Dental Phobia

At Dr. Dipika Shah, DDS we want our patients to feel as comfortable when they visit us. An estimated 9% to 15% of people avoid the dentist due to dental phobia. Patients who avoid going to the dentist have a greater chance of developing gum disease and early tooth loss. To ease your mind, we will talk with you about any concerns or fears you have.

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

We know and understand your anxiety. That's why we have invested in a very soothing massage while you are in our office, headphones to listen to your favorite show on television or music. We will help you establish your yoga breath to relax you. We even have air abrasion and laser where we may not even need to give you injection to numb you. 

If you have a fear of pain we offer different anesthetic gels that can numb your mouth during procedures. Anesthetic’s take away any pain you might normally feel and allow you to relax.

We encourage our patients to ask us questions before your appointment so we can make you feel more comfortable. We are just as much about your comfort as your teeth.

Dr. Dipika Shah, Master in the Academy of General Dentistry, operates at 723 N Beers St, Suite 2F, Holmdel, New Jersey, 07733-1512. To schedule an appointment, call 732-264-8180 or visit Dentist NJ and fill out a contact form

How to Clean a Snore Guard

Dr. Dipika Shah of Holmdel is specially trained to provide patients with customized snore guards to prevent obstructive sleep apnea and bruxism. These oral appliances make it easier for patients to sleep through the night without exerting damaging force on their teeth and jaws, allowing their mouths to remain strong and healthy. ONLY YOUR DENTIST CAN GIVE YOU SNORE APPLIANCE THAT IS MADE PROPERLYKEEPING IN MIND HEALTH OF YOUR BITE AND YOUR JAW JOINT.  Oral appliances need to be cleaned every day or else they will become a home for disease and halitosis-causing bacteria.

Snore guard or night guard manufacturers often have information about cleaning products on their websites. They may recommend dissolvable tablets or cleaning solution, which can get good results. One can use q-tip dipped in white vinegar or hydrogen peroxide to clean it and avoid using brush and  toothpaste. Plastic is not as resilient as enamel and doesn’t need fluoridation, but it can be scratched by minerals.

Unlike dentures, which should always be kept wet, snore guards will vary on whether they should be kept wet or dry. Regardless, the case containing them should be cleaned with antibacterial soap each day. The case should also be kept at room temperature or cooler so the oral appliance won’t melt. Snore guards may need to be refitted from time to time, but this should only be done by a professional.

Dr. Dipika Shah, Master in the Academy of General Dentistry, operates at 723 N Beers St, Suite 2F, Holmdel, New Jersey, 07733-1512. To schedule an appointment, call 732-264-8180 or visit Dentist NJ and fill out a contact form.

 

Removing Braces

The completion of a phase of orthodontic therapy is an exciting time. We at Dr. Dipika Shah’s Holmdel dental practice are proud to have reached this milestone with so many of our patients. For those who are currently wearing braces or expect to get them in the future, we wanted to describe a little about the process of removing them.

Although their function is to guide teeth through the jaw bones, braces are delicate. Orthodontic brackets can be pulled loose by extremely sticky foods and knocked off if the patient gets hit when not wearing a mouth guard. The dental cement that bonds them to enamel is made to be easily removable. Nonetheless, we don’t want to exert too much force against a patient’s enamel. Instead, after removing the elastics and wires for the last time, we use a plier to compress the brackets. The change in their shape will cause the dental cement to retract, and the bracket is lifted out.

The metal bands that surround a patient’s molars are also lifted out with a specialized pair of reverse-action pliers. The patient will feel pressure, but the removal process is not painful. The dental cement will be left on until all the brackets have been removed, after which it will be removed. An impression of the patient’s mouth can then be made and used as the basis for a retainer, which will preserve their new smile.

Dr. Dipika Shah, Master in the Academy of General Dentistry, operates at 723 N Beers St, Suite 2F, Holmdel, New Jersey, 07733-1512. To schedule an appointment, call 732-264-8180 or visit Dentist NJ and fill out a contact form.

 

Driving With A Sleep Disorder

An average of 1.3 million people die in the US every year as the result of a car accident, and fatigued driving is responsible for a lot of accidents.  People living with untreated sleep apnea or other sleep disorder may not realize how much it impacts their alertness and how dangerous it is to drive.  Dr. Dipika Shah, DDS can help you find relief from sleep apnea, so please schedule a visit for evaluation.

Patients who don’t seek treatment for their poor sleep may think they are used to feeling tired all the time and are unimpaired.  However a chronic lack of restful sleep is shown to have the same effects has being intoxicated by drugs or alcohol.  Excessive sleepiness causes problems with focus and attention, which you need in order to drive.  The lack of focusing and inability to react quickly makes high-risk drivers. If you are planning to drive somewhere but feel sleepy, take a minute to assess your alertness.  A short nap can even revive you for a 30 minute drive.  Caffeine is of course a temporary fix, but it can keep you alert for a short drive and prevent falling asleep at the wheel.  If you ever notice yourself dozing at the wheel, pull over to rest.  Don’t live with a sleep disorder! Come see Dr. Dipika Shah, DDS and start treatment to get your best sleep.

To learn more about sleep apnea and the treatments provided at the practice, visit www.dentistnj.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Dipika Shah DDS, here in our Holmdel, NJ office, call 732-264-8180. 

Water Pik with Orthodontics

Flossing is crucial when it comes to maintaining good oral health. Cleaning between the teeth is an important step to remove food particles that have been left behind after brushing. Flossing can significantly reduce periodontal disease and cavity-causing causing bacteria that leads to tooth decay, but sometimes the act of flossing is difficult for a patient with orthodontics. Dr. Dipika Shah, DDS may suggest using a water Pik for those hard to reach places!

A safe, easy, and effective way to remove plaque around dental braces is to use a water Pik. A water fPik is a handheld device that sprays streams of water in steady pulses. Not only is this beneficial to patients with traditional braces, water piks are also an option for people who have trouble controlling traditional floss by hand. It’s important to brush your teeth at least twice a day and floss at least once a day to reap the maximum benefits of a healthy mouth!

To learn more about orthodontics and the treatments provided at the practice, visit www.dentistnj.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Dipika Shah DDS, here in our Holmdel, NJ office, call 732-264-8180. 

Causes of Bad Breath

If you suffer from bad breath, there may be a deeper issue than lingering food particles. We love teaching patients at Dr. Dipika Shah’s Holmdel dental office about how to take better care of their oral health, and combatting halitosis is one of the ways by which patients know they’re doing something right.

Typically halitosis isn’t just caused by food debris, but by bacterial build-up. Bacteria infect the corners of teeth near the gum line where many people forget to brush and the surface of the tongue, where nasal discharge can drip to. We recommend that patients brush their tongues and use a tongue scraper on a daily basis. Patients also must be vigilant about cleaning removable oral appliances such as dentures, night guards, and mouth guards and the cases they are kept in.

Certain foods such as onions and garlic can contribute to bad breath in unexpected ways. Chemicals from them can enter the bloodstream and into the patient’s lungs or trigger an acid reflux response, which could allow stomach acid into the mouth. In addition to cutting back on these foods, patients might want to avoid anything that could contribute to dry mouth. Without saliva, it is more difficult for the mouth to maintain a pH level that resists bacteria and yeast. Drinking lots of water while cutting sugary drinks is the best way to improve saliva production.

Dr. Dipika Shah, Master in the Academy of General Dentistry, operates at 723 N Beers St, Suite 2F, Holmdel, New Jersey, 07733-1512. To schedule an appointment, call 732-264-8180 or visit Dentist NJ and fill out a contact form.

 

How Smoking Affects Dental Pulp

We’re proud to say that patients with toothaches can get reliable treatment in comfort at the Holmdel dental office of Dr. Dipika Shah. Root canals remove potentially life-threatening infected material while preserving the natural structure of a tooth. But new research shows that smokers have particular problems with dental pulp infections, and we want our patients to be aware of why.

Antimicrobial peptides are one of the foundations of the immune system. They are molecules that kill bacteria by latching onto them and are found in healthy dental pulp. When a tooth is injured or an infection reaches the pulp, the pulp becomes inflamed, allowing peptides to more easily pass through tissue layers. But in smokers, the immune system does not function as well. Smokers have elevated levels of periodontal disease, and a recent study indicated that their dental pulp lacks antimicrobial peptides.

Without antimicrobial peptides, it is much harder for pulp to resist infections and the infections are likelier to recur. In the course of a root canal treatment, we can use antibacterial medication to fight infection in pulp we can’t remove, but complications are less likely if the patient is not a smoker. Some good news is that the researchers found that a few people’s immune systems recovered after they quit smoking.

Dr. Dipika Shah, Master in the Academy of General Dentistry, operates at 723 N Beers St, Suite 2F, Holmdel, New Jersey, 07733-1512. To schedule an appointment, call 732-264-8180 or visit Dentist NJ and fill out a contact form.