Bernstein Dental Care: Blog

Dental implants have given a lot of people a second chance at oral health, but they don’t make people immune from gum disease. At Bernstein Dental Care in Bay Ridge, we urge patients to maintain vigilant oral hygiene practices. If they notice signs of inflammation around an implant (“peri-implantitis”), it may be time to call us for help. Inflammation is the immune system’s initial response to an infection. It isolates disease-causing agents and makes cells more permeable to resources white blood cells need for eliminating bacteria. But it also causes swelling, discoloration, and pain, and it can weaken cells permanently if it is prolonged. Not all gingivitis is caused by gum disease. There may be a foreign object, such as leaking cement from an implanted crown, irritating the gum tissue.  A patient may also have an autoimmune disorder. But gum inflammation is usually caused by infections below the gum line, which require professional attention to clean. Bleeding gums are never a good ...

Dr. Paul Bernstein of Bernstein Dental Care replaces teeth and restores patient smiles with dental implants. Implants are a permanent restorative option for teeth that are missing or have been extracted.  They look and feel like natural teeth, and are the most permanent and efficient means of replacing lost teeth. Implants are titanium screws inserted into the jaw bone. Over a period of 3-6 months, the jaw bone heals around the implant to become a solid, stable base for the new tooth. During this time a patient is fitted with a temporary crown, and a custom crown is created to match their smile perfectly. After the jaw bone and gums have healed appropriately, the custom crown is placed in a second appointment. Sometimes, the doctor may need to expose the head of the implant in a second minor surgery.  When everything is healed, the crown will be screwed or cemented to the top of the implant.  When this is complete the tooth looks like part of the natural smile, and with proper care wil...

Gum disease is a serious issue in its own right and it has implications for other parts of the body, as well. But there is good news. At Bernstein Dental Care in Bay Ridge, we’re happy to share with our patients recent research showing that treatment for gum infections can improve symptoms of cirrhosis. When a person has cirrhosis, their liver has scarred over as a result of chronic inflammation. This inhibits the liver’s ability to filter blood, causing inflammation throughout the body and a decline in cognitive function. It is widely known that cirrhosis and gum disease can both result from smoking and excessive alcohol, but there is also a version of cirrhosis called non-alcoholic fatty liver disease . People with this ailment also have unusually high rates of gingivitis, which prompted scientists to examine whether there was a causative link. In the study conducted at Virginia Commonwealth University, people with both cirrhosis and periodontal disease were divided into one group t...