Dental Anxiety

Halloween is tomorrow and it is a time of ghouls and goblins and being scared. Going to the dentist doesn’t have to be a time for fear. Here are some tips to help keep terror feelings in the haunted house and not in the dental chair.   

If you suffer from dental anxiety, a visit to our office might seem like a daunting prospect. Perhaps you had a bad experience in the past, but whatever the reason; please know that at our office, there is nothing to be afraid of. We understand you may be anxious about receiving dental treatments, and we’re here to help you have a comfortable, pain-free experience that will put your fears to rest.

You’re not alone!

A 1984 study that appeared in the Journal of the American Dental Association reported that up to 75% of all adults in the United States have some degree of dental anxiety. This includes five to ten percent that have dental anxiety so severe that they try to avoid a dentist’s office at all costs.

Treatment

If you experience dental anxiety, it is important to let our office know in advance, so we can provide you with the dental care you need with an added touch of TLC. We can assist by explaining behavioral techniques for relaxation, by administering nitrous oxide (laughing gas), or by prescribing a relaxing medication prior to your dental procedure.

We are here to give you the best care and ease your anxiety. Come see us today at our convenient Cedarhurst, NY office! You can book online www.alinabergandds.com or call us today at 800-223-0801.

Sealants: What are They and How do They Help?

Molars are made up of canyons, caves, pits, and seemingly endless caverns that are a breeding ground for decay. Sealants are a protective solution. When done correctly, a sealant from Dr. Alina Bergan D.D.S, can be most effective in preventing cavities.

A sealant is made up of composite (a plastic-like) material that contains bonding agents to seal to the edge of the tooth. Sealants placed on the chewing surfaces of back teeth block food from being trapped. The process in which a sealant is placed is quite precise and painless.


First the tooth is cleaned with a sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) spray. Then an acid etch is applied to “roughen up” the surface. No saliva is to touch the tooth. This will re-mineralize the area, and then a repeat etching is needed. An alcohol-based liquid then dries out the area and it must remain completely dry. The sealant is placed and guided through all the caverns, pits, fissures, and grooves. It is then cured with a special light, which makes it a hard, plastic-like material.

Sealants can last for several years. It is wise to have them examined on a semi-annual basis. If there is a break in the sealant, a high risk for decay is common. If a sealant is damaged, repair is simple, painless, and quick to complete.

Who can benefit from sealants? Everyone! Children often receive sealants as routine preventive care. Adults that have deep canyons with stained grooves on their teeth can also benefit from a sealant. The process is quick, painless, and does not require any anesthesia. It is an effective way to lower dental restorative costs.

An investment in dental sealants can reap great benefits as properly cared for teeth will remain cavity free. Come see us today at our convenient Cedarhurst, NY office! You can book online http://www.alinabergandds.com or call us today at 800-223-0801.

Electric Toothbrushes vs. Manual Toothbrushes: What’s the Difference?

It seems like everyone is jumping on the electric toothbrush bandwagon. As many experts in the dental field are claiming electric toothbrushes provide superior dental care. It’s true that electric toothbrushes are recommended for those who can’t do a good job brushing manually or who have arthritis or other conditions. But manual toothbrushes do have some advantages, according to an article we found including:

• Cost. While electric toothbrushes may be expensive for many people, manual toothbrushes are both inexpensive and accessible. You also get a free manual toothbrush with your 6 month cleaning and checkups.

• Less pressure on your teeth & gums. Most people can feel the amount of pressure they are using as they grasp their manual toothbrush; however they can’t feel the pressure nearly as well with an electric toothbrush. Placing too much pressure on teeth can wear away at the tooth enamel, which causes pain, sensitivity, as well as an increased risk of tooth decay.

• Simple to pack. Manual toothbrushes are easy to carry around to the office, school, and trips. People are less likely to let their good dental care habits lapse on vacation with a toothbrush that they can easily bring along!

• Better for kids. Learning at a young age how to properly use a manual toothbrush helps children get a feel for how to properly take care of their oral hygiene.

Electric toothbrushes, on the other hand, are more effective in removing plaque and are considered a better alternative to maintaining gum health. Remember, whether you choose a manual or an electric toothbrush, Dr. Alina Bergan and her team encourage you to choose one with soft bristles and be sure to change the bristles on the electric brush when they become worn down. We also encourage you to replace your toothbrush every three months, when the bristles are no longer straight and firm. Also please make sure you replace your toothbrush after you recover from the flu or a cold.

Happy brushing!

We would love to see you, at our convenient Cedarhurst, NY office! You can book online http://www.alinabergandds.com or call us today at 800-223-0801.

The Daily (and Nightly) Grind

Changing seasons from summer to fall often means returning from vacations and relaxed schedules to a more settled and structured routine. This is a perfect time of year to pay attention to yourself and notice your own personal habits.

Once you’ve slowed down enough, you may notice a few nagging symptoms, such as a dull, constant headache or a sore jaw when you wake up some mornings. Bruxism, or grinding and/or clenching your teeth is a common problem that affects millions of people, which often go unaware that they are doing it. Other symptoms besides a headache and painful jaw, can be damaged teeth, broken fillings and injured gums. You may not be aware of your own teeth grinding, but often the first people to notice your noisy problem are those that are close to you, such as a family member or roommate that is awakened at night by the sound of your grinding teeth.

During the summer, your teeth clenching and grinding may have been an occasional occurrence, but now, settling into a more consistent routine, you’ve noticed a regular pattern of disturbed sleep and painful days. Don’t delay getting help any longer; grinding you teeth can cause dental complications.

Catching bruxism in the early stages can help prevent dental issues such as losing the enamel from teeth and even worse, exposing the layer of dentin. When this happens your teeth can become very sensitive and lead to eventual decay. Other damage such as flattened or fractured teeth can result from untreated grinding.

A good start to your fall routine and help with your daily grind, is to visit your dentist. Even if you haven’t noticed your clenching and grinding yet, there’s a good chance your dentist will see the tell-tale signs during your checkup. Before deciding on a course of action the cause will need to be determined. If your grinding is due to improper alignment you may need a referral to an orthodontist.

If you have damage such as severely worn or fractured teeth, or broken fillings, your dentist may need to use crowns or fillings to help restore tooth health. To prevent further damage, a splint or mouth guard worn at night may be recommended.

Get away from the grinding and clenching pattern of pain and tooth damage and into the healing power of restoration and prevention. For more information and/or to schedule your exam, please contact our office today at 800-223-0801.

We would love to see you, at our convenient Cedarhurst, NY office! You can book online http://www.alinabergandds.com or call us today.  

Back to School Dental Tips

          

Your child may have the latest wardrobe, school supplies and sports equipment for the new school year, but do they have a healthy mouth and the tools they'll need to maintain it?

According to the American Dental Association, a dental examination is as important as immunizations and booster shots and should be a regular part of back-to-school preparations. With over 51 million school hours missed per year because of dental problems, we think it’s pretty safe to say that taking steps to prevent dental problems and dental emergencies in school age children is a good idea.  Here are some back to school dental tips that will help ensure that your child or teen’s healthy teeth check-ups are the only dental appointments they will need this year.

Supervise Dental Hygiene

In younger children, this is especially important.  Instruct them on proper brushing and flossing.  Check their work to make sure they have cleaned all the way in back and behind their front teeth.  Talk about healthy teeth, and the importance of maintaining good personal hygiene by brushing teeth twice daily with a fluoride toothpaste, and once your permanent teeth come in, make sure that they floss.

Don't Skip Regular Dental Check-Ups

The best way to avoid the need for extensive dental work is to detect problems early.  Seeing the dentist every six months for and exam and dental cleaning makes this possible, and prevents small problems from turning into bigger, more expensive and more time consuming problems.

Wear Sports Mouthguards

Some of the most common sports injuries are dental injuries.  Youth athletics are an important part of life for many kids, and dental injuries can happen in any sport.  Make sure your child or teen wears a dental mouth guard to protect his/her teeth during practice and games.  Ask your dentist about custom-fitted mouth guards for added protection.

Pack a Good Lunch

1. Stay away from packing your child’s lunch with drinks that are high in sugar.  Many sports drinks, energy drinks, sodas, and juices have anywhere between 5-12 teaspoons of sugar in one serving.  The longer this sugar stays on your child’s teeth, the more likely they will develop tooth decay.  Many children do not have a chance to brush their teeth throughout the day, so minimizing the amount of sugar in their lunch can help decrease their chances of cavities.

2.  Pack snacks that are high in protein in your child’s lunch.  High protein foods will minimize hunger, and as a result your child will be less likely to snack all day on sugary unhealthy foods that are found in many cafeterias and on-campus vending machines.

3. If you want to occasionally add a sweet treat to your child’s lunch, try chocolate instead of other candies that are highly acidic and/or are more likely to stick to their teeth for long periods of time.

Check out our New Child Patient Special! If you have any questions about dental care for your kids, give us a call at 800-223-0801. We would love to see you, at our convenient Cedarhurst, NY office! 

Alternative Uses for Mouthwash

Do you have a bottle of mouthwash that sits on your bathroom counter only to be used once and a while? We often don’t think about using mouthwash as a part of our daily routine – but mouthwash has proven to come in handy for more than controlling just bad breath. Take a look at these refreshing and money-saving alternative uses for mouthwash.

Other than the obvious use of cleansing your mouth, mouthwash can aid many hygiene-related emergencies, as listed below:

• Face Cleanser. If you have an alcohol-based and sugar-free mouthwash, it can act exactly the same as a facial astringent. Simply apply to a clean face with a cotton ball and rinse afterward.
• Garlic Odor. As good as garlic tastes, it’s probably not the chosen perfume for date night. After eating garlic, you can get garlic breath, garlic hands…and just a garlic scent that is simply unappealing. Along with using mouthwash for its intended purpose, try rubbing a little on your hands and neck to defuse the smell.
• Dandruff Remover. Mouthwash is designed to kill bacteria and fungus in the mouth, but it does the exact same thing if you use it outside of the mouth. Dandruff is actually caused by a fungus, which causes the scalp to be irritated and itchy. To let mouthwash work its magic, simply soak your hair in mouthwash and wrap it in a towel for 15 minutes. After that, wash your hair normally. Repeat if needed. You can also dip a cotton swab into the mouthwash and run it over the scalp line and any areas that you see flakes.

Most of the uses of mouthwash from a health standpoint have to do with its anti-fungal properties and ingredients.

·         Cut Disinfectant. Because most mouthwashes contain alcohol of some kind, they can act as a great disinfectant. Simply apply some to a cotton swab and gently wipe the cut – if it stings slightly, that is normal.

• Hand Sanitizer. As longs as you use alcohol-based and sugar-free mouthwash, you are good to go for clean and fresh hands!
• Bruise Treatment. Rubbing mouthwash over a bruise or soon-to-be bruised area will help cover up any injury that may have occurred.
• Poison Ivy Treatment. While it is not an instant healing treatment, applying mouthwash to poison ivy relieves itchiness and speeds up the overall healing time.
• Athlete’s Foot Treatment. If you have spray for athlete’s foot, that is the best thing to use first. But if you find yourself in a tough spot, mouthwash will help, but it may sting slightly. If you are at the gym and forgot your shower shoes you can use mouthwash on your feet to help prevent athlete’s foot.
• After-Piercing Care. After you get a piercing, professionals will tell you to buy a special treatment for keeping the area clean and safe from infection. A secret: mouthwash does the same thing. Just apply it a couple of times a day and you’re set!
• Flea Repellant. For dogs or cats, a vet will suggest buying flea shampoo or spray to keep the pests off them, but mouthwash actually works well at keeping fleas away, too. You can either combine some mouthwash with your pet’s shampoo or create a spray by deluding it with water.

Around the home, mouthwash can be used in a variety of ways, especially when it comes to cleaning!

• Fresh Laundry. Sometimes, you just have that load of laundry that will not come out smelling fresh no matter what. In cases like this, adding a cup of mouthwash to the load helps eliminate odor and kills germs.
• Clean Bathrooms. Mouthwash is a great agent for killing mold or mildew in bathroom sinks, counters, toilets, showers and bathtubs! After cleaning, your bathroom will look and smell minty fresh!
• Garbage Disposal Cleaner. Ever sniff around the kitchen and notice something smells funky? More often than not, it is the garbage disposal stinking up the whole room. An easy fix for this is pouring about ½ a cup of mouthwash down the disposal and – voila!
• Computer Monitor Cleaner. This only works on glass monitors, but applying mouthwash with a damp rag to the screen helps clear off any smudges. This will not work well on LCD displays, so make sure you know which kind you have before you try it.

Isn’t it cool to hear all that mouthwash can do? So remember to practice good dental hygiene with brushing and flossing. Then use mouthwash to cleanse your breath and in other creative ways.

If you have any questions about mouthwash, give us a call at 800-223-0801. We would love to see you, at our convenient Cedarhurst, NY office! You can book online http://www.alinabergandds.com or call us today.  

Have a Bright Summer with a Whiter Smile

Summertime brings sunshine and warm weather, and many of our patients begin thinking about brightening their smiles this time of year. A whiter smile is one just one visit away with Dr. Alina Bergan D.D.S!

Many people try to whiten their teeth on their own at home, only to find out the products they are using either do not work or they cause harm to their teeth. Dental office tooth whitening is safe, quick, and inexpensive. It can be used to correct many tooth discolorations which may have been caused by staining, aging, or chemical damage to teeth. Using the latest in whitening technology, we can offer a safe method for creating the beautiful smile you’ve always wanted. Come in today for a consultation and let us tell you how we can get your smile shining in no time.

Dr. Alina Bergan is ready to help make your smile whiter this summer. Give us a call today at 800-223-0801, to schedule appointments at our convenient Cedarhurst, NY office!