Laser Cosmetic Dentistry

Lasers have revolutionized the dental industry, allowing dentists to heal cold sores, treat periodontal disease, reduce trauma during dental procedures and minimize anesthesia use. At our office in Holmdel, NJ, Dr. Dipika Shah uses lasers for a multitude of procedures, from pocket reduction in the gums to frenectomies, the removal of gum overgrowth and impressions for crowns.

We offer a variety of procedures in our office that use the lasers. One such procedure is cosmetic periodontal surgery, which sculpts the gum line so that it is even and best exposes your smile. With the laser, Dr. Shah can reshape your gum tissue best with no anesthesia and minimum sensitivity.

The dentists can also use the laser to manage soft tissue in patients with deep pockets found in periodontal screenings. The laser will kill bacteria and get rid of infected tissue easily and quickly to ensure that periodontal disease is treated and prevented.

Our team is dedicated to ensuring you maintain a smile you can be proud of while receiving the highest level of comfort during dental procedures, and laser dentistry is one of the ways we do this. To schedule an appointment, call 732-264-8180. For more information about Dr. Dipika Shah or our services in Holmdel, NJ, visit www.dentistnj.com.

Sealants

Although brushing and flossing is effective at removing food particles and plaque from the smooth surfaces of our teeth, sometimes these methods are ineffective at thoroughly cleaning the nooks and crannies in our premolars and molars. Because molars are the hardest to clean and the teeth most used in the chewing process, they are the most susceptible to cavities and decay, which is why Dr. Dipika Shah recommends sealants soon after molars emerge when children are between the ages of 6 and 14.

Dental sealants are a thin, plastic coating applied to the chewing surfaces of the molars to prevent cavities and tooth decay. The sealant is applied by Dr. Shah, who first roughens the surface of the molar with acid and then paints on the sealant. The sealant bonds into the depressions and grooves of the teeth, hardening and forming a shield over the enamel to protect it for approximately 10 years.

Sealants are normally applied to children’s molars because their teeth are especially susceptible to cavities. However, sometimes they are applied on adult molars if they have hard-to-clean grooves that are causing cavities.

To schedule an appointment, call our office in Holmdel, NJ at 732-264-8180. For more information, visit www.dentistnj.com.

Invisalign

At our office in Holmdel, NJ we offer Invisalign aligners so that you can straighten your teeth without committing to a mouth full of metal. Using a series of clear plastic aligners, Dr. Dipika Shah will guide your teeth into a smile you can be proud of.

While regular braces are still best for the most serious cases of teeth straightening, Invisalign is great for cases of mild to moderate spacing or crowding. For these cases, Invisalign provides teeth correction that bypasses the discomfort, soreness and restrictive diet that those who have traditional braces must face.

With a computer program that generates a series of aligners with small changes in each, Invisalign will allow you to straighten your teeth without anyone even knowing. Virtually invisible, the aligners are made of thin, comfortable plastic and are removable. Therefore, your teeth will not experience the same discoloration and plaque buildup that can normally occur with metal brackets and wire. In addition, you will be able to eat all the foods you like, such as popcorn, chips, pretzels, nuts, apples, carrots and corn.

If you think Invisalign might be the best option for you to achieve the smile you’ve been dreaming of, call us at 732-264-8180 to schedule an appointment. For more information, visit www.dentistnj.com.

Wisdom Teeth Extractions

Your third and final molars to emerge are your wisdom teeth, which usually come in when you are between 17 and 25 years old. While many people do not experience problems with these new teeth, many others find that their's must be removed. If your mouth does not have enough room for your wisdom teeth to come in, a wisdom tooth extraction is necessary, and at our office in Homdel, NJ, Dr. Dipika Shah can determine whether a wisdom tooth extraction is the best course of action for you.

Wisdom teeth are usually removed because they become impacted, which means that the tooth does not have enough room to come in straight through the gums and instead emerges at an angle. This can cause pain, damage to the jaw and a more crooked smile. Additionally, the site of impaction can become a bacterial hotspot since impacted wisdom teeth are hard to clean.

Wisdom teeth extractions can range from removing a single tooth to removing all four teeth at once. Dr. Shah will let you know what she thinks is best for you. For the procedure, she will use either a local anesthetic to numb the area or a general anesthetic to sedate you while the teeth are extracted. The tooth will then be accessed through an incision in the gums and wiggled until it is loose enough to be lifted out. If the tooth is too deeply embedded to be removed this way, it will be broken up into pieces before being removed.

Whether you are already feeling pain due to impacted wisdom teeth or have not yet felt them come in, we can determine if your wisdom teeth will cause problems for you. To schedule an appointment, call 732-264-8180. For more information, visit www.dentistnj.com.