist, it's important to ask yourself questions about what kind of work you might need. Will you go in mainly to a cosmetic dentist for simple touch ups, or more serious things like sleep apnea. We think our patients will agree that choosing a dentist is not to be taken lightly, and making the right choice can be a rewarding experience for both of you for a long time.

As you might guess, our office is an office of pet lovers. In fact, after our patients and the teeth in their mouths, pets might be our favorite thing ever. We've bonded with patients over their pets, and gotten to know stories about them as parts of the family. If only it were sanitary, we'd love to see our patients bring their pets into our midtown Manhattan dental office. Of course, pets have teeth just like humans do, and like humans, pets can be subject to plaque build up and gingivitis. This upsets us both as pet lovers and as dentists, but there are things you can do to protect your animals from periodontal troubles.

The first and easiest thing a pet owner can and should do is brush their pet's teeth with special animal toothpaste. There are also oral chews, which owners can feed to their pets. But it also helps to take your pet in for a professional cleaning, not unlike a regular 6-month dental check up that you would get for yourself. Dentists can protect your animal from long-term plaque build up that can damage their teeth later on. Our dentists unfortunately only specialize in cosmetic dentistry for people, but many vets and specialized animal dentists can take care of your pet. A qualified licensed dentist can tell you how important it is to keep your teeth healthy, and for pet owners who love their pets, it is just as important to make sure your dog or cat has a pristine set of chompers.

Everybody knows that February is black history month, but did you know that it is also dental awareness month?

Okay, probably not, unless you're a dentist. But in our midtown Manhattan dental office we look forward to February all year long for that reason. After all, what's better than a month dedicated to educating people about the thing you're most passionate about? Come February, we're positively singing with enthusiasm about teeth, and how cool and special they are. We hope our patients put up with us!

But another thing we like to do this time of year is remind you how important it is to keep your teeth cleaned. Not only do regular dental check ups keep your teeth nice and clean, and your smile fabulous, but they also can protect you from dangerous gum disease and certain kinds of cancers. At our office, we offer a variety of cosmetic improvements including teeth whiteners, Invisalign, and dental implants. All of these are designed to beautify the look and feel of your chompers. We also offer the most up-to-date technology to keep your mouth as healthy as it looks.

In honor of dental awareness month, we ask you to take a look at your smile in the mirror, and look at those shiny white teeth for what they really are: a part of your body, and one of the most beautiful parts, if you ask us.

We've written before about how dentists can use technology to help smokers quit their habit, but a new report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that smokers on average visit the dentist less than non-smokers. This is worrisome indeed, as smoking can have an adverse effect, not just on a person's lungs and chest, but on their mouth as well, as it leads to gum disease, infection, and oral cancer. In our midtown Manhattan dental office we would advise all of our patients to quit smoking if they do, but the figures released in the report suggest we may need to find other methods of reaching smokers.

The report says that more than a third of smokers complained of three or more dental problems in a survey, which was twice the amount of non-smokers who complained of the same thing. Furthermore, 20% of smokers said they hadn't been to the dentist in five years or more, whereas only 10% of non--smokers said the same.

Our patients know they have a friend in their dentists, and if they choose to smoke, we respect that is their business. But for patients who want to quit smoking, we can help them too. And we hope that everyone, regardless of whether they smoke or not, visits their dentist every six months for regular dental check ups.

A dental x-ray can seem like a scary proposition to some. After all, nobody wants to put their head in a box-like area while lazer sensors scan their mouths. We understand that, but our cosmetic dentists also want to provide our patients with the cleanest possible bill of health. So while we will always do everything we can to ease the x-ray process for you, we also want to tell you some things that should make the process seem less scary.

First of all, x-rays emit only a tiny fraction of radiation. The average person gets more radiation from the sun walking around on a hot summer day than they do from a dental x-ray. And dentists are trained to make sure that only as much radiation as necessary--and no more--will ever be used. This is called the ALARA, or As Low As Reasonably Achievable principle.

Second, dental x-rays, in addition to helping dentists get a good look at your teeth, can pick up early signs of bone infection, decay, tumors, and some forms of oral cancer that the naked eye will miss. X-rays can be a valuable part of keeping your body healthy, and should not be taken lightly.

The dentists in our midtown Manhattan dental office know all about how to make sure your trip is as enjoyable as possible. We would never do something without explaining to you first why we are doing it. When we give our patients an x-ray, we are doing it to keep them healthy and safe. We of course understand if it makes them a little queasy. Which is why we want them to know all the facts.