Our mission: To Alleviate Pain, Repair When Necessary, Encourage
Prevention, and Focus on Teaching the Skills Necessary to Maintain Optimal Oral Health. To Achieve Excellence in Patient Service by Constant Attention to Meeting Patient Needs Through Comprehensive and Innovative Care.
We at PJDG are dedicated to improve the health and well being of our dental patients with the highest level of care, comfort and gentleness that we are able to provide. We will make each patient feel special by listening to and understanding his or her needs and wants. By providing a trusting, friendly and pleasant atmosphere, we can form a partnership with our patients that results in optimal dental health.
Preventing dental diseases is less costly and more rewarding than correcting problems once they occur. Good dental health is the result of good habits, proper nutrition and regular professional care. Once you understand how dental diseases begin, then you will understand how to prevent it. That is why educating you is one of our primary goals.
Wisdom teeth don't make you smart, but they can create problems. These third molars are the last teeth to erupt and usually appear between the ages of 17 and 21, but can begin causing problems as early as age 13. Sometimes the teeth don't always have enough space at the back of the lower and upper jaw and develop at an angle causing the tooth to jam and become impacted. When this happens, a cyst can form in the tissue surrounding the tooth causing deterioration of the jawbone or the tooth in front. Sometimes the wisdom teeth only partially erupt and become prone to recurrent infection and decay. This condition can lead to swelling, pain and difficulty opening the jaw. The development of wisdom teeth can be painful and is often associated with sore throats, headaches and gum infections. By checking the development of your wisdom teeth during regular checkups and dental x-rays, your dentist can determine whether your wisdom teeth have enough space to erupt through the gum or if they should be removed.
These patients. Anyone on a medication causing a dry mouth effect should be encouraged to see their dentist for regular dental cleanings and topical fluoride rinses.
Fluoride Treatment
Dental Sealants
Which require further preventive care. To prevent decay, a plastic-like coating called a sealant should be painted on the chewing surfaces of all the back teeth. Studies have shown that sealants can reduce tooth decay by as much as 90% to 100%. The American Dental Association recommends sealants be placed as soon as the first adult teeth come in at age 6 or 7. Sealants should continue to be used as each adult back tooth comes into the mouth. All back teeth that need to be sealed are present by age 13. Sealant application is simple, fast and painless.
Teeth break for several reasons, namely, a traumatic injury due to a hard or foreign object in your food, severe clenching or grinding (Bruxism) and/or the presence of large amalgam (silver) fillings. Amalgam fillings, as they have been done in the past, weaken the remaining tooth. Present amalgam fillings have less of a tendency to contribute to tooth breakage if they are bonded.
Veneers
HERE'S NOW IT'S DONE: Typically, the front and edges of the tooth are selectively removed and the veneer replaces the removed surface. Veneer
Crowns
A crown or cap is a cover that fits over a properly prepared tooth that has been damaged by decay or accident, or is badly stained or shaped. A crown can be made of acrylic, metal, porcelain, porcelain and metal, or resined metal. All-porcelain crowns look more like your natural teeth, and therefore are usually used for front teeth, while porcelain with metal underlay has more strength and is good for crowns in the back of the mouth. Sometimes all-metal crowns are used for back teeth because of the metal's strength.
Bridges
You can diligently floss and brush your teeth and still lose a tooth to gum disease or an accident. If this happens, the tooth or teeth should be replaced in order to restore your smile, regain your chewing and prevent other teeth from shifting to an undesirable or less functional position. There are three main types of artificial teeth and each one is designed for a particular situation. They are dental implants, removable dentures and fixed bridges. A DENTAL IMPLANT is made by surgically placing one or more small metal posts beneath the gum into the jawbone. In a few months, when they are attached to the surrounding bone, they are exposed and have the artificial tooth or teeth attached to them. A REMOVABLE OR PARTIAL DENTURE replaces all or some of the lost teeth in the arch with one appliance. The denture is held in place by clasping some of the remaining teeth - or by suction where none of the natural teeth are left. A FIXED BRIDGE is a replacement that is cemented to the adjacent teeth and cannot be removed.
Dental Bonding
Restorative Dentistry
With an emphasis on lifetime prevention, our dental practice offers you comprehensive dental care in the convenience of one location. Utilizing the latest techniques in Cosmetic and Restorative dentistry, Prosthodontics, Periodontal care, and Endodontics your comfort and appearance are foremost in our minds.
Today, with modern dentistry, root canal treatment has become a common form of treatment for diseased (abscessed) teeth. Your regular dentist or root canal specialist (Endodontist) can provide this treatment.
Many seniors today have retained their own teeth, avoiding the trauma of removable dentures. Many are on medications creating dryness of the mouth as a side effect. Without the natural benefit of saliva to decrease bacterial action, we see an increase of cavities on the root surfaces of
"Well, you know Doc, it’s only a back tooth. No one will see it so I’ll just get rid of it. It’s not going to make a difference". The plain truth is that it will make a difference. The loss of just a single tooth can set a course that can destroy the entire mouth. "Well, if that’s true, tell me more. I sure don’t want to lose the front ones that I smile with". Teeth will drift and tip into a space that is created by missing teeth. Just like two gears of a car that are not properly aligned, pretty soon you’ve got a whole lot of problems. "Well I don’t like that. What can I do?" If it sounds like I’ve heard this conversation a few times, you’re right. If I’m going to keep a patient happy, I need to provide options at this point. One of the options would be an implant. This is the replacement of a tooth with a false root that is surgically placed. It is often followed by the careful construction of a crown which replaces the missing tooth, to prevent teeth from shifting and thereby avoiding further tooth loss.
Floss or dental instrument. The second, third, and fourth stages are initial, moderate, and advanced "periodontal disease", respectively. These stages are different from gingivitis because the infection has destroyed the bone supporting the teeth, causing eventual tooth loss. Additional signs of advanced gum disease are swelling of the gums, pus oozing around the teeth, bad breath, receding gums and looseness of the teeth. The treatment is more involved at these stages, usually consisting of a special cleaning with anesthetic and sometimes gum surgery.
Tooth Extractions
Many mothers have experienced gum disease, dental pain and/or tooth extraction during or shortly after pregnancy. This is often seen as being a "normal" side effect of being pregnant. Dental disease, which is an infection of the teeth and/or gums, is not "normal" for any patient. There are three basic things that happen during pregnancy which make the patient more susceptible to dental disease. First, hormonal changes may make the gums more susceptible to gum disease. Second, pregnant women to eat smaller, more frequent meals, exposing their teeth and gums to tend sugar and acids more often. Third, the cravings for "junk foods" and inadequate oral hygiene pose an increased threat to the teeth and gums. Pregnant women should be advised to schedule a dental evaluation and receive preventive dental care. Personalized oral hygiene instruction should also be given to fight disease and promote overall good health for the mother and her baby.
After almost 10 years of prescribing home bleaching, numerous clinical studies have shown home bleaching to be safe, as long as the bleaching is done under the care of a dentist. We make a bleaching tray (called a stent) to exactly fit your teeth. It does not cover the gum tissue at all. The bleaching gel is 10% carbamide peroxide, which can be irritating to the gums. It can also cause temporary tooth sensitivity if not used correctly. Since the bleach is in the form of a gel, there is little chance of swallowing the bleach. Store bought bleaching systems have you make the stent by heating a block of tray material and then having you bite into it. There is nothing to prevent the bleach from sitting on your gum tissue. The bleach used in store bought systems is more fluid and can be easily swallowed.
Cosmetic Dentistry
, received her dental degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 2009. She went on to complete her residency at St. Charles Hospital in 2010. Dedicated to staying up to date on the latest treatment concepts, techniques and materials, Dr. Englebright takes hundreds of hours of continuing education. She holds professional memberships in The American Dental Association, New York State Dental Association, Suffolk County Dental Society, Academy of General Dentistry, and the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. Dr. Englebright currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Suffolk County Dental Society. Dr. Englebright considers it a great privilege to look after one's health and as such, always strives to treat her patients as though they are family. Dr. Englebright is committed to providing the highest levelof compassion and quality of care to her patients. When she is not in the office Dr. Englebright enjoys spending time with her family around the community. She has a keen interest in local history and can often be found partaking in events of the Three Village Historical Society, of which she is a member.