Chappaqua Smiles

Dental phobia is a more serious condition than anxiety. It leaves people panic-stricken and terrified. People with dental phobia have an awareness that the fear is totally irrational, but are unable to do much about it. They exhibit classic avoidance behavior; that is, they will do everything possible to avoid going to the dentist.

Cavities are permanently damaged areas in the hard surface of your teeth that develop into tiny openings or holes. Cavities, also called tooth decay or caries, are caused by a combination of factors, including bacteria in your mouth, frequent snacking, sipping sugary drinks and not cleaning your teeth well.

We have a couple of different options for fixing a chipped or broken tooth, depending on where it is in your mouth. In the back of the mouth, smaller chips or breaks may require a simple tooth-colored filling. Back teeth generate a lot of force so fillings aren't always appropriate. For larger chips or breaks involving a cusp of a tooth, an inlay or onlay may be a better option.

There are several reasons why some people's teeth grow in crooked, overlapping, or twisted. Some people's mouths are too small for their teeth, which crowds the teeth and causes them to shift.

In other cases, a person's upper and lower jaws aren't the same size or are malformed, resulting in either an overbite, when there is excessive protrusion of the upper jaw, or an underbite, when the lower jaw protrudes forward causing the lower jaw and teeth to extend out beyond the upper teeth.Make keeping teeth clean more of a challenge, increasing the risk of tooth decay, cavities, and gingivitis.

Worn and Short teeth are increasingly common these days, especially in the older population, yet they can be prevented and treated once the cause is identified. Some wear to teeth is a natural side effect of aging, with worn teeth becoming smaller and darker in color.

This is a major esthetic problem and can start to affect your bite or contribute to a temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD) which can lead to headaches, earaches, neck or back pain.Here are some examples of how we used a combination of porcelain veneers, porcelain crowns and dental implants to restore their worn and broken teeth.