Invisalign is a nearly invisible state of the art system for straightening teeth. Everyone’s teeth are completely unique, and Invisalign uses aligners molded specifically for your mouth to gently shift your teeth into the proper position. As with braces, your dentist or orthodontist plans the exact movement of your teeth. There are some benefits, though, to using Invisalign instead of braces.

Most people will not notice that you are being treated. Because the Invisalign aligners are made of a clear plastic, people passing you on the street will not see that your teeth are being straightened. You can smile with confidence and not have to worry about shiny metal distracting people from your gorgeous pearly whites.

Invisalign does not disrupt your lifestyle. Unlike braces, Invisalign is removable. You can take out the aligners to eat so you do not need to worry about food being caught in wires or brackets. There are no hassles when it comes to Invisalign.

There are no metal wires to irritate your mouth. One of the worst things about braces is the pain and discomfort of having metal in your mouth. It irritates your gums and your cheeks and can cause sensitive sores that take weeks to heal.

There are a lot of people who get their teeth straightened, and usually this is done using traditional braces. Invisalign offers an alternative to braces and comes with many benefits. Few people will know that you are undergoing treatment when you use the Invisalign System. It is removable, so you can take it out if you need to, and there are no wires or metal brackets to irritate your mouth. Invisalign is the most comfortable way to straighten your teeth.

The post Benefits of Invisalign appeared first on Tribeca Dental Care.

Invisalign is a revolutionary system for straightening teeth. Custom aligners are molded for your teeth specifically, and these aligners are gradually adjusted to straighten your teeth. The whole process is closely overseen by your Tribeca Dental Care professional so that the exact movement of your teeth is completely planned out.

There are several advantages to using the Invisalign System. First and foremost is that people will not know that your teeth are being straightened. You will not have to deal with garish and obvious braces. In addition, you will not suffer through the discomfort of having metal wires in your mouth. Invisalign is the more comfortable, less visible way to get great results when it comes to straightening your teeth.

Dental professionals such as the dentists at Tribeca Dental Care offer Invisalign. Discuss with your dentist whether or not Invisalign is the best option for straightening your teeth. Your dentist will be able to tell you what to expect when you use the Invisalign System, and he or she will be able to begin designing a treatment plan unique to you.

Invisalign is a great alternative to braces. With Invisalign you enjoy all of the benefits of beautifully straight teeth without going through the hassle and discomfort of braces. You won’t need to endure metal wires poking your gums, and you won’t need to worry about people knowing that you are straightening your teeth. Work with your dentist or orthodontist to straighten your teeth with Invisalign.

The post Where to Get Invisalign appeared first on Tribeca Dental Care.

In today’s world it is a common sight to see children, adolescents, and even adults sporting braces on their teeth. These braces are often multi-colored. The people wearing them choose colors to support sports teams or to match outfits, and more and more colors become available every day.

Despite the many options available for colors, however, the truth is that braces are not the most fashionable of oral accessories. It is also true, however, that crooked teeth need to be straightened. This problem is solved by Invisalign, a revolutionary teeth straightening product that corrects crooked teeth without the uncomfortable metal fittings that braces require.

Crooked teeth can cause a number of problems. If teeth overlap, it can be difficult or impossible to floss properly. This can lead to a receding gum line and tooth decay. A misaligned bite can make it painful to open or close the jaw. In addition to all of the health problems caused by crooked teeth, there is the simple fact that it is not attractive to sport a crooked smile.

No one wants to wear braces. They are uncomfortable, and they are not attractive. The metal can cause sores and makes eating very difficult. This is where Invisalign comes in. Invisalign is a system for straightening teeth that does not involve metal or wires. There are many benefits to the Invisalign System such as:

Most people will not notice that you are being treated
Invisalign will not disrupt your lifestyle
There are no metal wires or brackets to irritate your mouth
Invisalign is removable. You can take the aligners out to eat and put them back when you are done
You get fantastic results without the discomfort of metal in your mouth

The best part of the Invisalign System is that your friends and family will be wondering how you were able to dramatically change your teeth without braces. They will have no idea that you are doing it because they will not be able to see it. The nearly invisible aligners will leave your teeth straight and beautiful.

The post What Is Invisalign? appeared first on Tribeca Dental Care.

Modelling the trends that have always been more typical of southern-based dental practices, it’s not uncommon to Google the words dental spa and see the results that explode across your computer screen.  There are nearby offices to accommodate both the necessary and elective restorative options for your mouth.  And childrens dentists are just as eager to please, offering advances in dentistry for children, from appliances to discourage thumb sucking, to invisible braces for children and teens.  

Gone are the uninviting and utilitarian dentistry of yesterday.  Today’s dentist doctor offers services in calm and comfortable, aesthetically pleasing offices that encourage patients to relax and stay awhile.  And why wouldn’t you?  Take some time and browse the before and after work of your current dentist doctor.  You may be pleasantly surprised at the effects that in-office whitening can give you.  You’ll be even happier to know that amazing results can be achieved in one visit, and that the effects of professional whitening can last indefinitely.  

Did you know that you can receive a facial from your dentist?  Dentists are the top professionals of the bone, teeth, musculature, and dermatology of the head, neck, and decolletage.  Many of them have undergone additional training with the Academy of Facial Aesthetics to bring expanded services to their patients, including facial peels, daily prescription-strength skin regimens, and professional application of topical medical grade serums that smooth, soften, and restore a youthful glow to your appearance.  

But why stop there?  If you’re considering Botox or Dermal Fillers to eliminate those smile lines, deep smoker’s grooves, or forehead creases, you may want to skip the plastic surgeon and visit your dentist doctor.  In a fifteen minute visit, you can receive a professional Botox session, with results that last from three to six months.  And if you’re looking to refine and re contour your face, your dentist may be certified to provide Dermal Fillers, which can shave years off your visage in minutes.  Even better, recent studies show that Botox is being used to effectively provide relief from TMJ pain, headaches, and even shoulder and back pain due to tight muscles and poor posture.  

If you think this all sounds too good to be true, think again.  A quick online search can easily point you in the right direction for finding the perfect professional to not only clean your teeth, but to enhance every aspect of your face in the same office.  

The post A Visit to Your Dentist Doctor is Like a Trip to the Spa appeared first on Tribeca Dental Care.

What is Dental Floss?

Dental floss is a tool you should use daily to remove food and bacteria build-up from in-between your teeth. Floss is commonly made out of plastic or nylon; it is a thin thread that you put between your teeth and pull in order to clean the gaps. As you pull on the thread, food and debris should come out of the gaps.

Types of Dental Floss

You’ll have a surprising number of types to choose from when picking out dental floss. You can get most types of floss at your local supermarket or drugstore. Although all use some type of thread or ribbon, there are differences in materials and packaging.

Some floss is made out of dental ribbon rather than out of plastic or nylon string. Ribbon floss is smoother and more comfortable than traditional floss. For example, if your gums ache or bleed when you floss your teeth, you might want to try ribbon floss instead.

There are also automatic flossers that you can try if you have a hard time perfecting your flossing technique or find flossing uncomfortable. Automatic flossers use a nylon filament to floss your teeth for you. When you turn the flosser on and touch it against your teeth, it cleans the gaps between your teeth for you.

Benefits of Using Dental Floss

Brushing alone doesn’t clean your entire mouth; it only cleans the surface of your teeth. You need to floss in order to clean out the gaps between your teeth, where bacteria often reside. If you don’t floss, you’re more likely to have plaque build-up, which can lead to cavities, tooth decay and gum disease. If left untreated, gum disease can be a risk factor for heart disease, diabetes and a high body mass index. In addition, bacteria can cause bad breath and having food or debris between your teeth can make them look less clean or white. Thus, flossing can help improve the appearance of your mouth as well as your dental hygiene and overall health.

How Often Should You Floss?

It’s more important to take your time and floss correctly than it is to floss often. If you floss several times a day but do it quickly, you’ll miss a lot of the bacteria and debris you need to clean out. This defeats the purpose of flossing. It’s far better to floss only once a day and do it slowly so that you clean your entire mouth.

Of course, it’s still important to floss regularly; if you don’t floss at least once a day, you won’t get all the health benefits.

The post Benefits of Using Dental Floss appeared first on Tribeca Dental Care.

So, here are 5 of the most common mistakes that are damaging people’s dental health:

1) Brushing Too Hard

Most people’s chief aim when brushing is to end up with a nice white set of teeth, and this leads some people to scrub much too hard in an effort to remove stains.

Bushing too hard can damage the enamel coating that surrounds your teeth. With that protective enamel layer weakened, plaque has a free reign to eat into your teeth.

Ironically, brushing too hard actually achieves the opposite effect and gives the teeth a darker shade, since enamel is the whitest part!

Don’t brush your teeth as though you’re scrubbing a red wine stain from a carpet! You don’t need to apply much pressure at all to remove everyday stains.

2) Not Brushing For Long Enough

Your dentist recommends that you brush for a full 2 minutes, yet data collected by Beam Technologies has shown that the average adult spends just 46 seconds brushing their teeth.

That’s a poor effort by anyone’s standards!

Research has shown that you are 50% more likely to brush for long enough if you use a timer.

Crack out your smartphone and fire up the timer app when you brush for an instant boost to your dental health.

3) Uneven Brushing

People tend to begin brushing with enthusiasm, before getting bored and finally giving up. This means that the corner of your mouth that you begin with gets a good clean, but the rest gets nothing but a cursory going over.

We can, once again, turn to a timer to improve our habits here. Simply switch to a new quadrant of the mouth every 30 seconds.

Starting in a different area of the mouth each time you brush can also help.

4) Fruit Juice Before Bed

Fruit juices and smoothies have become extremely popular in the last few years, especially as an easy and delicious way to get one of your five-a-day.

The problem, though, is that these juices are anything but good for your teeth. They’re both full of sugar, and strongly acidic; a nightmare combination for your teeth.

More and more adults who can’t sleep tend to get out of bed and grab a glass of smoothie, before going back to sleep.

Leaving this acidic and sugary residue on your teeth all night while you sleep is not a good idea! The acid weakens your teeth’s defenses, whilst plaque bacteria thrives on the sugar.

If you do get up in the night, make that drink a nice, clean, cold glass of water instead.

5) Not Flossing

Nobody enjoys flossing their teeth, but unfortunately, it’s a must!

Toothbrushes simply can’t get in-between your teeth, and that means that if you’re giving the dental floss a miss, you’re leaving all sorts of nasties in those nooks and crannies.

Even if you brush diligently twice a day, the food particles and plaque bacteria that collect between your teeth can lead to Gingivitis if you don’t floss.

So knuckle down, crack out the dental floss, and make it a habit to floss every day before you brush your teeth.

The post Top 5 Mistakes That Damage Your Dental Health appeared first on Tribeca Dental Care.

So, here are 5 of the most common mistakes that are damaging people’s dental health:

1) Brushing Too Hard

Most people’s chief aim when brushing is to end up with a nice white set of teeth, and this leads some people to scrub much too hard in an effort to remove stains.

Bushing too hard can damage the enamel coating that surrounds your teeth. With that protective enamel layer weakened, plaque has a free reign to eat into your teeth.

Ironically, brushing too hard actually achieves the opposite effect and gives the teeth a darker shade, since enamel is the whitest part!

Don’t brush your teeth as though you’re scrubbing a red wine stain from a carpet! You don’t need to apply much pressure at all to remove everyday stains.

2) Not Brushing For Long Enough

Your dentist recommends that you brush for a full 2 minutes, yet data collected by Beam Technologies has shown that the average adult spends just 46 seconds brushing their teeth.

That’s a poor effort by anyone’s standards!

Research has shown that you are 50% more likely to brush for long enough if you use a timer.

Crack out your smartphone and fire up the timer app when you brush for an instant boost to your dental health.

3) Uneven Brushing

People tend to begin brushing with enthusiasm, before getting bored and finally giving up. This means that the corner of your mouth that you begin with gets a good clean, but the rest gets nothing but a cursory going over.

We can, once again, turn to a timer to improve our habits here. Simply switch to a new quadrant of the mouth every 30 seconds.

Starting in a different area of the mouth each time you brush can also help.

4) Fruit Juice Before Bed

Fruit juices and smoothies have become extremely popular in the last few years, especially as an easy and delicious way to get one of your five-a-day.

The problem, though, is that these juices are anything but good for your teeth. They’re both full of sugar, and strongly acidic; a nightmare combination for your teeth.

More and more adults who can’t sleep tend to get out of bed and grab a glass of smoothie, before going back to sleep.

Leaving this acidic and sugary residue on your teeth all night while you sleep is not a good idea! The acid weakens your teeth’s defences, whilst plaque bacteria thrives on the sugar.

If you do get up in the night, make that drink a nice, clean, cold glass of water instead.

5) Not Flossing

Nobody enjoys flossing their teeth, but unfortunately, it’s a must!

Toothbrushes simply can’t get in-between your teeth, and that means that if you’re giving the dental floss a miss, you’re leaving all sorts of nasties in those nooks and crannies.

Even if you brush diligently twice a day, the food particles and plaque bacteria that collect between your teeth can lead to Gingivitis if you don’t floss.

So knuckle down, crack out the dental floss, and make it a habit to floss every day before you brush your teeth.

The post Top 5 Mistakes That Damage Your Dental Health appeared first on Tribeca Dental Care.

Researchers have tied oral bacteria and tooth decay to a number of other illnesses, from heart disease and diabetes to kidney disease and premature birth.

While brushing thoroughly twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, flossing and rinsing with an anti-microbial mouthwash is still the standard of care for preventing cavities and gum disease, some new twists are being tried in the way people brush, rinse and otherwise protect their (hopefully) permanent choppers.

From the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, where researchers have been experimenting with a new toothpaste that contains three times as much fluoride as standard toothpaste, comes a comparison of brushing techniques.

The bottom line from the 16-volunteer experiment was that using a high-fluoride toothpaste three times a day provided four times greater fluoride protection than brushing with a standard toothpaste twice a day.

The study also tested a new “brushless” way for the third application of fluoride — rubbing toothpaste onto the front of the teeth with a finger. Researchers said the “massage” method is a good way to give teeth a third dose of fluoride during the day, but should not replace brushing morning and evening.

Researchers at the University of Leeds report they’re developing a new type of anti-cavity gel that may eliminate the need to drill and fill minor cavities.

The gel is designed to penetrate microscopic pores of a decaying tooth, and then releases a small peptide (amino acid chain) that develops into fibers that attract calcium.

Basically, the gel draws minerals into a damaged tooth and repairs a developing cavity from the inside out. While early tests of the material have given positive results, the researchers caution that the gel is likely to work best on very small, early-stage cavities. Major tooth decay will still likely require artificial fillings rather than self-repair.

At the School of Dentistry at the University of California at Los Angeles, researchers have been refining a new mouthwash that specifically targets a strain of bacteria that’s the main cause of tooth decay and cavities.

The mouthwash is the result of nearly a decade of research conducted by Wenyuan Shi, chair of the dental school’s oral biology section. It uses specially targeted anti-microbial peptides to exclusively attack Streptococcus mutans bacteria responsible for the onset of most cavities.

In one early trial, 12 people who’d rinsed with the mouthwash just once had nearly eliminated S. mutans over a four-day testing period, the journal Caries Research reported in late 2011.

Conventional mouthwashes kill oral bacteria for only about 12 hours, and destroy both harmful and benign pathogens, possibly disrupting the body’s normal balance of helpful microbes.

The product, licensed to a company founded by Shi, is undergoing additional testing as an investigational new drug under an application filed with the Food and Drug Administration.

The post Oral hygiene research aiding teeth, health appeared first on Tribeca Dental Care.

Dental implants are replacement tooth roots. Implants provide a strong foundation for fixed (permanent) or removable replacement teeth that are made to match your natural teeth.
What Are the Advantages of Dental Implants?

There are many advantages to dental implants, including:

Improved appearance. Dental implants look and feel like your own teeth. And because they are designed to fuse with bone, they become permanent.
Improved speech. With poor-fitting dentures, the teeth can slip within the mouth causing you to mumble or slur your words. Dental implants allow you to speak without the worry that teeth might slip.
Improved comfort. Because they become part of you, implants eliminate the discomfort of removable dentures.
Easier eating. Sliding dentures can make chewing difficult. Dental implants function like your own teeth, allowing you to eat your favorite foods with confidence and without pain.
Improved self-esteem. Dental implants can give you back your smile and help you feel better about yourself.
Improved oral health. Dental implants don’t require reducing other teeth, as a tooth-supported bridge does. Because nearby teeth are not altered to support the implant, more of your own teeth are left intact, improving long-term oral health. Individual implants also allow easier access between teeth, improving oral hygiene.
Durability. Implants are very durable and will last many years. With good care, many implants last a lifetime.
Convenience. Removable dentures are just that; removable. Dental implants eliminate the embarrassing inconvenience of removing dentures, as well as the need for messy adhesives to keep them in place.

How Successful Are Dental Implants?

Success rates of dental implants vary, depending on where in the jaw the implants are placed but, in general, dental implants have a success rate of up to 98%. With proper care (see below), implants can last a lifetime.
Can Anyone Get Dental Implants?

In most cases, anyone healthy enough to undergo a routine dental extraction or oral surgery can be considered for a dental implant. Patients should have healthy gums and enough bone to hold the implant. They also must be committed to good oral hygiene and regular dental visits. Heavy smokers, people suffering from uncontrolled chronic disorders — such as diabetes or heart disease — or patients who have had radiation therapy to the head/neck area need to be evaluated on an individual basis. If you are considering implants, talk to your dentist to see if they are right for you.

Does Insurance Cover the Cost of Dental Implants?

In general, dental implants are not covered by dental insurance at this time. Coverage under your medical plan may be possible, depending on the insurance plan and/or cause of tooth loss. Detailed questions about your individual needs and how they relate to insurance should be discussed with your dentist and insurance provider.

The post What Are the Advantages of Dental Implants? appeared first on Tribeca Dental Care.

Definition and history

The Academy of Osseointegration (AO), based in Arlington Heights, IL, defines the process as the occurrence when natural jawbone attaches to a foreign material, titanium, as the consistent material used. Within a few months, the titanium base screw fuses with bone as though it has become thoroughly a part of the body. The term is a combination of the Greek osteon for bone, and the Latin integrare (to integrate).

Research on osseointegration did not come until the early 1950s. While still in Lund University in Sweden, Per-Ingvar Branemark conducted an experiment using a titanium implant on rabbit bone. For some reason, he found he could not remove the titanium implant from the bone, either one having bonded with the other. Studies on osseointegration took off around a decade later; Branemark had then moved to the University of Gothenburg. At first, the concept wasn’t well received, but criticism about osseointegration has since gone silent.

The big question

Here comes the big question: “Why?” To be more specific, is there something in titanium to which the human jawbone responds? To date, there has been no universally accepted principle. However, there are various theories.

One theory involves the reaction of titanium oxide and natural bone. Norwegian and Spanish scientists relate in their studies how they have implanted a ceramic titanium-oxide structure or scaffold, as graft particle, on areas of bone defects in animals. Results show healing bone growth in and around the material within months, concluding that titanium oxide (TiO(2)) scaffolds—as peri-implant material—osseointegrate well.

Branemark, as does any dentist who performs dental implants in NYC, such as Tribeca Dental Care, believes that osseointegration goes deeper than just the reaction of the body to the titanium material. He coined the term “osseoperception” as an occurrence where the titanium becomes one with body and mind, as if it has become a natural bone in its own right. Further studies may soon crack the final code on osseointegration.

The post Dentist in NYC: Dental Implants
Work, But What Really Makes
Them Work? appeared first on Tribeca Dental Care.