Bernstein Dental Care: Blog

Dental pulp is highly sensitive and it’s no fun when it gets inflamed. An infection inside the tooth will not only be painful, it will also cause bad breath and can develop into a facial abscess. We provide root canal therapy at Bernstein Dental Care in Bay Ridge to combat pulp infections, but new research indicates that patients who smoke may be at risk for worse, recurring inflammation. Pulpitis (the medical term for pulp inflammation) occurs when a tooth gets injured or infected. It is a way for the immune system to restrict the flow of blood-borne pathogens, concentrate white blood cells, and make cellular walls more permeable to antimicrobial peptides. These molecules are among the immune system’s more important weapons. Antimicrobial peptides grab onto invading bacteria and kill them. But scientists say that in smokers’ dental pulp, antimicrobial peptides seem to be absent . During a root canal procedure, infected dental pulp is removed and replaced with a sealer. But if any bact...

At Bernstein Dental Care, Dr. Paul Bernstein, DDS performs root canals to save and repair teeth that are badly damaged or infected.  A root canal procedure involves removing any inflamed or infected tissue, and thoroughly cleaning the root canal system.  In most root canal cases, the tooth heals and doesn’t require further treatment. When an infection won’t go away or the canals become re-infected, Dr. Paul Bernstein can perform an apicoectomy. An apicoectomy removes damaged tissue and seals a tooth’s root from any further infections.  The procedure involves a small incision in the gums, followed by removal of any infected tissue and finally the end of the root tip itself.  A root-end filling is placed there to act as a seal, preventing reinfection. The gum is sutured, and most patients only feel slight discomfort or swelling during healing.  If you have a tooth infection lingering after a root canal gone wrong, please contact us to discuss your treatment options. To learn more about t...

At Bernstein Dental Care in Bay Ridge, we’ve saved many peoples’ teeth over the years. However, there are times when extractions are the more practical approach, and to help patients to understand their options, we wanted to explain why that might be. The most common reason for extractions is overcrowding. The wisdom teeth, the molars furthest in back, are large and do not usually erupt until the patient is in their late teens. This is a problem because major orthodontic correction works best in children and young teenagers but wisdom teeth threaten to undo orthodontic work while getting stuck and creating a trap for bacteria. The upper canine teeth and incisors next to them can also get stuck, and while orthodontic work is used to guide them into position in teenagers, this may not be possible for adults or doable within a particular timeframe. Teeth may also need to be extracted in cases of infection. While root canals remove infected pulp, an infection may return if the tooth had hi...

Dr. Paul Bernstein understands that accidents happen and when a tooth is suddenly cracked, it’s usually because of an accident or injury. A tooth may crack for a variety of reasons such as chewing on a hard object, eating hard candy, ice, or nuts, and/or from grinding or clenching the teeth. Once you’ve been diagnosed with a cracked tooth, we have a variety of cosmetic and restorative options to bring it back to life. Depending on the size and location of the crack, treatment may vary from dental bonding to root canal treatment. This is because the crack may only affect the tooth’s enamel, or it may be so severe that it affects the tooth down to the root. A crack may appear so tiny that the human eye can’t see it or it may be very prominent and painful. If you experience trauma to the face or accidentally chip your tooth out of the blue, contact us immediately to get the situation under control. If you have questions or concerns regarding cosmetic dentistry or a cracked tooth please gi...

A dental crown is a tooth-shaped cap that is placed over a tooth to protect it as well as restore its shape and size, strength and improves its appearance. If Dr. Paul Bernstein of Bernstein Dental Care suggests a crown, it is probably to restore a tooth from a large filling, root canal, or cracked tooth syndrome. Permanent crowns can be made from many materials and Dr. Bernstein will discuss them with you during your consultation. A crown can help strengthen a tooth with a large filling when there aren’t enough pieces of the tooth remaining to hold a filling. Crowns can also be used to attach dental bridges when those are needed. Additionally, a crown can protect a weak tooth from breaking or restore one that’s already broken. A crown is a good way to cover teeth that are discolored or badly shaped. There are several types of materials that can be used for dental crowns, which Dr. Paul Bernstein will discuss with you during your consultation. If you have questions or concerns regardin...

If you’ve been told by your dentist that you need a root canal, you’d probably rather run for the hills. Though the term, “root canal” is frightening, modern dental technology has made an ancient procedure nearly painless. Dr. Paul Bernstein of Bernstein Dental Care wants to ensure you that if your tooth needs to be repaired you’ll be back to eating, speaking, and chewing in no time. A root canal is necessary to treat a tooth that is decayed, inflamed, infected, or dead. The process involves opening the root of the tooth and removing the dead tissue. When the root canal is treated and the infected pulp of the tooth has been removed, the tooth will be sealed to prevent bacteria from entering. The result is a freshly revived, healthy tooth.   If you have questions or concerns about the root canal process, please give us a call. To learn about the services we provide, visit  www.bernsteindentalcare.com  for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Paul Bernstein of Bernstein ...

Patients at Bernstein Dental Care can rely on us for treating stains normal whitening methods won’t get rid of. Although our office offers bleaching, which is effective against the vast majority of dental stains, there are situations in which the stain may be too deep to be reached with surface treatments. These are called intrinsic stains, and they potentially represent a threat to the patient’s health. Intrinsic stains are harmless when they are caused by the tooth being exposed to dark-colored molecules during its formation. This can be caused by excessive amounts of fluoride or tetracycline antibiotics, and stains like these can be covered with a veneer. But intrinsic stains can also be caused by inflammation of the dental pulp. The body may not be able to fight off a tooth infection on its own, and if the infection spreads, the patient will be at risk for tooth aches, a facial abscess, and death. Root canals are the standard treatment for removing inflamed dental pulp. The advance...