Bernstein Dental Care: Blog

It’s just about time for Halloween, signaling the beginning of the sugar-filled holiday season. We at Bernstein Dental Care in Bay Ridge thought our patients might appreciate some tips on how to avoid tooth decay and potential emergencies such as dislodged fillings, so we’ve put together this guide. The most important thing to remember about tooth decay is that the length of time teeth are exposed to food makes more of a difference than the food’s sugar content. In that regard, a stuck piece of bread could be more harmful than a quickly-swallowed piece of dark chocolate. The candies that present the greatest threat are those which are hard and have to be sucked on for a long time and those that are sticky. Syrupy drinks also contribute to tooth decay if they are drunk slowly over a long period, allowing sugar to accumulate in the mouth without water to wash it away. One good way of counteracting sugary candy is with sugar-free gum. It can pull food debris out from between teeth, althou...

Visiting the dentist is not always a calm task, which is why some people tend to avoid the office like a plague. If the idea of going to the dentist for a procedure brings on feelings of fear or anxiety, Dr. Paul Bernstein of Bernstein Dental Care wants to help take the edge off, which is why he is happy to discuss anxiolysis sedation during your initial consultation or dental appointment. There are several reasons that sedation dentistry might be considered. One example is that you may find that you are overly stressed about a procedure and this could cause you to feel fidgety in the dental chair. Depending on the severity of your anxiety, this can make it hard for the dental professional to do their job. Dr. Paul Bernstein of Bernstein Dental Care utilizes anxiolysis sedation at his dental practice, where the patient is in a drug-induced state during which he or she may respond normally to verbal commands. If you have questions or concerns regarding sedation dentistry, please give us...

 If you are considering implants, you must have healthy gums and sufficient bone to support the implant. Also known as regenerative surgery, a bone graft is used to recreate bone and soft supporting tissues that are destroyed during gum disease. At Bernstein Dental Care, bone grafting is a common procedure that is used frequently for dental implants and other periodontal procedures.  If a patient’s jawbone isn’t thick enough or is too soft, bone grafting may be required before they can have dental implant surgery. This is because the powerful chewing action of the mouth exerts great pressure on the bone, and if it can’t support the implant, the surgery will likely fail. With bone grafting, a piece of bone is removed from another part of the patient’s mouth.  In some cases, they might only need minor bone grafting, which can be done at the same time as the dental implant surgery.  If you are concerned about bone grafting or dental implants, please give us a call to discuss your treatmen...

Pregnancy comes with a whirlwind of changes for a woman’s body. In addition to swollen ankles, weight gain, and aches and pains, pregnancy can lead to dental problems in some women, including periodontal disease and an increased risk of tooth decay. During pregnancy, your hormones will affect your body’s response to dental plaque. To avoid gingivitis during pregnancy, it’s best to schedule an appointment with Dr. Paul Bernstein of Bernstein Dental Care. The hormonal changes during pregnancy change the body’s natural response to dental plaque exaggerating the way gum tissues react to the bacteria in plaque, resulting in a higher chance of pregnant women getting gingivitis. If pregnant, you may also develop a benign nodule on your gums that bleed when you brush. This relatively rare nodule is called a pregnancy tumor – but don’t worry, as scary as it sounds, it is harmless and usually painless. To avoid these issues, it is important for you to maintain good oral hygiene throughout your p...

It’s October, and that means its National Dental Hygiene Month. While most people know that brushing and flossing are essential to good health, they may be rusty in their technique. We at Bernstein Dental Care in Bay Ridge thought the beginning of the holiday season would be an appropriate time to remind our patients. From the time a baby’s first tooth begins to erupt, peoples’ teeth should be brushed twice a day. (People with removable dentures should also brush their gums.) People using manual toothbrushes should brush for two minutes each time. When brushing the fronts of the teeth, use a side-to-side motion, but don’t skip over the parts near the gum line. When brushing the backs, use a vertical motion with each tooth. Floss by sliding the strand all the way down each side of each tooth, including the backsides of the back teeth. Pull the strand up with a sweeping motion to catch more plaque. A Waterpik is also an acceptable way of cleaning between teeth, but there are other means ...