Diagnostic & Preventive Care

What are the essentials needed for optimum preventive dentistry?

1. Multispecialty office including cosmetic, prosthodontic, endodontic, periodontal and implants, pediatric dentistry, oral surgery, and Invisalign clear tray orthodontics 
2. Comprehensive dental hygiene department
3. Cutting edge diagnostic equipment, digital x rays, Panorex, dental Cat-Scan, iTero 3D scanner, lasers, intraoral microscope, Cancer screening light, biopsy kit, fluoride, sealants
4. Detailed nutritional counseling 
5. Culture of caring, “treating people not only their teeth”
6. Experienced staff that are clinically brilliant, dedicated, and intuitive  

Preventive Dental Services at 172 NYC Dental

A dental checkup at 172 NYC Dental encompasses far more than teeth cleaning. Although cleaning is an essential prophylactic service, preventative dentistry requires a comprehensive and individualized approach to patient care.

When it comes to diagnosing and treating oral pathology, our hygienists are the first line of defense. Along with our highly trained dentists, these dental professionals join forces to become a team dedicated to providing you with expert dental care at an affordable price. The team’s mission is to prevent dental disease, provide cutting-edge treatment, and address any cosmetic concerns you may have.

We offer a variety of diagnostic and preventative services, including:

• • Dental cleaning and adult checkups: Our comfortable and professional routine cleanings and checkups play an essential role in keeping smiles healthy for life. At the time of your exam, your dentist will inquire about your overall health, how you are eating, sleeping, what medications that you are taking, what allergies you have, do you need to be premedicated, what medical conditions exist, what past operations were done, are there any devices implanted in you (ie pacemaker). The exam will become more focused on your mouth if you have any dental concerns. The dentist will in detail ask how often you brush, how long you brush; with what type of toothbrush and toothpaste you use. We will then discuss nutrition (your diet). Our big mantra is to reduce sugar intake, “there is no good sugar”. The dentist and the hygienist will then review your radiographs; then and only then does the in mouth oral exam begin.  We look at occlusion, function, esthetics, speech. We look at decayed, missing, and broken teeth. We Observe bone levels and pocket depths around the teeth. We look at the anatomy of the entire mouth coupled with an oral cancer screening exam. We then slowly, gently discuss with our patients our findings. We devise an intimate, comprehensive treatment plan if need be or reinforce good home care when we see it.

• • Digital X-rays: With far less radiation and more efficiency than traditional X-rays, dental digital X-rays will allow us to diagnose and treat a variety of dental concerns. Digital radiographs are seen immediately on the computer screen in our treatment rooms. Since they are digitized they can be sent to insurance companies, other doctor offices, or directly to our patients. By observing the X-rays with the dentist on a big screen, treatment plans and options are more easily explained. In addition to our digital x-ray machine, we have a digital Panorex machine. This piece of equipment revolves around our patient’s head thus giving a radiographic representation of both jaws and the surrounding structures. We also have a state of the art 3D Dental CAT machine. This amazing tool allows us so see your jaw and teeth in three dimensions; very valuable when placing implants or diagnosing fractures in teeth.

• • Family and pediatric dental care: Good dental hygiene habits start young. We are proud to offer comprehensive dental services for your whole family. Treating young people is a very special process. The child’s experience must be fulfilled from an emotional as well as clinical aspect. We use the “show, tell, and do” technique in the office, where the child becomes part of the team that is treating him. We use positive,  pleasant words to describe what is happening to the child as he observes everything with the aid of a handheld mirror. We talk to your child, engage the child, and even make balloons out of exam gloves! We count teeth, do some magic tricks and make your child smile and feel good about visiting the dentist. We are strong on prevention. We apply sealants, we do fluoride treatments and cleanings (prophylaxis). We treat older children with Invisalign braces, we do root canal therapy (pulpotomies) when needed. Each operatory has nitrous oxide for some cases. Our expert care is axiomatic, what is of paramount importance is that your child bond with our dental team, have a wonderful experience, brush his teeth more diligently at home and look forward to seeing us in the future.

• • Oral Cancer Screenings: Our advanced oral cancer screening methods are the best way to ensure that this disease is caught in its earliest stages. We review dental and medical histories. Encourage people not to smoke, modify drinking habits. We examine all soft tissue in your mouth, palpate your lymph nodes. If we were to see something suspicious we will biopsy the lesion, or remove it or refer you to a specialist outside our office. We use specialized lighting to help us in our diagnoses. Coupled with our dental radiographs and oral exam we are an excellent front line defense in preventing oral cancer.

• • Mouthguards: Protect your teeth and jaws from damage caused by excessive nighttime grinding and impact sports injuries. Nite guards come in different materials. They can be soft rubber, hard acrylic, or a hybrid of hard and soft that we have developed in our on site laboratory. Nite guards disengage the teeth so that any bad effects from bruxism (grinding our teeth while we are sleeping) or trauma from contact sports is mitigated. We use night guards to treat temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJD). -The appliance will open the jaw slightly, allowing the lower jaw (mandible) to slip back to its proper position in relation to the upper jaw. (condyle in most retruded position in glenoid fossa). When this occurs the muscles that hold the lower jaw to the head relax and the pain goes away.

• • Sleep apnea and sleep appliances: Sleep apnea is a severe condition. We can effectively diagnose this condition and provide appliances to ensure a restful and safe night’s sleep. A patient who has sleep apnea will repeatedly start and stop breathing while asleep. If left untreated health risks occur. These include high blood pressure, stroke, heart failure, irregular heartbeats, and heart attacks.  If you snore loudly and feel tired after a full night’s sleep, you might have sleep apnea. The most common form is called obstructive sleep apnea. The main cause of this disease is excess weight and obesity, which is associated with the soft tissues of the mouth and throat. During sleep, when throat and tongue muscles are more relaxed, these soft tissue structures can cause the airway to become blocked. Here are signs and symptoms of sleep apnea:
    • Excessive daytime sleepiness
    • Loud snoring
    • Observed episodes of stopped breathing during sleep
    • Abrupt awakening accompanied by gasping or choking
    • Awakening with a dry mouth or sore throat
    • Morning headache
    • Difficulty concentrating during the day