Category: General Dental Health

Many of our patients are interested in quick and easy cosmetic procedures that can enhance their smiles in a dramatic way. Our teeth whitening solutions provide an excellent option. However, as with any treatment plan at our office, there are a few important questions to discuss before we choose the best option. Here are the top four teeth whitening questions you can ask our team, brought to you by the Philips Zoom Whitening:

1. Why should I whiten my teeth through the dentist’s office?

Dental whitening treatments are better for those that suffer from teeth sensitivity that arises from the use of at-home whitening strips. Dr. Niakiani is able to control the whitening treatment more thoroughly and accurately, resulting in a much better patient experience.

2. What are the possible side effects?

As is the case with any whitening treatment, patients may feel some initial sensitivity. However, the Zoom! Whitening product contains two mild desensitizing agents, potassium nitrate and Amorphous Calcium Phosphate (ACP), to minimize tooth sensitivity.

3. What are the results I can expect?

Results are very hard to guarantee, as each person’s dental and physical health is different. However, we often see teeth up to 8 shades whiter in one 45-minute office visit. While we can’t guarantee this for every patient, we can say that nearly all of our patients are happy with their results. Working with a dentist allows us to work with you until you achieve the results you are looking for.

4. How long will my results last?

Zoom! whitening results typically last for about a year, although behavior, habits, and genetics have a great impact on this. As you can imagine, drinking liquids that stain your teeth, such as red wine or coffee, will cause the effects to be dampened over time.

We would love to answer your unique questions. Contact us or make an appointment to achieve whiter teeth and a brighter smile you can be proud of.

We all know the most common reasons to brush your teeth. Any dentist will be happy with you for brushing twice every day. This habit prevents gum disease, helps your teeth stay white, and promotes a healthy self-image. However, according to the Huffington Post, there are some other excellent reasons to brush your teeth, as well.

1. Thorough teeth cleanings lead to a lower risk of heart attacks for older adults, according to the American Journal of Medicine.

2. The American Journal of Medicine also found that regular brushing and visits to the dentist lead to a decreased risk of stroke.

3. Oral infections and diseases raise your risk of pneumonia. Therefore, regular brushing that leads to fewer cases of these oral health issues can make you less susceptible to pneumonia and COPD. 

4. A 2007 study in the Journal of Periodontology Online shows that healthy brushing habits can lead to a healthier pregnancy. This study showed that periodontal disease is linked with pre-term low birth weight. 

5. Brushing your teeth can help you eat proper amounts of food, potentially leading to a healthier weight. According to Prevention, brushing your teeth serves as an indicator to your brain that the meal is done, initiating your digestive system to take over and process your food. This mechanism also helps you eat fewer calories. 

6. In 2010, the NYU College of Dentistry found that gum disease may increase the risk for Alzheimer’s Disease. Brushing your teeth reduces gum disease, possibly helping your brain perform better later in life.

There are plenty of reasons to brush and get a regular dental cleaning. Contact us or make an appointment to schedule a cleaning to achieve a brighter smile you can be proud of.

Our team at 6th Ave Periodontics loves to keep our patient’s informed about how to maintain a beautiful smile. With that in mind, we’ve created a dental dictionary to inform you about the words you’ll hear most often when you come in for a visit.

This week’s word: Scaling

(Definitions are provided by American Dental Association)

If you have any lingering questions about your dental health, or if you would like to schedule a dental exam, please contact our team or make an appointment. Our incredible staff will give you the best dental care possible.

We work extremely hard to ensure that we treat the whole patient, which means that we care deeply not just about correcting a significant oral health problem, but also about promoting good oral health care at home. The American Dental Association has identified nine types of foods as the most damaging to our teeth. These foods promote acid-producing bacteria, break down enamel, and/or can lead to decay and disease if not used in moderation.

Number Six: Alcohol

As you might expect, alcohol can cause problems to your dental health, as it can to other areas of your overall health, as well. The biggest dental health problem with excess alcohol is due to the impact that alcohol has on the mouth: dehydration and eventual dry mouth. When the mouth is dehydrated and dry, there isn’t as much saliva present to break down the starches, sugars, and food in your mouth. Therefore, these elements are left to sit on your teeth and cause plaque, acid erosion, and other problems, if left alone over time.

If not used in moderation, alcohol can also lead to gum disease or oral cancer, in some patients. If you must drink alcohol, limit your intake as much as possible and be sure to drink water during and after drinking alcohol in order to keep the mouth as moist as possible.

If you have any questions about how your diet impacts your dental health or if you would like to schedule a free consultation, please contact our team or make an appointment. Our incredible staff will give you the best dental care possible.

When you visit our office for a routine cleaning appointment, you’ll most likely notice our hygienists and dentists charting your teeth with a number associated with each one. Most patients wonder what the numbers mean and how our team comes up with them. Here’s the brief answer:

Your dental chart is a simple, graphical way to organize the health of your teeth and gums. Your hygienist will go over each tooth, using what’s known as a CPITN probe to examine the quality of the gums surrounding each tooth. The hygienist will move the probe around all aspects of the tooth while applying minimal pressure. While some hygienists have different ways of charting, the National Examining Board for Dental Nurses has created the following rating scale for basic periodontal examinations:

0- Health periodontal tissue and no bleeding after gentle probing

1- Bleeding after gentle probing, the black band remains completely visible, and there is no calculus or margin detected

2- The black band remains completely visible and calculus or other plaque has been detected

3- The black band is partially visible in the deepest pocket

4- The black band is not visible in the pocket

Teeth with scores of 2 or worse will receive plaque removal treatment, while scores of 3 will receive non-surgical periodontal treatment. Scores of 4 often require some type of surgical treatment for the tooth.

If you have any questions about your dental health or if you would like to schedule a free consultation, please contact our team or make an appointment. Our incredible staff will give you the best dental care possible.

Of course, we all love to smile, a physical phenomenon that typically comes from laughter and happy thoughts. Smiling isn’t just the result of something good. The act of smiling also has benefits in and of itself. In fact, research shows that looking at someone who smiles at us can enhance moods, giving others the same feelings they experience when they eat chocolate or win money.

Furthermore, researchers Dacher Keltner and LeeAnne Harker from the University of California have also found that the presence of a genuine, emotional-driven smile, known as a Duchenne smile, in a college yearbook predicted positive outcomes in marriage and well-being up to 30 years later.

However, according to the American Dental Association’s Oral Health and Well-Being Report, 1 in 4 adults avoid smiling due to the condition of their mouth and teeth.

The research and reports on smiling point to the benefits and importance of high-quality, consistent dental health care over time. It’s essential that both adults and children practice strong oral hygiene habits and visit the dentist regularly to receive cleanings and treatment for problems before they become too large to quickly fix.

If you have any questions about how to craft a more beautiful smile or if you would like to schedule a free consultation, please contact our team or make an appointment. Our incredible staff will give you the best dental care possible.

Let’s have a moment of honesty. After all, many of our patients have been there before, afraid of a procedure, small or surgical. Dentistry can be invasive and leave patients feeling vulnerable. Our greatest joy is providing excellent dental care and establishing a trusting relationship with each patient each time you visit our office.

What are some of the most common fears we see?

1. Fear of dental equipment (ask to hold our tools…it will make you feel better)

2. Fear of loud noises (bring some noise-canceling headphones or earplugs to help you out)

3. Fear of breathing through the nose (nasal strips can be a big advantage)

For those of you that struggle with fear of dental procedures, the folks at the Huffington Post have created a list of the most common dental fears. Take a look at the article here, and then read through our Patient Education Center.

If you have any questions about your dental health or if you would like to schedule a free consultation, please contact our team or make an appointment. Our incredible staff will give you the best dental care possible.

Many of our mothers used to repeat over and again, “Make sure you brush your tongue!” While we most likely complied when we were young, we probably asked ourselves, “Why do I need to brush my tongue? It doesn’t have any teeth on it.”

It turns out that brushing our tongue has a variety of benefits associated with it. In fact, researchers have claimed that brushing our tongue can reduce halitosis or bad breath. In a study performed in 1998, researchers confirmed that 87% of patients with bad breath experienced the problem due to mouth conditions, and of those patients, 51% of them had problems with the surface of their tongue. Another study showed that brushing our tongue can reduce halitosis anywhere from 59-88% (Danser 2003).

How does this happen?

When we brush or scrape the top surface of our tongue, we’re disrupting the vast amount of bacteria, dead cells, and food debris that live there on a regular basis.

The back part of the tongue is where we should spend the majority of our time brushing. The front side actually accumulates fewer bacteria, since it rubs up against our soft palate more often, and that friction can consistently disrupt the bacteria living on the front part of the tongue.

While a specially designed tool called a tongue cleaner will most likely give you the greatest benefits, the most important thing to remember when brushing your tongue is to do is gently and consistently every single day. There’s no need to be overly zealous, just thorough.

If you have any questions about your dental health or if you would like to schedule a free consultation, please contact our team or make an appointment. Our incredible staff will give you the best dental care possible.

Over the course of our lives, we put our teeth through a wide variety of experiences, from common eating and drinking to injuries from impact, grinding, and more. While dental hygiene can help to maintain our teeth over a long period of time, there are some risks that we can’t entirely mitigate, no matter how hard we try.

The Problem

While dry mouth, also known as xerostomia, can affect people at nearly any age, it has a more profound effect on seniors. Dry mouth isn’t a normal occurrence as we age, and it can have serious negative impacts on our dental and general health. About 33% of seniors develop dry mouth, and the problem typically occurs as a result of taking other medications for disorders like high blood pressure, allergies, or pain. These medications inhibit the secretion of saliva, which serves a critical function in breaking down food and maintaining a proper chemical environment in our mouths by neutralizing acid and absorbing vitamins and minerals. In the end, a lack of saliva can lead to significant tooth decay, which, in turn, can lead to advanced root decay, periodontal disease, and can ultimately cause cardiovascular problems.

The Solution

Treatment for dry mouth can be complicated since it’s often a side effect of medications for other problems. Furthermore, dry mouth can sometimes be caused by other factors, such as smoking, dehydration, or cancer treatments. Usually, the underlying goal of dry mouth treatment is to increase the production and flow of saliva, and dentists use a variety of strategies to achieve this, including medication. Other treatments can include changes in the patient’s diet, such as avoiding alcohol, sugary foods/drinks, caffeine, spicy foods, and tobacco. It is crucial to visit a dentist for diagnosis if you’re experiencing symptoms such as bad breath (halitosis), cracked lips, a sore throat, and/or problems speaking.

If you have any questions about dry mouth or if you would like to schedule a free consultation, please contact our team or make an appointment. Our incredible staff will give you the best dental care possible.

When you think about it, our toothbrush spends a lot of time in our mouth over the course of a lifetime. It also accumulates a lot of germs. While there are plenty of toothbrush holders out there that enable the whole family to put each toothbrush in its place, the American Dental Association warns that this might not be the best situation. Our toothbrushes are full of a variety of germs and it’s best to let them dry out after each use. It’s also important to use a new toothbrush each time you’re sick. The video below offers more guidance on how you should clean and store your toothbrush:

Transcript:

“After you finish brushing your teeth, make sure you rinse any toothpaste and anything off of the toothbrush very well with a stream of water. Tap it to shake off the excess water, and then put it standing upright so that it’s in the open air and not touching another toothbrush or anything else in the bathroom. If the toothbrush sits up and the bristles dry out in the air between the time you used it and next time, that will let all the bacteria die off on the brush and you’ll be nice and safe and clean next time you need it.”

If you have any questions about your dental health or if you would like to schedule a free consultation, please contact our team or make an appointment. Our incredible staff will give you the best dental care possible.