It’s state of the art smile whitening. Linda Hume, our BriteSmile
Coordinator, is specially trained in this exciting new technology.
She is also whitening also trained as a dental hygienist. Her
experience as a hygienist means she is fully qualified to provide
you with the best dentistry has to offer. Call her and she can
answer your questions – 845-627-SMILE – or e-mail
Linda at BriteSmile@rocklandsmiles.com.
Get more questions answered about BriteSmile by clicking on the
links below. These links will take you directly to BriteSmile’s
Web site and a new browser window will open.
What is
BriteSmile?
How BrightSmile
Works
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We use intraoral cameras that are about the size of a pen to
help you and us clearly see the condition of your smile.
Like never before, we can zoom in on small diseased areas, cracks,
chips and worn metal fillings & significantly magnify these
dental concerns. This information helps you understand how current
and future dental care will affect the overall health of your
smile.
We give you options and show you the possibilities. See for yourself
how modern dentistry can improve the confidence and appearance
of your smile.
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We use laser technology to create beautiful smiles. When patients
come to us with concerns about gum tissue overwhelming their smile,
we can now perform a treatment that contours and reshapes gum
the line. By using a laser, we can reduce many of the concerns
patients had with this kind of esthetic procedure.
The laser enables us to do surgery without a scalpel. Therefore,
there is no bleeding and procedural discomfort eliminated. Healing
is faster and more comfortable. The computer precisely controls
the depth and extent of the shaping for even less discomfort and
more esthetic contouring.
Say Good-bye to that gummy smile and say cheese, as wide as you
please.
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What could a new smile do for your confidence? Let us show you.
Computer smile imaging can give you a preview of what is possible.
First, we’ll talk about the kinds of changes you would like
to see. Then, we take a digital photograph of your smile. After
that, we select a smile design that incorporates the characteristics
you desire in a new smile. Finally, we print out your ‘new
smile’ and your current smile. You can take these with you
to show family and friends or just to remind you of the possibilities
of modern dentistry.
Talk to Kim, our New Patient Coordinator, about an informal smile
consultation and imaging session. Call her at 845-627-SMILE
or click here.
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When you have questions about the details involved in a specific
treatment or therapy, we can answer them with our interactive
video presentations. Knowing the details can help many people
overcome any worries they might have. The programs take you step
by step through the treatment. If you want to know about a procedure,
just ask about a video presentation.
The video presentations also help patients see the benefits of
specific hygiene or periodontal therapies. Gum disease and cavities
can develop quickly and cause lifelong problems. Without a complete
understanding of how daily dental care that can prevent these
health problems, many people are less likely to faithfully keep
at it. This is especially helpful to younger patients.
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You can’t be comfortable if you don’t feel safe. That’s
why we’re so stringent in our approach to germ control. Our
instrument sterilization procedures meet Center for Disease control
guidelines. We autoclave (heat-sterilize) all handpieces and instruments
after each use and safely dispose of non-reusable items.
During treatment we wear gloves, gowns, masks, eye protection
and use barrier covers for each procedure. We also give you protective
eyewear. Each exam room is cleaned and disinfected after each
use. We use only ADA approved disinfectants.
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Root canals, or endodontic treatments, don’t need to be
primitive anymore. Many doctors still use hand filing to clear
the damaged root canal. State-of-the-art technology has made this
procedure more comfortable and precise.
By electronically locating the exact location of the canal and
using precise electronic devices to remove the diseased or damaged
tissue, we can perform the procedure quicker and with less stress.
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Found in this section:
Introduction
The Neuromuscular Difference
Comprehensive Treatment Planning
How N-D Relieves Pain
- Diagnostic technology & therapies
Candidate for Neuromuscular Exam?
- Self-assessment
Conclusion
Neuromuscular Dentistry: Introduction
Traditional concepts of achieving pain-free oral and ‘natural’
function center on the mouth and teeth and do not give the relief
many people need. Neuromuscular dentistry combines our knowledge
of the functional aspects of the mouth and teeth with jaw, oral,
and facial muscle healing and harmonizing therapies.
Take the Self-assessment (link to Self-assessment)
to see if you might have the symptoms of a neuromuscular disorder.
Many of our clients come to us after being diagnosed with a disorder
called TMJ. TMJ problems are also often attributed to how the
jaw joints function in relationship to your teeth. Neuromuscular
dentistry is a different and, as we have seen, a more successful
way to treat this type of problem.
The Neuromuscular Difference
Rehabilitating teeth can improve the feel and function of your
smile; however, building up or restoring teeth might only help
to revert the jaw back to a habitual position not its proper position.
Therefore, relief from pain can be short lived. Neuromuscular
dentistry is focused on returning your oral function to a proper
position that is comfortable for the long-term. The following
information will give you insights into this potentially life-changing
treatment.
Comprehensive Treatment Planning
The challenge of modern dentistry is to create lasting, natural
looking and feeling smiles. This challenge results from the need
to give someone a comprehensive solution when they only expect
small ‘repairs’ to be done.
Much like only making patches to a deteriorated foundation of
a building rather than complete restoration, traditional dentistry
is usually focused on fixing localized problems. This type of
treatment only extends the likelihood of dentures or significant
crowning of teeth. These ‘minimal repairs’ are not long-term
solutions for achieving pain freedom or preserving natural teeth,
which are the kind of results our clients now expect.
We believe that neuromuscular dentistry is part of a comprehensive
assessment of oral health to prepare the foundation of your smile
for the additional benefits of modern restorative and esthetic
solutions. Comprehensive treatment planning is an investment in
the long-term future of your smile and remaining natural tooth
structure. While not everyone will choose this level of care,
we feel our clients deserve this comprehensive option.
How Neuromuscular Dentistry Relieves
Pain
Instead of thinking about teeth, imagine someone riding a bike
that has a good, comfortable and sturdy seat. The longer the rider
rides the bike the more deteriorated the seat becomes. Depending
on the original materials and what kind of other factors affected
the materials (weather, the rider’s routines and size, bumps
in the road, etc.), different types of damage will occur. As the
deterioration of the seat increases, the rider will need to adjust
their sitting habits.
This adjustment can cause strain on the muscles. Because we as
‘riders’ can never get off our bikes, we find the most
comfortable position to sit. This is the habitual position for
riders. In this position they find some relief, but having the
seat in its original condition would work better. Of course, other
‘riders’ are forced into this position because of the
‘original design’ of their bikes or factors completely
beyond their control.
Now imagine your jaw being locked in the wrong position for many
years. When this occurs, some muscles shrink and others expand.
This causes tension and pain. Getting back to the habitual position
can give some relief. On the other hand, comprehensive restoration
of teeth and the harmonization of the neuromuscular condition
of your jaw and surrounding muscles through our relaxation therapies
can do much more. Review our neuromuscular diagnostic and therapeutic
treatments. (link to NmD technology page B)
Are You a Candidate for Neuromuscular
Exam?
There are two situations where a neuromuscular exam might be recommended.
First, people with head, neck or shoulder pain, chronic sensitive
teeth (tooth) to hot and cold or other neuromuscular discomforts
could be helped by this exam. Second, those considering restorative
and/or cosmetic dentistry also can benefit from this comprehensive
assessment to prevent neuromuscular conditions from arising.
Click Here To Take a Self-assessment.
Return to main Neuromuscular menu.
Neuromuscular Self-assessment
People can have neuromuscular pain throughout their lifetime and
not understand why it is occurring. Many people see numerous kinds
of doctors about their problems but do not find relief. To give
our clients neuromuscular harmony, we begin by examining two basic
areas of neuromuscular formation. What you could call ‘natural’
and ‘health experience’ episodes.
Natural episodes include how the jaw was formed during childbirth
or during the first few years of life. We have seen other problems
that developed during childhood tooth formation and early alignment
of the jaw muscles. Health experience episodes include physically
traumatic occurrences and the wearing down of teeth because of
disease or excessive teeth clenching and grinding, and sometimes
after dental treatment. Unfortunately, this discomfort can also
occur when proper planning is not completed before restorative
or esthetic enhancement is undertaken.
If you have any of the following conditions, neuromuscular treatment
might give you the relief you are looking for.*
Symptoms of a Neuromuscular disorder
(Sometimes called TMJ or TMD - temporomandibular joint dysfunction)
- Clenching/bruxing
(grinding teeth)
- Limited
opening of the mouth
- Neck problems
- Loose
teeth
- Tingling
in the fingertips
- Forward
head posturing
- Mouth Breathing
- Tongue
thrusts
- Open bites
- Headaches
- Sensitive
and sore teeth
- Facial
pain
- Neck and
shoulder aches
- Ringing
in the ears
- Jaw pain
- Ear congestion
- Clicking/popping
or grating sounds in the ear or joint
- Worn down
teeth - especially the front teeth
*Our doctors are not able to diagnose your actual
condition unless you come in for a complete exam. If you have
some of these symptoms or would like to know more, please call
our office team at
845-627-SMILE or email
us.
Return to main Neuromuscular menu
Diagnostic Tests
Link or scroll to explanations of our therapeutic & diagnostic
technologies:
Sonography – detecting unacceptable
contractions and extensions of the jaw joint
CMS – measures proper/improper jaw closing,
opening and turning movements
EMG – muscle ‘electricity’
is monitored to detect muscle stress
TENS – relaxing muscles to find the
right posture and harmony for the jaw
Sonography
Our doctors can determine whether the condition of the jaw joint
is a major cause of tooth, or facial, pain by using Sonographic
Analysis. While jaw joint pain can be present, an absence of pain
in the jaw joint does not rule out jaw joint problems. Evaluating
the jaw in this way can help us understand what kind of overall
care you will need.
Sonographic technology records the sounds made by the activity
of the jaw joint. These recordings give us the information we
need to understand the restrictions now placed on your jaw muscles.
This is a non-invasive, user-friendly test, similar to wearing
stereo headphones. Only the ‘headphones’ are listening
your jaw joints not your ears. This technology is only part of
the diagnosis process.
CMS
Computerized Mandibular Scanning shows the movement of the jaw
so we can evaluate function. It can measure the amount of free
space, the swallowing pattern and the pattern at which the teeth
come together. It measures the up and down, and side to side movements
of the jaw, and the speed at which these actions can be performed.
It can detect the difference in factors that create a normal or
abnormal jaw position jaw. If you have a disc problem, it can
provide remedies.
All of this precise information is captured in the CMS scanner
and displayed on a computer monitor using a sensor array and magnetic
tracking technology. We can present and explain these finding
to you. The CMS is most helpful when it is used in conjunction
with EMG recordings.
EMG
We use surface Electromyography to determine what muscles are
being stressed and which ones are in a relaxed mode. This is similar
to your physician/doctor checking your heart with an EKG test.
We can find the most serious problem areas with this technology.
User-friendly pads or sensors are placed in specific sensing areas
and the readings taken are projected on to a computer monitor,
which can be seen by both team member and client.
While many doctors have been using a hands-on method to determine
problem areas, tests like these are not subjective or ‘opinion’
based. The EMG can give us the basis for determining the most
proper resting position for your jaw joint, creating long lasting
harmony. This scientific method helps us give our clients long-term
pain freedom and dental treatment that lasts much longer.
TENS
To achieve a proper resting position, we need to relax the muscles
of the jaw and face. This is where Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve
Stimulation comes in. TENS treatment has been around for over
30 years - utilized in many other medical fields.
The TENS technology uses low frequency, rhythmic electrical impulses
to stimulate nerves that control chewing and facial muscles. Getting
‘TENSed’ is like experiencing a deep facial massage.
After ‘TENSing,’ muscles are freed of toxins and the
spasms caused by tension.
Once freed of these negative influences, muscles revert to their
natural size, relieving pain and creating an ideal environment
for testing. The TENS is then used to record the most favorable
jaw and bite positions. To objectively document whether or not
the TENS therapy is effective, we use the EMG.
Conclusion
These treatments give us a comprehensive diagnostic look at your
condition. However, it does not guarantee that your successful
treatment will come from the dental and therapeutic techniques
we have available. Sometimes we need to refer our clients to other
health professionals that can address other contributing concerns
to provide complete pain freedom.
We invite you to experience the benefits of these techniques.
At the very least we want to give you a new direction for your
care that others have not. Our team wants to end your endless
doctor visits and bring your search for a long-term, pain-free
solution to a conclusion.
•••
Both our doctors are LVI trained – expertise
you deserve – find out more
at this link.
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