SDNY Blog

At the request of Health Guru, the #1 website for the production of on line health videos, Drs. Paul Fletcher and Richard Smith of Specialized Dentistry of New York recently completed a series of more than 50 informational videos on various oral health topics. After only one month the videos have had over 100,000 views, a number that was way beyond expectations and demonstrates the amazing communication power of the Internet.

The subjects of our videos include, among others, proper toothbrushing techniques, anxiety control, fillings and cosmetic dentistry, root canals, adult orthodontics, dental implants, dental care during pregnancy, teeth whitening, oral cancer, eating disorders and your teeth, tongue piercing, the use of fluoride in drinking water and the significant impact tooth decay and gum disease can have on overall health.

Other health related topics covered in video on the Health Guru website are: Diet and Fitness, Sleep Issues, Dermatological Problems, High Blood Pressure-Heart Disease and Heart Medication, Diabetes, Mental Health, Sexual Health and Gynecological Issues. While oriented to an 18-35 age demographic, the information presented is pertinent for all ages.

As always, please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.

Specialized Dentistry of New York and the Columbia University College of Dental Medicine.

After more than three decades of leadership, innovation and achievement at the New York University College of Dentistry, we have established a new and exciting presence at Columbia University’s College of Dental Medicine (CDM).

Drs. Dennis Tarnow, Paul Fletcher, Jonathan Zamzok, Richard Smith and Stephen Chu have all joined the faculty of the CDM graduate departments of Prosthodontics and Periodontics and have enthusiastically taken on this new challenge.

SDNY’s Dr. Dennis Tarnow, the new Director of Implant Education at Columbia, had been the Chairman of the Department of Periodontics and Implant Dentistry at NYUCD, where he developed what was widely recognized as one of the leading dental implant fellowship programs in the world.  Students and faculty came from around the globe to study and work in his department.  Each of our seven other SDNY specialist doctors was an integral member of that faculty, contributing to the unrivaled international reputation of the department.

Dr. Stephen Chu, the former Director of Continuing Education in Advanced Aesthetic Dentistry at NYUCD has established a creative new curriculum at Columbia’s CDM and serves as the Director of Aesthetic Dentistry Education.

We are pleased to note that the administration and faculty of Columbia’s CDM have whole-heartedly welcomed and supported the efforts of the team of specialists from SDNY and that more and more students and faculty are asking to join the programs.

New and exciting research projects designed to provide significant benefits to patients are underway. And our association with Columbia University’s College of Dental Medicine can provide patients with quality, lower-cost care, under our direct supervision, at its excellent clinics.

We are proud to be part of the Columbia “family” and we appreciate this extraordinary opportunity to build, once again, something very special.

Your Specialized Dentistry of New York team

Columbia University College of Dental Medicine was established in 1916 as the School of Dental and Oral Surgery, when the School became incorporated into Columbia University. The College’s mission has evolved into a tripartite commitment to education, patient care, and research. The mission of the College of Dental Medicine is to train general dentists, dental specialists, and dental assistants in a setting that emphasizes comprehensive dental care delivery and stimulates professional growth.

New York Cosmetic Dentists with a Dental Lab in the Office.

Consistently providing the highest levels of cosmetic dentistry, aesthetic restorative dentistry and implant dentistry is a Specialized Dentistry of New York team effort and our onsite dental laboratory is an essential part of that team.

Specialized Dentistry of New York believes there is no finer facility than the world-class, full-service dental lab that is an integral part of our Manhattan office.

Most dental practices do not have a lab of any size. Our large on-premises lab serves SDNY doctors and their patients exclusively.

It is staffed by a large team of highly trained, experienced and dedicated technicians, who use state-of-the art equipment to create the crowns, veneers, implants, full and partial dentures and orthodontic appliances necessary to achieve the utmost in function, appearance and patient satisfaction.

As the American Dental Association points out, “Dental laboratory technology requires the skill of an artist. Technicians need to be creative when they make prostheses.” We are proud of our technicians’ skill, artistry and creativity. In addition to their special training with imaging equipment that helps produce more natural appearing tooth restorations, they attend yearly training courses around the country, as well as in-house seminars with our doctors and dental lab experts.

When a Manhattan cosmetic dentist and a dental technician can be in the same examining room with a patient, all three can have input on restoration fit and comfort and on “smile design” decisions, including tooth color-matching and tooth shapes that affect facial appearance.

Our doctors are there to assure that exacting specifications for restoration design, choice of materials and fabrication are always precisely followed and that quality in workmanship and materials is never compromised.

Our lab is also a major time-saving convenience for our patients. When minor adjustments are needed (and they frequently are), most practices are forced to send restorations to an outside lab, often requiring patients to come back for multiple visits. Our lab can make those adjustments during the visit. And, in the event of an emergency, such as a broken restoration, expert repairs can be made quickly.

For patients from out-of-town who may be on a tight schedule, in many instances our lab can “push” work through to completion in a very short time.

Periodontal disease is an insidious inflammatory disease caused by a bacterial infection that can destroy the gums and bone that hold your teeth in place. When the disease is neglected, teeth can be lost.

Some symptoms of periodontal (gum) disease may not appear until the disease has done some significant damage and early on there is usually no accompanying pain, which is why it is often called the silent oral disease. But when signs do appear, they should serve as a wake-up call to schedule an appointment for a periodontal evaluation with a Specialized Dentistry of New York periodontist.

The key warning signs of periodontal disease include:

• Bleeding while brushing, flossing or eating hard food

• Red, swollen or tender gums or other pain in your mouth

• Gums that are receding or pulling away from the teeth, causing the teeth to look longer than before

• Loose or migrating teeth

• Pus between your gums and teeth

• Sores in your mouth

• Persistent bad breath

•A change in the fit of partial dentures

There two forms of periodontal disease The mildest form is gingivitis, or gum inflammation, where the initial sign is gums that bleed during brushing or flossing along with slight redness or swelling. There is usually no tissue or bone damage or even discomfort at this stage. Gingivitis, which is most often caused by poor dental hygiene, can be treated and reversed, often just by brushing and flossing more diligently.

Left untreated, gingivitis can lead to periodontitis, with serious consequences, including tooth loss. As the American Academy of Periodontology describes periodontitis: “With time, plaque can spread and grow below the gum line. Toxins produced by the bacteria in plaque irritate the gums. The toxins stimulate a chronic inflammatory response in which the body in essence turns on itself, and the tissues and bone that support the teeth are broken down and destroyed. Gums separate from the teeth, forming pockets (spaces between the teeth and gums) that can become infected. As the disease progresses, the pockets deepen and more gum tissue and bone are destroyed. Often, this destructive process has very mild symptoms. Eventually, teeth can become loose and may have to be removed.”