Reshaping Smiles With Gum Contouring 11 Apr 2025, 12:19 pm

Cosmetic dentistry doesn’t just mean brightening teeth or reshaping them. When you have a smile that shows off too much gum tissue, this could impact your appearance. But our team can offer a cosmetic treatment designed to address the gums. In today’s blog, your Astoria, NY, dentist talks about gum contouring, and how this same-day treatment can offer stunning results of your smile!

When Smiles Need Gum Contouring

Sometimes, there are issues with the growth and development of your smile and the eruption of your teeth that lead to too much periodontal tissue being on display, which can make teeth appear short or uneven. There could also be misshapen or even bumpy portions of your gums. All of this impacts the appearance of your smile, and could be a source of embarrassment. But our team can help improve the appearance and symmetry of your gums with a unique gum contouring procedure.

The Contouring Process

Our team will begin by gently marking the areas of the gums that need to be removed, and then using an advanced radiosurgery unit, we will carefully trim these away and reshape the gum line in the process. This exposes more tooth structure and ensures your smile appears more even and attractive. The procedure itself only takes one visit to complete, and most people return to their normal activities after a day or two of rest. You see results immediately, and can feel confident in your smile’s appearance.

Related Cosmetic Treatments

Sometimes, we can offer a smile makeover by combining multiple cosmetic treatments. For example, we can whiten your teeth afterward to brighten your smile. If you have concerns with the shape of the teeth or with gaps between the teeth, we could discuss dental bonding or contouring, which takes one visit to complete. We also have custom porcelain veneers to offer major transformation in your smile. In fact, veneers alone could transform your smile.

If you have any questions about how we recontour your gum line, or about any of our other cosmetic treatment options, then contact our team today to learn more. We can schedule a cosmetic consultation to see which treatments are right for you, and help you obtain stunning results!

Schedule Your Appointment for an Attractive Smile

Our team wants to help you obtain results that make you feel confident and improve the health and function of your smile. Cosmetic dentistry can help you obtain the results you’ve dreamed of, so you can smile without hesitation. Sometimes, these treatments also boost overall oral health and improve bite function too. To schedule your next cosmetic visit with our team, contact Jeffrey Leibowitz, DDS in Astoria, NY by calling 718-728-8320 today. We want to help you and your family smile with confidence!

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Could Veneers Offer A New Smile? 27 Mar 2025, 5:21 pm

Do you have multiple imperfections with your smile? With a single treatment option, our team can offer cosmetic improvement. Porcelain veneers offer a smile makeover for some, and placement only requires two appointments. In today’s blog, your Astoria, NY, dentist talks about the benefits of placing our porcelain veneers.

The Cosmetic Benefits of Custom Veneers

A veneer is a very thin dental restoration that we will attach to the front of a tooth, which then offers instant cosmetic improvement. The porcelain material is very durable and strong, and can handle daily bite forces and pressures. At the same time, this material is translucent and can be shaded to blend with your smile, offering a lifelike appearance.

When in place, we can use them to mask permanent teeth stains and fill gaps and black triangle spaces between the teeth. Placement could lengthen worn down teeth and correct misshapen or damaged teeth. We could even correct the appearance of minor misalignment, so you enjoy a straighter-looking smile without the need for braces or aligners. As we mentioned above, for some this is a smile makeover.

Crafting Custom Porcelain Restorations

How do we create your custom porcelain veneers? If these are right for you, then we will numb the tooth or teeth being treated to ensure your comfort. We then remove a thin layer of outer enamel from each one, which makes room for the restoration. Our team will take detailed digital images and impressions of the teeth, which we use in a lab setting to design and fabricate your restoration. Being custom-made ensures a proper fit, balanced bite, and a lifelike appearance.

Attaching the Custom Restorations

When your new restorations are ready, you will return to the office so we can check the fit and make sure we don’t need to make some final adjustments. When these are complete, our team will attach them to the teeth with a powerful bonding agent, the same we use to secure crowns or dental prosthetics. With proper care and attention, they have the potential to last for years to come, so you can smile with confidence again. We could even whiten your teeth beforehand so they match your brightest possible smile!

If you have any questions about how we boost smile beauty with one or more of our custom porcelain veneers, then contact our office today to learn more and get started.

Schedule Your Appointment for Cosmetic Dentistry

Cosmetic dentistry can offer a stunning new smile, and with porcelain restorations, we can provide major results in only two visits. A stunning smile is possible, so talk to our team today. To schedule your next cosmetic consultation with our team, contact Jeffrey Leibowitz, DDS in Astoria, NY by calling 718-728-8320 today.

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Resolving Cosmetic Concerns With Bonding And Contouring 14 Mar 2025, 6:44 pm

A less-than-superb smile can be an insecurity for many people, and unfortunately, stains and other surface-level concerns are a common result of daily wear. While treatment such as teeth whitening can help minimize the effects of stains, cracks and chips require a different approach. In today’s blog, your Astoria, NY dentist explains how tooth bonding and contouring can address blemishes in your smile and what a cosmetic visit would look like with our office.

Dental Bonding

Though teeth are some of the strongest bones in the human body, they are not indestructible. Not only do they come into contact with several outside factors during routine functions (eating, drinking, etc.), but certain foods and beverages can leave stains. Moreover, a person may chip or crack a tooth in a variety of ways, including during a sports accident or falling and making face contact with the pavement. In situations where a blemish is surface-level in nature but requires more attention than a stain, bonding and contouring can be an excellent choice.

A crack or chip in a tooth can be corrected by bonding a composite resin material to the affected area. It can be used to extend a tooth’s height and even its width, addressing noticeable gaps between teeth and evening out a chip. This material is also tooth-colored, allowing for a lifelike and virtually seamless finish. To learn more about the tooth bonding process and what your options may be, give our team a call today.

Tooth Contouring

To help ensure your treatment mimics the natural shape and texture of your teeth, your dentist will then contour, or shape the structure. Following a dental bonding treatment, your dentist will then carefully shape the composite material so as not to negatively affect your bite and to even it out. This process also helps smooth the tooth structure. Contouring can also be used to reshape overlapping or jagged teeth by carefully removing excess enamel. Ask our team about your cosmetic options, and we will provide a recommendation based on your goals and needs.

Cosmetic Care for Various Needs

A person’s cosmetic dental needs are just as unique as they are. From stains to cracks, chips, crooked structures, and more, part of feeling your best is being confident in yourself – appearance and all. Thanks to dental technology and conservative treatment, you can enhance your smile in as few as one to two office visits, depending on your needs.

Schedule Your Appointment

Resolving cosmetic dental concerns is relatively simple and non-invasive. To schedule your cosmetic visit with our team, contact Jeffrey Leibowitz, DDS in Astoria, NY by calling 718-728-8320 today.

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Offering A Brighter Smile With Teeth Whitening 3 Mar 2025, 12:27 pm

When you have stained teeth, this could definitely be a source of embarrassment. But our team can help by removing teeth stains with our take-home teeth whitening kit. You could even enjoy teeth up to eight shades brighter! In today’s blog, your Astoria, NY, dentist talks about how we make smiles shine with professional teeth whitening.

The Factors Behind Your Teeth Stains

But what causes teeth stains to form on our smiles? They could be caused by a number of different factors. For example, if you have a lot of sugar in your diet and also don’t brush and floss properly, this could lead to plaque buildup, which makes discoloration more visible. Lack of professional cleanings every six months to plaque and tartar could also be a factor. When you consume beverages with dark pigments, such as soda, red wine, tea, and coffee, this could discolor your smile too. Tobacco use is also a major cause of dental discoloration! Understanding the common cause means you can take steps to help your smile stay brighter for longer.

Trying Our Take-Home Kit

As we mentioned in the opening, this treatment option could brighten smiles by up to eight shades! Our team will first take images and measurements of your bite, which we use to create a set of plastic trays. We then send these trays home with you, along with multiple plastic syringes of bleaching gel. At home, you will fill the trays with gel and wear them for a specific amount of time each day, usually about an hour. This is repeated for a week to ten days, and you will obtain optimal results. The trays help ensure the results are even across your smile and prevent saliva from diluting the gel. You can even keep the trays and any leftover gel for touch-ups down the road.

Masking Teeth Stains

What if you have intrinsic teeth stains, the kind that may resist some teeth whitening treatments? If you have intrinsic discoloration too severe for our trays and gel, we could discuss masking them with dental bonding or by placing porcelain veneers, or a combination of the two. This instantly changes the color of your teeth and could also address other cosmetic imperfections at the same time. If you have any questions about how our team will mask teeth stains or remove them with professional teeth whitening, then contact our team today to learn more.

SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT FOR TEETH WHITENING

Our team wants to help you smile without hesitation by removing your discoloration, so you can enjoy a much brighter smile and feel confident in social situations. You can schedule an appointment by calling our office in Astoria, NY at 718-728-8320. 

The post Offering A Brighter Smile With Teeth Whitening first appeared on Jeffrey Leibowitz, DDS.

Dental Implant Restorations Offer A Lifelike Appearance 17 Feb 2025, 1:47 pm

Losing a tooth, or losing several, can lead to a weakened smile and complications with your daily life. Our team wants to help with prosthetic dentistry, and using dental implants we can offer an option that lasts for years to come. In today’s blog, your Astoria, NY, dentist talks about our custom and lifelike dental implant restorations.

When Your Lose Natural Teeth

Losing your teeth is always a cause for concern. When teeth are missing, this could cause nearby ones to shift to create misalignment. Poor alignment changes the appearance of your smile and increases the risk of tooth decay and gum disease. You could have issues eating your favorite foods, struggle with clear speech, and be more susceptible to TMJ disorder and bruxism (teeth grinding). But the body will also notice your missing roots and in response, will suspend the flow of calcium and phosphorus to surrounding bone structure, which could cause a weakened jaw and further tooth loss. But we can help preserve your smile and fill the gap or gaps in your smile with implant dentistry.

Dental Implants

Dental implants are small posts made from biocompatible titanium. These will be surgically inserted into your jaw, sitting at the perfect position, angle, and depth to support a new tooth and stimulate the growth of the jawbone so you don’t lose teeth or develop an aged appearance. Once in place, these act as new roots which means they can remain in place for decades to come or even a lifetime with proper care and attention. Once your post is in place, then our team can complete a custom restoration to finish the tooth and provide the portion that blends with your smile and allows you to eat your favorite dishes again.

Custom Restorations

The custom restoration is a crown that we will custom-make for your smile based on detailed digital images and measurements, so it will ensure a balanced bite, comfortable fit, and of course, a lifelike appearance. We will shed it to blend with the rest of your smile seamlessly. Once the placement rea has healed, our team will connect an abutment to it and then attach the finished crown. This completes your new tooth and ensures a natural appearance. You will be able to smile with confidence and enjoy your favorite dishes again!

If you have any questions about how we address tooth loss with dental implants, or about how we create lifelike implant restorations, then contact our team today.

SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT for TOOTH REPLACEMENT

Dental implants can offer a complete smile with results that can last for decades to come. You can schedule an appointment by calling our office in Astoria, NY at 718-728-8320. 

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Our Full Dentures Offer A Complete Smile 25 Jan 2025, 7:04 pm

When you have lost the majority of your natural teeth, or possibly all of them, then you need to seek tooth replacement. With a full set of dentures, we can return your smile to full function, beauty, and health. In today’s blog, your Astoria, NY, dentist discusses how we design and craft your custom full dentures.

The Causes of Total Tooth Loss

Edentulism, or total tooth loss, can lead to major issues with your quality of life. You could lose the majority of your smile to a serious injury, but in most cases, this is related to periodontal disease, as the advanced stage known as periodontitis can cause adult tooth loss. When you are missing most of your teeth, this severely limits your meal options and your nutritional intake. You could struggle with clear speech too, and may simply feel uncomfortable in social situations. To help restore function to your smile and improve your self-confidence, our team could offer a full set of dentures!

Creating Your Complete Denture

To get started, we will carefully examine your smile to understand the causes of your tooth loss and to decide whether we need to treat any underlying oral health concerns. We may need to extract the last remaining teeth to pave the way for your prosthetics. We then gather detailed images and measurements of your smile with advanced digital imaging technology, using the information in a lab setting to design and craft the dentures. The prosthetic will contain a complete row of new teeth set in an acrylic base, a base that is designed to look like gum tissue. The teeth will be constructed from materials like ceramic, which not only look natural, but can handle daily bite forces and pressures.

Securing a New Smile

When your new set of dentures are ready, they will be held in place with suction or the assistance of a special adhesive. On average, these tend to last about 5 to 10 years before they need to be replaced as your jaw ridge changes shape. We will provide detailed instructions for soaking and cleaning them to keep them strong and intact. If you have lost most of your smile, don’t hide from the world. Instead, talk to our team about creating a custom set of prosthetics to restore function and beauty to your smile. If you have any questions about tooth replacement, or if you want to schedule your first visit of 2025, then contact our team today.

SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT FOR A FULL SMILE

We want to help you enjoy a full smile and your favorite foods, so see us if you have lost teeth. You can schedule an appointment by calling our office in Astoria, NY at 718-728-8320. 

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Addressing Complicated Tooth Loss With Partials 13 Jan 2025, 12:34 pm

We recently looked at how dental bridges can address minor cases of tooth loss. But what if you have tooth loss too advanced for a bridge, but you don’t need a full denture? For complicated cases like this, your Astoria, NY, dentist could offer a set of custom and lifelike partial dentures, so you can smile with confidence once again!

The Impact of Advanced Tooth Loss

When you have a complicated case of tooth loss, such as multiple gaps spread out across the arch of your smile, this could lead to serious trouble for your oral health. The teeth on each side of the gaps could drift, creating misalignment that further harms your oral health and makes additional negative changes to your appearance. The stress on your jaw joints could leave you vulnerable to issues like TMJ disorder and bruxism (teeth grinding). You could also be limited in your meal options, and could even experience issues speaking clearly. But we have a dental prosthetic that can address these complicated cases: partial dentures.

Creating a Partial Denture

First, our team will carefully examine your smile to assess the cause and severity of your tooth loss. Once we do, we may recommend treatment to manage the underlying causes. With the images and measurements taken of your smile, in a lab setting we can design and fabricate a set of partial dentures. These will contain new teeth designed to fit within the gaps in your smile, all secured in an acrylic base that mimics the appearance of gum tissue. Metal clasps will attach to natural teeth to secure your prosthetic, and they will be invisible once your prosthetic is in place.

Maintaining a Full Smile

The partials will last about 5 to 10 years on average, and need to be removed for cleaning and soaking. We will discuss tips on keeping them strong and pliable, able to offer quality tooth replacement for years to come. You can also take steps to protect your remaining natural teeth, such as daily brushing and flossing, a diet low in sugar and starch, avoiding tobacco products, and of course, seeing our team for a checkup and cleaning visit every six months. If you have any questions about how our team will take on your tooth loss with custom partial dentures, or about scheduling your first checkup and cleaning of 2025, then reach out to our team today to learn more.

SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT FOR A CUSTOM SET OF DENTURES

Our team is ready to secure a full smile with a custom and lifelike set of partial prosthetics. You can schedule an appointment by calling our office in Astoria, NY at 718-728-8320. Let’s start a new year on the path to a new and full smile!

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Dental Bridges Offer Natural-Looking Tooth Replacement 21 Dec 2024, 10:29 pm

Losing a tooth, even just one tooth, could lead to serious complications for your oral health. But we can help with prosthetic dentistry, addressing the gap in your smile. In today’s blog, your Astoria, NY, dentist talks about how a custom dental bridge can offer natural-looking tooth replacement.

The Impact of Minor Tooth Loss

When we lose a tooth, this gap could cause surrounding teeth to begin to drift, causing misalignment that further impacts your smile’s appearance and that could make the onset of tooth decay and gum disease more likely. If the gap includes more than one missing tooth, this could impact how you eat and may even later your speech. The stress on your jaw due to tooth loss could mean a higher risk of TMJ disorder and bruxism (teeth grinding). Instead of letting your smile change and increase the risk of further tooth loss, you should see our team to discuss help with a dental prosthetic. For minor tooth loss, between one and three lost teeth in a row, we could help with a dental bridge.

Creating a Custom Dental Prosthetic

To begin, we will numb the area where tooth loss has occurred so that we can gently remove structure from the natural teeth on each side of the gap. These are abutment teeth, and they are key for securing your prosthetic. We then take detailed digital images and measurements of the abutment teeth and the gap, which we use in a lab setting to design and fabricate your dental bridge. This will be made from ceramic, a durable material that can absorb daily bite forces and also be shaded to blend with your smile. The bridge will contain new teeth, known as pontics, with crowns attached to one or both ends.

Connecting Your Dental Bridge

When your new teeth are ready, we will connect the crown portions to the abutment teeth, which secures your new ones firmly in place. These teeth will be fixed in place and don’t need to be removed for cleaning like dentures. To help them last, you should brush and floss around them as you would natural teeth, and clean the space between the top of the gums and the bottom of the prosthetic. On average, they tend to last about 10 to 15 years before they need replacement due to changes in your jaw ridge.

If you have any questions about our dental bridges, then contact our team today to learn more and enjoy a full smile in 2025!

SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT FOR PROSTHETIC DENTISTRY

We want to help you smile with confidence and enjoy optimal oral health by addressing your missing teeth. You can schedule an appointment by calling our office in Astoria, NY at 718-728-8320. 

The post Dental Bridges Offer Natural-Looking Tooth Replacement first appeared on Jeffrey Leibowitz, DDS.

A Root Canal Provides Relief From Painful Infections 7 Dec 2024, 9:24 pm

When a tooth develops an infection, this could be a source of discomfort and without treatment, you could risk the loss of a tooth. But we want to help you enjoy relief from discomfort and keep your smile whole. In today’s blog, your Astoria, NY, dentist talks about how we treat an infected tooth with a root canal procedure.

The Causes of Tooth Infection

What does it mean for a tooth to become infected? An infection means that harmful oral bacteria have made contact with the pulp, the collection of nerve tissues at the center of your tooth. This exposure could be due to a cracked or broken tooth, or even the result of an untreated cavity that grows in severity until bacteria meets the pulp. Without treatment, the issue will grow in severity until a tooth is lost or requires extraction to protect your smile from the spread of infection.

The Signs to Watch For

When a tooth becomes infected, you may experience tooth sensitivity when you eat or drink, pain when biting down, or a toothache that doesn’t subside after a day or two. You could also develop swelling near the tooth, a discharge from it, and aches in the face and jaw. Don’t ignore these potential warning signs, instead contact our team right away. With digital x-rays, we can make a thorough and accurate diagnosis, identifying the presence and position of an infected tissue. We then plan treatment in detail!

Help with a Root Canal

Our team will numb the tooth and could also discuss sedation to help you enter a deep state of calm and relaxation. Once you are ready, we will open the tooth so we can access and remove all the tissues from within. Next, we clean the interior of the tooth thoroughly and add a special restorative filling known as gutta percha. The final step in your root canal is to cap the tooth with a crown, one custom-made for a lifelike appearance and a balanced bite. Our team can then discuss better oral hygiene habits to lower the risk of future cavities or infections, such as better brushing and flossing and routine visits for cleanings every few months.

If you have any questions about how we stop discomfort and treat your infection with a root canal, or if you have an aching tooth that requires treatment, then contact our team today. There is still time to use your 2024 dental insurance benefits before they expire!

SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT FOR TOOTHACHE RELIEF

Our team wants to help you avoid the pain of a toothache and the long-term impacts of an infected tooth. You can schedule an appointment by calling our office in Astoria, NY at 718-728-8320. 

The post A Root Canal Provides Relief From Painful Infections first appeared on Jeffrey Leibowitz, DDS.

Taking A Lifelike Approach To Restoration 18 Nov 2024, 12:44 pm

When you need a tooth restored, such as one with serious decay or even a crack or chip, then you should see our team for a dental crown. Our team can use this full restoration to return your tooth to full function, health, and beauty. In today’s blog, your Astoria, NY, dentist talks about how we restore smiles with a crown and what you can do to safeguard your smile from issues like decay or infection.

When You Need a Restoration

As we mentioned above, a dental crown covers the entire visible portion of your tooth. When in place, this allows us to treat tooth decay too severe for a filling. If you have an infected tooth, we can complete a root canal with placement. The restoration can lengthen worn down teeth and even correct the appearance of misshapen teeth. We’ve used them to improve bite balance and chewing function too. If you have cracked, chipped or broken teeth, we can repair them. Even if you have missing teeth, our restoration can help. We can use one or two to support a bridge, or one to restore a single dental implant.

Our Dental Crowns

When possible, we will opt for more lifelike materials. Options like porcelain, porcelain-fused-to-metal, and zirconia can absorb daily bite forces and also be shaded to blend with your smile too. Placement starts with our team numbing the tooth to keep you comfortable as we remove structure to make room for the crown. We then take detailed digital images and measurements of the prepared tooth, which we use in a lab setting to design and craft them. When the restoration is complete, you will return to the office so we can check the fit and make any necessary adjustments. Our team then attaches the restoration with a powerful bonding agent. With proper care and attention, they can last for years to come.

Preventive Care

Taking a preventive approach to your oral hygiene routine can help keep your crown bright and in place, and also limit the need for repair down the road. We suggest you brush your teeth for two minutes when you get up in the morning, and then do so again before bed. Each time use a fluoride toothpaste to keep your enamel strong. You also need to floss every evening to reach what a toothbrush alone cannot. If you have any questions about how we restore your smile with a lifelike dental crown, then contact our team today.

SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT TO RESTORE YOUR TOOTH

We’re ready to offer a durable and lifelike solution for your cavity or damaged tooth. You can schedule an appointment by calling our office in Astoria, NY at 718-728-8320. 

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