It has been proven that the status of your dental health has a direct connection to your general health. Also, did you know that slaves in Ancient Egypt were chosen by their teeth? Sounds scary doesn’t, it so don’t get caught with a smile that is anything less than perfect. At East Harlem Dental Plaza we will take care of all of your general dentistry needs to give you a brilliant, healthy smile you deserve!

General Dentistry services that we offer:

• Root Canals
• Fillings
• Extractions
• Periodontal (Gum Care)
• Dental Cleaning

Your perfect smile is just a couple of steps away! After you have completed all of your cosmetic work, it is time to make sure that your teeth are healthy. A root canal is needed when tiny canals and the pulp inside your tooth become infected. The canal is cleaned, filled and the tooth receives either a filling or a crown. Sometimes no symptoms are present; however, signs you may need a root canal include:

• Severe toothache pain upon chewing or application of pressure
• Prolonged sensitivity/pain to heat or cold temperatures (after the hot or cold has been removed)
• Discoloration (a darkening) of the tooth
• Swelling and tenderness in the nearby gums
• A persistent or recurring pimple on the gums

Steps to perform a root canal:

• We place the rubber dam to secure and isolate your tooth
• We will create a small access cavity to the canals
• We will clean and shape the root canals
• We will seal the tooth and place the filling material

A filling is used when there is tooth decay and it needs to be removed. A Composite filling is a white (tooth colored) resin material that bonds to tooth structure, that is used now in place of amalgam ‘silver’ fillings to provide a strong and cosmetically pleasing tooth restoration. There are many advantages to composite fillings:

• Looks better than traditional silver fillings
• Does not require a mechanical lock
• A much smaller filling
• Stronger tooth since bonding reinforces weak parts of the tooth

Often the fear of losing a tooth keeps people from regular visits to the dentist. Our team will make sure that extraction is the last option and they will take the fear out of your dental visits. The truth is that dental extractions are just another part of good oral hygiene and are quite uncommon compared to the number of simple examinations that we should be exposed to. Here are some of the reasons when extraction is necessary:

• Sometimes there’s too much damage for the tooth to be repaired.
• Some people have extra teeth that block other teeth from coming in.
• People getting braces may need teeth extracted to create room for the teeth that are being moved into place.
• Wisdom teeth, also called third molars, are often extracted either before or after they come in.

Periodontal (gum) diseases, including gingivitis and periodontitis, are serious infections that, left untreated, can lead to tooth loss. The word periodontal literally means “around the tooth.” Periodontal disease is a chronic bacterial infection that affects the gums and bone supporting the teeth. Periodontal disease can affect one tooth or many teeth and is the leading cause of the need for dentures. Here are the steps in periodontal disease development and symptoms to watch out for:

• Bacteria in plaque causes gums to become inflamed
• Gingivitis – mildest form that causes gums to become red, swollen and bleed
• Periodontitis – plaque grows below the gum line and causes chronic inflammation
• Gums will separate from teeth forming packets that become infected
• The pockets deepen and destroy more and more gum tissue and bone
• Teeth can become loose and have to be removed

Dental cleaning is the removal of dental plaque (a soft, sticky, bacteria infested film) and tartar (‘calculus’) from the teeth. Regular visits to the dentists for a check-up and dental cleaning are the first step to making sure your teeth are healthy and stay healthy. Dental cleaning helps prevent serious complications and diseases such as gingivitis and other periodontal diseases. The dental hygienist or dentist will use specialized instruments to gently remove these deposits without harming the teeth.

Here are the steps in effective dental cleaning:

• First, the doctor uses an ultrasonic device that emits vibrations to knock large pieces of tartar loose and washes away debris
• Next, tools called scalers and curettes are used to manually remove smaller deposits and smooth the tooth surfaces
• After, the teeth are polished using a slow speed hand piece with a soft rubber cup that spins and uses a special gritty toothpaste to make teeth shiny and smooth
• Finally, the doctor may apply fluoride to help strengthen the tooth enamel.