| Q) |
What is cosmetic dentistry? |
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Cosmetic dentistry |
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| Q) |
What about dental insurance? |
| A) |
Dental insurance |
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| Q) |
What is oral cancer screening? |
| A) |
An oral cancer screening is a part of every comprehensive examination. This procedure checks to see if there are any signs of cancer in the mouth. Risk factors include tobacco and alcohol (commonly hard liquor) use. |
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| Q) |
What is gum disease? |
| A) |
Gum disease (pyorreah) A periodontal screening is a part of every comprehensive examination. |
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| Q) |
What is a root canal? |
| A) |
Root Canal |
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| Q) |
What about children's dentistry? |
| A) |
We place a special emphasis on the care of young patients. The doctor is a member of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Dr. Sefranek has taken numerous advanced courses in children's dentistry and our office utilizes the tell-show-do approach. For the very young, the first visit is usually done with the child sitting on the parent's lap in the dental chair. All children are given pointers on how to brush as well as a full orthodontic screening. We have children's movies to help distract, relax, and entertain the child patient. This approach minimizes cost, avoids sedative medications, and initiates healthy attitudes toward dentistry that are carried on throughout adulthood. |
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| Q) |
How can I help my children have healthy mouths? What about preventative dentistry? |
| A) |
The most common oral diseases are Gum disease (pyorreah) and dental caries (cavities). We develop a customized disease prevention plan for each patient's oral health. At each visit to our office this plan is carefully assessed, discussed, and updated so that the patient understands how they can contribute to their own dental health and what our office's role is in helping them achieve their goals. |
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| Q) |
Do you do orthodontics? |
| A) |
Dr. Sefranek, dedicated to keeping his knowledge current, attends orthodontic training through the International Association of Orthodontics (IAO). The doctor, as New England chapter president of the International Association of Orthodontics provides seminars in orthodontics and children's dentistry. The Doctor also participates in orthodontic training through NYU dental School and other organizations. All patient's receive an orthodontic evaluation as a part of their regular dental exam. |
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| Q) |
What about orthodontics for children? |
| A) |
As a part of our emphasis on children's dentistry, we have incorporated orthodontics into our practice. An orthodontic screening is done for each child. This allows us to diagnose problems in tooth position and facial growth at an early age. Then, if necessary, a treatment plan is developed to optimize the effectiveness of treatment and to decrease cost. Interceptive orthodontics utilizes appropriately timed early treatment to deal with orthodontic problems and helps growth progress in a more normal fashion. All of our patients have an orthodontic screening as a part of their regular dental exam. |
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| Q) |
What about orthodontics for adults? |
| A) |
Many of our adult patients have received orthodontics as a part of a comprehensive treatment plan to address all of their dental problems. This is often combined with periodontal treatment (for healthy bone and gums) and other therapies to replace missing teeth. |
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| Q) |
What is a Crown? |
| A) |
A crown is a treatment for a large cavity or broken tooth. A crown protects a tooth from breaking further and fits over the tooth like a thimble over a finger. It looks like a natural tooth. The procedure takes two visits. During the first visit the tooth is reshaped to make room for the crown, an impression of the tooth is made, and a temporary crown is placed on the tooth. During the second visit the permanent crown is customized to the tooth then permanently cemented in place. Once a crown is placed most patients are unaware of it, as a properly made crown usually looks and feels like a natural tooth. With proper care a crown can last many years. |
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| Q) |
What is a Bridge? |
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A fixed bridge is a replacement for permanent teeth. Bridges stay in the mouth permanently and feel and look like natural teeth. A fixed bridge is two crowns with a prosthetic tooth attached in the middle. |
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| Q) |
What is a Post & Core? |
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A post & core buildup connects a tooth that has had a root canal to a crown. It is generally performed on a tooth after a root canal and prior to placing a crown on the tooth. Although not all root canalled teeth need post & cores, many do. After placement of a post & core, it is generally safe to wait a few months before the crown is placed on the tooth. Waiting too long may cause the tooth to break. The tooth could then be lost. It is impossible to tell for sure how long a post & core will remain in place without a crown, therefore the crown should be placed as soon as possible.A root canalled tooth can often have a filling instead of a post & core and crown. This is better than pulling the tooth and costs less than replacing it with a bridge or partial denture. A post & core and crown can be placed in the future if the tooth does not crack between or down the roots first. |
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| Q) |
Why is it so important to save a tooth from being pulled? |
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If a tooth that can and should be saved is pulled, it will overstress the other teeth and can result in their loss as well. Tooth loss can cause ineffective chewing which can result in the swallowing of large chunks of food. This overworks the digestive system and can lead to digestive disorders. People who don't have their own teeth have a difficult time consuming a high fiber diet. A high fiber diet has been recommended by the American Cancer Society for the prevention of cancer. Like teeth, dentures require care. Dentures are colonized by mouth bacteria and pick up odors and stains. They must be taken out at night and cleaned or a yeast infection of the gum may result. If teeth are continually pulled instead of saved the mouth will eventually need dentures. Many young denture patients appear prematurely aged due to the bone loss they experience after having their teeth pulled. With today's great emphasis on having a youthful appearance, regardless of one's age, saving teeth is indeed a wise investment. |
Dentures are a good choice for patients who have no hope of saving their teeth.
