Sealants

Are you looking for a way to protect your children and yourself from tooth decay? You might want to try dental sealants. These treatments are long-lasting and easy on the patient. At the Miami Beach and North Miami Beach offices of Drs. Ressler, Hirschl, and Lelchuk, we provide this service.

A sealant is a small coating that covers the crevices in a molar or premolar. Our chewing teeth have deep indentations between their raised bits (called cusps). Those indentations can easily become covered in food debris that many patients, particularly younger ones, have difficulty brushing away. If bacteria take hold in an indentation, they may cause decay that will have to be drilled away and replaced with a partial crown.

Sealants can be placed in just a few minutes. After the teeth have been cleaned, they will be etched with mild acid to increase their surface area. The wet sealant will be painted on and hardened with a blue light. The patient should be able to eat normally within a few hours. Sealants smooth out crevices, but they still leave the tooth textured enough to chew normally. They also provide a tooth with extra protection against direct acidic erosion and can last for over a decade before needing to be redone.

Dr. Allen Ressler, Dr. Andrew Hirschl, and Dr. Ira Lelchuk operate from two locations. To schedule an appointment at the location at Mount Sinai Medical Center, 4300 Alton Road, Suite 1190, Miami Beach, Florida, 33140, call 305-532-1444. To schedule an appointment at Intracoastal Mall, 3909 NE 163^rdSt, Suite 310, North Miami Beach, Florida, 33160, call 305-949-2630. They can also be reached on their website, Miami Dental through a contact form.

Acid Reflux and Tooth Decay

Patients at Ressler, Hirschl, and Lelchuk’s dental offices receive preventive care appropriate for every part of life. Although childhood dental education emphasizes plaque as a major cause of tooth decay, one of the biggest threats to adults is acid reflux. We offer many services for repairing and strengthening enamel, but for the sake of acid reflux patients’ comfort, as well as their health, they will likely have to make some lifestyle changes.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is said to occur when a patient suffers heartburn at least twice a week.  Heartburn is actually caused by stomach acid escaping into the esophagus, burning soft tissues as it goes, and potentially getting as far as the mouth. Prolonged, repeated exposure to acid causes enamel to erode, leaving teeth discolored, sensitive, and misshapen. Because of their position in the mouth, it is often the inward and downward facing sides of the upper teeth which are most affected. Smoothing of the molars could cause problems for the patient’s bite.

Sealants can help strengthen teeth, but enamel cannot be regrown once it has been lost. Partial crowns are valuable tools for reversing the damage of acid reflux, but to prevent further problems, patients should reduce their intake of high-fat and acidic food, as well as alcohol, chocolate, and caffeine. Patients are also advised to not eat in large quantities before lying down and to quit smoking.

Dr. Allen Ressler, Dr. Andrew Hirschl, and Dr. Ira Lelchuk operate from two locations. To schedule an appointment at the location at Mount Sinai Medical Center, 4300 Alton Road, Suite 1190, Miami Beach, Florida, 33140, call 305-532-1444. To schedule an appointment at Intracoastal Mall, 3909 NE 163^rd St, Suite 310, North Miami Beach, Florida, 33160, call 305-949-2630. They can also be reached on their website, Miami-Dental.com, through a contact form.