General Dentistry

How often should I come in for a dental checkup?

As far as dental frequency, we should be seeing you every six months. You should be coming in to the dentist for a regular basic routine checkup twice a year at least. This way, if there's something wrong, if there's a problem, if there's a cavity or something's chipping or breaking, we can catch it and we catch it early. And this way, it's a much smaller and simpler problem to fix. If you're only coming in once every five to 10 years and only when there's a problem, then those problems tend to be big problems. But if you're coming in for regular dental checkups and you're coming in every six months, you're coming in for your cleanings, you do your x-rays and you do an exam, it's so easy to catch little things. And when they're caught small and they're caught early, it's super simple problems to fix.

Are dental x-rays safe?

They absolutely are. And they have gotten so much better and so much safer over the course of the years as technology has developed because we're no longer using the traditional x-rays on film. Now, a lot of the x-rays we take are digital. It's a little sensor that we put in the mouth. It is a fraction of the radiation that it used to be. Plus the images are available instantly. It takes a second or two for it to be ready and for us to determine if it's a good enough image or if we have to retake it. But the importance of dental x-rays is critical for a full examination, for a full comprehensive exam. Because there could be things brewing on the inside that we can't see just by looking in your mouth. I can't see bone loss unless it's severe just by looking in your mouth. I can't see early cavities just by looking in your mouth. If there's a giant hole in the tooth, well, there's a bigger problem to fix. But the little things we have to have these x-rays in order to treat and diagnose. So if you have any questions, feel free to give our office a call at 201-845-5533 and we'll set you up with a consultation and some x-rays.

What is fluoride treatment?

It's actually a varnish or a paste that we apply to the teeth professionally in the office. It's there to help prevent cavities. Fluoride is wonderful as far as cavity prevention is concerned. You may hear all these things about, oh, it's too much, it's too much. You have to consume like 9,000 gallons or something of fluoridated water in order for it to be harmful. So don't worry about the fluoride in the water. It's very, very minimal, but it's excellent for your teeth. We actually love and recommend fluoride for people that are prone to cavities and especially for early cavities. If you're getting something early, something small, it can actually reverse itself with the help of fluoride and we may never have to do this filling. That sounds wonderful. Why would you subject your teeth to getting drilled and filled if they don't have to be? And all it takes is a little bit of fluoride. So some fluoride in your toothpaste, fluoride in your mouthwash, fluoride when you come in, you know, and we put some on your teeth for prevention. But fluoride for cavity prevention is absolutely wonderful.

How can I avoid gum disease?

We get a lot of questions about gum disease and how you can avoid it and what can we do and how can we stop it and anything that can be done to prevent it. So let's talk about gum disease. It actually starts at something called gingivitis, which is just a big fancy term, meaning gum irritation. And it is typically caused by bacteria and plaque that did not get brushed away. All you have to do to fix this is take a toothbrush and brush your dang teeth. Spend two minutes twice a day, brush right along the gum line, right where the tooth and the gum meet. All it takes to make gingivitis go away a little bit. It's very superficial. It's gum irritation caused by bacteria. But that gingivitis, that early gum disease can progress into something much, much more serious called periodontitis, the big fancy word for gum disease. And what happens with periodontitis is you actually lose bone that's holding your teeth in your mouth. And if you lose enough of it, those teeth get wiggly, and they can even fall out. Or, you know, you take them with your finger and you just pop them out yourself. But teeth are supposed to be held in by really good, solid, sturdy bone.

What causes gum disease and what can be done?

As far as causes of gum disease, bacteria and plaque that did not get brushed away, and then usually sat around long enough that it hardened and formed this really hard tartar or calculus that you see that you can't remove at home on your own. That's when you have to come in for dental cleanings. If you have advanced gum disease, you'll need additional treatments, deep cleanings or laser treatments. So the only way to know what's going on is to come in, come in for a checkup, let's take some x-rays, let's see what's going on. Gingivitis, super easy to fix. Gum disease takes a little bit more work, but all very doable. So give our office a call at (201) 845-5533 and we'd be happy to set you up with a consultation.

General Dentistry

Practicing good oral hygiene, along with regular checkups, is essential for maintaining good health. Your teeth and gums impact the health of the entire body. If you don't take care of them, you can get sick more often and increase your risk for diseases. Things like cavities, gum disease, and tooth decay can cause incredible pain that makes it difficult to enjoy life, let alone your favorite foods.

At Paramus Dental Arts, we understand the importance of maintaining good oral health and provide general dentistry care to help our patients live life fully. Taking simple steps like getting your teeth cleaned regularly, fixing cavities, and having regular dental examinations can prevent gum disease and additional dental health problems.

Our highly trained team provides preventative care and general dentistry services for patients of all ages. Whether a child getting their teeth cleaned for the first time, a patient suffering from tooth sensitivity, or someone needing a major dental procedure, the highly trained staff at Paramus Dental Arts will provide excellent dental care.

Who Benefits From Our General Dentist Services

We work with patients throughout the Paramus area to provide ongoing and preventative oral health care. We can treat patients of all ages and focus on ensuring that they are comfortable during every procedure. The team at Paramus Dental Arts is highly trained, and works with Dr. Olga Degtyareva to keep our patients teeth and gums in good health. By focusing on preventative care, we can help our patients live a full life. After all, a major tooth infection can create oral pain and make it difficult to enjoy even the most basic of normal activities like eating your favorite piece of pie or playing a game of softball. If you don't currently have a dentist, call (201) 845-5533 to schedule an appointment and experience how our general dentistry services can keep you and your family in good oral health.

Painless Dentistry

We believe in the importance of painless dentistry. Understanding that millions of adults suffer from some form of dental anxiety, we search for ways to treat patients without causing any oral pain. Whether you have anxiety that needs to be addressed or are worried about feeling uncomfortable, the team at Paramus Dental Arts is trained on how to keep patients comfortable no matter what type of dental procedure is being performed. We strive to be a dental office that can be trusted for providing high-quality and pain-free oral health care.

Paramus, New Jersey General Dentist

What is General Dentist?

Many people are unsure about the services that a general dentist provides. While the term "general" is often describes people that provide only the basics, the same cannot be said about our dental office. The team at Paramus Dental Arts provide a wide variety of services for patients throughout the Paramus area. We start with preventative care through education, teeth cleanings, and dental exams. We work to keep our patients' teeth and gums healthy and in good condition. Without preventative health care and regular teeth cleanings, infections can develop and spread; eventually creating bone loss in both the teeth and the jawbone, which can lead to teeth falling out. With the majority of adults suffering from some form of tooth loss, preventative health care is not an option but a necessity.

Additionally, we focus on restorative dentistry. When a patient injures their tooth, we will work to correct it in a way that appears completely natural and makes it possible to eat, speak, and behave normally. This is incredibly important for the millions of adults that injure their teeth every year while playing sports, getting into a car wreck, or injuring their teeth at work. By focusing on restorations, the team at Paramus Dental Arts make it possible for patients to keep their natural teeth for as long as possible.

If a patient loses their tooth, we can also replace it using a variety of modern dental procedures. Gone are the days where a lost tooth could not be replaced. Now there are multiple options for doing so and we can accommodate a variety of patient requests in our general dentistry office. This makes it possible for adults of all ages to maintain the functionality that can only come from having a full set of teeth.

To learn more about what options are available for restoring or replacing your teeth, call (201) 845-5533 to schedule your appointment. We will conduct a thorough exam and make recommendations for what can be done to restore the full functionality and appearance of your smile.

Check out what others are saying about our general dental services on Yelp: General Dentist Paramus

Collaboration

We provide general dentistry to patients. If there are any additional necessary procedures that are outside of our expertise, we will refer you to an oral surgeon or other provider that we collaborate with on a regular basis. Our goal is to keep our patients in the best possible health so that when their health requires collaboration with other health care providers, we will bring them into the conversation. For the most part, we can complete numerous types of dental care.

Beautiful Smiles

If you are located in the greater Paramus area, visit us at Paramus Dental Arts to discuss the goals you have for your smile. Our team works with patients to create a beautiful smile that they can be proud of. Our general dentistry office has the solutions patients' need for transforming their smile into something that is straight, bright, white, and beautiful. Regardless of why you do not like your smile, we can help by fixing any cosmetic or health issues to create something beautiful and natural. To learn more, call (201) 845-5533?? to schedule an appointment.

Questions Answered on This Page

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Definition of Dental Terminology

Cosmetic Dentistry
Cosmetic dentistry is generally used to refer to any dental work that improves the appearance (though not necessarily the function) of a person’s teeth, gums and/or bite.
Decay
Tooth decay is when the enamel of the tooth begins to decay and cause erosion from plaque and tartar on the teeth.
Dental Caries
Dental caries are also known as cavities and result from a lack of proper oral hygiene leaving plaque that forms tiny holes in the teeth.
Dental Checkup
A dental checkup is an appointment that involves cleaning the teeth, identifying any signs of infection and removing said signs of infection at least once every six months in the office.
Dental Filling
A dental filling involves restoring the structure of the tooth by using metal, alloy, porcelain or plastic to fill the tooth.
Dental Prophylaxis
A dental prophylaxis is a professional and detailed cleaning that involves the removal of plaque, calculus and stains from the teeth.
Dental Sealants
Dental sealants contain a resinous material that we apply to the chewing surfaces of the posterior teeth to prevent dental caries.
Dentist
A dentist, also known as a dental surgeon, is a doctor who specializes in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases and conditions of the oral cavity.
Gingivitis
Gingivitis is the inflammation of gum tissue that results from plaque, other infections in the mouth and poor oral hygiene.
Preventive Dentistry
Preventive dentistry is the dentistry that focuses on maintaining oral health in order to prevent the spread of plaque, the formation of tartar and infections in the mouth.
Tartar
Tartar forms when plaque builds up on the surface of the teeth and calcifies into a hard surface that is much more difficult to remove and will require professional treatment.
Tooth Enamel
Tooth enamel is the protective visible outer surface of a tooth that contains the dentin and dental pulp.

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