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...

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...