Tribeca Smile Makeover | Manhattan Cosmetic Dentist
Your smile is one of the first things people notice about you. Since your teeth are such an important part of first impressions, you want them to look their best. Dr. Lattenelli can help you with that. Our office offers quick, easy, and painless laser tooth whitening services.
Since 1995, lasers have been used to whiten teeth. Today, however, the technology has become so advanced that after just one appointment you’re smile can brighten five to even ten shades. This is how it works: a certain type of laser will be selected by your doctor, the most popular being the argon laser. Then, teeth whitening chemicals are placed on your teeth. The light from the laser activates the chemicals and speeds up the chemical’s reaction, allowing for the teeth to change color. After the procedure, the dentist uses fluoride treatment to help the whitening process and strengthen the teeth. With most Manhattan dental procedures, a custom-fit tray will be given to you for color maintenance.
The lustrous shimmering effect on your teeth lasts based on how you care for your teeth after the optimal color has been obtained. Dentists recommend you avoid the biggest tooth staining offenders: coffee, tobacco, dark soda, and blueberries. These should be completely excluded from your diet for at least the first week after treatment.
If you’re looking for a fast but professional way to brighten your smile, ask about laser teeth whitening today.
Upper East Side Dental Implants | Manhattan Cosmetic Dentistry
Your smile is often your first impression. Your smile represents you to everyone you meet. If your smile has been affected by periodontal disease, an accident or injury or some other circumstance, dental implants may be a possible option to remedy the situation. A dental implant is an artificial tooth root that is situated into your jaw to secure a replacement tooth or bridge. Dental implants are intimately connected with the gum tissues and underlying bone in the mouth. Best results are achieved with healthy gums free from of periodontal disease, the ideal candidate for dental implant surgery is in overall good health, with sufficient bone present in your jaw to anchor the implant. If you have dreamed of fixing your smile, this may be your opportunity.
The most common type of Upper East Side dental implant is called Endosteal, or “in the bone”, and can hold one of more prosthetic teeth. This method is generally an alternative for those who have bridges or removable dentures. Subperiosteal, or “on the bone” implants secure the teeth to a metal framework placed on top of the jaw. This process is usually utilized for those with minimal current bone height, or cannot wear conventional dentures. Both methods can replace a single tooth with an implant, several teeth with implant-supported bridge, or all of your teeth with a full bridge or full denture. In some cases, sinus augmentation will be performed to assist in developing the bone for proper placement. Ridge modification may be the best solution for a deformity in the upper and lower jaw, correcting the bone defect prior to the implant for the best aesthetic and longevity results.
As with natural teeth, your implants will require dedication to proper oral care and regular dental visits. In order to keep your implant clean, healthy and plaque-free, brushing and flossing is still a necessity! After treatment, your dental professional will work closely with you to develop the best care plan for you. Periodic follow-up visits will be scheduled to monitor your implant, teeth and gums to make sure they are healthy. While there are dental professionals from Tribeca to Midtown West, Dr. Lattinelli is exceptionally qualified to help you on your way to a smile that will dazzle. Call today to schedule a consultation and take the first step to a new first impression.
Upper East Side Tooth Whitening | Tribeca Cosmetic Dentist
A great smile can make you look healthy, happy and years younger. Teeth whitening is one of the most effective and cost effective ways to revitalize your smile and its visual impact. Studies show that we place great value on our smile, and those of us in NY are no exception! A research study conducted by the American Academy of Tribeca Cosmetic Dentistry state that nearly all adults, over 99%, consider a smile of paramount importance as a social asset, and 96% believe it makes you more attractive. Nearly three quarters of adults believe that dental issues and a dull smile can hinder career success. Finally, the number one thing people would change about their smile is to make it brighter and whiter. They aren’t alone – teeth whitening remain one of the most economical ways to enhance your smile.
As we grow older, our teeth often appear darker, yellower, or stained; which is why a whiter smile can make you appear younger. There are several reasons that teeth become discolored, with the main reasons including genetics and age, antibiotics, and certain foods. Internal tooth discoloration is precipitated by changes in the enamel of the tooth and the dentin. High levels of fluoride, tetracycline, use of antibiotics as a child, developmental disorders, tooth decay, restorations, root canal issues, and trauma all rank in the list of culprits responsible for tooth discoloration. External tooth discoloration is caused by external factors primarily foods with tannin’s (as well as other foods), coffee and tea and tobacco. If you aren’t ready to give up your favorite coffee shop, you may need us!
Although in-home treatments are readily available, professional tooth whitening, performed in a Upper East Side Dentist office is the best whitening method. Although stronger agents are utilized in a dental office, the other areas of the mouth, including the gums, are protected from these materials. The preferred whitening systems include a buffer in the gel that protect the tooth enamel from damage, are highly effective, and can revolutionize your smile in one office visit. Your teeth can be brightened by as many as 10 shades in about 60 minutes. In-office whitening transforms the front eight teeth. Your treatment can last up to one year of more, depending on your personal oral hygiene habits. Your dental professional is best qualified to help you decide if tooth whitening is for you, to help with any issues that arise such as tooth and gum sensitivity. If you live from Tribeca to the West Village, call Dr. Lattinelli today to schedule your cosmetic dentistry appointment and discuss the benefits of tooth whitening.
Manhattan Clear Aligners | Upper East Side Dentist
They say that one of the first things people notice about you is your smile. For those who are embarrassed or self-conscious about how crooked teeth affect their looks, Upper West Side Invisalign is a contemporary solution for straightening your smile. By utilizing a custom-made series of aligners individually created for every patient, the process will progressively and gently shift your teeth into their correct position. 
The aligner trays are fashioned from smooth and comfortable plastic; and go virtually unnoticed to the casual passerby. The process is easy – simply put in a new aligner tray every two weeks, and let it do its work! Your result will be a beautiful smile – and great first impression – while you suffer very little inconvenience or change to your lifestyle. No one will know you are straightening your teeth, but they will admire the outcome.
The Invisalign procedure is great for teens or adults. Whether you are a Midtown West executive or Murray Hill mom, you can feel confident in your decision by consulting with Dr. Lattinelli about the various available options. The most obvious choices are Invisalign and traditional braces. However, more and more people are determining that the level of comfort and convenience that Invisalign affords make it the clear choice – literally! The smooth plastic aligners are nearly invisible, remove easily for cleaning, and allow you to eat whatever you want. Traditional braces require brackets and wires which can poke, tear and irritate the lining of your mouth, are tough to keep clean and restrict many foods you can eat.
The Invisalign solution costs about the same as traditional straightening methods, and can generally be paid for through insurance or flexible spending plans. Come into Dr. Lattinelli’s Upper East Side dentist office for a consultation and to learn more about your options to obtain a beautiful smile. That stunning first impression is closer than you think and easier than you imagine. We look forward to meeting you and to putting you on the road to straighter teeth you always wanted. Manhattan is waiting for your smile!
Upper East Side Dental Implants | Manhattan Cosmetic Dentist
Q: I’ve heard about dental implants, but I’m still not sure exactly what they are. Can you explain?
A: It’s no wonder you’ve heard of them: Dental implants have been called the most exciting advance in dentistry in the last 50 years! Essentially, the implant itself is a small, screw-shaped post that is placed in the jaw bone (underneath the gums), and serves as a replacement for the tooth’s roots. It is attached to a lifelike crown (a replacement for the visible part of the tooth) via a sturdy connector called an abutment. Manhattan Dental implants offer results that can last a lifetime, and have the highest documented success rate of any tooth replacement system — over 95%.
Q: How does a dental implant work?
A: A few decades ago, it was discovered that titanium metal has a unique property: It can actually become fused to living bone tissue in a process called osseointegration. Implants are made of titanium, and take advantage of this feature. Solidly anchored in place by both osseointegration and mechanical forces, dental implants provide a strong and durable base for several different kinds of natural-looking and fully functional replacement teeth.
Q: What are dental implants used for?
A: One dental implant can be used to replace just one missing tooth with a crown that matches your own teeth. Two or more dental implants can be used to support a fixed bridge (a series of three or more replacement teeth) without requiring any work to be done on the adjacent, healthy teeth. Four or more implants can support an entire arch (complete top or bottom set) of replacement teeth that won’t slip and will never need to be removed — a great alternative to traditional removable dentures! Implants can also be used to support some kinds of removable dentures and in certain orthodontic procedures.
Q: What is the procedure for getting a dental implant?
A: The implant process begins with a consultation, a thorough exam, and a set of diagnostic images at our Upper East Side dental office. Placing one or more implants involves minor surgery, which is typically performed in the dental office and requires only local anesthesia. After the area has been numbed, a small opening is made in the tissue of gums and jaw bone, and the implant is carefully inserted. In some situations, a temporary replacement tooth may be placed on the implant immediately; otherwise, the implant will be allowed to rest for a period of weeks. In either case, the permanent replacement teeth will be secured to the implants at a subsequent visit.
Q: What are the advantages of an implant over other tooth replacement methods?
A: We already mentioned the high success rate and the long life of dental implants. Another advantage is the fact that implants stop the deterioration of bone in the jaw that inevitably follows tooth loss. Bone loss, a “hidden” consequence of tooth loss, is what tends to make people who are missing teeth look older than they really are. Implants need no special care beyond what you would give your natural teeth, and their longevity can make them a cost-effective investment in the long term. Plus, they look, function and “feel” just like your natural teeth.
If you’d like to find out more about dental implants, please contact our cosmetic dentist office to schedule an appointment for a consultation.
Midtown East Clear Aligners | Upper East Side Cosmetic Dentist
Metal braces for correcting teeth alignment have long been a fixture of adolescence. But although they’re effective, they tend to put a crimp on a teenager’s life with changes in diet and irritation and discomfort from the devices and regular adjustments. For many teens, though, these are minor compared to the change in their appearance that comes with traditional braces, and the embarrassment they may feel.
In recent years, there’s been a growing use of another orthodontic device that reduces many of these inconveniences, especially regarding appearance. Known as Invisalign, this transparent, “almost invisible” device can be taken out for eating, cleaning or important social events.
Clear aligners are a sequential set of clear trays made of polyurethane plastic that are generated for an individual patient using information derived from x-rays, photographs or models. Each tray in the sequence is slightly different from the previous one to account for the tooth movement achieved wearing the previous tray. The patient will wear a tray for about two weeks and then, if all looks well, move to the next tray. This process continues until the teeth arrive at the proper alignment, a period of about six to twenty-four months depending on the patient’s initial condition and their progress. Contact our dental office to schedule an appointment.
Up until recently, aligners were a viable option for a limited category of patients, mainly adults. Recent advances have changed that. Aligners now include tiny “power ridges” that enable them to move teeth in more than one plane, something previous versions were unable to do. “Eruption tabs” can also be incorporated into aligner sets to hold the space for permanent teeth that haven’t erupted yet — a must for many younger patients. We can also temporarily bond attachments to the teeth known as buttons (made with a composite that blends in with the natural tooth color) that give more leverage and stability to the aligner.
With these changes, clear aligners are now an effective choice for a wider group of patients, including many teens. Aligners are comfortable to wear, easy to care for, and for teens acutely conscious of their appearance, less obtrusive than traditional metal braces.
Upper East Side Invisalign | Manhattan Clear Aligners
Compared to traditional braces, orthodontic clear aligners seem miraculous in many ways, almost too good to be true. You may be wondering if they really work. The answer is yes — but they are not for everyone
Invisalign is an alternative to traditional braces that are used to move your teeth and transform your smile without much interference to your daily life. They are removable trays made of a clear plastic material that is essentially invisible.
When using aligners, a sequence of slightly different trays is custom-made to fit over your teeth. You must wear each one 20 hours a day for two weeks before changing to the next in the series. The aligners are computer generated, designed by state-of-the-art techniques based on models and images of your own teeth. They work because slight changes in the sequential aligners gradually shift your teeth. If they are worn consistently, the process takes from six months to two or three years.
Advantages over traditional braces are:
- The aligners can be removed for eating, drinking, brushing, flossing and social occasions.
- They have no rough edges or wires, making them more comfortable.
- Changes become visible quickly as your teeth move into their new, better positions.
Clear aligners are a good solution for correcting mild to moderately crowded or incorrectly spaced teeth. They are most effective if your back teeth already fit together properly. Clear aligners are usually effective in correcting simpler or tipping movements of teeth in two dimensions. For more complex movements, traditional braces may be required. Clear aligners are usually recommended for adults whose teeth and jaws are fully developed, and not for children. Each particular situation is unique. for a consultation contact our Upper East Side Dentist.
When do you need traditional fixed braces?
Traditional braces are fixed brackets attached to the teeth through which narrow, flexible wires are threaded. They may be necessary if your teeth do not meet properly, creating too much overbite or under-bite. Closing spaces where teeth are missing, rotating teeth, or other complicated situations probably make you a better candidate for traditional braces.
Lenox Hill Gingivitis | Upper East Side Dental Office
Periodontal (gum) diseases like gingivitis (inflammation of the gum tissues) can exist in a chronic form for some time, while gradually worsening. But given the right conditions, gingivitis could elevate quickly into an acute, painful condition known as Acute Necrotizing Ulcerative Gingivitis (ANUG). While it can be effectively treated, it’s important to diagnose ANUG early and begin treatment as soon as possible. Make sure you contact our Tribeca dentist as soon as you notice the symptoms.
ANUG is also known as “trench mouth” as it was commonly recognized among soldiers in the trenches during World War I. Its name describes it as “necrotizing” and “ulcerative,” because when left untreated it kills (“necrotizes”) soft gum tissue, particularly the triangular tissue between teeth known as papillae, and causes severe and painful sores. A person with ANUG may also exhibit very bad breath and taste, with an odor peculiar to the disease. It’s believed that acute stress, poor nutrition and a lack of sleep can trigger the condition in individuals with pre-existing gingivitis.
As with other forms of gum disease, the first priority of treatment is to alleviate the symptoms. Besides initial cleaning (also known as scaling), we would also prescribe antibiotics (particularly Metronidazole, which is effective against the specific bacteria responsible for ANUG), an antibacterial mouth rinse like chlorhexidine, and a mild saline rinse. We would also control pain and inflammation with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like aspirin or ibuprofen.
As the symptoms come under control, it’s then necessary to treat the underlying gingivitis by continuing the thorough cleaning of the affected surfaces, including the roots, of as much plaque and tartar as possible. Good oral hygiene with semi-annual professional cleanings must become regular habits to inhibit future reoccurrences of the disease. Quitting smoking, eating a healthy diet and managing stress are also advisable.
Without treatment, ANUG symptoms will persist; you could eventually lose the affected papillae, and experience other detrimental effects to other periodontal tissue and bone structures. If you suspect you may have gingivitis or this acute form, you should visit us as soon as possible for a full evaluation and treatment. The earlier we diagnose and treat gum disease, the better your long-term outlook. Please schedule a upper west side dentist appointment for a consultation.
Manhattan Dental Injuries | Upper East Side Cosmetic Dentis
Athletic activity can boost your health, but many sports also carry some risk — especially to the teeth. This is something NFL wide receiver Jerry Rice well knows.
“Football can be brutal — injuries, including those to the face and mouth, are a common risk for any player,” Rice noted in an interview with Dear Doctor magazine. In fact, Rice himself chipped a couple of teeth, which were repaired with crowns. “There wasn’t a lot of focus on protecting your teeth in high school,” Rice recalled.
You don’t have to be a legend of the NFL to benefit from the type of high-quality mouthguard a Uppper West Side dentist can make for you or your child. Consider that:
- An athlete is 60 times more likely to suffer harm to the teeth when not wearing a mouthguard.
- Mouthguards prevent an estimated 200,000 or more injuries each year.
- Sports-related dental injuries account for more than 600,000 emergency room visits annually.
- Each knocked-out tooth that is not properly preserved or replanted can cause lifetime dental costs of $10,000 to $20,000.
You and/or your child should wear a mouthguard if you participate in sports involving a ball, stick, puck, or physical contact with another player. Mouthguards should be used for practice as well as actual games.
It’s also important to be aware that all mouthguards are not created equal. To get the highest level of protection and comfort, you’ll want to have one custom-fitted and professionally made. This will involve a visit to our office so that we can make a precise model of your teeth that is used to create a custom guard. A properly fitted mouthguard is protective, comfortable, resilient, tear-resistant, odorless, tasteless and not bulky. It has excellent retention, fit, and sufficient thickness in critical areas.
If you are concerned about dental injuries or interested in learning more about mouthguards, please contact our Cosmetic Dentist today to schedule an appointment for a consultation.
Manhattan Dental Office Blog | Upper East Side Smile Makeover
Whether you are an existing patient or searching for a Upper East Side dentist in the New York, NY area, we’re excited you are here. With the dental industry advancing, we recognize the importance of keeping our patients and visitors up to date with all of the new and exciting things taking place in our practice.
As we move forward with our blog, we hope to promote dental awareness as a vital part of your healthy lifestyle. Here you will find a variety of articles and topics including:
- Dental news
- Advancements in dental technology
- Advancements in dentaltreatment
- Practical dental health advice and updates from Dr. Joseph Lattinelli, DMD and his staff
We hope you find our blog to be helpful, engaging and informational to ensure your best dental health.
As always, feel free to contact our dental office with any dental questions or concerns.
–The Joseph Lattinelli, DMD Team