What You Need To Know About Dental Sealants

Thanks for reading our blog! Here in NJ, we are still recovering from Hurricane Sandy, so we didn't have a post last week. We're back though, with everything you need to know about dental sealants:

A dental sealant is an acrylic-like material that helps shield out decay-causing bacteria from the chewing surfaces of back teeth.  We base our diagnosis and recommendation for dental sealants on the patient’s susceptibility to tooth decay and how the teeth were shaped when they originally formed below the gum.  Though there is no specific age at which sealants are indicated, often we will recommend that the best time to apply them is when the six-year molars (the first permanent teeth) appear.

Sealant material forms a protective barrier by bonding to tooth surfaces and covering natural grooves called pits and fissures in the teeth.  More than 75 percent of dental decay begins in the pit and fissure areas of the back teeth.  Combined with proper home care and regular dental visits, sealants are extremely effective in preventing tooth decay.

Sealants are applied only to pit and fissure areas of specific teeth.  Unfortunately, they cannot be applied to the surfaces in between teeth, where daily flossing is needed to prevent decay.

Though sealants are most often applied to children’s teeth, many adults are now seeking the preventive benefits of pit and fissure sealants as well.

To learn more about dental sealants visit our blog and www.TavorminaDentistry.com

The Facts About Dental Veneers

Veneers are usually made of porcelain and are eggshell thin porcelain that is bonded to the enamel surface of teeth to make cosmetic changes.  They are therefore usually placed on the front teeth to make changes that enhance a smile or make corrections in form and color.  Even a subtle change in your smile can make a dramatic difference in the way you look and feel and on your social outlook and veneers are a wonderful cosmetic dentistry option to make those subtle changes that can make all the difference in the world to you and open the door for you to smile with freedom and confidence.

Veneers are a cosmetic alternative for a variety of dental conditions affecting the front teeth, including:

•  Closing diastemas (spaces between the teeth)
•  Restoring broken or chipped teeth
•  Covering unsightly, stained or washed-out fillings
•  Whitening permanently stained or discolored teeth
•  Correcting uneven or crooked teeth

When your smile is disfigured by decay, wear, chipping, breakage or imperfect development, our goal is to restore its natural beauty, so you can smile with confidence.  At one time, resin fillings or crowns were the only available treatment for the above types of conditions.  Today, a third alternative is available with veneers!

For more information about dental veneers follow our blog and visit www.TavorminaDentistry.com

Assessing Your Smile

There’s nothing quite like the good feeling of knowing you have a healthy-looking smile. An attractive, confident smile can be one of your most valuable assets. It is often the first thing people notice about you.

How do you feel about your smile? Are you pleased with it, or do you wish it looked better? At one time there were limited means for enhancing the appearance of your teeth. Today there are a number of cosmetic treatments that can be performed in the dental office in just a few appointments.

There are many common dental problems that can be easily corrected through cosmetic procedures. These problems include discolored teeth, missing teeth, overlapping front teeth, poorly shaped teeth, chipped teeth and gaps between teeth.

To assess your smile, take a moment to answer the following questions.  Take your time and answer each question as clearly and accurately as you can.  Your answers will help us to determine the type of treatment most suited to your needs.

1. Are you pleased with the general appearance of your teeth and smile?  If not, why?
2. Are your teeth straight?
3. Are there spaces between your front teeth that you dislike?
4. Are you satisfied with the color of your teeth?
5. Are you satisfied with the shape of your teeth?  
6. Are any of your teeth chipped?  Hidden? Protruding?
7. Are you satisfied with the way your teeth come together (how they bite)?
8. Are your gums puffy, red or swollen looking?  Do they bleed easily?
9. Do you have old fillings or dental work that makes you less confident about your smile &/or appearance?
10.  What would you most like to change about the appearance of your teeth?
11.  How would you like your teeth to look?

If you like, we can review your responses with you and discuss alternatives to achieve a more pleasing smile.

For more information about our cosmetic treatments and procedures and other dental topics please visit our website www.TavorminaDentistry.com