When is Crown Lengthening Required?

Sometimes, not enough of the tooth sticks out above the gum to support a filling or a dental crown. When this happens, crown lengthening is often required in preparing your tooth for the crown. Dental crown lengthening is a type of oral surgery that is necessary if you have a broken or decayed tooth at the gum line. However, there is no need to go to an oral surgeon because Dr. Joseph S Dallessandro provides the service at his dental practice.

Crown lengthening procedures are done for restorative dentistry and/or to improve the esthetics of your smile. To place a filling or a crown, Dr. Joseph S Dallessandro needs to expose more of the tooth and crown lengthening will be necessary. Sometimes patients have what is considered a “gummy smile” when the teeth appear short and crown lengthening can be done to several teeth or your entire gum line to improve it, depending on your specific needs.

To learn about how the crown lengthening procedure is done, give us a call. To learn more about the services we provide at the practice, visit www.josephdallessandro.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Joseph S Dallessandro in our New York, NY office, call 212-988-1089.

Flossing with Braces

As Dr. Joseph S Dallessandro will tell you, flossing can be difficult when you have traditional metal braces, but it’s more important than ever to keep the gaps in your teeth clean when you have a mouth full of metal. Many folks who have braces don’t know how to floss with them or think that they can’t floss at all if they have braces and this is not true. Therefore, we thought we would share some tips with you for flossing effectively in addition to keeping those brackets and wires clean.

• Use waxed floss because unwaxed floss is more likely to get caught and shred in your braces.


• Use about 18 inches of floss and thread it carefully.


• Take the floss and gently thread it under the main wire of the braces before passing it between two teeth. Then remove the floss and re-thread it under the main wire to pass between the next pair of teeth.


• Be sure not to snap the floss. Simply move the floss up and down carefully against the side of each tooth.

If you have questions about oral care, please give us a call. To learn more about the services we provide at the practice, visit www.josephdallessandro.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Joseph S Dallessandro in our New York, NY office, call 212-988-1089.

Brushing with Braces

If you have braces, your oral hygiene routine should be accelerating into overdrive. The reason for this is that braces have tiny spaces where food particles and plaque get trapped, and inadequate cleaning while wearing these wires can cause enamel staining and tooth decay around brackets or bands. At the dental practice of Dr. Joseph S Dallessandro, he and our staff can’t stand behind you to monitor how you often you brush, but we can recommend the following routine to help make daily brushing and flossing with braces both simple and effective.

• Prepare to brush – take off elastics, and any other removable parts of your orthodontic appliance.


• Clean your braces – use your brush at a 45-degree angle to clean around the wires and pins of your braces. Brush the top of each wire and then from the bottom. Take time to ensure that all plaque and debris are removed.


• Brush your teeth – clean each tooth individually. First, place your brush at a 45-degree angle to the junction between the tooth and the gum, and then apply gentle pressure as you move in a circular motion. Use the same brushing action on all outer and inner tooth surfaces, tilting the brush as needed to better reach the insides of smaller front teeth.

Last but not least, don’t forget to floss in between brackets!

If you have questions about oral care, please give us a call. To learn more about the services we provide at the practice, visit www.josephdallessandro.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Joseph S Dallessandro in our New York, NY office, call 212-988-1089.

Sedation Dentistry: Nitrous Oxide

Some people would rather endure the agony of a toothache rather than step foot in a dentist’s office, while others simply desire relaxation during an appointment. Nitrous oxide, sometimes called “laughing gas,” is one option Dr. Joseph S Dallessandro may offer to patients to help make them more comfortable during certain procedures. If you are a candidate for sedation, our staff is here to make you feel as calm and comfortable as possible.

Nitrous oxide is the most commonly used form of sedation dentistry. It is a safe and effective sedative agent that is mixed with oxygen and inhaled through a small mask that fits over your nose. It is not intended to put you to sleep. Therefore, you will be able to hear and respond to any requests or directions Dr. Joseph S Dallessandro may have for you. When nitrous oxide is being administered you will breathe normally through your nose and within a few short minutes begin to feel the effects.

If you have questions about our sedation options, please give us a call. To learn more about the services we provide at the practice, visit www.josephdallessandro.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Joseph S Dallessandro in our New York, NY office, call 212-988-1089.

Defining Sleep Apnea

Sleep Apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts. There are two main types of sleep apnea: obstructive sleep apnea, the more common form that occurs when throat muscles relax, and central sleep apnea, which occurs when your brain doesn’t send proper signals to the muscles that control breathing. Here at the dental practice of Dr. Joseph S Dallessandro in New York, NY, we may suggest oral surgery to assist with sleep apnea, depending on the severity of the condition.

When obstructive sleep apnea occurs, the muscles relax, your airway narrows or closes as you breathe in, and you can’t get an adequate breath in. Your brain senses this inability to breathe and briefly rouses you from sleep so you can reopen your airway. You may make a snorting, choking or gasping sound. When central sleep apnea occurs, you may awaken with shortness of breath or have a difficult time getting to sleep or staying asleep. Like with obstructive sleep apnea, snoring and daytime sleepiness can occur. Regardless of the type you have, it’s best to explore your treatment options.

If you sleep apnea is a concern of yours, please give us a call. To learn more about the services we provide at the practice, visit www.josephdallessandro.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Joseph S Dallessandro in our New York, NY office, call 212-988-1089.

Rotary Endodontics for Smoother Root Canals

Root canal therapy has had a bad reputation in the past; however, thanks to new technology, the process is now quieter, quicker, and less uncomfortable. Dr. Joseph S. Dallessandro, DDS of New York, NY uses rotary endodontics in our office to provide his patients with quick and easy root canals.

In the past, a manual file was used to perform root canal therapy. Rotary endodontics uses an electric drill that has a much more flexible file made of titanium alloy. The flexibility allows the dentist to go further into the root without stretching or damaging the canal. This means a more comfortable experience for the patient during and after the procedure. Rotary endodontics is also much quieter than the manual files of the past, so patients who are nervous about hearing the drilling can feel more at ease. Rotary endodontics also makes the process of a root canal quicker, a clear benefit for both the patient and the dentist.

The latest technology allows us to perform dental procedures more accurately and comfortable. That is why we have implemented rotary endodontics into our practice. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Joseph S. Dallessandro, DDS in our New York, NY office, call us at (212) 988-1089 or visit our website, www.josephdallessandrodds.com. 

Crown Lengthening

Crown lengthening is a necessary procedure when dental work needs to be completed under the gumline. Dr. Joseph S. Dallessandro, DDS offers crown lengthening here at his New York, NY dental office. Keep reading to learn more about the procedure.

Sometimes tooth decay can extend below the gum line and fillings need to be placed there. Other times a tooth may be broken off below the gumline, and there is not enough of the tooth above the gumline to place a restoration on it. Other times, a patient may have excess gum tissue that covers up part of their tooth. For these cases, a crown lengthening can be performed. Gum tissue is removed so that more of the tooth’s crown (the part of the tooth visible outside the gums) is exposed.

Even if only one tooth needs to be worked on, multiple teeth will have their crowns lengthened so that the gums can heal in a natural line. First, an incision is made and the gums are pulled back. To work on the tooth, sometimes some bone around the tooth roots will also need to be removed so if needed, the bone will be removed at this time. The area is then cleaned and the gums are stitched into their new place.

Crown lengthening can save a tooth or make a smile more appealing. To learn more or to schedule an appointment in our New York, NY dental office, call (212) 988-1089 or visit Dr. Joseph S. Dallessandro’s website, www.josephdallessandrodds.com.