Upper East Side Smile Makeover | Manhattan Dental Office
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Healthy smiles are something that everyone wants and we could all easily have them from childhood through adulthood if we just develop healthy habits from an early age! That’s why it’s vital to teach your kids how to care for their pearly whites as soon as you can. It’s easy to overlook brushing that doesn’t quite reach every spot when we’re trying to prep for bedtime, but it’s vital your kids know the right way to brush their teeth, as well as how to care for their gums.
Moms, you can help set your children up with healthy teeth before they’re even born! To ensure they start off with the strongest teeth possible, eat a healthy diet while you’re pregnant. It’s vital that you’re getting all your essential nutrients and vitamins since baby’s teeth begin developing in the womb. Once they’re born, you have to wait out their teething. Those first few teeth should start coming in right around six months of age. Don’t worry if you only see one or two at this point or even none at all! Every child is different, but they should have all of their 20 primary teeth by the time they’re three years old. From there, they’ll lose them between the ages of 6 and 11, making way for their permanent teeth.
Around the time your child is 6 months old, their primary care physician will be able to tell if your child may have future dental problems. If so, they’ll recommend you see a dentist. Either way, your baby should have their first dental exam by the time they’re a year old and they should be seen every six months for assessments and cleanings. The earlier you can find any issues the better. A dentist can show you both the proper way to clean your infant’s teeth with a wet cloth, as well as how to progress to soft toothbrushes and floss as they get older. Make this experience a fun one! We often recommend toothbrushes featuring their favorite cartoon character and yummy flavored toothpaste. Brush your teeth at the same time so they know it’s something everyone does and that it’s good for them!
If you’re looking for a reliable dentist that makes your smile a priority for you or your kids, give us a call here at Dr. Lattinelli’s. We’d love to make you and your family part of ours!
Upper East Side Cosmetic Dentistry | Manhattan Dental Office
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Smoking can have many effects on your body, but what about your teeth? If you are one of the 36 million smokers in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control, you may want to better understand smoking’s effects. For more information on how your teeth are affected by smoking, read on.
Cigarettes limit your mouth’s abilities to fight off infection, which can cause bacteria to really take its toll on your teeth. Because your teeth cannot fight off infection as well, plaque and bacteria can collect in your mouth and lead to oral health issues. Tooth discoloration is one of the most popular effects of smoking. It is not uncommon for smokers to have yellow stained teeth. This is because the chemicals in tobacco cling to the enamel of teeth, which causes them to stain over time. While teeth whitening treatments can slow down this process, they cannot prevent discoloration entirely.
Bad breath is another unattractive effect smoking can have on your oral health. The particles of cigarettes remain in your mouth long after your cigarette is finished. This causes the smell of a cigarette to linger in your mouth and give you bad breath. Long-term smokers are likely to experience an overgrowth of bacteria, which forces your breath to smell no matter how much you gargle mouthwash or brush your teeth.
A more serious problem smoking can cause is gum disease. “Smokers are twice as prone to gum disease as nonsmokers,” according to the CDC. Because smoking decreases your mouth’s ability to fight off bacteria, your mouth cannot defend itself as well against bacteria that attacks your gums. Unfortunately, losing teeth is a common outcome for heavy smokers because of this.
Even more serious effects of smoking include oral cancer. “About 50,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with oral cancer each year and an estimated 80 percent of them are smokers,” according to the CDC. “The risk of developing oral cancer increases when smoking is combined with heavy drinking.” These dangerous behaviors can contribute to oral cancer symptoms, including red and white patches in the mouth, difficulty chewing and swallowing, jaw numbness and even ear pain.
If you are a smoker or have recently quit smoking, you want to protect your mouth as best as possible. At the Manhattan dental office of Joseph C. Lattinelli, DMD, our professional dentists can perform the treatments you need to achieve better oral health. To get in touch with our office, feel free to fill out our appointment request form on our website. We look forward to helping you achieve a healthier smile.
Upper East Side Smile Makeover | Manhattan Dental Office
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Few people, if any, dislike chocolate. Considered one of life’s guilty pleasures, chocolate holds a special place in our collective hearts and is present at a wide range of social activities from romantic endeavors to the rampant candy-filled feasts of Easter and Halloween. What most people don’t know, however, is that chocolate is a much more complex substance than it would initially seem.
The big question is whether chocolate is bad for your teeth and the answer to that resides in your choice of chocolate. Milk chocolate, by far the most common type in the US, is 30% or less cocoa combined with milk and sugar. This combination produces a silky sweet substance that is easily manipulated and can be adapted for a wide variety of uses.
Unfortunately, this milk chocolate is the worst in terms of dental impact. The high sugar content feeds bacteria in the same other sugar-based products do, with no mitigating factors to offset the difference. Milk chocolate and white chocolate contain 15-17 grams of sugar per ounce and contribute significantly to tooth decay over time.
These numbers may seem to spell the end of chocolate for the health-conscious among us, but there is still some good news. The chocolate itself, or cocoa, contains many beneficial compounds that can actually help fight tooth decay and gum disease. From polyphenols that retard bacterial growth and flavonoids to slow decay, to antioxidants that help fight gum disease, cocoa goes to bat for your teeth. Milk chocolate does not take advantage of these properties because it contains a disproportionately low amount of cocoa compared to sugar. However, dark chocolate is approximately 70% cocoa and takes advantage of these properties to help fight damage to your teeth.
As with most things, the key to chocolate is moderation. While a little bit of milk chocolate every now and then shouldn’t be a problem if you are taking care of your teeth, steering towards dark chocolate when possible can help mitigate the damage.
If you and your family are in need of a deep cleaning and want to have a great experience, come see us at Dr. Lattinelli’s Upper East Side Dentist! We love helping all of our guests show off their best smiles.
Upper East Side Dentist | Manhattan Dentistry
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Are you battling with tooth plaque? Feel that layer of gunk that coats your teeth and makes them a little fuzzy and not quite clean? Your pearly whites are our first priority, and plaque can cause long lasting dental damage. We’re here to help you attack that plaque to ensure you have your best smile possible, 24/7!
If you have plaque, don’t stress too much about it. Everyone gets it; some of us are just better at getting rid of it than others. There are five simple things you can do that will help eliminate this pesky problem. First up, brush those teeth. And we mean twice a day, correctly and with purpose. You can even brush them more if you prefer, like after every meal, but be sure you aren’t irritating your gums in the process. It’s especially important to brush your teeth very well before bed. Use a soft-bristled toothbrush and replace it every three to four months. To get the best cleaning possible, use a gentle circular motion on your teeth and get your entire mouth. That means you should be brushing the fronts and backs of your teeth, as well as the top. You should also be brushing your tongue to knock out bad breath and bacteria. This whole process should be taking you 2 entire minutes, so no skimping on time!
Cleaning between each of your teeth is also vital. If regular old floss doesn’t work well for you, there are many other options suck as small brushes that will fit between your teeth, dental picks, water flossers, and even flossers that come pre-threaded. You should be flossing at least once a day to make sure you’re getting everything your toothbrush didn’t.
After your deep clean, use some mouthwash. It’s antibacterial and will help to get rid of the bad bacteria in your mouth that leads to plaque buildup. Try to avoid those with alcohol as they can dry out your mouth. You want a good amount of saliva present at all times because that’s what keeps your mouth healthy!
The main foods that cause plaque are full of sugar and starch, so it’s best to avoid those as much as possible. That means you should cut back on bread, sodas, alcoholic beverages, and anything sticky that gets stuck in the crevices of your teeth.
Last but not least, you should be seeing your dentist regularly for professional cleanings. Twice a year is a perfect time frame if you’re not experiencing any other dental issues, and professional equipment can reach all the spots you might be missing.
If you’re in need of a deep cleaning and want to have a great experience, come see us at Dr. Lattinelli’s Upper East Side Dentist! We love helping all of our guests show off their best smiles.
Manhattan Dentistry | Upper East Side Dental Health
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Tooth decay can take a significant toll on your dental health and cause not just serious problems such as loss of teeth. It can also make daily tasks such as eating and drinking difficult. Additionally, it might cause you to feel self-conscious about how you look when you smile or talk. To prevent these problems, it is essential to tackle tooth decay. Here are some ways to ensure that tooth decay does not take a toll on your health.
Watch What You Eat
If you are careful about your diet, you will be able to prevent tooth decay to a great extent. In particular, starch and sugar are bad for your teeth so you would want to limit the intake of foods containing starch and sugar. You may want to eat more vegetables, particularly leafy green ones as these can help regulate the corrosive effect your saliva can have on your teeth.
Drink Fluorinated Water
Tap water is a rich source of minerals that are good for your teeth. You don’t have to look for other types of beverages to drink if you are aiming for healthy teeth. Drinking plenty of water reduces the chance of buildup of plaque that can cause tooth decay in the long term.
Avoid Soda and Caffeine
Foods rich in caffeine, including coffee, can cause teeth to take on brownish stains. Sodas have a corrosive effect on teeth, which is why it is never a good idea to consume too much soda. Alcohol has a similar impact on teeth, so you would be better off moderating alcohol consumption.
Use Correct Brushing Techniques and Tools
You need to ensure that the toothbrush you use is made for efficient but gentle cleaning. Usually, you can choose toothbrushes based on factors such as bristle softness, shape and so on. This helps you select a toothbrush that is perfect for you. It is important to ensure that you use utilize at least three minutes every day to brush your teeth. Brushing twice a day is recommended.
Flossing
The importance of flossing should not be overlooked. Unless your teeth are set very tightly together, flossing is recommended to remove food from areas your toothbrush cannot reach. Flossing helps keep your mouth free of food debris that can attract germs and cause the formation of plaque.
These few simple guidelines should help you maintain good teeth hygiene and health and prevent tooth decay. Routinely getting your teeth checked by a Manhattan dentist will ensure that no cavity goes unchecked for long. Your dentist may also be able to identify other problems and save you the agony and costly treatments later. If you are in Manhattan and need to consult a dentist, call 212-752-7188 to set an appointment with Dr. Lattinelli today!
Manhattan Dental Office | Upper East Side Smile Makeover
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Flossing on a daily basis is a key part to any oral healthcare routine . Flossing can help remove plaque in hard to reach areas that a toothbrush cannot come into contact with, while also preventing gum disease. Flossing is helpful to your oral health, as long as you’re flossing correctly. “It doesn’t matter whether you start with your upper or lower teeth, or whether you start in the front or the back. Just make sure that you floss all your teeth, including the back side of the very last tooth on the left, right, top and bottom of your mouth,” Oral B explains. “And don’t forget to floss under the gum line and along the sides of teeth that border any spaces where teeth are missing — food particles can become trapped in these spaces too.”
The American Dental Hygienists’ Association provided the key elements for the proper flossing technique in just four simple steps. The first step is the wind. The American Dental Hygienists’ Association recommends you use 18 inches of floss and wind it around each of your middle fingers. Then, pinch the floss between your thumbs and index fingers, leaving a one or two-inch distance between them. Use your thumbs to direct the floss between your upper teeth.
The next step is guiding. Keeping the one to two-inch length of floss between your fingers, use your index fingers to guide the floss between contacts of the lower teeth. This will help you steadily and accurately reach the lower teeth and gum line. Next, the glide of your flossing is important. “Gently guide floss between the teeth by using a zigzag motion,” Oral B states. You should not snap floss between your teeth, but rather contour floss around the sides of each tooth with a smooth gliding motion. Finally, the slide. Sliding floss up and down against the tooth surface and under the gum line is the ideal way to navigate floss. You should floss each tooth thoroughly and with a clean section of the floss for the best results.
At the dental office of Joseph C. Lattinelli, DMD, it is important to us that your teeth are well taken care of. If you’re looking to make an appointment, you can simply visit our website and fill out a quick form to visit our practice for a dental cleaning or checkup. We look forward to seeing you soon!
Manhattan Invisalign | Upper East Side Cosmetic Dentist
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Your smile is one of your most important features! It’s what people see first, and here at the office of Joseph C. Lattinelli, DMD we want you to feel confident and show off your pearly whites with pride. If you’ve been considering correcting any imperfections but don’t want to take on bulky, noticeable metal braces, we have a great solution .
Invisalign, also known as invisible braces, are ideal for anyone wanting straighter teeth through a more subtle process. The clear plastic trays are customized specifically for your mouth, and gradually adjust your teeth over time. Every two weeks, you’ll get new trays and will continue the process until your teeth are absolutely perfect.
If you’re considering this method, there are a few things to keep in mind. First and foremost, you need to wear the trays. They can be conveniently removed during meals but should be worn for about 22 hours a day to work effectively. After each meal and snack you’ll need to brush your teeth well before putting your trays back on, but never use toothpaste on them! It can cause a buildup of bacteria causing a bad smell and taste. Instead, you’ll want to wash them with antibacterial soap and rinse thoroughly with water. You should also avoid any teeth-staining drinks like coffee, tea, red wine, and dark colored sodas. Not only will they darken your teeth, but they can stain your liners as well.
Keep in mind that not everyone is eligible for Invisalign, but for those that are, it’s essentially a pain and stress-free process! The best part about them is that most people you encounter won’t even know you’re wearing them. Interested in beginning your journey towards the gorgeous smile you deserve? Feel free to request an appointment on our website through our convenient scheduler or give us a call today!
Upper East Side Smile Makeover | Manhattan Dentistry
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Most people will experience a chipped tooth in their lifetime. Chipping a tooth can happen several different ways, but whether your enamel wears in a specific spot or you bite too hard on a piece of crunchy food, there are available solutions to fixing a chipped tooth. The following options, with additional information from 90210 Dentist, provide potential solutions for your chipped tooth.
The severity of your chipped tooth can determine the type of treatment you will need to correct and perfect your smile. If you’re only missing a small amount of enamel from a front tooth, dental bonding is a quick and simple repair process that may be best for you. Dental bonding may also be referred to as “filling,” and is a performed by adhering an etched bonding material to the area of your tooth that has been chipped. “Once the adhesive material is applied, then the composite resin is shaped on top of it to blend with the natural tooth and restore its shape,” according to 90210 Dentist. After this step, an ultraviolet light will harden the material to complete the procedure quickly and painlessly.
If you have a larger chip, a decayed tooth, or a chip on a molar tooth, a crown may be a better option for you. Crowns are tooth-shaped caps that cover the root of the tooth, and “are made to be long lasting and are composed of metal, porcelain fused to metal, resin, or ceramic,” 90210 Dentist states. Installing a crown to your chipped tooth will usually take about two office visits, as root canals, x-rays and molds of the tooth may need to be taken.
A chip on your front tooth can be repaired with porcelain veneers. Veneers are thin porcelain shells designed to cover the front teeth. One veneer can be used to repair one tooth, or a row of veneers can be used to completely reinvent your smile. Porcelain veneers can be installed in as little as two office visits, and can improve the appearance and performance of your smile.
If you have a chipped tooth and are looking to have it repaired, look no further than the dental office of Dr. Joseph C. Lattinelli. By scheduling an appointment with us, we can help you achieve your perfect smile with one of the above methods. So don’t hesitate, reach out to us today by calling 212-752-7188.
Upper East Side Dentist | Manhattan Cosmetic Dentistry
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Ewww! I just brushed my teeth and this orange juice tastes disgusting! Is it Colgate’s fault? Should I blame the hardscrabble mint farmers of central Indiana? Did my orange juice go bad? Darn you, Tropicana!
Okay, now that I’ve calmed down, maybe together we can solve this mystery. Why do certain foods taste odd after I brush my teeth?
You’ve probably noticed since childhood that many foods and beverages taste differently after you’ve brushed your teeth. Orange juice, because it is so commonly associated with children and breakfast and teeth brushing with a morning routine, was probably just the first item with which you noticed this difference in taste. But the phenomenon isn’t limited to orange juice.
So, why does it happen? Basically, because of a funny interaction between biology and chemistry that could be explained equally fascinatingly by either a Nobel laureate or a first-grade teacher to students. First, let’s talk about how we taste anything at all.
Inside your mouth, but especially on the top and sides of your tongue, are taste receptors or “buds.” As you eat and drink, saliva mixes with your food and beverage and seeps into these receptors where it activates one or another taste: sweetness, sourness, saltiness, bitterness, and savoriness (what the scientists call “umami”). Often, your food or beverage will activate more than just one of these to create complex (and delicious!) tastes. Orange juice is a great example of this because it is filled with sugar (sweet) but also citric acid, which adds a sour and somewhat bitter taste. Fun-fact: did you know you can also find this taste by chewing pine needles?
But don’t blame the mint farmers! While mint is a powerful taste that can remain behind even after brushing your teeth, the real culprit here is a little chemical called sodium lauryl (or laureth) sulfate (or CH3(CH2)10CH2(OCH2CH2)nOSO3Na, if you prefer). This chemical, which you’ll find in many soaps and shampoos, is a surfactant, meaning that it helps to create foam. Unfortunately for your tongue, though, it also suppresses your sweet receptors and enhances bitter flavors. And because it seeps into your taste buds and stays there for a little while, the effect can last for even 30 minutes!
So, what to do? Well, I’m definitely not going to stop brushing and flossing every morning, so I can either change up my routine a little to put more time between teeth brushing and breakfast, or I can always look for an SLS-free toothpaste. There are dozens of them and they’re widely available. Contact Dr. Latinelli’s office for more recommendations!
Manhattan Porcelain Veneers | Upper East Side Cosmetic Dentist
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While porcelain veneers are a fantastic solution for cosmetic dentistry problems, they are not for everyone. These veneers, which allow for a straighter and whiter smile, are designed with certain people in mind. To find out if you’re a quality candidate for porcelain veneers, check out the following guide with information from Dental Town.
Those with healthy teeth and gums will be most qualified for porcelain veneers. If you have cracked teeth, gingivitis, decaying teeth or gum disease, veneers could make your condition worse.
If you grind or clench your teeth, porcelain veneers may not be a good option for you either. Veneers are not as strong as real teeth, so the grinding or clenching motions may damage the veneers unless you wear a proper night guard to protect from grinding while you sleep.
The tooth enamel you have is also a strong contributor to your candidacy for porcelain veneers. Porcelain veneers are made to bond to the enamel of your teeth, so having a lack of this enamel could cause the veneers to have nothing to stick to. Without sufficient tooth enamel, porcelain veneers will not be compatible with your mouth.
Those with misaligned teeth may not be the best candidates for porcelain veneers either. “A bite with these misaligned teeth means that the jaw puts a lot of pressure on the veneers leading to cracks or even breaking them,” according to Dental Town.
However, if you do not have the previous problems with your teeth, gums, or jaw, then you can be a great candidate for porcelain veneers. Veneers can correct tetracycline stained teeth that cannot be bleached, as well as mild misalignments or crooked teeth. Even those with gaps or chipped teeth can have their cosmetic concerns corrected with porcelain veneers.
If you’re interested in porcelain veneers, Joseph C. Lattinelli, DMD can help! To leave an appointment request with our professional staff, visit our website and fill out our quick and easy form. We look forward to working with you and assisting you with achieving the perfect smile!