Posts

Showing posts from May, 2017

Scaling and Root Planing

Dr. Paul Bernstein and the staff at Bernstein Dental Care see patients experiencing every stage of gum disease.  In its most advanced stages gum disease can lead to gum recession and even tooth loss, but we can help you make sure it won’t get 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.  A scaling and root planing procedure is performed to treat this buildup and prevent the later stages of gum disease.  Scaling and root planing are two parts of a deep cleaning procedure your dentist can perform to repair your gums.  Scaling is the process of removing sticky plaque from the surface of your teeth all the way down to your gums, and root planing 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 had pulled away have a clean, smooth surface to reattach to.   To learn more abou

Bone Grafting

Bone grafting may not sound like a dental procedure, but a bone graft has become routine throughout medicine because of how it helps a body heal. The bone graft procedure consists of harvesting bone material from a healthy part of a patient’s body and transferring it to a site that needs reinforcement.  Bernstein Dental Care performs bone grafts for patients with weakened jaw bones that need dental implants. A jaw bone can weaken over time if tooth loss or gum disease has left a certain portion of the jaw vulnerable. When a patient needs a replacement tooth, the jaw bone needs to be strong enough to handle the placement of the implant. There are synthetic options for bone grafts, but a dental graft is usually obtained from a different spot in the patient’s own mouth. This gives the injured or deficient bone a replacement, and encourages growth of new material around the site.  The healing process can take several months, and your jaw is monitored by your dentist until it heals enough t

Dental Implants as a Tooth Replacement Option

A dental implant is an artificial tooth root that is placed into your jaw to hold a replacement tooth or bridge. Dental implants may be an option for people who have lost a tooth or teeth due to periodontal disease, an injury, or some other reason. At Bernstein Dental Care, the dental implant procedure is a team effort between you and Dr. Paul Bernstein. Allow us to explain the process. The process of getting implants requires a number of visits over several months. X-rays and impressions (molds) are taken of the jaw and teeth to determine bone, gum tissue, and spacing available for an implant. While the area is numb, the implant will be surgically placed into the bone and allowed to heal and integrate itself for up to six months. Depending on the type of implant, a second surgery may be required in order to place the “post” that will hold the artificial tooth in place. With other implants, the post and anchor are already attached and placed at the same time. If you are concerned about

Dental Implants

Millions of Americans suffer from tooth loss whether it occurs from dental trauma, periodontal disease, or tooth decay. For many years, the only tooth replacement options available to patients were dentures or dental bridges, but now there are dental implants and Dr. Paul Bernstein of Bernstein Dental Care provides this restorative method at his practice. There are many advantages that dental implants provide for a patient and we would like to explain a few. Dental implants can be used to replace a single tooth, several teeth, or all of the teeth. They are posts that are surgically placed in the upper or lower jaw, where they function as a sturdy anchor for replacement teeth. Because dental implants look and feel like natural teeth, they can improve your appearance as well as your speech. Unlike dentures that can slip out of place, dental implants are permanent, so you don’t have to worry about mumbling or slurring your words. Additionally, implants prevent the shifting of nearby tee