What is Sedation Dentistry?

I.V. sedation is a proven technique that helps you relax and stay calm throughout your treatment. Many of our patients describe it as a “miracle” because it allows them to undergo multiple procedures in a single visit, without the stress or discomfort they typically experience at the dentist. With I.V. sedation, you’ll be deeply relaxed and often won’t remember much of the procedure, making it an ideal option for those with severe dental anxiety.

Why Choose Sedation Dentistry?

Sedation dentistry is perfect for patients who:

• Suffer from dental anxiety or phobia
• Have extremely sensitive teeth
• multiple or extensive treatments in one visit
• Feel uneasy or have trouble sitting still for long procedures

Our Three-Step Process:

1. Pain Relief: We begin by addressing any pain or discomfort using the latest in gentle, advanced technology, ensuring you feel at ease from the start.
2. Restoration: We restore the health of your teeth and gums, so you can enjoy comfortable eating, chewing, and speaking.
3. Cosmetic Enhancement: Finally, we use modern cosmetic and neuromuscular techniques to give you a beautiful, confident smile that you’ll be proud to show off.

Safe & Comfortable Care

Our I.V. sedation treatments are safely administered in collaboration with a Board Certified dental anesthesiologist to ensure your comfort and well-being throughout the procedure. By keeping you relaxed, we’re able to complete multiple procedures in a single visit, reducing the number of appointments needed for complex treatments.

If you’ve been avoiding the dentist due to fear or anxiety, sedation dentistry could be the solution you need to get back on track with your dental health. Whether you’re in Morristown, Randolph, Rockaway, Dover, Mountain Lakes, or Morris Plains, we’re here to help you overcome your fears and achieve a healthy, beautiful smile. Easily accessible from anywhere in Northern New Jersey, located in Denville.

Contact us today to learn more about how sedation dentistry can help you feel relaxed and comfortable at every visit.

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Tooth pain is one of the most obvious signs that something is wrong. If you’re experiencing discomfort when chewing or sensitivity to hot, cold, or sweet foods, it could indicate a cavity, tooth decay, or other dental problems. Don’t ignore these symptoms—addressing them early can help prevent more severe damage.

If your gums bleed when brushing or flossing, or appear swollen and tender, it may be a sign of gum disease. Gum disease can progress quickly and lead to tooth loss, so it’s important to see a dentist right away to avoid complications.

Persistent bad breath, or halitosis, that doesn’t go away with brushing could point to an underlying dental issue, like gum disease or cavities. If bad breath is a constant problem, it’s worth having it checked to address the root cause.

Loose or shifting teeth should never be ignored. If your teeth feel loose or your bite feels different, it could be due to gum disease or other serious conditions. Seeking treatment immediately can prevent further damage and help preserve your smile.

Mouth sores that last longer than two weeks or are unusually painful should be evaluated by a dentist. These can sometimes signal an infection or more serious conditions like oral cancer, so it’s important to get them looked at.

Chronic dry mouth or difficulty swallowing can also be signs of underlying dental issues. Dry mouth can increase your risk for cavities and gum disease, so if you’re experiencing this regularly, it’s a good idea to talk to your dentist.

Finally, if you’ve cracked, chipped, or broken a tooth, don’t wait to seek treatment. A broken tooth can lead to infection or more extensive damage, so it’s essential to get it checked out as soon as possible.

If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms or it’s simply time for a routine checkup, Aesthetic Family Dentistry in Denville is here to help. We serve patients across Northern NJ, including Morristown, Randolph, Rockaway, Dover, Mountain Lakes, and Morris Plains, and are committed to helping you maintain your healthiest, happiest smile. Reach out today to schedule your appointment!

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Medical ozone is completely different. While it is the same gas, it has been specially formulated to offer significant help for dentists and our patients.

Ozone and root canal

Root canal therapy is a surgery of last resort. It is only ever used when no other treatment will be effective. The procedure involves removing the pulp from inside the tooth that has become inflamed or infected. The tooth can survive without this pulp as it continues to be nourished from the surrounding gum.

A root canal involves the removal of the pulp, nerves, and blood vessels from inside the tooth. While this may sound painful, it really isn’t. Modern dentistry has progressed significantly and has removed much of the discomfort from this procedure. Once we have removed this material, we eradicate the infection and as much bacteria as possible.

Removing the infected pulp requires us to disinfect the tissue left inside the tooth before sealing it with a material called gutta-percha. Without ozone therapy, we can usually eliminate the majority of the bacteria living within the tooth. Using ozone therapy, we can eliminate 99.9 percent of bacteria.

This means the tooth is as clean and as disinfected as possible before we seal it up. This has obvious benefits for recovery as your body can concentrate on healing rather than having to fight bacteria too. The long-lasting effects of ozone therapy can continue for up to a year depending on your general oral health and any other issues you may have.

As hard as we might try, without ozone therapy, it is very difficult to effectively remove bacteria. There are lots of places for it to hide, including dentinal tubules within the tooth itself which can stretch for miles if placed end to end. Ozone therapy allows us to flood the entire area with disinfecting ozone gas to kill that 99.9 percent.

Using a special dental device, we can apply medical-grade ozone to the site of the root canal to eradicate any bacteria. The applicator sits on top of the tooth and only delivers gas to that tooth. The applicator then removes the gas from your mouth. The procedure is completely safe and has been used in dentistry across the world for a very long time.

Given its effectiveness at fighting bacteria, using ozone in root canal therapy offers many benefits. Further infection was always a risk after root canal therapy but with ozone, we eliminate bacteria and therefore make it less likely that your tooth will become re-infected.

If you think you may need root canal therapy, using ozone gas as part of the procedure offers real life benefits. Contact us here at Aesthetic Family Dentistry today to schedule a consultation.

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With the obvious exception of bruxism (grinding teeth) and overly large fillings, the causes of cracked teeth are out of all of our control. They can be caused by trauma such as an accident, biting into something too hard, sudden changes in mouth temperature and ageing. Regular visits to the dentist can help prevent and treat bruxism and manage fillings, but the rest is out of our control.

Types of cracked teeth

As you might imagine, not all teeth crack the same way. There are in fact four main ways a tooth might crack.

1. Cracked tooth – Where a crack runs from the biting surface of a tooth down towards the root. It can be a hairline crack or something more serious.
2. Crazed tooth – Crazing is where tiny cracks are evident on tooth enamel. These are usually superficial and often need no dental intervention.
3. Cracked cusp – The cups is the biting surface of the tooth which can become damaged after biting on something that is harder than the tooth. It often results in discomfort when eating.
4. Split tooth – The most serious of cracked teeth is when the tooth splits into two. Vertical root fractures are serious and will need immediate attention.

All of these conditions should be assessed by your dentist but only a couple of them need active intervention.

Treatment of cracked teeth

There are a few treatment options dentists can use to address cracked teeth. Some are very simple and non-intrusive while others need a little more work.

1. Dental bonding – A special resin is placed in and over the crack to fill the gap and to protect it from further harm. It can also restore the original shape of the tooth.
2. Cosmetic contouring – Ideal for smaller cracks or chips, contouring polishes away the crack so it is no longer visible.
3. Veneers – Dental veneers are specially made ‘caps’ that fit over the tooth to protect it.
4. Crowns – Dental crowns are more involved and are used when a veneers is not suitable. It is a more serious ‘cap’ that fits over the damaged tooth.
5. Replacement – Replacing a cracked tooth is only for the most serious case and will likely involve a bridge or dental implant.

In most cases, cracked teeth present no long-lasting health challenges and need no surgical intervention. Specific treatments would be discussed at a consultation.

If you have a cracked tooth or are looking for a holistic dentist, contact Aesthetic Family Dentistry today at 973-627-3617 to schedule a consultation. We can help!

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With that in mind, we have put together these five facts about Botox.

What is Botox?

Botox is made from Botulinum Toxin Type A, one of 7 proteins (A-G) derived from Botulism. It was first used for therapeutic purposes in the 1960s as a muscle relaxant to treat uncontrolled blinking. It is now licensed in over 85 countries and has over 20 therapeutic uses.

How does it help fight ageing?

By relaxing muscles, Botox helps reduce wrinkles and soften lines. It also reduces the formation of skin lines by relaxing the muscles that cause them. All without reducing facial expression or causing frozen faces!

The procedure is safe and almost undetectable when performed by a qualified practitioner. Here at Aesthetic Family Dentistry, we are qualified and experienced in administering Botox with hundreds of successful procedures behind us.

Botox is safe

In the right hands, Botox is perfectly safe. While it may be derived from a virus, it is one of the safest drugs licensed by the FDA and has been for almost 15 years. A commentator once said, the average American would have to remortgage their house to buy enough Botox to be fatal.

There are over 6 million Botox treatments undertaken each year in America alone. There have also been more than 4,000 research papers published on the product. All indicate that performed correctly, Botox treatments pose no health risk to patients.

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At the time, dentists never knowingly endangered people’s health, it was thought that mercury amalgam was safe. However, research by the FDA later found a risk of mercury gas produced by fillings. This is one of the main reasons why biological dentists such as we here at Aesthetic Family Dentistry don’t use them.

Mercury-free dentistry

We have never been fans of mercury fillings regardless of this research. For one, they are silver and stand out quite boldly in teeth. It makes it obvious that someone has fillings and while there is nothing wrong with having them, if more subtle solutions are available, why not use them?

Mercury amalgam is comprised of a mixture of silver, copper, tin and zinc with an equal amount of mercury. Over time, the composition of the filling gradually breaks down, allowing tiny piece of metal or gas to leak into the body. Some studies have linked this leakage to health issues.

While absolute proof that mercury fillings cause problems has yet to be found, there is no reason to take chances. A few studies have been carried out that indicate a potential risk of off-gassing from mercury fillings. The FDA still regards them as safe, so nothing has changed as yet. However, when there is a safer alternative, why would you not use it?

A safer solution

Biological dentistry is all about using more natural, less harmful treatments. One alternative to mercury fillings is resin. Not only does the resin we use not contain harmful elements, it is also white and will better match the color of your teeth. So not only is it better for you, it looks better too!

In the majority of cases, there is little difference in the cost of resin over mercury fillings. Most dental insurances will cover the cost of fillings regardless of the material used, so it should make no difference to you financially.

In many parts of the country, there are very few biological dentists so choices are limited. Residents of Denville, New Jersey are more fortunate. Aesthetic Family Dentistry serves the NJ community and provides a full range of biological dentistry services to our neighbors. One of which is mercury-free fillings.

If you like the idea of biological dentistry and would like to know more or have mercury fillings and would prefer resin one, contact us here at Aesthetic Family Dentistry. We can help!

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First let us cover how and why gum recession is a problem and then move on to what we can do about it.

Gum recession

Receding gums are a product of aging and lifestyle. Our gums recede naturally as we age but this process can be accelerated by habits such as smoking, having tongue or lip piercings, grinding your teeth or even something as simple as not brushing your teeth properly.

The causes may be many but the risks are the same. Gum recession is a problem because it exposes the root of the tooth. This increases the risk of tooth decay, periodontal disease and other complications. Healthy gums protect the teeth, which is why gum disease is such an issue.

Until the Chao Pinhole Surgical Technique, the procedure to repair gum recession involved soft tissue grafts. This is a very involved, invasive procedure that worked very well. It was also complicated and often required considerable recovery time. It wasn’t without discomfort either.

Chao Pinhole Surgical Technique

The Chao Pinhole Surgical Technique changes everything. Rather than having to perform soft tissue grafts and suture them in place, the Pinhole Surgical Technique uses a needle to make a tiny incision into the gum. We then perform the entire procedure from within this incision.

So rather than multiple grafts above each tooth with sutures across the gum line, we can perform an equally effective procedure within a single pinhole. As you can imagine, this has huge benefits for patients. No more invasive surgery, no more grafts, no sutures and no extended recovery time. Rather than having to wait weeks to heal fully, you could be fully recovered and back at work within a couple of hours!

The technique is proving itself very effective so you are not compromising the treatment in favor of a simpler procedure either. All studies that we know of find that the Pinhole Surgical Technique is as effective, if not more so, than traditional skin graft techniques.

Our very own Dr. Steiner has been trained by Dr Chao himself in the Pinhole Surgical Technique which is why Aesthetic Family Dentistry now offers it. As holistic dentists, we are extremely happy to be able to replace an invasive procedure with a much simpler one that needs less surgery and much less recovery.

Contact Aesthetic Family Dentistry today if you would like to take advantage of this latest gum recession treatment. Call us at 973-627-3617 to schedule a consultation.

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As holistic dentists, Aesthetic Family Dentistry are perfectly placed to offer a complete range of complementary therapies that can ease the discomfort that comes with migraines as well as provide effective treatments for the cause. Here’s how it works.

Diagnosis

Headaches and migraines can often be caused by dental issues but there are many other causes too. The correct diagnosis is essential in order to provide a treatment that really works. That’s why you need to consult with a qualified dentist with the right training and experience.

Migraines can be caused by lifestyle factors such as stress, anxiety, poor sleep, dietary changes, over exertion, depression, menstruation and physical trauma to name a few. They can also be caused by jaw tension, grinding your teeth or a misalignment of the jaw. All causes are easily treatable.

When you visit Aesthetic Family Dentistry, we will thoroughly examine your skull, mouth, bite, medical history and more. We will also discuss the situation with you to build a picture of your lifestyle so we can make an effective diagnosis. We may also perform non-intrusive tests if we think your migraines are caused by dental issues.

Treatment of migraines caused by dental issues

Once we are confident in our diagnosis, we can devise a strategy to address it. Treatments can be as simple as changing eating patterns, teaching you how to relax, massage or a visit to a chiropractor. If a dental procedure can help, we can do that too.

A common dental procedure to address migraines caused by the jaw is a dental splint. This is like a mouth guard that is designed to stop bruxism (teeth grinding) and realign the jaw into its natural position. Often, migraines can be caused by either the grinding or the misalignment. The splint is a very effective remedy.

Fortunately, surgical intervention is a relatively rare occurrence when treating these kinds of symptoms. If it becomes necessary, surgery may include tooth adjustment called equilibration and other procedures to treat the cause of your migraines. If this becomes necessary we will discuss it with you at the time.

For the majority of people suffering from migraines, non-surgical treatments are enough to alleviate the symptoms and treat the cause. If you’re suffering from frequent migraines and think it may be a dental problem causing them, schedule a visit to Aesthetic Family Dentistry today. We can help!

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There are four main treatment types for mouth cancer. They are:

• Surgery
• Radiation therapy
• Chemotherapy
• Cetuximab

Let’s take a look at each.

Surgery

Surgery is a very effective treatment for oral cancer if we can catch it early enough. We can use photodynamic therapy (PDT) to remove the tumor with a laser in conjunction with a special drug that isolates the cells. We can also perform surgery to remove affected areas including on the tongue, neck, throat, jaw bone and lymph nodes, but only if absolutely necessary.

As holistic dentists, Aesthetic Family Dentistry will always opt for the least intrusive option possible and only after discussing all of your options with you and the treating Oral surgeon.

Radiation therapy

Radiation therapy, or radiotherapy, is a very effective treatment for mouth cancer that uses very targeted doses of radiation to kill cancer cells. It isn’t always suitable for all cases of oral cancer and is often used after surgery to prevent a recurrence or to ensure the affected area has been completely treated.

Radiation therapy involves a daily dose of therapy over the course of several weeks. You will be continuously monitored throughout this time to ensure the treatment is fully effective.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy can be used on its own or in conjunction with radiotherapy if cancer is widespread. Chemotherapy uses powerful drugs to disrupt cancer cell reproduction. It is a very effective treatment for oral cancer if caught early enough but it isn’t without its side effects.

A detailed and honest discussion of the pros and cons of chemotherapy will be important should it be necessary to use it as a treatment.

Cetuximab

Cetuximab is a new treatment for mouth cancer that uses a biologic drug to help address the condition. Often used in tandem with radiotherapy or chemotherapy, Cetuximab disrupts a protein on the surface of the cancer cell, called epidermal growth factor receptors. These proteins are essential for cancer cell growth, so any disruption helps stop the spread of the condition. This treatment is still undergoing trials right now but may become a viable option in the future.

If you would like to discuss oral cancer or think you may have developed the condition, contact Aesthetic Family Dentistry today for a consultation. We’re here to help.

– See more at: https://aestheticfamilydentistry.com/blog/the-no-nonsense-guide-to-the-treatment-of-oral-cancer/#sthash.zHKg983C.dpuf

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