Crooked Teeth

Many people have crooked teeth, and at Dr. Joseph Dallessandro, DDS we want you to understand why crooked teeth and crowding occur along with your treatment options. As your permanent teeth begin to develop, they can start to shift and overlap.

When your mouth is too small for your teeth, crowding can occur and leads to your teeth shifting. In some cases, overbites can form when your upper and lower jaws aren’t the same size, which extends your bottom teeth and jaw outward. While crooked teeth can be hereditary, losing your baby teeth early can also cause misalignment of the jaw and your teeth to shift.

If you have difficulty chewing while eating, you may need a tooth extraction or braces. Crooked teeth can make it difficult to clean your teeth that can lead to cavities and gum disease. For most of our patients, braces are required to fix crowding and crooked teeth.

We encourage our patients with crooked teeth to get braces at a younger age when their mouth is still developing. The younger you get braces, the easier it is for your teeth to be realigned because you are still growing and there is room for your teeth to be adjusted.

Joseph S. Dallessandro, DDS, and Jiah Choi, DDS, operate at 360 E 72nd St, Ste B, New York, New York, 10021. To set up an appointment, call 212-988-1089, or visit Joseph Dallessandro DDS and fill out a contact sheet.

Causes of Bad Breath

Bad breath is no fun, and we at Dr. Joseph Dallesandro’s Midtown dental office don’t want you to suffer from it either. That’s not just because we’re the ones who clean your mouth; halitosis could also be a sign of an oral health problem.

When bacteria build up inside the mouth, it produces a foul odor. You doubtlessly knew that any food in your mouth that doesn’t become food for you becomes food for bacteria, but you may not have known that bacteria lurk on the tongue, as well as the teeth. There, they can eat nasal discharge when the patient has a stuffed or runny nose. They may also grow on oral appliances such as night guards, or in between an implanted denture and the gum line if the patient can’t clean properly.

Sometimes, food doesn’t have to be in the mouth to cause bad breath. Garlic and onions cause halitosis by releasing chemicals into the patient’s bloodstream that eventually wind up in the lungs. They, as well as red meat, alcohol, and caffeine can also trigger acid reflux, which allows acidic gas into the mouth. People with diabetes have elevated levels of sugar in their saliva, which could fuel bacteria growth. Any food or drink that causes dry mouth will also cause bad breath, since ordinary saliva is crucial to removing food debris. For that reason, one of the best defenses against halitosis is to drink lots of water.

Joseph S. Dallessandro, DDS, and Jiah Choi, DDS, operate at 360 E 72nd St, Ste B, New York, New York, 10021. To set up an appointment, call 212-988-1089, or visit Joseph Dallessandro DDS and fill out a contact sheet.

 

Choosing the Proper Toothbrush

At the Midtown office of Dr. Joseph Dallessandro we advise our patients on how to practice good oral hygiene. Brushing twice a day is important for maintaining good oral hygiene, which can be compromised if you are not using the proper toothbrush. Choosing the right toothbrush can be difficult, which is why we encourage our patients to ask us for advice.

The first thing you have to do when choosing a toothbrush is deciding between traditional or electric. Traditional toothbrushes work fine if you are brushing for a full two minutes and are covering all areas of your mouth. We encourage our patients who have a tendency to brush for a shorter time use an electric toothbrush to reach the area’s you may miss.

Regardless of the type of brush you choose, it should fit comfortably in your mouth. The right toothbrush allows you to easily access and brush all areas of your teeth and gums. Don’t forget to look at the bristles for each toothbrush at the store. Our doctors recommend soft-bristled toothbrushes, as they are the safest and most comfortable. If you have dexterity issues, you might also want to look into getting an attachable grip.

Remember, the type of toothbrush you use affects how well your teeth are cleaned. Be sure to practice good oral hygiene to have the healthiest teeth possible!

To learn more about the best toothbrush for your teeth and to learn about all of the services provided at our practice, visit www.josephdallessandrodds.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Joseph S Dallessandro in our New York, NY office, call 212-988-1089.

Bite Checks

One of the most important parts of a dental examination is a bite check. Particularly in children, bite checks are a way of monitoring whether a patient is likely to develop misalignments or enamel wear. We at Dr. Joseph Dallessandro’s Midtown dental office hope that if our patients understand why these examinations are important, they’ll be motivated to maintain regular appointments.

For a bite check, we’ll need patients to demonstrate how they close their teeth together. Often in children, new permanent teeth pushing into the gum line push others out of place. The molars, which are mainly used for chewing, come in last, which can cause the front teeth to get jumbled and rub together the wrong way. Adults who have never undergone orthodontic treatment may have this problem, too, and experience pain from temporomandibular joint disorder as a result. For this reason, the bite check also includes a tactile examination of the jaw joints.

It’s never too late for minor orthodontic therapy, and adults frequently get it for cosmetic reasons or to spare slightly overcrowded teeth from grinding. But because children’s jaws are softer, they can receive major corrections. They usually get their first orthodontic assessment when they’re about seven years old, when it is possible to use x-rays to predict the future location of their permanent teeth. We also use x-rays to determine whether adults’ teeth are being displaced by bony growths in the jaw, which are usually benign.

Joseph S. Dallessandro, DDS, and Jiah Choi, DDS, operate at 360 E 72nd St, Ste B, New York, New York, 10021. To set up an appointment, call 212-988-1089, or visit Joseph Dallessandro DDS and fill out a contact sheet.