Incipient Lesions

One of the reasons it’s so important to get regular dental check-ups is so you can be assessed for developing caries. These infections on the surfaces of teeth will result in cavities if they are not stopped in time. Fortunately, there is an easy way for us at Miami Beach and North Miami Beach offices of Doctors Ressler, Hirschl, and Lelchuk to identify incipient caries: by the white spots they create on enamel.

Plaque traps the acid that oral bacteria excrete as part of their metabolization process. As the amount of plaque on a tooth increases, the tooth is exposed to more acid. Eventually, it will begin losing some of the minerals that make up its enamel. When this happens, the tooth takes on a chalky appearance, which is why incipient lesions are often called “white spot lesions.” The white spot can transform into a cavity in as few as thirty days.

While a lesion is still in the white spot stage, it is easy to reverse. The patient can deprive oral bacteria of sustenance by reducing their intake of simple carbohydrates and get rid of them through better brushing. Once the lesion is free of bacteria, the teeth can be remineralized with fluoride treatments. But if a cavity developed, it will have to be filled in with a prosthetic material. Sealants can help to prevent further decay, but people with fixed orthodontic brackets will simply have to get more comfortable using "Christmas tree" toothbrushes. If the white spot has left a scar, we may consider covering it with a veneer.

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.

 

Tooth Sensitivity to Cold

During the hot summer months, many people discover they have become more sensitive to cold foods. Biting into an ice cream bar or sipping a chilled coffee causes a sharp pain to shoot through their teeth. One of our goals at the Miami Beach dental offices of Drs. Ressler, Hirschl, and Lelchuk is to ensure that our patients feel comfortable and confident in all things tooth-related. Sensitivity is common, but it isn’t something people should have to endure.

Each natural tooth contains a nerve in its pulp. Pulp is surrounded by dentin, which is a yellow-gray colored material made up of miniature tubules that easily conduct heat. The outer layer of the crown is made up of enamel, a mineral substance that provides insulation but cannot regrow after being lost. The outer layer of the tooth root is made up of a sticky substance called cementum, which is much thinner than enamel. When enamel is eroded or gum tissue has receded from around the tooth root, dental pulp can lose heat rapidly.

Usually, enamel erosion and gum recession is due to acid. In most cases, the acid comes directly from drinks such as soda or citrus juice or is produced by oral bacteria as a by-product of consuming sugar. People may also experience tooth sensitivity if they frequently suffer from acid reflux. Oral hygiene upkeep is essential to combatting bacteria and extra-fluoridated toothpaste can help restore the minerals that make up enamel. We can also help patients by providing them with sealants, which will give their teeth extra protection. A deep cleaning will remove infectious material in the gum pockets, preventing gum tissue from receding.

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.

 

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.

Dental Phobia

If you have a fear of going to the dentist or people working in your mouth, you likely suffer from dental phobia. Dental phobia is a serious condition that leaves patients with a fear of the dentist panic-stricken and terrified in the days leading up to their appointment. Our staff at Miami Dental advises patients with dental phobia to let us know prior to their visit with us about their fears.

Studies have shown that about 9% to 15% of people avoid going to the dentist every year due to dental phobia. We don’t want your fear of the dentist to deter you for getting your teeth cleaned and getting a checkup twice a year. People who suffer from dental phobia are more likely to develop cavities and gum disease.

Please give us a call a couple of days before your appointment with us so can accommodate you the best we can and make you feel comfortable.

Dr. Allen Ressler, Dr. Andrew Hirschl, and Dr. Ira Lelchuk operate 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 Intracostal 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 through a contact form.

Children's Dental Health Month

At Miami Dental, we advise our patients to practice good oral hygiene starting at a young age. Children's baby teeth act as placeholders for their permanent teeth as the jaws develop, which is why it is important to encourage good cleaning habits. Every February the American Dental Association promotes National Children’s Dental Health Month to raise awareness for children.

Tooth decay is the most common chronic disease among children. To prevent tooth decay, we encourage parents to brush their babies' teeth. With just a dab of toothpaste, gently brush the surfaces of your children’s teeth with a soft-bristled toothbrush. When your children are old enough, teach them how to brush and floss (and spit toothpaste) on their own, and ask us if you are unsure of the proper technique. Inspect your children's mouths for signs of gingivitis, such as red gum tissue.

Don’t forget, good hygiene starts at a young age and lasts for a lifetime. Remember to schedule a cleaning with us twice a year to maintain healthy teeth.

Dr. Allen Ressler, Dr. Andrew Hirschl, and Dr. Ira Lelchuk operate 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 Intracostal 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 through a contact form.

Tips for the Holidays

We wish all of our patients at the dental offices of Drs. Ressler, Hirschl, and Lelchuk a Happy Thanksgiving! During the holidays, sugary treats abound, and we want to make sure that everybody is keeping their teeth safe from decay. That doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the season; it just means following a few tips in this guide.

The longer sugar is in contact with teeth, the more time there is for bacteria to consume it and produce acid. For this reason, it’s not just the sugary, sticky candies that get stuck in dental crevices you have to worry about. Hard candies can pose the same risk since they are in contact with teeth for a long time, as can starches from sources such as squash and crackers. People should also remember that seasonal drinks such as pumpkin spice lattes, apple cider, and eggnog leave sugary residue behind. Additionally, saliva helps to wash away residue, so you’ll want to drink a lot of fluoridated water to compensate for anything that could dry your mouth out.

You produce more saliva when you’re eating large meals, so limiting eating to those time will help you to avoid tooth decay. If that’s not feasible, you can chew sugar-free gum after snacking to dislodge some food debris. If you’re hosting, you can also opt to serve xylitol-flavored hard candies in place of sugary ones.

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.

 

Dental Instruments

Regular dental cleanings are crucial to maintaining patients’ health, but we understand that many people suffer from dental anxiety. At the Miami Beach and North Miami Beach practices of Ressler, Lelchuk, and Hirschl, we want our patients to feel at home in the dental office, which is why we thought it would be a good idea to explain what some of our instruments are for.

Patients are familiar with the hose that sucks away saliva and debris, but they may not have known that it’s called an evacuator. The three instruments we use the most frequently are the evacuator, handheld mirror, and an explorer or probe. Explorers are the hooked metal instruments we use to test the hardness of enamel and the cleanliness of gum pockets. They are also used to pry away calculus that has built up on teeth.

We have more specialized tools for each procedure, including repairing tooth decay. For most procedures, we inject the patient with a local anesthetic using a syringe. Modern dental drills are designed to minimize heat by running water over the drill site. Once the drill debris has been evacuated, we’ll mix the white resin filling material on a small spatula and apply it using a blunt-tipped instrument called a burnisher. These instruments come in many shapes and are also used by orthodontists to contour molar brackets.

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.

White Spot Lesions

You probably are familiar with dark-colored tooth stains, but what do you do about white spots? Although teeth can become stained through consumption of dark-colored drinks and food, white spot lesions or incipient lesions indicate a threat to your mouth’s health. Fortunately, at the offices of Drs. Ressler, Hirschl, and Lelchuk, we can provide treatment and restore your smile’s beauty.

Tooth enamel looks unnaturally white early in the process of demineralization. This effect can be seen on the back teeth of people suffering from acid reflux. More commonly, it results from oral infections. As bacteria feed, they produce acid, which erodes the teeth. The gum line, the sides of teeth where toothbrushes can’t reach, and the areas surrounding orthodontic brackets are all common places for white spots to develop. It only takes about thirty days for bacteria to erode enough enamel to be visible.

White spot lesions indicate the presence of an infection that needs to be brought under control before anything else can be done. When the infection is no longer active, the white spot will look shinier. If necessary, it can be treated with remineralization therapy or covered with bonding or a veneer.

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.

 

Dental Sealants Prevent Decay

If your child is prone to cavities and you’ve never heard of dental sealants before, it may be time to inform yourself. Dental sealants are plastic coatings that are placed on the chewing surfaces of the permanent back teeth. Although brushing and flossing remove food particles, sometimes it’s hard to reach into the crevices to remove all of them. Because children and teenagers are highly prone to decay, our doctors Ressler, Hirschl, and Lelchuk suggest dental sealants to these candidates the most.

Though adults can reap the benefits of dental sealants, they are more for children and teenagers. This is because of the likelihood of developing decay in the depressions and grooves of the molars. Dental sealants are simple and the process to apply them is painless. Sealants are painted onto tooth enamel where the material bonds directly to the tooth and hardened. Sealants can protect teeth for up to 10 years with proper oral care and reduce the risk of cavities by up to 80%.

If you have questions or concerns about pediatric dental services, please give us a call. To learn more about dental health as well as the services we provide at the practice, visit www.miami-dental.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with one of our doctors, give us a call at our Miami Beach office: 305-532-1444 or North Miami Beach office: 305-949-2630. 

Fillings and Toothaches

At the dental offices of Ressler, Hirschl, and Lelchuk, patients receive beautiful, naturally colored fillings. These treatments repair minor damage to the teeth, allowing them to function normally and making it easier for the patient to combat tooth decay. However, they are not life-long solutions, and patients will need to recognize when they are not functioning properly.

It is normal for patients to experience sensitivity immediately after the decayed dental material has been removed and filled in. But if they are uncomfortable for longer than three or four days, there may be a problem. It is possible that the filling is not at the correct height and may need to be contoured slightly. This is especially true if the filling is interfering with the patient’s ability to bite down comfortably.

Fillings usually have a lifespan of about ten years. After that, the bonding holding them in place starts to crack. The cracks are excellent hiding spaces for decay-causing bacteria, which is why patients may begin to get toothaches again. The filling may also come loose, which is a sure sign it needs to be removed. Maintaining regular appointments allows us to examine patients’ fillings to determine whether it is time for them to be replaced before major problems develop.

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.com, through a contact form.

Unavoidable Tooth Extractions

Although permanent teeth were meant to last a lifetime, there are a number of reasons why our doctors at Miami Dental may need to perform an extraction. A very common reason involves a tooth that is too badly damaged, from trauma or decay, to be repaired. This is why we emphasize the importance of oral hygiene during every patient visit. Wisdom teeth removal is the most common type of tooth extraction because these teeth can easily become infected if they do not emerge properly. Aside from wisdom teeth removal, other reasons for extractions may include:

• Severe tooth damage/trauma – some teeth have such extensive decay and damage (broken or cracked) that repair is not possible.


• Orthodontic treatment – people getting braces may need teeth extracted to create room for teeth that are being moved into place.


• Some teeth may need to be extracted if they have the potential of becoming infected.


• Extra teeth – extra teeth may block other teeth from erupting, therefore, will require extraction.

If you have a tooth that is causing you pain, don’t wait any longer and give us a call. To learn about the services we provide at our practice, visit www.miami-dental.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with one of our doctors, give us a call at our Miami Beach office: 305-532-1444 or our North Miami Beach office: 305-949-2630.