Sealants

We offer a variety of prosthetics to repair dental damage at the Oyster Bay Family Dentists, but when it comes to healthy teeth, a sealant can be most useful. Children are particularly vulnerable to tooth decay, so we often talk to their parents about getting sealants during regular dental check-ups.

The crevices in our molars and premolars can easily get caked in food debris. The shape of these teeth is necessary for them to grind up food, but they are hard to keep clean and food debris stuck in them may remain in place for several hours. Sealants are plastic shields for the teeth that smooth over crevices. They are thin enough to allow the chewing teeth to continue to function, but add a layer of protection against acid and make brushing easier.

Placing a sealant doesn’t require any preparation from the patient. After cleaning a tooth, we’ll apply an etching acid to increase its surface area. This will allow it to more easily bond with the liquid sealant. We will then use a blue light to harden the plastic, and the patient should be able to soon resume eating normally.

Drs. Denise VeyVoda and Robert G. West operate The Oyster Bay Family Dentists at 123 South Street, Oyster Bay, New York, 11771. To schedule an appointment, call 516-922-5730 or visit Oyster Bay Dentists and fill out a contact sheet.

 

Children's Dental Health Month

We of the Oyster Bay Family Dentists treat patients with all kinds of needs, but preventive care is always best. Each February, the American Dental Association devotes a month to educating the public about children’s dental health, and the theme of this year’s campaign is how to use fluoridated toothpaste to protect every part of every tooth surface.

Children’s baby teeth need to be cared for. Although they will eventually fall out, decay is still painful and can cause children to miss sleep and avoid eating and speaking. Parents should start brushing a baby’s teeth as soon as the first one erupts. As children get older, brushing their teeth is a good habit for them to get into as an introduction to taking responsibility for their overall health. It is important for them to remember to brush for two full minutes during each session and to brush every tooth surface and on their tongue.

Fluoridated toothpaste is particularly beneficial because it helps to prevent acid produced by bacteria from eroding tooth enamel. Fluoride treatments available at our office are offered for the same reason. However, fluoridated toothpaste should not be used on mouth guards or other oral appliances because the minerals can leave scratches on plastic.

Drs. Denise VeyVoda and Robert G. West operate The Oyster Bay Family Dentists at 123 South Street, Oyster Bay, New York, 11771. To schedule an appointment, call 516-922-5730 or visit Oyster Bay Dentists and fill out a contact sheet.

 

Reducing Children's Dental Anxiety

At the Oyster Bay Family Dentists, we are attentive to the needs of patients of all ages, including children. Although children can feel anxious about seeing the dentist, it is important for them to have regular check-ups. We want to work with parents to make these visits as comfortable as possible.

Children should start making dental visits as soon as their first tooth comes in, so hopefully, the experience won’t seem strange to them by the time they’re school-age. Let children know that the dentists and hygienists are friends who want to help clean their teeth and make sure they’re growing right. It’s not necessary to describe procedures you don’t know your child will need. We can provide children with more detailed explanations of what we’re doing when they arrive and demonstrate our tools to them.

If one parent feels anxious about visiting the dentist, it may be better for a different one to accompany the child. Children will pick up on implications that the parent expects the visit to be painful or scary, such as if they are offered a reward for good behavior, which is why it’s best to treat the visit as routine and casual.

Drs. Denise VeyVoda and Robert G. West operate The Oyster Bay Family Dentists at 123 South Street, Oyster Bay, New York, 11771. To schedule an appointment, call 516-922-5730 or visit OysterBayDentists.com and fill out a contact sheet.

 

Baby Bottle Tooth Decay

Baby teeth require care as soon as they emerge. The Oyster Baby Family Dentists want to help parents maintain their children’s oral health, and part of doing that is alerting them to the danger of Baby Bottle Tooth Decay, a pattern of decay on babies’ front teeth that results from overexposure to sugar.

The risk sugar poses to teeth has more to do with how long it is left on teeth than on the amount of intake. Although most parents know not to put juice or other sugary drinks in baby bottles, they may not be aware that milk and formula contain enough sugar to cause problems if not wiped off the child’s teeth quickly. Unfortunately, babies aren’t usually given water along with nutritional drinks, so their teeth aren’t being rinsed. And, just as snacking all day without brushing their teeth in between increases older children’s risk of tooth decay, drinking from a bottle for a long time increases babies’ exposure to sugar.

Limiting the amount of time babies have bottles and providing them with water are two of the most important ways of preventing Baby Bottle Tooth Decay. But it is a good idea anyway to make the switch to cups around their first birthday.

Drs. Denise VeyVoda and Robert G. West operate The Oyster Bay Family Dentists at 123 South Street, Oyster Bay, New York, 11771. To schedule an appointment, call 516-922-5730 or visit OysterBayDentists.com and fill out a contact sheet.