A Children's Dentist Can Help Prevent Cavities

At our Green Brook Township childrens dentist office, we know how important it is to prevent cavities. Most children will suffer from them, and it has become such a significant issue that the Center for Disease Control (CDC) reported that this is the most commonly occurring infectious disease among children. It has reached the point that it is impacting the number of days that children miss from school. Tooth decay can even impact young toddlers. Therefore, we focus on preventing it.

Childrens Dentist Office Exams and Cleanings

In our dental office, we recommend that children come in for a teeth cleaning and exam as young as one year of age. This way we can inspect their teeth and make sure that they are growing in properly. When they get professional teeth cleaning it goes a long way in helping to prevent cavities. No matter how good one is at brushing his or her teeth, there are some places in the mouth that are difficult to reach without a trip to the dentist. We can remove the plaque and bacteria from these areas to reduce the risk of cavities. The best routine involves brushing and flossing twice a day and visiting our office for a professional cleaning twice a year.

Fluoride Treatment

Upon visiting our childrens dentist office, there are additional steps that we can take to prevent cavities such as completing a fluoride treatment. Fluoride is a mineral that we can brush directly onto the teeth. It serves to strengthen teeth, which is significant, considering how many children get cavities. Simultaneously, a fluoride treatment only takes a couple of minutes to complete, and it is entirely non-invasive, so children do not experience any discomfort.

Dental Sealants

Another way that we can help is to place sealant on their teeth. If your child has deep ridges on the chewing surface of their teeth, it will be difficult to clean them all the way. Food particles, plaque, and bacteria can gather here and increase the likelihood that they will develop cavities in these spaces. At our childrens dentist office, we can brush a clear liquid onto their teeth. This sealant will harden and provide a protective barrier so that nothing can get into these deep ridges. As a result, we can significantly reduce the chance of your child developing cavities. Like fluoride, this is a non-invasive solution that only takes a few minutes per tooth.
Regardless of how old your child is or what their oral health has been, it is never too early or too late to focus on improving it. When you visit our dental office, we can take the steps necessary to improve the oral health of our patients. Our goal is to ensure that your child remains healthy as they age and that they will grow with a full set of natural teeth that have not been hindered by decay or gum disease. To schedule your appointment, give us a call.

Visit a Cosmetic Dentist for a Teeth Whitening in Green Brook Township

If you do not like the appearance of your teeth, come to our Green Brook Township dentist office for a teeth whitening. Teeth whitening is perhaps the easiest way to improve the appearance of your smile. As a cosmetic dentist, it is one of the most frequent procedures that we perform. Nearly all adults suffer from some form of discoloration or staining. For some, it is a minor yellowing that they need to address. While for many patients, the staining and discoloration are so severe that it significantly impacts their appearance. In any case, our professional grade whitening solution can positively transform your smile.

Why you should schedule an appointment for a teeth whitening

As a cosmetic dentist, we can whiten a patient's teeth in a way that will produce beautiful results. Our whitening solution can penetrate the enamel of one's teeth to begin the process of oxidization where the molecules inside of the teeth reflect less light and appear colorless. The solutions that one buys in the store typically only remove the surface stains so they are not nearly as effective. In fact, this can lead to further problems.

Since the results are not as dramatic as most people would hope for, it is common for people to apply the solution again. Unfortunately, repeated exposure can cause irritation and even erosion. Erosion is when the enamel on the teeth wears away and they become sensitive, sometimes permanently. Patients can avoid this potential complication by scheduling an appointment with our dental office for a teeth whitening.

The process

Upon visiting our office, we will first examine the patient's teeth to make sure there are no cavities or infections that we need to address. We cannot place the whitening solution onto teeth since it can cause irritation by the peroxide. Plus, treating a cavity is important for the patient's oral health in the long run. We will also look for signs of damage. If the patient has any cracked or chipped teeth, it is important to restore them prior to whitening the teeth.

Leaving a damaged tooth alone can cause the damage to spread and even create a risk of an infection developing. This initial examination and our ability to treat whatever issues we find will make it so that the patient does not experience any unnecessary sensitivity when coming in for a teeth whitening.

As a cosmetic dentist, we also have other solutions that we can provide you with should the teeth whitening treatment not work as well as you would like. We can cover any remaining stains with dental bonding, dental veneers, or dental crowns. All of these are effective solutions for improving the appearance of your teeth and can be completed fairly quickly.

Call us today at (732) 424-8483.

Our Cosmetic Dentistry Office Can Give You a Bright Smile for Summer

When you think of cosmetic dentistry, we know that summer is not the first thing that comes to mind. Equally, when people think about summer they do not automatically associate it with their teeth unless of course, you happen to be a cosmetic dentist who understands that summer is an excellent time for a dental appointment.

Cosmetic Dentistry Procedures for a bright smile this summer

Summer is all about memories. Summer is the time when we pack up our bags and head out on vacation. Whether it is visiting friends and family, heading out to explore destinations unknown or just going back to a favorite spot, we will be traveling in greater numbers this time of year than any other. Naturally, people are smiling more and taking pictures when on vacation. Then consider the home front, where every day there will be barbecuing, pool parties, and company sponsored picnic events. All off these are the way we celebrate summer, casting off our cold weather gear and switching to swimsuits for the season. For some people, however, summer can be stressful.
Millions of Americans are ashamed or shy to show their teeth. This is because they have yet to take advantage of cosmetic dentistry, and still suffer from conditions like malocclusion, teeth that have extensive staining, or a smile that they are just not confident showing off. Our Green Brook Township dental office can help correct this and give you a picture-worthy smile for the most memorable summer ever.
For cosmetic dentistry, a beautiful smile is always inclusive of a set of flawlessly white teeth. Upon visiting our office, one of the things that we will be working on is getting the patient those flawless white teeth to flash all summer long. One of the ways to achieve that is teeth whitening. Over the last several years, teeth whitening has gotten very popular. People all over the country are visiting a cosmetic dentist to whiten their teeth. For anyone who wants to take advantage of one of cosmetic dentistry’s simplest tools, come see us for a teeth whitening appointment. This may be a simple process, but it works on a well-defined scientific principle.

How the process works

What most people do not realize is that natural light is white. How we perceive an object to be a certain color is dependent on the angle at which they reflect this white light. Since we want teeth to be whiter, the teeth need to be more translucent which allows the light to pass through easily and reflect as white. Stains and other discolorations block this from happening.
To correct stained or discolored teeth, our Green Brook Township cosmetic dentistry office uses a peroxide-based solution. This solution is designed to be quickly absorbed by the tooth’s enamel and go to work releasing free radicals inside of the tooth. The free radicals cause a small chemical change to the makeup of the tooth’s chemical structure, causing them to be more translucent. This translucence reflects as a brighter whiter tooth. From your point of view, this means that you will have a big, confident white smile all summer long.

Visit Our Cosmetic Dentist Office for Dental Laminates

If you want to improve your smile, visit our Green Brook Township cosmetic dentist office for dental laminates. This is an easy way to transform the appearance of your smile from drab to spectacular.  Whether you have misshapen teeth, damaged teeth or teeth that no longer look youthful, laminates are diverse enough to correct the problem.  In fact, there are very few things that cannot be fixed with this procedure.  That is why we use them to complete both full smile makeovers and dental restorations.

What you should know about dental laminates:

Dental laminates are also known as dental veneers. Upon visiting our cosmetic dentist office, we will examine the patient's teeth and take X-rays to determine if the patient is a strong candidate for dental laminates. While most people are strong candidates, others may not be. If a patient's tooth is severely damaged, we may suggest restoring it with a dental crown instead. We will also discuss what a patient does not like about his or her smile in detail so that we can create a plan for addressing those issues.
To prepare the patient's teeth for dental laminates, we will need to remove a small portion of the enamel. Laminates or veneers are incredibly thin shells made of porcelain. While laminates are only .5 to .6 mm thick, we need to remove a portion of the enamel so that the laminates do not stand out or make the teeth appear overly large. Once we finish preparing the teeth, we will secure temporary laminates while we create the permanent ones in the dental lab. Patients may need to wear the temporary laminates for a week or two. During that time, the patient will want to avoid biting into anything directly and stick with soft foods that will not dislodge the temporary laminates. When the final set of laminates is ready, the patient will need to return to our cosmetic dentist office. We will remove the temporaries and bind the permanent ones into place using dental cement. Once secure, the patient will be able to return to a normal diet.
Note: there are some types of laminates that are so thin that your enamel will not be removed.  The decision to do so is based on the type of laminate and your natural teeth so we will discuss these options with you during your consultation.

How dental laminates are used:

There are several ways to use them to improve your smile.  The most common is to brighten dull teeth that have become stained.  It is common for teeth to lose their luster over time and to become stained. While teeth whitening can help, there are some stains that are difficult to remove and laminates can cover those teeth to complete your smile transformation.
Since laminates cover your natural teeth, we can also use them to close gaps between your teeth, change the shape of your teeth, make your teeth appear straight and much more. This can all be done in our Green Brook Township dental office in far less time than it would take to use other solutions like orthodontics.

What You Should Know About Tooth Fillings

When patients come into our Green Brook Township dentist office with decay, they may not know that they are going to be getting a filling. For most of our patient's, fillings are not a new thing. However, we sometimes get a younger patient in or someone who has been lucky with great teeth, who has no idea about the process of getting a filling.
Since nobody actually starts out coming in for a tooth filling, we know that most visits usually begin with a regularly-scheduled examination that finds any decay. A filling is exactly what it sounds like: material that replaces damaged enamel to prevent infection. The filling closes off spaces in the teeth that may otherwise attract bacterial infections. In order to do a filling, there are a number of necessary steps to take.

What is involved with tooth fillings?

A tooth filling typically starts with a regular examination, which leads to the discovery of soft spots or places where decay creates a cavity. To prevent cavities from forming, we strongly encourage all of our patients to come in at least twice a year for an examination. Catching cavities early on will mean fewer fillings and a better chance at preventing decay. If we discover a cavity, we can go to work filling it.
The first step is to make sure that the patient is completely comfortable. If necessary, we will administer a local anesthesia in the gums around the affected tooth. The anesthesia will completely numb the tooth so the patient does not feel any discomfort while we go through the rest of the process. One thing we do tell patients getting a tooth filling is that they may still feel a mild pressure. After we properly numb the tooth, we will remove the decay by shaving away any infected enamel.
The dentist will also use this opportunity to create a shape in the tooth that is easier to fill since decay can go in all directions. For some kinds of fillings, there are a few extra steps. For example, some fillings, such as bonded fillings, also require us to etch the tooth, which will happen during the shaving process. Other kinds of fillings require the application of a resin. When we apply resin, we use that blue light next to the chair to harden and make it the resin strong.

What materials are used in tooth fillings?

There are numerous materials that can be used depending on what look you want and what the budget will withstand. We can use gold fillings, amalgam (silver) fillings, composite (plastic) resin filling, or even porcelain fillings.

The New Ways a Family Dental Office Can Teach a Child to Brush Their Teeth

In our Green Brook Township family dentist office, we are always looking for new ways to get children to be excited about oral health. Creating an oral hygiene routine early in life is beneficial since it influences the children throughout their lifetime. If they do not establish good habits now, there is a greater chance that they will have cavities and gum disease as they age. With that in mind, we recommend that you bring them in for teeth cleanings twice a year and set a good health routine at home. This is sometimes harder than it sounds, but we have ways to help.

Dental Health Videos

We are using media and specifically short videos to teach kids how to brush the right way and how to brush long enough. This works a lot better than charts and timers. Videos are more fun and kids are used to getting information this way. Whether through things they watch at home or even videos in school, this is now commonplace. When you visit our dental office, we will show your kids how to brush properly and remind them to brush for two minutes at a time. At home, you can use videos to reinforce these concepts until the next appointment.

American Dental Association Website

The American Dental Association has a website that provides resources for parents and children. On the website, they have brushing tutorials and a rewards chart that you can use to help motivate your children about brushing teeth. There are a series of two-minute videos that we recommend playing while your child brushes. The videos are not boring instructional videos with a guy in a lab coat but popular cartoons like Adventure Time and sing-alongs for the younger kids. With these videos, the child can actually watch something they are interested in for a full two minutes while benefitting their health. As a family dental office, our hope is that these videos will help children fall into a healthy routine of regular brushing. Children will also become familiar with brushing for the proper two minutes thanks to the length of the video. Once they are older and the videos are gone, they will hopefully continue with this habit.

Dental Hygiene Songs

For parents that are not too fond of videos, the children can dance along to their favorite music instead. Take turns picking songs and play something for two minutes at a time. This can be a fun game where you can even pick a song and make them guess where it is from or what band sings it. The goal is to do something that is fun with your children and incorporate oral hygiene into it. This creates positive associations that will encourage them to keep brushing as they get older. If you need help, visit our family dental office in Green Brook Township so that we can confirm what you are doing at home and remind your kids of the benefits of brushing regularly.

Visiting the Dentist is More Important Than Most Men Realize

As a dentist in Green Brook Township, we know that women are more likely to visit us for preventative care than men. This is in line with the common perception that men are less likely to visit the doctor in general. The Academy of General Dentistry conducted a poll to find out why a lot of men skip out on their appointments. Results for the survey come from dental professionals and patients.

Reasons Men Skip Dental Appointments

Only 5 percent of men do not receive teeth cleanings since they do not have a dentist. Another reason that men may not seek dental care is due to a lack of insurance.
Around 18 percent of men did not see a dentist because they felt like they did not have time to go in. This is a contradiction in perception and reality because not going to the dentist, exposes a person to having a future dental emergency that will typically require a more intensive and time-consuming procedure to correct. On the other hand, regular teeth cleanings only take around an hour, so this is a wiser course of action.
Another 30 percent of men had a dental phobia preventing them from visiting the dentist. We understand that millions of adults suffer from some form of dental anxiety due to a previous bad experience, very often a fear starting in one's childhood. Common or not, dentistry has improved significantly to the point that we can help our patients to relax prior to their procedure and ensure complete comfort during it. With that in mind, there is no need to fear a visit to the dentist.
The largest group, at 45 percent, said that they did not come in because they did not feel like it was necessary. As a dental professional, that is a fairly alarming statistic and shows how important it is to educate people as to why oral health matters. If you fall into this category, this is what you should know. –

Preventative Dental Care Is Important To Men's Health

Your digestion starts in the mouth so if you have an infection or a lot of plaque, you will eventually be swallowing it and sending it throughout your body. This may be what is causing the connection between heart health and gum health. Researchers find that the plaque on your teeth is the same substance that forms in your arteries, making it clear that it is important to prevent a lot of plaque from building up in your mouth. Simultaneously, they have found that 70 percent of those treated for heart disease also have gum disease, so the connection is a critical one.
We suggest that people also receive teeth cleanings at least twice a year due to how uncomfortable and inconvenient a toothache can be. By simply going to regularly scheduled dentist appointments, both men and women can remain in better oral health.