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A great smile and healthy teeth and gums not only make a good impression on those around you but also bolster your own self confidence. Having regular cleanings (or prophys) is a key to maintaining good oral health and helping you to achieve these goals. Many patients erroneously believe that just by brushing and flossing their teeth they can keep decay and gum disease away. Nothing could be further from the truth!

Your dental hygienist can help guide and instruct you on a path to having the great smile you deserve!

Your dental hygienist has many functions. She is trained to give you instructions on how to maintain good oral health, assess the condition of your mouth, check for signs of decay and periodontal disease and actually perform a scaling around your teeth.

Your hygienist will first perform an oral cancer screening noting any changes in the color and surface texture of your gums and anything that may look out of the ordinary.

Next she may request that x-rays be taken. Contrary to popular belief, x-rays today emit extremely low doses of radiation. With the new digital x-rays this amount is lowered still further. X-rays are still one of the most important tools in the dental arsenal for detecting decay and periodontal disease. They are the only way to actually "see" inside the tooth and under the gums. With x-rays your dental team can more accurately assess your dental health!

Once the x-rays are finished your hygienist will begin scaling around your teeth. Scaling rids the teeth of harmful tartar build-up. This build-up if left unattended can be constantly pushed down around the sides of your teeth causing bone loss and resulting in weakening of the tooth structure. Some side effects of heavy tartar build-up are bad breath, constantly bleeding gums and tooth loss. Regular cleanings can keep the tartar build-up to a minimum. Cleaning away the tartar also has another recently found benefit. The American Heart Association has found that there is a direct link between the tartar found around teeth and the plaque build-up in the arteries around the heart. So, healthy teeth can lead to a healthy heart!

The ability to bond thin pieces of tooth-colored restorative material (porcelain veneers) to teeth and achieve excellent long term esthetic results has created a new arena in the practice of dentistry.  Over the last 10 years the materials to do this have improved dramatically.  Teeth can now be resurfaced with porcelain veneers requiring a minimal amount of preparation.

Adhesive bonding technology allows the dentist to apply porcelain veneers directly to the front of the teeth.  These new veneers are hard enough to withstand normal chewing stress.  Consequently, patients who are not happy with the smile mother nature provided them can elect to have their smile made over to correct esthetic problems associated with tooth shape, position and color.  For many patients, elective cosmetic dentistry can be a life altering experience, giving those who aren't lucky enough to be born with great teeth the perfect smile they have always wanted!

Dr. Jack Schwartz in Midtown Manhattan has perfected the art of beautiful veneers.  With a state of the art in-house lab, any type of veneer is not only possible but within reach for every patient.  We can get rid of unsightly tetracycline stains, yellowish enamel or imperfect teeth in just two easy visits!

A smile makeover refers to a combination of different dental care treatments that will address the health as well as the appearance of your teeth and other structures of your mouth.  New York City cosmetic dentist Dr. Jack Schwartz will perform a complete examination of your mouth and will then devise a treatment plan that is just for you and your needs.  Each smile makeover is different and will involve different procedures to achieve diverse goals.  Some of the most popular options are:

Teeth Whitening-Very effective when done professionally.  With either Zoom or Britesmile, your smile can be brightened by several shades easily and painlessly.

Porcelain Veneers- Thin shells of a special dental ceramic that can mask various dental problems, including tooth discoloration, chipped or cracked teeth and minor uneveness or misalignment. 

Dental Implants- One of the best ways to address missing teeth, this involves artificial tooth roots surgically placed in the jaw to securely hold dental crowns, bridges or dentures.

Porcelain Crowns or Onlays-Instead of metal fillings, these fillings are made with dental ceramic to blend seamlessly with your actual tooth.

                                Decay: Can it be prevented?? 

Tooth decay relies on several factors, some of which the patient can control and some which the patient can not.  Regular dental visits for cleanings, exams and x-rays not only help in early detection of decay and potential "hot spots" in your mouth but also aid in getting rid of harmful bacteria that gets locked under the gums.  Early detection also keeps areas of decay at their smallest, limiting the amount of tooth structure that is removed when a filling is placed.  Regular brushing and flossing can also help in keeping bacteria amounts to a minimum.  Another effective way to decrease bacteria is to limit the amount of sugar in your diet.  This decreases the amount of harmful bacteria which also eat away at healthy tooth structure.  However sometimes harmful bacteria occur in your saliva naturally.  For these patients it is even more important to have regular cleanings and check-ups.  Fighting genetics can be an up hill battle but the days of "I have gum disease because my parents do." are long over. 

Look around you today and it seems like so many people have beautiful white teeth. Achieving this used to be the realm of 1- the genetically gifted, 2-the entertainment industry or 3- the very wealthy. Not so anymore. Today dentistry offers everyone the chance to have beautiful white teeth at an affordable cost.

Regular teeth cleanings (prophys) are the first step to healthy teeth and gums. Cleanings take off tartar and plaque that accumulate over time contributing to dullness. With the latest technology, your hygienist can take off any stain such as coffee, tea, cigarettes, red wine or fruit. Removing what are called extrinsic stains is the first step to creating a beautiful smile.

Whitening teeth from the inside out (intrinsically) is next. Over the counter whitening strips and gels are effective and while not expensive they do come at a cost. The cost is to your time and commitment. The only way over the counter whitening agents work is if the directions are followed to the letter. You can not miss a day or the result will not be as effective. Having your teeth whitened professionally is the way to go if time is of the essence. Basically, professional whitening is "one and done". For 1 1/2 hours out of your day the procedure is simple and effective. The results are usually quite dramatic (up to 6 or 7 shades) because professionals can use a higher concentration of the whitening gel. OTC whitening strips can always be used to "bump up" the whitening effects whenever you feel your teeth are beginning to fade.

Did you know most bad breath originates on the tongue?

Many times a simple brushing of the tongue can eliminate 80-90 % of all bad breath. However, what if that isnt the case with you? Well, think about what you had for dinner the night before or even two nights before. Was in garlicky? Did it have onions? Were the onions raw? Cooked or sauted onions rarely contribute to bad breath. Was it highly spicy or savory?

Herbs, spices and many raw vegetables have a way of filtering down into the papilla of the tongue and becoming hard to dislodge. How about medications? Do you take daily vitamins or other medications? Both strong foods and some vitamins and medications can cause slight acid reflux ending up once again in the tongue papilla. Flossing regularly can also help dislodge microscopic food particles stuck in between the teeth.

True Grit: What a teeth cleaning means today.

Todays prophys (teeth cleanings) are incredibly different than the prophys you had as a child. Hygiene techniques have changed and the instruments hygienists now have at their disposal make prophys not only pain-free but enjoyable!

Prophy scalers are made of high grade stainless steel which makes them extremely sharp. This sharpness creates an edge that allows the instrument to glide seamlessly between the teeth and gums allowing for minimal discomfort during scaling. The edge also helps to break off the tartar attached to the side of the tooth in a much easier and pain free manner.

Once scaling is completed the real fun begins! Helping your teeth bring out their natural whiteness and luster has changed dramatically. Prophy pastes were traditionally very distasteful and came in few "flavors". As it was being applied, bits of paste would splatter and could end up anywhere from your face to your clothing-even with a bib on! The taste was unpleasant and many times it would be hours before the "grittiness" left your mouth. But, times have changed. Todays polish is virtually splatter free and comes in such varied flavors as chocolate mint, creamsicle and even chocolate chip cookie dough! The "grit" has become much finer and dissolves quickly to avoid that sandy after taste.

However, for those patients who create more stain for their teeth there is another instrument available to bring all the natural whiteness back. The prophy jet! The prophy jet combines a baking soda mixture with very strong blasts of water and air to effectively "sand blast" stain off the teeth. The prophy jet takes care of red wine, coffee, tea and smoking (even heavy smoking) stain in minutes. Patients love this procedure for its ease, quickness and amazing results!

Ever wanted to stand out in a picture but were afraid to smile? Afraid because maybe your front teeth overlapped, or one of them was darker than the other? You dont have to be afraid to smile! At the midtown office of Dr. Jack Schwartz we can make you proud of your smile!

Recently we had a young teenage patient. She was very self-conscious about her smile because two of her front teeth were extremely small and misshapen. The two teeth were on either side of the front teeth are called "laterals". This patient had a very common condition called "peg laterals". It threw her whole smile off and she was very unhappy when she came to see us. Dr. Schwartz came up with a custom treatment plan just for this patient.  First, she had her existing teeth whitened, then Dr. Schwartz and his in-house lab created two natural looking porcelain veneers for these teeth. Now, our patient can't stop smiling! Her teeth are white, even and beautiful!  Even her parents are amazed at her transformation. It was quick- just two easy visits! And Dr. Schwartz made them both painless!

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