This year’s New York Fashion Week featured a surprising accessory that you already have: your smile. In conjunction with fashion expert Tai Beauchamp, the American Association of Orthodontics set up a pop-up shop in NYC’s Columbus Circle where the public could come and learn more about how to get their best smile ever.
Do you cover your mouth when you laugh or talk, dread having your picture taken, or force a tight-lipped smile to hide your teeth? If you don’t love your smile, it’s time to talk porcelain veneers. You may have considered porcelain veneers in the past, but have a preconception about veneers or unanswered questions about veneer application, the ability to achieve a natural look, or their durability. Read on to find out why Dr. Lederman believes that porcelain veneers are the best fit to fix your smile and bring back your confidence!
What Exactly are Porcelain Veneers?
Porcelain veneers are custom-made, ultra-thin layers of ceramic similar in structure to your tooth’s enamel, and are designed to cover a myriad of common cosmetic dental issues. These issues include worn or discolored enamel caused by diet or smoking, general wear and tear like chips or cracks, and also uneven or misshapen teeth. Porcelain veneers can even cover orthodontic concerns such as smile symmetry, gaps, and incorrect tooth positioning – but you’ll see results instantly versus lengthy traditional orthodontic treatments like braces.
I Want to Look Natural.
Materials used to craft veneers are matched with your existing tooth color or a color that is desirable to you in to produce a natural look. Veneers are highly personalized, so expect your dentist to take measurements and pictures of your existing teeth, smile, and bite profile to produce an image or wearable sample of what your smile will look like when your veneers are applied.
But Will They Last?
Despite their thinness, porcelain veneers are extremely durable and strong. Veneers also are resistant to stains caused by normal eating and drinking (even dark beverages like coffee, tea, or wine), and smoking. Veneers are extremely durable, but it is important to take care of them just like you would your regular teeth. This means avoiding crunching hard candy or ice, using your teeth in place of scissors, bottle openers, or other tools, and using a night guard to prevent teeth grinding or chattering.
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Porcelain veneers are an excellent option for patients who want to achieve a perfect smile and feel confident again. Call Dr. Lederman today at 516-882-1764 to schedule a consultation on porcelain veneers and bringing back your confidence!
According to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, an estimated 10 million Americans suffer from Temporomandibular Joint and Muscle Disorders, or TMJ. The disorder can cause a number of problematic symptoms including jaw pain, stiffness and even lock jaw. Dr. Lederman has extensive post-graduate training in neuromuscular dentistry and works with his patients to treat this condition with the best individualized course of treatment. One step in the neuromuscular treatment process that may be beneficial for some patients is TENS, or transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation.
TENS treatments for TMJ are an electric massage used to relax the jaw muscles. Electrodes are attached to the patient’s face to stimulate the facial muscles and nerves. The end goal is full relaxation of the muscles to help your dentist determine proper jaw position. Once your dentist is able to achieve this, he or she can access whether additional treatments are necessary.
TENS treatments also trigger the release of endorphins. Endorphins are your body’s natural pain relieving chemicals, and as such, they often lessen symptoms associated with TMJ.
For many patients, TENS treatment can provide relief of their TMJ-related symptoms. Though patients are initially and painless Patients feel rhythmic taps on their face that may trigger a tingling sensation. The intensity of the treatments can also be adjusted to accommodate the patient’s comfort level.
Whether TENS or another neuromuscular treatment option is the best course of action for TMJ, Dr. Lederman’s patients can rest assured that he will recommend the most appropriate treatment plan. To schedule your consult, contact our office today at 516-882-1764.
Dental Implants are becoming the standard of care for adult tooth loss, largely due to the fact that they provide superior bite force in comparison to bridges and dentures. They also prevent further bone loss from the structure of the jawline. Dr. Lederman explains how.
The dental implant is made up of a titanium screw that is surgically placed into the jawbone topped by a porcelain crown that replaces the missing tooth. The titanium screw functionally fills the space that was once taken by the roots of the extracted tooth, and provides stability for the crown above the gum line.
The screws are made of titanium specifically because titanium has the ability to fuse to the bone, a process called osseointegration. The fusion between the titanium and bone preserves the previously weakened bone structure caused by the loss of the tooth.
Without the placement of the implant, the bone density is lost because the stimulation of the root structure by the pressure of chewing is necessary to support the body’s natural upkeep of the alveolar sac like structure in the bone that was once a pocket that held the teeth.
Without the stimulation created by the tooth chewing, the root structure retracts and the pocket collapses causing the jawbone structure to thin and recede. Over time, with multiple teeth lost, the remaining teeth will drift to fill in the space occupied by missing teeth, causing problems with jaw alignment. If you have questions about Dental Implants call us at 516-882-1764.
For lots of patients considering cosmetic dentistry to improve their appearance, time can be a big deterrent. Multiple visits to the dentist’s office to get impressions taken, waiting for porcelain onlays to be milled and shipped to the dentist, then another appointment for them to be placed, can seem like too much for some. Dr. Gary Lederman offers CEREC as a 1-visit alternative.
CEREC stands for Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics. The process was first developed at the University of Zurich in 1980, with the first successful applications placed on patients in 1985.
The process begins with Dr. Lederman creating a digital 3D impression of the patient’s mouth using digital radiographs or an intraoral camera. He then used a Computer Aided Drafting (CAD) program to design the porcelain onlays. Once the design is complete, a special 3D printer mills the onlays to the prescribed specifications and provides them to the dentist.
The dentist then provides the finishing touches by painting it, polishing and glazing it before he cements or adhesively integrates it to the tooth. Depending on the type of ceramic material used, the onlay can be crafted in as little as fifteen minutes.
If you have questions regarding cosmetic dentistry, call us today at 516-882-1764. We would be happy to answer your questions.
Crowns were once the best possible fix in dentistry. They gave decayed teeth their strength back and alleviated pain for the time being.
However, this kind of restoration does immediate and irreversible damage. When preparing teeth for a crown, all sides (including the biting surface) must be drilled away. Crown material also tends to break, causing the need for replacement every few years. Even with crowns, cracks often grow over time and a root canal becomes a necessary to resolve the problem. Cavities are also difficult for the dentist to detect because the entire tooth is covered.
Using the principles of Biomimetic Dentistry, we practice a minimally invasive approach. Rather than tearing away vital structure, we work to build the tooth back up for healthy restorations that look and function just like natural teeth. In some cases, we avoid the drill all together by using air abrasion technology to remove decay. Biomimetic restorations are more comfortable for patients in the short term and produce long-lasting results.
If you have any questions about Biomimetic Dentistry restorations, please contact us today at 516-882-1764.
Many people experience TMJ symptoms without ever realizing the true source. The Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) is at the center of the connection between the jaw and the head. Knowing that, it’s easy to understand why dysfunction in the joint can cause so many potential problems.
The most common symptom of TMJD is severe headaches. Many TMJ sufferers confuse these headaches with migraines and treat them with medication. Unfortunately, medicating only masks the larger issue and symptoms will prevail in the long-term. Other TMJ symptoms range from jaw clicking and ringing in the ears to neck, shoulder and back pain. Patients often have a combination of symptoms, making the disorder even more difficult to recognize.
Through neuromuscular testing, we can determine exact points where TMJ problems are occurring. This is done through pads on the skin connected to computerized technology that lets me see muscle and tension issues. We can then begin to explore the best course of action for correcting the patient’s poor jaw position. This process realigns your posture, starting with your head and neck. One of our neuromuscular treatments is a mouthguard that’s used in golf, hockey, basketball, football and other sports that require balance and strength for increased performance.
Do you have questions about Neuromuscular Dentistry? Don’t hesitate to contact us 516-882-1764. We’re here to help!
Have you ever thought about what your jaw has to do with the breathing process? Many patients are unaware that the struggles they have getting quality rest at night actually relate directly with dentistry. Simply put, the upper jaw must be wide enough to accommodate the tongue so that the airway can remain open at night.
Nasal breathing is an optimal bodily function. Everything about the nose is designed to maximize oxygen flow in the body. Nasal hairs trap bacteria before it enters the bloodstream and the shape and structure of the nose helps facilitate optimal oxygen distribution rate. The mouth serves as an OK backup, but if relied on over a long period of time puts an unhealthy amount of strain on the body.
The most common indication of an airway issue is snoring at night. Frequent, loud snoring is especially concerning as it could be a sign of obstructive sleep apnea. It’s also possible to experience a breathing disorder without noticeable snoring, so the best thing to do is see a professional if you fell depleted of energy even after a full night’s rest.
Do you have any questions about the jaw or sleep apnea? Please don’t hesitate to give me a call at 516-882-1764.
About 22 million Americans receive treatment for sleep apnea and doctors estimate there are millions more sufferers who are unaware or misdiagnosed. When it comes to the classic case, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is fairly straightforward to spot. The profile is typically an overweight male who recognizes snoring loudly and frequently. But part of the barrier to reaching other patients in need is lack of education about the different ways sleep apnea can manifest in people.
Because of this misunderstanding, experts in the field suspect that many untreated cases are women. Women are likely to describe symptoms such as insomnia and depression, which can lead physicians down the wrong path. It’s easy to confuse problems such as difficulty falling asleep at night with stress-induced anxiety. These women then begin treatment for depression and never undercover the true source.
Women with sleep apnea are commonly misdiagnosed with anemia, cardiac disease, depression, diabetes, fatigue, fibromyalgia, hypertension, insomnia, menopausal changes and obesity. Having a sleep study done is the only way to get complete and conclusive information about how your airway is functioning. Like anything else, if there is an issue it’s better to identify it so we can provide the best treatment to get your health back on track.
Sleep apnea disturbs vital bodily functions and causes life-threatening conditions. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you experience symptoms that could be related to sleep apnea: 516-882-1764.
Many Americans live with migraines and never nail done the root cause. As a result, sufferers end up taking pain medication and making compromises in their daily lives. Headaches can be debilitating, leaving us out of commission for hours at a time. One common explanation for frequent headaches is TMJ disorder.
TMJ is the small but crucial connecting piece between the jaw and the head. If something is out of balance with this joint, all kinds of painful symptoms can occur. TMJ sufferers may experience a combination of one or all symptoms related to jaw, head, neck, shoulder or back pain. The variety of symptoms that can occur in each individual is what makes TMJD difficult to diagnose.
In recent years, dentistry has made advancements in the specialty of jaw and muscle balance. Using neuromuscular testing we can evaluate your muscle position so that we can begin to correct posture. When the muscles are in a comfortable position, symptoms are finally alleviated.
Do you experience any symptoms you think could be related to TMJD? Please don’t hesitate to schedule a consultation by calling 516-882-1764.
White fillings, also referred to as tooth colored fillings or composite resin fillings, have long been used for fillings, but with advances in technology, they can also help restore the shape of chipped or cracked teeth. Dr. Lederman recommends white fillings for their cosmetic advantages as well as the concerns that have been raised over the potential toxicity of metal fillings.
Traditional fillings are made up of an amalgam of tin, silver, mercury, zinc and copper, and they prevent the spread of tooth decay, but can be quite noticeable because of the metal’s color. They are generally considered safe by the American Dental Association, but some researchers have voiced concerns about mercury toxicity, which could affect patients if they are exposed to large amounts of mercury.
Composite resin fillings are made up of a flexible combination of plastic and glass that are tinted to match the shade of the patient’s natural teeth. The material is flexible and can be shaped before being hardened by the application of a special blue light. Unlike amalgam which is simply shaped to fit the hole drilled into the tooth, the composite resin actually bonds directly to the tooth and can be used to repair chipped teeth, cracked teeth, or fill cavities on the front sides of teeth.
For more information about white fillings, or to schedule an appointment, please contact our office at (516) 882-1764.
