Cosmetic Periodontal Surgery

The Oyster Bay Family Dentists offer cosmetic periodontal surgery so that any patient can have their perfect smile.  Everyone wants to make a great first impression with a nice smile, and the overall look of your smile includes your gums.  Even patients with teeth in good condition feel like their gums keep them from enjoying their best smile, but we can help.

Cosmetic periodontal surgery is an elaborate way of saying sculpting the gum line.  Patients with a gummy smile, uneven gum line, or elongated teeth often ask what can be done to achieve the look they want.  To correct these issues, cosmetic periodontal surgery can include removing excess gum tissue and exposing more of the tooth, placing soft tissue grafts to extend the gum line, or both.

Soft tissue grafts are typically harvested from the roof of the patient’s mouth.  This tissue is then placed where gums have receded to create a balance in the amount of tooth versus gum that is exposed.  In areas when excess gum tissue is hiding teeth, the gum tissue is removed to achieve the same balance.  If you think your smile would benefit from cosmetic periodontal surgery, please contact us.

To learn more about cosmetic periodontal surgery and all the services we provide, 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.

Scaling and Root Planing

In its most advanced stages, gum disease can lead to gum recession and even tooth loss.  The Oyster Bay Family Dentists want to help you make sure it never gets to that point.  When sticky bacteria called plaque builds up on a tooth, the gum starts to pull away from the tooth and form a pocket around the buildup.  This only leads to more gum recession.  Scaling and root planing are used to treat this buildup and prevent the later stages of gum disease.

Scaling and root planning are two parts of a deep cleaning procedure your dentist can perform to help repair gums. The procedure begins with scaling, which is removing plaque from the surface of your teeth all the way down to your gums. This is followed by root planing, which involves minor contouring to smooth the surface of a tooth near the root.  Once the plaque has been removed and the tooth root has been smoothed, the gums that have pulled away have a clean, smooth surface to reattach to.   Local anesthetic is used during this procedure, and your dentist may recommend completing the treatment over a series of appointments. 

To learn more about scaling, root planing, and all the services we provide, 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.

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.

 

Dry Socket Dangers

The Oyster Bay Family Dentists are some of the best in the business of oral surgery. We not only are skilled in advanced techniques, we also care deeply about our patients’ recovery. As part of our prevention efforts, we want everyone undergoing extractions to be familiar with the dangers of dry sockets.

Although a dry socket is always possible, it is more likely to result from difficult extractions which require the surgeon to make incisions and leave sutures. It is necessary for a blood clot to form for the socket to be protected from infection and drying out. Therefore, patients are advised not to take birth control or other medication which is known to interfere with clotting, or to sip from straws, smoke, or otherwise create pressure in their mouths which could cause clots to come loose.

If a socket does dry out, a patient will know it by their severe pain. They should request an immediate emergency appointment so we can provide them with painkillers and antibiotics. One of our doctors will use a vacuum to clean the wound and dress it in gauze or paste. Dressings will be changed every few days until the socket closes to guard against further complications.

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.

 

What Thumb Sucking Does to Teeth

The Oyster Bay Family Dentists care for patients of all ages, including young children. Many first-time parents worry that their child’s thumb sucking habit could harm their oral health, and we want to educate them about the possible consequences.

Thumb sucking is common in most children under four and will probably not have a lasting effect. These children’s facial bones are still flexible. However, if a child keeps on sucking their thumb (or a pacifier) after beginning to lose their baby teeth, there could be serious problems, including tooth or jaw misalignment and damage to the shape of the tooth ridges or roof of the mouth.

Children suck their thumbs as a means of soothing themselves. If a child is old enough for their habit to be dangerous, hopefully it will be possible to explain to them why the dentist is concerned and include them in finding ways to break the habit. However, children with deep-seated anxiety may develop an equally harmful practice of pushing their tongue against their front teeth. In these cases, there are orthodontic devices which can discourage tongue-thrusting, but it may be necessary to consult with a child psychologist.

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.