Are You Cleaning Your Tongue?

Keeping your mouth clean is vital to your oral and overall health. The Oyster Bay Family Dentists of Oyster Bay, NY want to make sure our patients are doing all they can to maintain a healthy mouth. If you are not brushing your tongue already, read on to find out why you should!

The tongue is filled with those tiny taste buds that can collect and hang on to bacteria and debris. Just like how a layer of plaque can form on teeth, a film of bacteria can also form on the tongue. It can contribute to more cavities, gum disease, and bad breath.

To clean your tongue, you just need a simple toothbrush. You can use the same toothbrush you use to brush your teeth. Some patients prefer to use a tongue scraper, which is also fine. Take the toothbrush or scraper and place it at the back of your tongue. Press down firmly and drag the toothbrush down your tongue to the tip. Keeping doing this until your tongue looks clean. Rinse off the toothbrush with each stroke. You should brush your tongue every time you brush your teeth.

To learn more about dental hygiene or to schedule your exam and cleaning, call The Oyster Bay Family Dentists of Oyster Bay, NY at (516) 922-5730 or visit our website, www.oysterbaydentists.com. 

Cosmetic Periodontal Surgery

While there are many ways to improve your smile through your teeth, we have some patients who are unhappy with their smile for a different reason. “Gummy smile” or recessed gums can often make teeth appear too short or too long. This is why here in Oyster Bay, NY, The Oyster Bay Family Dentists perform cosmetic periodontal surgery.

We know that a perfect smile is a route to great confidence. When you are self-conscious about smiling or laughing, it can really have an effect on your self-esteem. For those with excess gum tissue, uneven gum lines, or recessed gums, cosmetic periodontal surgery can help you.

Cosmetic periodontal surgery consists of gum grafts, crown lengthening, or both. When gums have shrunk due to gum disease or genes, we can take a soft tissue graft from another area of your mouth and place it where the gums are needed. They heal into a beautiful and healthy gum line. In other cases where there is too much gum tissue that makes teeth appear short, we can simply remove the excess gums and create a new gum line that shows off more of your teeth. In certain cases where the gum line is very uneven, we will use both procedures.

If you are unhappy with your gum line, you do not have to leave it the way it is. To schedule a consultation with The Oyster Bay Family Dentists of Oyster Bay, NY, call our office at (516) 922-5730 or visit our website, www.oysterbaydentists.com. 

Gum Grafting in Oyster Bay, NY

Gum disease can leave gums with deep pockets and irreversible recession. After gum disease is cleared up, it is essential to fix damaged gums to avoid another infection. The Oyster Bay Family Dentists of Oyster Bay, NY perform gum grafting for their patients with recessed gums.

The gums should fit around the teeth snugly. They should be loose enough so you can floss, but tight enough so that bacteria and other debris cannot fall down into them. Gum disease is a major contributor to gum recession, although it is not the only case where patients have recessed gums. Some patients just have the genes for a smaller amount of gum tissue.

In order to add gum tissue and cover the exposed tooth roots, we take soft tissue from the palate or from another area of the gums and move it over to where extra tissue is needed. We stitch the gums down so that they can heal and promote further gum growth. The end result is a healthy gum line that keeps bacteria out.

To learn more about gum recession and gum grafting, schedule a consultation with us. You can schedule a consultation in our Oyster Bay, NY office by calling (516) 922-5730 or by visiting The Oyster Bay Family Dentists website, www.oysterbaydentists.com. 

How to Get Kids to Happily Brush and Floss

Getting kids to brush and floss their teeth isn’t always easy, but it is so important. Strong oral hygiene skills built at a young age will carry on through adulthood. The Oyster Bay Family Dentists of Oyster Bay, NY want to give our patients ideas for making dental care a little more interesting for kids.

Interactive games are great ways to teach kids about almost anything. Use safe online resources like games and fun videos to teach your child why it is important to brush, floss, and visit the dentist. They will have fun and get a better understanding for why dental health is essential.

Games at home are also another good way to get kids brushing. Make a “monkey-see-monkey-do” game out of it. Brush and floss your own teeth in the mirror alongside your kids and have them copy you. Kids love to imitate and see it as a fun game. At the same time, they will be learning the proper way to brush!

Use something fun to keep track of the time they spend brushing. A musical timer or a toothbrush that plays music can often entice your child to participate in brushing. You want to be sure that they are not only brushing but doing a thorough job.

Kids’ oral health is important because their baby teeth are the place markers for their future adult teeth! To schedule your child’s next appointment with The Oyster Bay Family Dentists here in Oyster Bay, NY, call our office at (516) 922-5730 or visit our website, www.oysterbaydentists.com. 

Pocket Reduction Surgery

Gum pockets from gum disease can perpetuate the infection. They allow bacteria to reach deep down into the gums and make it difficult for removal. To clear up gum disease when pockets have been formed, often, a pocket reduction is necessary. The Oyster Bay Family Dentists of Oyster Bay, NY are experienced in pocket reduction surgery and we perform it right here in our office.

Gum pockets are formed when plaque and tartar irritate the gum tissues and cause the tissue to pull away from the teeth. These now receded gums have formed deep pockets where bacteria collect. The gums need to be fixed so that they are snug with the tooth. They need to be accessible for daily cleaning but snug enough so that bacteria cannot enter them.

Pocket reduction surgery will be performed after a scaling and planing procedure. This procedure removes the bacteria from under the gums and smooths down rough patches on teeth where bacteria could hide. The pocket reduction surgery then involves securing the gum tissue back in a natural place. We stitch them into place to heal in a natural line.

Gum disease is detrimental to your oral health. To schedule an appointment with The Oyster Bay Family Dentists of Oyster Bay, NY, give our office a call at (516) 922-5730. Appointments may also be made through our website, www.oysterbaydentists.com. 

Occlusal Adjustments in Oyster Bay, NY

Patients with a sore jaw after chewing, sensitive areas in the mouth, and easily injured teeth may have a misaligned bite. This can cause major pain, damage, and trouble eating. Fortunately, The Oyster Bay Family Dentists of Oyster Bay, NY can perform occlusal adjustments on our patients right here in our office!

An occlusal adjustment makes minor changes to the teeth so that they can line up correctly. When teeth are misaligned, biting and chewing can create uneven pressure on the jaw. The jaw joints and the muscles surrounding them can become fatigued and sore. Teeth also experience unnatural pressure. They can become worn down in areas which can lead to sensitivity and injury. Fractures are common with misaligned teeth.

In order to correct this problem, we use advanced computer technology to detect the abnormalities in the bite. We can precisely identify areas of the mouth that need adjustments. To adjust these areas, we use a very fine filling stone. Our technology allows us to make the adjustments as accurately as possible so that there is not any extra enamel being filed than is needed.

If you are experiencing an uneven feeling jaw, soreness and sensitivity, you may want to come in for a visit. To schedule with The Oyster Bay Family Dentists here in Oyster Bay, NY, call our office at (516) 922-5730 or visit our website, www.oysterbaydentists.com. 

Tender Teeth

Does eating anything hot or cold make you say, “Ouch?” If so, you may have what’s known as tooth sensitivity. The first step to reducing your pain is to improve your oral hygiene routine. If you are not brushing at least twice a day or flossing at least once a day, then our doctors at The Oyster Bay Family Dentists recommend that you start. However, if your oral hygiene routine is at its prime, we’d like you to take into consideration what might be causing this mouth malady.

• You’re brushing too hard – over time, if you brush with too much force, you can wear down the protective layers of your teeth and expose the microscopic hollow tubes or canals that lead to your dental nerves. When these tubules are exposed, tooth sensitivity is a result.


• You’re eating too many acidic foods – If the pathways to your nerves are exposed, acidic foods will cause you pain.


• You have tooth decay – If you have tooth decay, it’s easy for bacteria to accumulate in these tiny crevices, which causes acid build-up and enamel breakdown.


• You’re a tooth grinder – Grinding your teeth can wear down your enamel. This exposes the dentin and causes sensitive teeth.

If your teeth are tender to the touch, please give us a call. To learn more about dental hygiene as well as the services we provide at the practice, visit www.oysterbaydentists.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with one of our doctors at The Oyster Bay Family Dentists in Oyster Bay, NY, call 516-922-5730.