What Tools do Dentists Use?

As prosthodontists, we at The Oyster Bay Family Dentists have a wide variety of tools in our office. They allow us to handle just about every problem a patient might come in with, but to our patients, they may seem mysterious. We want our patients to feel comfortable with their dental care, so we thought it would be a good idea to briefly describe what the most commonly used dental instruments are and what names we might use for them.

Dental explorers are metal wands with hooks at the end. You’ve doubtlessly seen hygienists use them to break up tartar. Explorers in different shapes might be called probes or scalers when they’re being used to test the depth of gum pockets and remove plaque from beneath the gum line. They’re also used to test the hardness of each tooth’s enamel, which helps us to determine if there’s an active infection. We use explorers in combination with handheld mirrors to see the backsides of patients’ teeth and move their cheeks out of the way. As we break up tartar, we’ll suction it out with a tube called an evacuator or an ejector.

Larger evacuators are used when we need to drill away decayed enamel. The drill emits water so it won’t overheat the patient’s mouth, and the patient is numbed with medication delivered through a syringe. Fillings are applied with pluggers and polished with burnishers. When a tooth needs to be extracted, we’ll use a flat spoon called an elevator to loosen it by rocking it back and forth. We may also use reverse-action forceps to lift a tooth out once it’s loose enough to avoid harming the surrounding soft tissues..

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.

 

Diet and Tooth Decay

Regardless of whether you have your natural teeth or artificial ones, you’ll want to protect them from erosion. Although teeth can lose enamel due to mechanical wear, it is more common for them to decay as a result of acid exposure. What a person eats and drinks has a major impact on the integrity of their teeth, so we want to make sure our patients understand how to eat for a healthy mouth.

Food and drink commonly contain acid as well as sugar, which feeds oral bacteria. The longer bacteria have to feed on sugar, the more acid they’ll produce. Citric juices, such as orange juice and tomato juice, are high in both acid and sugar, as is soda. Citric acid is also a frequent flavoring in sour candy and energy gels, making these products even more dangerous to the teeth than sweet candy and energy bars. Alcohol, red meat, and garlic and onions can also cause acid reflux, which means that stomach acid is able to enter the mouth and cause further damage to enamel and the gums.

A person with natural teeth will suffer sensitivity as their enamel decays, and tooth sensitivity should be taken seriously in patients of every age. But if a person has prosthetic teeth, they may not notice their crowns being damaged. Patients can prevent tooth decay by removing food debris quickly after eating. Besides regular brushing and flossing, they should drink plenty of water and chew sugar-free gum. They may also want to sip sugary or acidic drinks through straws and avoid eating large meals before lying down.

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.

 

Partial Crowns: Inlays and Onlays

If you have decayed or broken teeth, don’t wait any longer to schedule an appointment with the Oyster Bay Family Dentists. Although we provide general dental services, our speciality is prosthodontics, the placement of prosthetic teeth. Sometimes, a tooth is too damaged to be repaired with a simple filling, but when large parts of it are still intact, we may give it a partial crown.

Partial crowns are usually placed on molars or premolars, the wide teeth in back. These teeth grind food and have deep indentations in between their pointy bits, called cusps. It is easy for food debris to get trapped in the indentations, where it would become infected and decay. The acid produced by oral bacteria would damage the enamel, causing the patient pain, and if it continues, the infection may reach the pulp chamber. The cusps surrounding the indentation may also be damaged, whether through decay or being broken off in an accident.

When a patient is suffering from tooth decay, we’ll remove the damaged enamel after numbing them with a local anesthetic. Once the infected material has been removed, we can take an impression of the patient’s mouth that will be used to mill the partial crown. A partial crown that nestles into the indentation is called an inlay, while a partial crown that substitutes for cusps is called an onlay. The custom-fitted partial crown is cemented onto the tooth, allowing the patient to eat normally again. It will need to be cared for through regular brushing and flossing, but can last for over a decade.

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.

 

Cracked Teeth

The prosthodontists at The Oyster Bay Family Dentists provide patients with lots of options for repairing damaged teeth. Sometimes a crack is merely a cosmetic issue, and sometimes it is painful and puts the tooth at risk for infection. Regardless, we’ll conduct a thorough assessment and implement a long-lasting, aesthetically pleasing solution.

The smallest cracks are known as “craze lines.” These can be bonded over or covered with veneers, which are also common solutions when a small portion of enamel has chipped off. They are not usually indicative of a major health concern. However, a large crack creates an avenue through which bacteria may enter the dental pulp. In these cases, a patient would require root canal therapy, which would conclude with the crown being sealed. If a crack goes deep into the tooth’s inner layers or is wide, it may necessitate the replacement of the crown. When a vertical crack reaches the root of a tooth, the tooth will have to be extracted and replaced.

If a person frequently develops cracks in their enamel, they may be grinding their jaws in their sleep. These patients can benefit from the use of custom-fitted night guards. Patients are also advised to never use their front teeth for chewing or as tools, and to refrain from chewing ice.

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.

 

Incipient Lesions

If you see strange white spots lingering on your teeth, that’s not just a cosmetic issue. It’s the sign of an incipient lesion, meaning a developing cavity. We at The Oyster Bay Family Dentists specialize in replacing damaged teeth, but we want our patients to be able to exercise preventive care and see us early in the tooth decay process. To that end, we thought it would be a good idea to discuss the development of white spots.

When enamel is being chemically eroded, it takes on a glazed appearance. This can be observed on the upper back teeth of people with chronic acid reflux, but is more often seen in people experiencing the early stage of tooth decay. As bacteria consume sugar, they produce acid as a by-product of their metabolization process. The acid gets stuck in the biofilm covering teeth, causing breakdown of the nearby enamel’s mineral structure and recession in gum tissue. If the demineralization goes on for as few as thirty days, a cavity will develop.

Incipient lesions are likely to appear in places where patients have difficulty brushing, such as the sides of teeth and around orthodontic brackets. Doing a better job of brushing can usually kill the infection, although the demineralized tooth may still look chalky afterward. We can help patients by assessing whether the infection is still active and by covering up the scar with bonding or a veneer. Our hygienists can also demonstrate brushing techniques to patients during regular check-ups, so that lesions will be less likely to develop.

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.

 

Instructions after Tooth Extractions

We don’t remove teeth without a good reason, but extractions are a routine procedure that can usually be completed without a problem. To ensure that patients understand the importance of following instructions, we at the Oyster Bay Family Dentists wanted to explain a little bit about why we take certain precautions.

Our main concern after removing a tooth is that the socket does not dry out. After a tooth is removed, healthy blood will form a clot that seals off the socket and the exposed jaw bone. But if the clot does not form or does not stay in place, not only will the socket become painfully dry, it will also become a way for bacteria and other harmful substances to enter the body. In the worse cases, tissue of the jaw bone could become necrotized.

Patients are advised to avoid sucking on straws or eating sticky foods after getting an extraction, because these could dislodge the clot. Smoking could also prevent a clot’s formation or create a suction that would dislodge it. Some medications also interfere with clotting, which is why patients should make sure to disclose all of them to us. A dry socket is a greater risk when removing the lower wisdom teeth, so those patients especially should be on guard against the bad taste and smell that could indicate a problem. If a dry socket does develop, we’ll be able to treat it with a pain-relieving, antibacterial dressing.

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.

 

Cosmetic Care after Pulp Infections

We take care at the Oyster Bay Family Dentists that our patients will be pleased with the appearance of their smiles. When providing prosthetic teeth, we match their color to the teeth the patient already has, and we provide whitening services to remove external stains. But what do we do about intrinsic stains? Those could require a different approach because of their implication about a patient’s health.

Some intrinsic stains are harmless. Teeth may appear brown if a patient consumed too much fluoride during their childhood or black if they were exposed to tetracycline antibiotics. But those are rare cases. More often, intrinsic stains are due to an injury to the dental pulp. Besides causing a tooth to be black, red, or purple in color, pulp injuries and infections usually cause pain and a bad smell. If left untreated, an infection can spread, causing an abscess in the gum.

Root canal therapy is the normal way of removing infected pulp. Once the infected material is out and the patient is in less danger, their tooth may be filled with whitening gel and then sealed. After a week, the whitening agent can be removed and the tooth may be filled in normally. If the patient is still displeased with the color of their tooth, it may be covered with a veneer.

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.

 

White Spots on Teeth

Everybody wants whiter teeth. But when white spots with a chalky character develop, they’re a warning sign of infection. We of the Oyster Bay Family Dentists don’t want our patients to let tooth decay take them by surprise, which is why this week we’re talking about white spot lesions.

Tooth decay is caused by an infection on the enamel. Bacteria produce acid, which sticks to tartar and plaque. When enamel is eroded by acid, it first takes on a glazed, white appearance as it loses minerals. (This can also be seen in people who suffer from acid reflux.) White spots don’t usually hurt, but if the infection is not stopped, it will create a cavity and remove the protection from the nerve in the tooth.

A white spot can form in as few as thirty days. They are particularly prone to appearing on the upper front teeth at the part where the crown meets the gum line and in the area surrounding orthodontic brackets. Although enamel cannot be regrown, it can be remineralized, so patients should not give up on fighting incipient lesions. We also offer Invisalign as an alternative to fixed braces at our office, which creates less of a risk for white spot development.

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.