Bernstein Dental Care: Blog

Most of us can’t live without coffee in the morning or wind down with a glass of wine at night. Both of these beverages, however, can leave unsightly stains on tooth enamel. This is because beverages like coffee, wine, and tea contain pigments that turn the teeth yellow to dark brown in color. Fortunately, these extrinsic stains can be removed by Dr. Paul Bernstein of Bernstein Dental Care through a professional cleaning or whitening treatment. Extrinsic is a term for tooth stains that develop on the outside of the tooth (enamel). Unlike intrinsic stains which sit underneath the enamel in the dentin, extrinsic stains are easier to remove. Through a simple whitening process, Dr. Bernstein can restore the natural color of your teeth or even make them whiter than your natural color if you so desire. If you have questions or concerns about teeth whitening, please give us a call. To learn about the services we provide, visit  www.bernsteindentalcare.com  for more information. To schedule an

You’re having a meal with your friends when suddenly a piece of pesky steak gets stuck between your back molars. Neither of you has floss and now are you stuck with leftover food particles in your teeth. Floss does more than removing leftovers, it prevents against periodontal disease by keeping the gums healthy. Next time you break out that fabulous floss, Dr. Paul Bernstein of Bernstein Dental Care recommends using this technique. Break off about 18 inches of floss and wind most of it around one of your middle fingers. Wind the remaining floss around the same finger of the opposite hand. This finger will take up the floss as it becomes dirty. Hold the floss tightly between your thumbs and forefingers. Guide the floss between your teeth using a gentle rubbing motion. Never snap the floss into the gums. When the floss reaches the gum line, curve it into a “C” shape against one tooth. Gently slide it into the space between the gum and the tooth. Hold the floss tightly against the tooth.

At Bernstein Dental Care, patients are assured of high-quality dental reconstructions, including white fillings. However, fillings are not meant to last forever, and while they are sometimes sensitive immediately after placement, they should not be painful for long. People experiencing problems with their fillings should come to us for help. A filling is said to be “high” if it interferes with the patient biting their teeth together comfortably. This should never happen and high fillings need to be removed and replaced. Some of the materials used for fillings also change shape after placement, leaving a gap between the filling and the sealant and allowing bacteria a place in which they can continue to cause decay. Even the best filling usually only lasts for about ten years. After that time, the seal holding it in place could crack, providing bacteria with a hiding spot. It will also become easier for the filling to be knocked loose during normal use of the jaw. By maintaining regular

Although kids are back in school now, don’t think it’s too late for them to have a biannual check-up. Tooth decay is a major problem in children, and it only gets worse if it’s not treated professionally. At Bernstein Dental Care, we provide the thorough treatments your family needs to avoid needing extensive work later. The Centers for Disease Control’s latest data shows that 20% of children under 12 and 13% of children between 12 and 19 had untreated tooth decay. Sadly, children are the demographic most likely to suffer from caries, and the pain of this condition interferes with their sleeping and eating habits, their speech development, their moods, and their ability to stay focused. It’s much better to remove decay and fill in caries now than to force children to endure tooth aches during the academic year until they need root canals. Biannual check-ups also have an important preventive aspect. They are a chance to provide children with sealants, which reduce decay in the future a