What Is Ozone Dental Treatment and How Does It Work?

Ozone is a naturally occurring form of oxygen made up of three oxygen atoms instead of the usual two. In dentistry, a small device concentrates medical-grade ozone and delivers it directly to the problem area — a cavity, an infected gum pocket, or a sensitive tooth surface.

The ozone works by destroying the harmful bacteria that cause decay and gum disease. At the same time, it leaves healthy tissue alone. The entire ozone dental treatment takes just seconds per tooth and requires no anesthetic in most cases. Because there is no drilling and no injection, many patients say the experience feels like nothing at all. For families with young children or anyone who feels anxious in the dental chair, that difference matters.

Ozone Treatment for Teeth: Cavities, Sensitivity, and Beyond

Most people first hear about ozone treatment for teeth when they have an early cavity. When decay is caught early enough, ozone can stop it from growing — sometimes eliminating the need for a filling entirely. The treated area can actually remineralize over time, meaning your natural tooth structure gets a chance to heal.

But cavities are only part of the story. Dental ozone therapy is also used for tooth sensitivity, root canal disinfection, and even canker sores. Because ozone is a powerful disinfectant without the side effects of chemical rinses, it fits into many parts of a modern dental practice. Patients who prefer a conservative, less-invasive approach often find that ozone therapy for teeth aligns with the way they think about health care in general — treat the cause, protect what is healthy, and avoid unnecessary intervention.

Is Dental Ozone Therapy Safe? What the Research Shows

Safety is one of the first questions patients ask, and it is a fair one. Ozone has been used in medicine and dentistry in Europe for decades, and a growing body of research supports its effectiveness. Published studies show that ozone reduces bacterial counts in cavities and periodontal pockets without damaging surrounding tissue.

The American Academy of Ozone Therapy and the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology both recognize ozone as a valuable tool in biological dentistry. Side effects are extremely rare when ozone is applied by a trained professional using proper equipment. There is no residual chemical left behind — ozone converts back to regular oxygen within minutes. For patients who are cautious about what goes into their bodies, that clean profile is reassuring.

Your Denville Dental Team for Ozone Therapy

At Aesthetic Family Dentistry in Denville, NJ, ozone therapy is part of a broader commitment to gentle, biologically minded care. Dr. Montalvo and the team use ozone alongside other minimally invasive techniques to protect your teeth and gums while keeping your comfort front and center.

Located on West Main Street in the heart of Morris County, the practice welcomes patients from Denville, Rockaway, Parsippany, and the surrounding communities. Whether you are exploring ozone therapy for the first time or looking for a dentist who takes a holistic approach to oral health, you will find a team that listens first and recommends only what you truly need.

Ready to learn more? Call 973-627-3617 or visit aestheticfamilydentistry.com/contact-us to request your appointment.

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Receding gums is an age-related condition that we will all have to contend with at one time or another. It is where the term ‘long in the tooth’ comes from when describing older people. Our gums naturally recede with age but it can also be caused by periodontal disease, genetics, crooked teeth or even aggressive brushing.

If left unchecked, tooth roots can be exposed. This can lead to discomfort and accelerated tooth decay. Roots are not protected by hard enamel so will be subjected to the full range of rigors we regularly put our teeth through. This can lead to infection or worse. If no treatment is sought, it could even cause you to lose teeth!

How pinhole gum rejuvenation can help stop gum recession

Before pinhole gum rejuvenation, the usual treatment for receding gums was a lot of surgery. Gum grafts were often used to address receding gums which involved taking healthy tissue from elsewhere in the mouth and suturing it to replace tissue lost to recession. This was uncomfortable and very involved and a less than ideal procedure.

The Chao Pinhole^® Surgical Technique is a very effective alternative to this involved procedure. Instead of cutting and grafting, we can do everything through a pinhole. Like keyhole surgery in general medicine, pinhole gum rejuvenation does the same thing but inside your mouth.

The Chao Pinhole^® Surgical Technique

Using the Chao Pinhole^® Surgical Technique, we can address receding gums without invasive surgery. We use special instruments to create the pinhole. Then working through the pinhole the special tools are used to loosen the gum and pull it back up the tooth covering the root surface. The only incision is tiny. All work is then done inside the gum.

This has obvious benefits. It is much less invasive, involves much less discomfort, far faster healing and offers less chance of infection.

As holistic dentists, the team at Aesthetic Family Dentistry embraces innovations like this. It makes life much easier for the patient, involves less surgery, less medication, faster recovery and much less discomfort. Not only does it provide these advantages to undertaking this procedure, it helps encourage those who would otherwise avoid such a procedure through fear or pain or surgery.

Untreated gum recession can result in tooth loss at worst and periodontal disease at best. Pinhole gum rejuvenation goes a long way to addressing that with a very simple procedure that will work in the majority of cases.

If you would like to see if you are a candidate for pinhole gum rejuvenation, contact Aesthetic Family Dentistry today to schedule a consultation.

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Orthodontic treatments can:

1. Straighten teeth and reduce dental crowding
2. Correct your bite so pressure is spread evenly across your mouth
3. Reduce the change of damaging any prominent or misaligned teeth
4. Help improve gum health by reducing hard to brush areas

For the purposes of this blog post, let us concentrate on point four, reducing hard to brush areas.

Orthodontic treatment for gum health

Orthodontic treatment usually revolves around fixed or removable braces that help align teeth. Depending on your needs, we can either use fixed braces that are affixed to your teeth and gradually align teeth or use Invisalign removable aligners to achieve the same goal.

Fixed braces are the most common orthodontic appliance. They are fixed to teeth using a special dental cement. The tension of the brace helps to gradually move teeth so they become straighter. Treatment lasts for a few months depending on how much we need to align teeth.

Invisalign removable aligners are a recent treatment option that uses an appliance like a sports mouth guard. These sit snugly over teeth and encourage them to straighten over a period of months.

How does this help gum health?

If teeth are crowded into too small a space, are crooked or rotated, it makes them difficult to clean properly. We like straight teeth not just because they look great but because they are easier to look after. Straight teeth can be cleaned effectively with a good toothbrush, can be flossed thoroughly and generally looked after much easier.

Cleaning crooked teeth is difficult at best. Even the newest electric toothbrush cannot get into smaller spaces between crooked teeth or effectively clean rotated teeth. This gives bacteria room to live, grown and cause gum disease. That’s where orthodontics comes in.

By using either a fixed brace or Invisalign, we can straighten those teeth and reduce the chances of gum disease. Your teeth will be straight, the toothbrush will be able to clean and the floss will be able to reach all parts of the tooth. You also have the happy side effect of a fantastic smile too!

Invisalign has changed orthodontics for the better. Those who didn’t like the look of the fixed brace now have a very subtle alternative. A transparent aligner that is removable to help you when you eat and for special occasions. The rest of the time it sits inside the mouth gradually straightening teeth and helping reduce those spaces where bacteria can grow.

I may be biased, but as a holistic dentist, any procedure that involves no surgery and benefits the patient so much gets a thumbs up from me!

Visit Aesthetic Family Dentistry today to schedule a consultation.

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Main causes of periodontal disease

Periodontal disease is the medical term for gum disease. It is caused by biofilm which is essentially a layer of bacteria that covers the teeth and gums. This bacteria is what is usually cleaned away with a good oral health regimen. If the bacteria is allowed to remain, it builds up and causes gingivitis. If left unchecked, gingivitis turns into periodontal disease.

The effects of periodontal disease can be severe. It begins slowly, with gingivitis and a bad taste in the mouth that will not go away. Gums may become swollen and tender and may bleed when brushing or when eating. If left untreated, periodontal disease can result in tooth loss.

The challenge of fighting periodontal disease is that the bacteria that causes it is difficult to get to. It lives in hard to reach places under the gums, which proves problematic when treating it. Once established, traditional brushing and flossing do not reach the bacteria, allowing it to grow unchecked.

Traditional methods of treatment include cleaning by a dental hygienist, laser bacteria removal, deep cleaning, medication and occasionally corrective surgery. Perio Protect trays are changing all that.

What can Perio Protect trays do to tackle periodontal disease?

Perio Protect trays are a prescribed treatment that is proving very effective at taking on periodontal disease. It is a customized tray that is formed to match the shape of your mouth. The tray is tailored to form a seal between it and your gums. You place medication inside the tray, place the tray into to your mouth and let the medication do its work.

The tray ensures the medication can get to where it is needed most, around the gum line and within the pockets between teeth. The seal ensures all the medication gets to where it needs to be and doesn’t leak into the mouth so is perfectly safe for use.

So how does it tackle periodontal disease?

The Perio Protect tray is able to get medication to the bacteria to actively fight it. This breaks the cycle of growth and helps reduce the number of bacteria in the mouth. Regular applications of the treatment further reduce bacteria and keep it under control.

Perio Protect trays are customized by your dentist to exactly match your mouth shape and size. Once complete, the treatment is then administered at home. Initially, you use the tray two or three times per day for around ten to fifteen minutes each time. Then, once the bacteria is under control, this reduces to once per day alongside your regular brushing.

Perio Protect trays offer a non-invasive way to help fight periodontal disease. It is a treatment that you continue in the comfort of your own home over the long term and is proving very effective at fighting bacteria.

If you would like to know more about Perio Protect trays or periodontal disease, contact Aesthetic Family Dentistry today to schedule a consultation.

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Gum recession is caused by many things, our natural aging process for one. So if it happens naturally as we get older, why do we need to have it treated?

There are several reasons why gum recession needs addressing. One, it exposes more of the tooth to decay and everyday chewing. While the tooth above the gum line is covered in a hard layer of enamel, parts of the tooth closer to the root are not. This exposes them to damage and bacteria, the two things that can hurt the tooth most. Plus, gum recession doesn’t exactly look great.

Add to that the potential for bone damage and tooth loss thanks to the increased risk of infection and you have a compelling case to have receding gums treated by your dentist. Now that we offer the Chao Pinhole Surgical Technique, there really is no excuse!

Chao Pinhole Surgical Technique

Previously, the primary treatment for gum recession was a soft tissue graft. This was an involved procedure that required donor tissue be taken from other areas of the mouth and sutured into place on the gum line. It involves surgery, some level of discomfort and a recovery period measured in weeks.

The Chao Pinhole Surgical Technique changes all that. The pinhole in the name refers to the only intrusion into the gum during the whole procedure. Using a special needle, we manipulate the gum into its former position before the recession and the gum tissue stay in place with the help of a special collagen strip. This is repeated above each tooth, a single needle mark and internal maneuvering to get the gum back to its original position.

So rather than cutting and suturing above each tooth we can perform a much cleaner, safer procedure with a 2mm needle mark.

This has obvious benefits in terms of healing, discomfort and recovery. Rather than taking a couple of weeks to completely heal, it takes a couple of hours. We need to use less anesthetic and interfere with your body much less. Collagen used to hold the gum in place is a naturally occurring substance anyway, so that’s even less intrusion.

The Chao Pinhole Surgical Technique has completely changed how we treat gum recession. Now there really is no reason to not have it treated!

Aesthetic Family Dentistry are qualified and experienced to carry out the new Chao Pinhole Surgical Technique for gum recession. Contact us today to schedule a consultation.

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So how does ozone help in periodontal therapy?

Ozone is unique in that it is a naturally occurring gas that has some amazing properties. It can kill bacteria, viruses, spirochetes and effectively disinfect an area. What makes it more impressive is that it targets harmful bacteria while leaving beneficial bacteria alone. So this natural gas targets pathogens that would harm us while leaving the bacteria we need alone!

Benefits of ozone use in dentistry:

• An ozone liquid rinse acts as both pre and post-treatment disinfectant
• Ozone gas can treat a wide range of oral health challenges
• It is perfectly safe to use by qualified clinicians
• Ozone only targets harmful pathogens and leaves healthy bacteria alone
• The effects of ozone therapy can last for years
• Ozone offers non-invasive treatments for a range of oral health conditions

Ozone and periodontal therapy

Periodontal disease is caused by harmful pathogens finding their way into the mouth and replicating. These pathogens cause infection, inflammation and can harm our teeth and bone. Left untreated, periodontal disease can cause tooth loss, gum recession and other complications. There is also increasing evidence that it has far-reaching implications to our overall health too.

Ozone gas is the primary tool in periodontal therapy. It is administered directly to carious dentin, dentinal tubules and periodontal pockets to disinfect the area and kill the harmful pathogens that cause disease. This gas can access parts of the tooth that liquids or other non-invasive treatments cannot reach.

The use of ozone in dentistry has enhanced the effectiveness of many treatments significantly. It is perfectly safe, occurs naturally in the atmosphere, does not pollute and has no known side effects. As far as treatments go, it is almost perfect. It also makes it ideal for our holistic approach to dentistry. It is non-invasive, works in harmony with the body’s natural processes and complements our existing defenses. That’s partly why we like it so much!

If you’re looking for a dentist qualified and experience to offer ozone therapy, contact Aesthetic Family Dentistry for a consultation. We are here to help!

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Causes of gum recession

As mentioned, gum recession happens naturally to many of us as we age. The gum gradually recedes, exposing more of the tooth and is a genetic trait. Some adults will experience it while others will not.

Lifestyle also has an influence over gum recession. Smokers experience more gum recession than non-smokers. Those with tongue or lip piercings can also see receding gums more often than those without them. Poor oral health also contributes as infections and plaque buildup are much more likely, both of which contribute to receding gums.

There are a range of dental conditions that can cause gums to recede, including periodontal disease, crooked teeth and misaligned bite. Each is easily treatable by us here at Aesthetic Family Dentistry.

Treatments for gum recession

As you would expect, we would first need to understand the underlying cause of gum recession before treating it. We cannot do much about genetic causes but there are many things we can do for other causes.

For example, stopping smoking or removing tongue or lip piercings can halt or significantly slow gum recession. Changes to your oral health regimen can also slow or even halt the process. For causes such as periodontal disease we need to both treat the condition itself and the cause of it before reversing the recession. The same for other dental causes.

Treating gum recession itself is quite straightforward. For the gums themselves we can perform a soft tissue graft or the Chao Pinhole^TM Surgical Technique (PST). Soft tissue grafts take healthy gum tissue from elsewhere in the mouth and grafts it onto the gum line. It is a very effective procedure to treat the condition.

The Chao Pinhole Surgical Technique (PST) is a new technique now available at Aesthetic Family Dentistry and has the potential to change the treatment of gum recession forever. Rather than requiring invasive surgery, this exciting technique uses pinhole surgery to address receding gums. It involves very little discomfort and recovery is measured in hours rather than days.

As with any dental condition, prevention is better than cure. Changing any lifestyle habits early can go a long way to reducing, slowing or avoiding gum recession. If you would like advice and guidance on how to achieve this, schedule an appointment at Aesthetic Family Dentistry today. We would be happy to help!

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Perio Protect Treats Gum Disease Between Visits

Perio Protect is a comprehensive periodontal treatment approach that combines professional cleanings with effective, at-home treatment. The Perio Tray is similar to a mouthguard but it has a special sealing system to deliver medication below the gum line. You simply put the medication in the tray and wear it for a few minutes a day between office visits—it’s that easy.

Not only is this approach easy to use, it treats the bacteria causing your gum disease in a comfortable way, minimizing the need for surgery and antibiotics.

Better Results Than Office Visits Alone

Bacteria reproduce quickly under the gums, making it difficult to control between office visits. Research shows that when professional cleanings are combined with Perio Tray delivery of hydrogen peroxide gel, patients get better results than the cleanings alone. The Perio Tray is designed specifically to combat bacteria and supplement in-office treatment, helping you keep gum disease under control.

We Want To Protect Your Smile’s Foundation

Caring for your gums is crucial to your oral and overall health. If you have any questions about how Perio Protect can benefit you, give us a call to set an appointment or reach out to us on social media! We’d love to answer any questions you might have.

Thank you for placing your trust in our practice. We love our patients!

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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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Called the Chao Pinhole^TM Surgical Technique (PST), this new procedure changes the way we treat receding gums and is an exciting addition to the range of treatments we offer!

Pinhole Surgical Technique

Gum recession occurs either naturally as we age or can be caused by periodontal disease, lifestyle choices or poor dental hygiene. Receding gums don’t look great but also expose the root of the tooth to infection, which can cause further complications. Previously, treatment required a soft tissue graft, quite an involved process that required a lot of recovery. Now all that has changed.

The Pinhole Surgical Technique is a real innovation. Invented and patented by John Chao, DDS, MADG, the procedure does away with invasive dental surgery. Instead, it uses special needles and fine instruments to make tiny holes in the gum. We then work from within that hole, negating the need for further incisions.

This advance is significant in that the pinhole is the only incision we need to make. Everything else can be done inside that tiny hole with some specialist tools. The results speak for themselves. Best of all, rather than taking a few days to recover, it takes only an hour or two.

Regular readers of the Aesthetic Family Dentistry will know how seriously we take the holistic part of our practice. You will also realize how excited we are to be able to offer the Pinhole Surgical Technique to our patients!

It fulfills all our criteria for a holistic treatment. It will only be performed when absolutely necessary. It is minimally invasive. It needs very little, if any anesthetic. It needs no incisions and no stiches. It offers a very quick recovery and best of all, it works!

Our very own Dr. Steiner will be performing this innovative new treatment for gum recession at our Denville, New Jersey Dentist’s office. If you’re suffering from gum recession and would like fast, effective treatment that will have you back in action within hours, visit Aesthetic Family Dentistry today!

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