If you think cosmetic dentistry is only a technique to enhance the appearance of your teeth and smile, you are incorrect. Cosmetic dentistry can also help improve your oral health by providing treatments that prevent dental issues like tooth decay and gum disease.

What Are the Effects of Cosmetic Dentistry on Your Oral Health?

Often, people don’t consider how cosmetic dentistry treatments can help protect your teeth. One of the most common cosmetic dentistry treatments, teeth whitening can give you beautiful white teeth. After seeing the results, most people will want to maintain their white teeth. Thus, they are more willing to do proper dental hygiene practices such as brushing and flossing. Treatments like dental veneers or bonding help cover chipped or cracked teeth to prevent your mouth bacteria from penetrating the tooth to cause additional damages.

How Else Does Cosmetic Dentistry Help Your Oral Health?

You care for the aesthetic appearance of your teeth when you have them in your mouth. What if you lose a couple of teeth, leaving you with a gaping hole in your smile? You will likely feel embarrassed to smile. Luckily, missing teeth can be fixed by a cosmetic dentist.

Stony Brook Dental Group in NY, provides all-on-four or mini dental implants for missing teeth. Dental implants do require surgery to embed the titanium posts into your jawbone. The dentist will provide you with artificial replacement teeth immediately after the surgery. The artificial teeth are only temporary and will remain with you until the embedded implants heal. Then you will get permanent replacement teeth.

Missing teeth can cause several problems in your mouth unless they are replaced. When you are missing teeth, the remaining teeth can shift position towards the vacant space. This can cause misalignments in your mouth. Your jawbone begins to deteriorate because it does not receive stimulation from your natural teeth. The vacant spaces in your mouth also become breeding grounds for food particles and bacteria to accumulate which can cause tooth decay and gum disease.

When you get dental implants, they function as your artificial tooth roots. The artificial teeth work and appear like your natural teeth allowing you to eat the foods you love and smile confidently. The implants also prevent all the consequences of tooth loss from affecting you.

Visit Stony Brook Dental Group for your cosmetic dentistry needs.

Having a healthy smile is a huge boost to your confidence and overall health. However, certain issues, such as tooth decay or cracks, weaken your teeth’s structural integrity. This typically leads to more damage and, at times, infection.

Thanks to modern dentistry, you don’t have to worry about such issues anymore. There are many solutions for damaged teeth within general dentistry in Stony Brook, NY, such as dental inlays and onlays.

Dental inlays and onlays in Stony Brook, NY, have changed countless smiles and have helped patients regain confidence and maintain the structural integrity of their teeth.

Understanding Dental Inlays and Onlays

Inlays and onlays are indirect restorations that are referred to as partial crowns. You may have been told by our Stony Brook dentist that you need an inlay or onlay instead of a filling to treat your cavity. An inlay/onlay is used when you have a big cavity, and a filling will not get the job done properly.

A filling is typically used when the cavity is small. On the other hand, porcelain crowns are the best choice when the teeth are severely damaged and need to be covered to protect them from further damage.

However, there are cases where the cavity is neither small enough for a filling or severe enough to warrant the use of a dental crown. This is where inlays and onlays come in handy. They are the best option for these situations.

Inlays are an excellent solution for repairing small fissures. They can also be used to restore the structural integrity of a tooth instead of using a filling.

If your tooth has undergone a considerable amount of damage, then onlays are an ideal solution. Onlays fit within the tooth and spillover on the cusps and grooves of the affected tooth’s surface.

Who Needs Them?

Our Stony Brook dentist may recommend that you get an inlay/onlay if you have the following dental issues:

• Cracked or chipped teeth that a filling will not be able to repair, but the damage is not severe enough to warrant a crown.
• Tooth decay that is moderate or severe. Fillings can be used if the tooth decay is mild.

Types of Inlays and Onlays

Originally, inlays and onlays were made from gold. Now, you can pick the inlay/onlay material you want, depending on your preferences. They can be created from the following materials:

• Gold

Gold used to be the chosen material because it is sturdy and durable. Inlays and onlays made from gold can withstand extreme chewing forces and last longer than composite and ceramic inlays and onlays. Since gold is strong, it is considered the best option for back tooth restorations. The only issue is that it is not aesthetically pleasing.

• Composite

Composite inlays and onlays are fashioned from powdered glass and acrylic. They are aesthetically pleasing since they look like your natural teeth. They come in different shades so that each patient can get the shade that matches their tooth color. The downside is that they are not stain-resistant and are less malleable than porcelain inlays and onlays.

• Porcelain

Porcelain or ceramic inlays and onlays are designed to blend in with the rest of your teeth. They are tooth-colored and come with desirable aesthetic value. They are an excellent material for front teeth restorations. Porcelain is also stain-resistant, which means that the restored teeth don’t need teeth whitening treatment.

What to Expect During the Visit

Each procedure may differ slightly from each other, depending on the type of inlay or onlay you choose. However, here’s what you can generally expect:

• Our dentist will numb the area by administering local anesthesia so that you have a pain-free experience.
• Then, the damaged part of the teeth will be removed. The remaining part of the teeth will be filed down to prep for the inlays and onlays.
• Our dentist will then take a mold of your teeth to help create the inlays or onlays you need.
• Once it has been created, our dentist will place the inlay or onlay on your teeth.
• Lastly, it will be polished and smoothed to restore the sheen and the bite of your tooth.

Inlays and onlays can last for a very long time if you take proper care of them. Take care of them as you would your other teeth. If you need general dentistry in Stony Brook, NY, or inlays and onlays, contact our Stony Brook dentist at Stony Brook Dental Group to book an appointment.

Losing a tooth through unavoidable circumstances or a preventable dental issue is a tough scenario. It can be distressing to lose a permanent tooth. Having missing teeth takes a toll on both your appearance and dental health. This is because tooth loss impacts your smile and may lead to jawbone deterioration, which causes facial sagging and further impacts your appearance.

Besides altering your appearance, having a missing tooth can cause oral health complications associated with jawbone deterioration such as weakened adjacent teeth, receding gums, crooked teeth, and increased risk of gum disease.

You, however, no longer have to live with the implications that come with tooth loss. Your teeth can be replaced thanks to the various prosthodontic procedures available that aim to rectify tooth loss and restore your smile.

You can opt to visit our dentist near you, who specializes in prosthodontics in Stony Brook, NY, to have your missing tooth restored so that your smile can look as beautiful as before.

Prosthodontics, In a Nutshell

When you hear the term prosthodontics, it is easy to imagine that this is an unfamiliar or complicated aspect of dentistry. This is not the case. Believe it or not, you may have interacted with this form of dentistry in one way or another, particularly if you or someone you know has ever replaced missing teeth.

Prosthodontics is a form of dentistry that mainly deals with reversing the effects of tooth loss or damage by using various tooth replacement options. Apart from tooth replacement, prosthodontics also focuses on repairing the hard and soft tissues that may have been impacted by tooth loss.

This form of dentistry utilizes different prostheses that may either be permanent or removable in nature, address tooth loss, and restore both the aesthetics and functionality of your teeth.

Our prosthodontist in Stony Brook, NY, has helped us give hope to hundreds of our patients who happened to have suffered from tooth loss or are edentulous, which involves losing all your natural teeth.

Different Types of Prosthodontic Procedures

There are different types and categories of prosthodontic procedures. Here is a detailed look at some of the common procedures offered at our dentistry near you:

Dental Crowns

Dental crowns have a versatile range of uses. They may be placed over damaged or decayed teeth to restore their appearance, functionality, and structural integrity. They may also be used to cover a dental implant or anchor a dental bridge in place.

There are different types of crowns available, all classified based on the material they have been designed from. For instance, crowns may be made from gold, porcelain, porcelain fused with metal or even zirconium.

Dental Bridge

A dental bridge in Stony Brook, NY, is a set of artificial teeth, customized and designed to replace missing teeth. Dental bridges are designed to fill an entire gap of teeth and restore your smile and teeth’s functionality.

A bridge can replace one or more teeth concurrently and is held in place on each side by an abutment. The abutment is initially covered using a temporary crown before a permanent crown is customized to complete the procedure.

Dental Implants

They are designed to consist of a titanium post, which simulates the missing tooth’s root, an abutment, and crown. The titanium post is surgically placed into your jawbone and allowed to fuse with it through osseointegration.

Your dental implant will be covered using a temporary crown during the osseointegration process, which is later replaced with your customized dental crown to cover the dental implant permanently.

Partial Dentures and Full Dentures

Dentures are a removable tooth replacement option. If you have some natural teeth left, then partial dentures are the way to go. Full dentures are used when a patient has lost all their natural teeth.

Dentures are an excellent tooth replacement option for individuals looking for a way to replace many teeth at a go or who have suffered from edentulism.

Contact us today at Stony Brook Dental Group for all your prosthodontic procedures.

Almost anyone who smokes, or chews tobacco, knows that it is not good for their health. Smoking can cause a myriad of oral health issues such as bad breath, inflammation of the salivary glands, oral cancer, gum disease, increased plaque buildup, and poor wound healing.

Chewing tobacco and smoking cigarettes are also known for staining teeth. Even vaping and using electronic cigarettes can leave stains.

Most people do not want their teeth to be brown or stained. Whether you have recently quit smoking or want to remove old nicotine stains, our Stony Brook dentist offers teeth whitening near you that can help brighten your smile.

How Does Nicotine Affect Your Smile?

As you already know by now, nicotine and tar, substances found in tobacco, can easily stain your teeth. The enamel (hard outer surface of the teeth) is porous, much like your skin’s surface. Nicotine gets easily trapped in these pores.

Even though it is colorless, nicotine turns to brown or yellow when it is exposed to oxygen. Your teeth are not safe when you consume smokeless tobacco. This includes vape juices and chewing tobacco.

In fact, when you chew tobacco, you are setting yourself up for bad staining. When your saliva mixes with tobacco, this causes your teeth to bathe in the dark brown tannins present in tobacco leaves.

Your teeth have rough surfaces that provide the perfect breeding ground for bacteria. When you add nicotine in the mix, you have a recipe for disaster. This is because nicotine causes dry mouth, and bacteria love such an environment. Also, smoking restricts blood flow, meaning that your wounds will heal way slower than normal.

Either way, if you consume nicotine products, general tooth discoloration is inevitable.

The silver lining is that nicotine stains are extrinsic, meaning that the stain is on the tooth’s outer layer. Fortunately, our cosmetic dentist can provide teeth whitening near you to remove the stains.

How to Remove Nicotine Stains

Ideally, proper oral hygiene should do the trick. This means that you have to brush, floss, and use antiseptic mouthwash every day. However, this is not always effective, especially when you have stubborn stains.

Our dentist near you can help you brighten your smile professionally. You can also go the DIY route but always remember that all DIY projects come with some risk. It can be a health risk or a durability risk. When it is done professionally, these risks reduce exponentially.

That being said, here are some in-office solutions for nicotine stains:

• • Dental Cleaning

Professional cleaning is an excellent way of dealing with stains. With cleaning, you hit two birds with one stone. Our Stony Brook dentist removes the stains and the tartar buildup that makes the teeth appear brown. Cleaning is an essential step before you undergo teeth whitening in Stony Brook, NY.

In the process of cleaning your teeth, our dentist can also check to see if you have gum disease. If gum disease is present, our dentist gets to treat it, since the disease exposes the root surfaces prone to staining.

• • Teeth Whitening

Dental bleaching is a fast and non-invasive process. This can be done in a single visit. During the procedure, our dentist will place a protective gel to shield your teeth; then, the whitening solution is applied. Your teeth will be exposed to a special light or laser to improve the results dramatically. In-office whitening can lighten your teeth several shades during a single visit.

If you want to do it at home, our dentist can prescribe at-home bleaching kits that come with a whitening gel and a tray. The home-whitening kits whiten your teeth over time.

• • Veneers

There are cases where the other options may not seem to work; this is where porcelain veneers come in handy. Veneers change the overall appearance of your teeth. However, this option is a bit pricey as compared to the other solutions.

In Closing

If you use nicotine, you should take care of your oral health. Besides losing your teeth’s aesthetic appeal, you can get gum disease and other severe health issues. Proper oral health has a significant impact on your quality of life.

Give Stony Brook Dental a call today to schedule a consultation for teeth whitening.

As technology continues to better dental treatment, people are quickly understanding the benefits of taking care of their oral health. When it comes to teeth, many things can go wrong. Other than needing root canal therapy, braces or aligners, people often have additional dental concerns.

People who wake up with discomfort and pain in the jaws and teeth can have a hard time going to bed at night. The tension in the jaws can be very painful for some people, which makes the single-visit dentistry very crucial.

What is a night guard?

A night guard is a device used in dental treatment for bruxism. Bruxism is a medical condition that results from excessive grinding or clenching of the upper and lower teeth. The clenching then causes a strain on the muscles of the mouth. From this, patients experience tension and pain in their jaws. A night guard is useful in preventing lockjaw and reducing the pain that comes with it.

What are some of the advantages of wearing a night guard?

A night guard may not sound like a pretty concept for a first-time user. However, putting it on might have more advantages for your situation than you may think. Here are some of them:

1. It reduces tension and pain in the jaws.

The contact between your top and lower teeth can cause some tension on your jaws. It might explain why you get up in the middle of the night with a sore jaw. If your jaws are always painful in the morning, consider visiting your dentists for dental exams and cleaning. From the visit, a recommendation to wear a night guard can help reduce the tension and pain in the jaws.

2. It prevents tooth damage.

Did you know that the teeth can perform painful grinding unintentionally? During sleep, teeth grinding can happen due to the contact of your upper and lower teeth. For most patients, they are not even aware of teeth grinding at night.

The problem with teeth grinding is that it wears down the enamel of your teeth. With time, you will experience a lot of sensitivity and tenderness. If the grinding is too excessive, you can even crack or chip your teeth. Besides, you do not want to live with the possibility of damaged teeth fillings due to grinding of the teeth. A night guard might be your only solution for this.

3. It helps prevent headaches.

The tension in your jaws can make your everyday life uncomfortable. It is not just the pain in the bone structure and jawline of your mouth that is affected. Without a night guard, you have to deal with muscle fatigues, neck pains, jaw aches, and even earaches. This is a result of excessive teeth grinding. When parts of your face are under tension or in pain, it is natural for you to experience headaches.

4. It allows for healthy sleep patterns.

Most patients that require a night guard go through a lot of hassle trying to sleep. The lack of sleep by itself can have immense negative consequences on the overall health of the patient. Instead of staying up all night because of the discomfort in your teeth and jaw, a night guard is recommended. This way, your sleep can be sound and your mornings painless.

Besides, since sleep is meant to promote the relaxation of the body and the brain, a night guard promotes relaxation. This is possible by ensuring the muscles of the mouth are relaxed through the night.

5. It helps prevent snoring.

Snoring can become very intense for people. If this becomes too common for patients, they end up suffering from sleep apnea, which is ruinous for healthy sleep patterns. By creating a space between your upper and lower teeth, a night guard allows for more air in your airflow. This considerably reduces your snoring.

6. It can help with straightening your teeth.

Even though a night guard is not the standard prescription for misaligned teeth, it can help align them. Ideally, a night guard is fitted to your dental formula. This means that with proper usage, a night guard can promote shifting of your teeth, although it will occur much more gradually than with dedicated orthodontics.