Wisdom Teeth Extractions

When your last set of molars come in, they either come in naturally or cause problems for the rest of your teeth. If your wisdom teeth don’t grow in naturally and protrude your gums, they need to be extracted at your local dentist. At Fresh Meadows Dental, we can tell you if your wisdom teeth need to be removed through routine x-rays.

In most cases, wisdom teeth will grow in on an angle which can cause crowding for your teeth and possible damage to your jawbone or nerves. Wisdom teeth that develop that only partially impact your gums increases the chance for bacteria to build which leads to more cavities and gum disease.

If your wisdom teeth are causing you pain or there appears to be an infection, please give us a call. X-rays will tell us quickly if your wisdom teeth need to be removed before a larger problem occurs. Your oral health is our main concern and making sure your teeth are healthy and aligned properly.

Farid Hakimzadeh, DDS, operates Fresh Meadows Dental Care at 58-47 Francis Lewis Blvd., Suite 100, Flushing, New York, 11364. To schedule an appointment, call 718-224-7272 or visit Fresh Meadows Dental and fill out a contact form.

Canker Sores

Canker sores are small, shallow ulcers that appear in your mouth and make it difficult for you to eat and talk. The cause of canker sores isn't known although stress is thought to trigger the ulcers. To minimize the chance of developing a canker sore, we encourage our patients to avoid foods that have a lot of citrus and are acidic.

We advise our patient’s foods to avoid foods such as lemons, oranges, apples, and tomatoes when you have a canker sore so the ulcer isn’t triggered. Some signs that you have a canker sore include pain on your tongue or the inside of your cheeks and if you feel a burning sensation. Canker sores are circular and are usually white or gray with a red edge.

There isn’t an exact cure for canker sores but a good way to help them go away faster is by rinsing your mouth out with hot salt water a couple times a couple of times a day to help with recovery. If you still have a canker sore after 1-2 weeks we advise you to make an appointment with us at Fresh Meadows Dental.

Farid Hakimzadeh, DDS, operates Fresh Meadows Dental Care at 58-47 Francis Lewis Blvd., Suite 100, Flushing, New York, 11364. To schedule an appointment, call 718-224-7272 or visit Fresh Meadows Dental and fill out a contact form.

Dental Phobia

At Fresh Meadows Dental, we encourage our patients to notify us of fears they have about coming to the dentist.  On average, 9% to 15% of people suffer from dental phobia and avoid the dentist at all costs. It is important to get your teeth cleaned twice a year to maintain good dental hygiene. Patients who suffer from dental phobia have a greater chance of developing gum disease and tooth decay.

Some signs that you may suffer from dental phobia include tense or nervousness, sleepless nights before the dentist, and the thought of the dentist makes you feel sick.

If you have a fear of pain or drilling that might be needed for your teeth, we offer numbing so you don’t feel anything. The pain anesthetics we have help you relax while in the chair.

We encourage our patients to ask us questions before your appointment so we can make you feel more comfortable. Your comfort is our number one priority and we are happy to discuss what can help to ease your fears.

Farid Hakimzadeh, DDS, operates Fresh Meadows Dental Care at 58-47 Francis Lewis Blvd., Suite 100, Flushing, New York, 11364. To schedule an appointment, call 718-224-7272 or visit Fresh Meadows Dental and fill out a contact form.

Cosmetics and Dental Pulp

Patients at Fresh Meadows Dental Care in Flushing should have smiles they can be proud of. We offer a variety of cosmetic care options, including whitening. But some dental stains are on the inside of the tooth, and those could require more intensive treatment.

Intrinsic stains are unlikely to be responsive to external bleaching and could indicate an oral health problem. A benign cause of intrinsic staining is that the tooth was exposed to tetracycline antibiotics or a large amount of fluoride during its formation, which could make it look black or brown. This can be masked with a veneer. But a more serious problem is if the pulp is infected or necrotized. The swelling or rot could be visible from the outside and make the tooth look black, red, or purple.

Tactile and heat tests, as well as x-rays, can help us to determine if a tooth is infected. If so, we may be able to salvage it by performing root canal therapy. Once the infected material has been removed, the inside of the tooth can be bleached. After about a week, the bleach would be removed and the tooth would be sealed over. In worse cases, it may be necessary to provide an artificial crown for the tooth, which would be selected to have an attractive color. But if you have an unusual tooth stain, don’t delay getting it checked out. You don’t want an infection to spread.

Farid Hakimzadeh, DDS, operates Fresh Meadows Dental Care at 58-47 Francis Lewis Blvd., Suite 100, Flushing, New York, 11364. To schedule an appointment, call 718-224-7272 or visit Fresh Meadows Dental and fill out a contact form.

 

Mouthguards and Facial Safety

If you play organized sports, you’re probably required to wear a mouthguard. But even if you don’t there are still plenty of activities for which it’s a good idea to have one. We’ve treated a lot of people at Fresh Meadows Dental Care who have suffered emergencies and we’ve provided them with lasting restorations, but we’d rather our patients understand their preventive options.

If a mouthguard is fitted properly, it shouldn’t interfere with breathing or be overly cumbersome. Athletic wear stores and online retailers provide both generic mouthguards and boil-and-bite models. The latter are much preferable. They have the advantage of being easily modified as a person’s teeth shift position, which is especially important for people undergoing orthodontic therapy. (Invisalign aligners should not be used as mouthguards.) A person with braces may want their boil-and-bite mouthguard refitted under professional supervision.

A fixed mouthguard might be preferable if a person is done undergoing orthodontic therapy. Regardless, mouthguards and their containers need to be cleaned with each use. They should also be kept out of heat to avoid unwanted reshaping. Besides when playing sports, the American Dental Association also recommends that people wear mouthguards while cycling, skating, and doing gymnastics. If you need help caring for a mouthguard, we’ll be glad to give you some pointers.

Farid Hakimzadeh, DDS, operates Fresh Meadows Dental Care at 58-47 Francis Lewis Blvd., Suite 100, Flushing, New York, 11364. To schedule an appointment, call 718-224-7272 or visit Fresh Meadows Dental and fill out a contact form.

 

Tooth Decay and Sensitivity

Are you looking forward to ice cream sandwiches this summer? If not, we hope it’s not because of sensitive teeth. We at Fresh Meadows Dental Care in Flushing want all our patients to be confident in their teeth’s structure. If you suffer from sensitivity, the likeliest cause is thin enamel.

The dentin that surrounds our dental pulp is made up of miniature tubes. When it comes into contact with something very cold or hot, it easily conducts heat to or from the nerve at the tooth’s center. Below the gum line, dentin is surrounded by cementum, which helps the tooth root adhere to the walls of the gum pocket. Enamel, a tougher substance made of calcium phosphate, forms the hard shell of the crown of the tooth and normally insulates dentin.

Although enamel is extremely hard, it dissolves when subjected to acid. There are two main sources of acid; one is excretion by oral bacteria that consume food debris, and the other is acid reflux. Regular brushing and flossing is essential to removing oral bacteria, while cutting back on acidic foods such as red meat and alcohol can reduce acid reflux. Patients may also consider sealants to further shield their enamel and extra-fluoridated toothpaste to reinforce it. Once enamel has been lost, it will have to be replaced synthetically, but it may still be possible to strengthen enamel that has lost minerals. Tooth roots, which have no enamel to begin with, may need to be protected by a gum graft if gum tissue has receded from around them.

Farid Hakimzadeh, DDS, operates Fresh Meadows Dental Care at 58-47 Francis Lewis Blvd., Suite 100, Flushing, New York, 11364. To schedule an appointment, call 718-224-7272 or visit Fresh Meadows Dental and fill out a contact form.

 

Dental Veneers

Dr. Farid Hakimzadeh of Fresh Meadows Dental Care, located in Flushing, NY., wants you to have a smile that you can be proud of. Your smile will be with you for the rest of your life. If you are self-conscious of your smile, porcelain veneers are the answer. Veneers are thin ceramic shells that go over your natural teeth. They can fix issues such as stained, cracked, gapped, misaligned, and chipped teeth.

 

The complete veneer process takes between 2-3 appointments. The first appointment with Dr. Hakimzadeh will be more of a consultation. There are a lot of different choices that come with choosing your veneers. It is recommended that you do some individual research beforehand. This will help you get a better idea of how you want your new smile to look. The two major choices are shape and color. For shape, there are two options, square and round. Many people believe that rounded veneers are more feminine, while square veneers are more masculine. This is not true. Both shapes are available regardless of gender. Color is the next step. Veneers come in shades of brightness starting at natural all the way to Hollywood levels of brightness. Once these decisions have been made the next part can begin.

 

Dr. Hakimzadeh and our staff will begin to prepare your teeth for placement. Your teeth will be cleaned and an impression or mold of your teeth will be taken. This impression is what will be used to create your veneers. In doing so, this guarantees that your veneers will fit perfectly. The impression is then sent to a dental laboratory to be made. It takes between 10-14 days to be completed. In the meantime, you will be given temporary veneers.

 

Once your permanent veneers arrive at the office, you will come in for your final appointment. Dr. Hakimzadeh will bond the permanent veneers to your teeth.

 

Fresh Meadows Dental Care is located in Flushing, NY. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Farid Hakimzadeh, visit our website or call 718-224-7272.