New Port Richey Dentist | Stephen E. Stein, D.D.S., P.A.

Chipped Tooth

Chipped teeth feel rough to the touch and to your tongue. There are countless ways someone can chip a tooth; rough-housing, football, boxing and normal every day activities. The important thing to remember about a chipped tooth is to see your dentist right away.

If you see your dentist right away, the minor treatment he will do to fix the tooth will prevent major treatment to correct it later.

Only your dentist can really evaluate the damage to a chipped tooth. If the chip is deep the damage might be more severe. If the inner tooth (pulp) is damaged it could affect the nerve endings and that could mean serious problems.

“How does the dentist fix a chipped tooth?”

Your dentist has several options when it comes to repairing a chipped tooth:

• Enamel- shaping or filling for small chips
• Bonding veneer- for larger chips
• Onlay- is a solution if the chip is on a molar

Ask your dentist about a chipped tooth.

Ask Stephen E. Stein
D.D.S., P.A.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
General Dentistry Office - (727) 863-2497
Family Medical Center - 10806 US Hwy 19 - Port Richey, FL 34668

When you are looking for the right dentist for you in Port Richey, FL, you want to be assured that you are making the right choice, and that you are selecting a dentist where you feel always comfortable that you get the best service possible, and that you can feel good about coming back to your dentist in the future. Give us a call today - You’ll be glad you did.

Dental Crowns

Crowns are the most effective dental solutions for covering a tooth to enhance its shape, size, strength and to improve its appearance.

Not brushing your teeth and skipping regular dental visits can make your teeth susceptible to rot. Eating hard candy and other such factors can hurt the health of your teeth. Crowns are a common solution to such problems.

Dentists might recommend crowns for:

• Covering teeth that are discolored
• Protecting decaying teeth
• Restoring broken teeth
• Holding a dental bridge in place

Permanent crowns are made in a dental laboratory and are made from a variety of materials:

• Metal (gold, nickel or chromium)
• Porcelain fused to metal
• All porcelain or all ceramic
• Resin (durable plastic)

“Which crown is right for me?

Metal crowns require less tooth structure to be removed but are less attractive, porcelain is less noticeable but may not last as long as metal or resin. While there are many options your dentist will recommend the right crown for you based on what teeth need crowns.

Dental Crown Procedure:

Crowns are usually completed in two dental visits.

During the first visit your dentist will take x-rays to determine the extent of tooth decay or damage. Sometimes a root canal might be needed to handle severe damage. Your dentist will then file the chewing surface and sides of the tooth to prepare for the crown. Next an impression is made of the prepared tooth and surrounding tooth. Finally a temporary crown is placed on the tooth to cover it while the permanent crown is being made.

The actual crown is placed on the tooth on in about two to three weeks when the crown arrives from the laboratory. 

“How do I take care of crowns?”

Crowns do not make your teeth invincible to tooth decay. You still need to brush regularly, eat a well balanced diet and see your dentist on a regular basis. Using your teeth as an opening device, chewing on ice, pencils or hard candy and grinding your teeth can all deteriorate the life of your crown.  When your teeth are properly taken care of your crown should last 5-15 years.

Any questions?

Ask Stephen E. Stein
D.D.S., P.A.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
General Dentistry Office - (727) 863-2497
Family Medical Center - 10806 US Hwy 19 - Port Richey, FL 34668

When you are looking for the right dentist for you in Port Richey, FL, you want to be assured that you are making the right choice, and that you are selecting a dentist where you feel always comfortable that you get the best service possible, and that you can feel good about coming back to your dentist in the future. Give us a call today - You’ll be glad you did.  

Dental Bonding

Dental bonding has revolutionized certain areas of dentistry. Dentists now use bonding for cavity prevention, preparation and cosmetic treatments.

During a dental bonding, your dentist applies a tooth colored resin plastic to your tooth. A special light is then used to harden or “bond” the material to your tooth.

“What is bonding used for?”

Bonding is most commonly used for:

• Restoring decayed or cracked and chipped teeth
• Improving the appearance of stained teeth
• Closing spaces between teeth
• Changing the shape of teeth

“What is the difference between Bonding, Crowns and Veneers?

Bonding, crowns and veneers are all used for cosmetic purposes and can change your smile for average to magnificent. Bonding is less expensive and less complicated than crowns and veneers.

Dentists prefer bonding for:

• Small cosmetic changes
• Temporarily correcting cosmetic defects
• Teeth that have little bite pressure such as front teeth

While veneers and crowns are custom made in an offsite laboratory requiring multiple visits, bonding is performed in your dentist’s office and usually takes only one visit.

The Bonding Procedure

Bonding is a simple three step procedure, taking about 30-60 minutes per tooth.

#1. Your dentist prepares the tooth by removing a small amount of enamel.

#2.  Your dentist selects a composite resin that matches the shade of your tooth and a conditioning material is applied to help the resin adhere to the tooth.

#3. Your dentist uses an ultraviolet light to harden the resin.
“Do you have to do anything special to your teeth when you have bonding?

There are no extra things you need to do to take care of bonded teeth. Good maintenance is all you need. Brushing your teeth twice a day, flossing daily and seeing your dentist on a regular basis is enough. Bonded teeth are susceptible to chipping so you should not chew things such as pens, ice or your fingernails.

Any qoestions?

Ask Stephen E. Stein
D.D.S., P.A.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
General Dentistry Office - (727) 863-2497
Family Medical Center - 10806 US Hwy 19 - Port Richey, FL 34668

When you are looking for the right dentist for you in Port Richey, FL, you want to be assured that you are making the right choice, and that you are selecting a dentist where you feel always comfortable that you get the best service possible, and that you can feel good about coming back to your dentist in the future. Give us a call today - You’ll be glad you did.

Broken Teeth

Some people break bones like their arm or leg. These bones repair and are as good as new later.  Your body has an amazing way of repairing itself. Broken teeth however are the exception. Your body intended for you to keep your teeth for a lifetime. When you break a tooth, you need to act fast!

Serious Signs of Broken Teeth

The inside of a tooth (pulp) is very sensitive. This deep layer can be damaged easily. Such sensitivity is a warning sign of a very seriously broken tooth. Bleeding is also a sign that something serious is wrong with your tooth, especially with adult teeth.

“I lost my tooth. What should I do?”

If one of your permanent teeth is knocked out it is very important to see your dentist right away! The longer you wait, the harder it will be to put it back in place.

You have a thirty minute window to effectively reattach a tooth. These changes diminish greatly after twenty four hours. Here are some things you should do when you lose a tooth:

1. If you lose a permanent tooth, try to put it back in place. Be very careful not to swallow it!
2. If it cannot be placed back in place, keep it in a small amount of milk to preserve it.
3. Applying a cold compress will help with pain and bleeding. You can also apply direct pressure on the bleeding area.
4. Most importantly, see your dentist right away!

“I was in a car accident. Can that hurt my teeth?”

If you have been in an accident and had injuries to your mouth or face, see your dentist after you get medical treatment. It is extremely important to make sure that no serious damage was done to your teeth or roots. Broken teeth can result from damage to the roots of your teeth causing the tooth to die. In this instance a root canal is needed.

Broken Teeth from Gradual Wear and Tear

Teeth can break from an accident or from gradual tooth loss. Taking care of your teeth is important in preventing gradual tooth loss. Brushing twice a day, flossing daily and rinsing with an antibacterial mouthwash is important. Seeing a dentist regularly is important too.  If you do not take care of your teeth properly you are more likely to have gradual tooth loss.
In addition to proper maintenance, here are some simple ways to keep your teeth healthy:

• Don’t chew on anything but food.
• Don’t use your teeth as an opener or any other tool.
• Use a night guard (available from your dentist) if you grind your teeth at night.
• Whenever you play sports use mouth protection.
• Do not suck on sour or acidity things like lemons, grapefruit, or aspirin.

Any questions?

Ask Stephen E. Stein
D.D.S., P.A.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
General Dentistry Office - (727) 863-2497
Family Medical Center - 10806 US Hwy 19 - Port Richey, FL 34668

When you are looking for the right dentist for you in Port Richey, FL, you want to be assured that you are making the right choice, and that you are selecting a dentist where you feel always comfortable that you get the best service possible, and that you can feel good about coming back to your dentist in the future. Give us a call today - You’ll be glad you did.