Do You Need an Electric Toothbrush?

Part of our prevention effort at Fresh Meadows Dental Care is directing patients toward products that better serve their oral hygiene. Many people wonder whether they should use an electric or a manual toothbrush. The answer depends on their needs.

The best thing people can do to avoid tooth decay is to brush their teeth thoroughly, two minutes at a time, twice a day. Many people with manual toothbrushes don’t do this. Studies have shown that properly used manual toothbrushes are just as good as electric toothbrushes at preventing decay, but many people have disabilities that prevent them from brushing well or for some reason simply are not good at it. An electric toothbrush can make tens of thousands of brush strokes per minute, allowing it to clean more thoroughly if used in the right places.

Recent models of electric toothbrushes are often equipped with Bluetooth technology that allows them to supply data to apps. People can monitor whether their brushing technique is improving or whether they’re brushing too hard, and children can play games that reward them for thoroughness. These features obviously increase the electric toothbrush’s price, which is often the main drawback to getting one. Our hygienists can show patients how to avoid decay by using a traditional toothbrush, but if the patient has a dexterity issue or a history of decay despite trying to prevent it, an electric toothbrush could be a good investment.

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.

 

A Healthy Holiday Smile

It’s difficult to keep habits healthy during the holidays, especially when it comes to nutrition. Holiday platters can be loaded with candy, cookies, and other treats that can harm your teeth. These sticky foods can cling to enamel, causing tooth decay and can even cause a filling to fall out. Dr. Farid Hakimzadeh of Fresh Meadows Dental Care is here to help you make wiser choices this holiday season.

When attending or hosting a holiday party, aim for treats that are healthy for your teeth. These include fruits and vegetables that have high water content, such as carrots, celery, and apples, because these stimulate saliva flow that fights against decay. Assorted cheeses are great for teeth because cheese contains calcium that protects and strengthen enamel. When struggling to make the right snack decision, avoid sugars at all costs and don’t forget, when you’re done eating, to brush and floss.

If you have questions or concerns regarding oral-systemic health, please give us a call. To learn more about the services we provide at our practice, visit www.freshmeadowsdental.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Farid Hakimzadeh of Fresh Meadows Dental Care in Oakland Gardens, NY, call 718-224-7272. 

Periodontal Maintenance

In its most advanced stages, gum disease can lead to gum recession, and even tooth loss.  Fresh Meadows Dental Care wants to make sure it never gets to that point for you and your family!  When plaque builds up on a tooth, the gum starts to pull away from the tooth and form a pocket around the buildup, which only leads to more gum recession.  A scaling and root planing procedure is used to treat this buildup and prevent the later stages of gum disease.

Scaling and root planning are two parts of a deep cleaning procedure your dentist can perform to help reverse the progress of gum disease.  The procedure beings with scaling, which is the process of the dentist removing plaque from the surface of the teeth, all the way down to the gums. Root planing is the term for any minor contouring to smooth the surface of a tooth near the root.  When plaque has been removed and the tooth root has been smoothed, the gums that have pulled away will have a clean, smooth surface to reattach to as they heal.

To learn more about deep periodontal cleaning and all the other treatments provided at our practice, visit www.freshmeadowsdental.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Farid Hakimzadeh of Fresh Meadows Dental Care in Oakland Gardens, NY, call 718-224-7272.

Smoking With Sleep Apnea

Smoking will exacerbate any respiratory condition, and it is proven to cause snoring and lead to obstructive sleep apnea.  Patients struggling with sleep apnea should visit Fresh Meadows Dental Care for evaluation. We can help patients find relief from sleep apnea, but quitting smoking is up to you!  Smoking causes upper airway inflammation, meaning the swelling causes the airway to narrow and disrupts the flow of air to the nasal passage and throat.  This causes snoring and obstructive sleep apnea.  Cigarettes are highly addictive, and some smokers seek treatment for sleep apnea but continue to smoke. Smoking with sleep apnea not only puts more stress on the heart every day, but negates any treatment a sleep apnea patient is undergoing.

Habitual smokers may feel relaxed by one last cigarette for the day, but it actually creates more complications for restful sleep. Smokers can experience nicotine withdrawal overnight, causing more waking up and restlessness.  Quitting smoking cold turkey is very difficult, but even lessening the amount of cigarettes or avoiding smoking at nighttime can help you achieve more restful sleep.  Most smokers cannot quit on their own or on their first attempt, so don’t get discouraged!

To learn more about sleep apnea and the treatments provided at the practice, visit www.freshmeadowsdental.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Farid Hakimzadeh of Fresh Meadows Dental Care in Oakland Gardens, NY, call 718-224-7272.

A Whiter Smile is a Healthier Smile

Keeping teeth white is not an easy task. With all of the food and beverages that stain teeth on a daily basis, it is much easier to neglect them, leaving them lusterless. Teeth whitening is a marvelous way to restore the natural color of your teeth or if preferred, even make them whiter than your natural color.  To accomplish this, Dr. Farid Hakimzadeh of Fresh Meadows Dental Care offers a tray whitening system that is completed in two steps.

To accomplish the whitening of your teeth, Dr. Hakimzadeh utilizes this tray whitening system in two steps. The first step is to make an impression of your teeth. With this impression, he will craft you custom whitening trays that can be used repeatedly. Finally, you will take the whitening gel home with you and self-administer the gel for a short period of time over a period of a few days. This often results in a white smile of four to eight shades.

If you have questions or concerns regarding cosmetic dentistry, please give us a call. To learn more about the services we provide at our practice, visit www.freshmeadowsdental.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Farid Hakimzadeh of Fresh Meadows Dental Care in Oakland Gardens, NY, call 718-224-7272. 

Halloween Candy and Your Teeth

Chocolate, sour candies, bubble gum and more are just some of the few Halloween candy staples. It’s no secret that they’ll satisfy any sweet tooth, but this may come at a price. Sugary candy, acids, and carbohydrates are common Halloween snacks, but they are also common causes of cavities. Before going trick-or-treating, Dr. Farid Hakimzadeh of Fresh Meadows Dental Care recommends visiting the dentist before, or after, to ensure that your teeth and gums are in good health.

Sticky candy is detrimental to teeth because when it sticks to the enamel and isn’t brushed away it will attack the teeth and gums and cause sensitivity and possibly periodontal disease. Hard candies have been known to chip teeth and too much candy may activate the tooth decay process and cause a cavity. Dr. Farid Hakimzadeh encourages patients to monitor their candy intake this Halloween season and most importantly, be safe!

If you have questions or concerns regarding dental health and oral hygiene, please give us a call. To learn more about the services we provide at our practice, visit www.freshmeadowsdental.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Farid Hakimzadeh of Fresh Meadows Dental Care in Oakland Gardens, NY, call 718-224-7272. 

National Dental Hygiene Month

Do you brush and floss every day? We sure hope so, but not everybody knows exactly how to maintain the best possible oral hygiene routine. Since October is National Dental Hygiene Month, we at Fresh Meadows Dental Care in Flushing thought it would be a good time to go over the basics.

You should only brush your teeth with soft-bristled toothbrushes and toothpaste. People should brush their teeth twice a day (and brush their gums before putting in dentures) and brush for two minutes each time. When brushing the fronts of your teeth, you can do so horizontally, but you should brush their inward-facing sides vertically. We recommend flossing daily, and you should only ever use an American Dental Association-approved product for picking your teeth. When flossing, rub the side of each tooth down to the gum line; don’t just move the floss through the gaps between your teeth. Be sure not to miss the backs of your teeth.

Brushing and flossing aren’t the only parts of good hygiene. Daily use of a tongue scraper can help keep your breath sweet and prevent you from inhaling bad bacteria. Between brushings, you can also chew sugar-free gum to get rid of food debris.

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.