What Is TMD?

The temporomandibular joint is a hinge that connects your jaw bone (mandible) to the temporal bones in your skull, in front of each ear.  A general term for any problem or issue with this joint is temporomandibular disorder, or TMD. Bridge Smiles Dental Group can help patients prevent and recover from negative effects of TMD.

Patients that grind or clench their teeth often end up with a sore jaw.  Other patients experience injuries with facial trauma that cause jaw pain, or result in the patient feeling their jaw gets stuck or ‘locks’ in either an open or closed position.  A custom night guard keeps the jaw in a neutral position during sleep, and this helps many patients find relief from TMD symptoms.  For any pain, your dentist may recommend an over-the-counter painkiller or warm and cold compresses.  To prevent further discomfort, you may be assigned stretches for your jaw. 

Whatever your symptoms, you don’t have to suffer with discomfort in your jaw.  To learn more about TMD and the services provided at the practice, visit www.bridgesmilesdental.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with one of our doctors at Bridge Smiles Dental Group P.A. in Somerville, NJ, call 908-725-0400.

Enamel Erosion

Enamel helps the teeth fight against sensitivity and many different chemicals from food that causes the teeth harm. When enamel erodes, a patient may cringe while sipping hot or cold beverages and while brushing and flossing the teeth. To prevent enamel erosion, it’s best to maintain a rigorous oral care routine and visit our doctors at Bridge Smile Dental Group P.A. twice a year for an oral exam and professional cleaning.

Because it’s impossible for your body to produce new enamel, your goal should be to strengthen and repair the enamel you have left. This can be done through a process called “remineralization.” By using dental products that contain fluoride and calcium, you can actually focus on these weak spots to strengthen existing enamel before it wears away for good. Brushing with re-mineralizing toothpaste will help protect enamel while strengthening it.

If you have questions or concerns about preventive dental care, please give us a call. To learn more about the services we provide at our office, visit www.bridgesmilesdental.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with one of our doctors at Bridge Smile Dental Group P.A. in Somerville, NJ, call 908-725-0400.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea poses a high risk of dangerous health conditions for patients who are diagnosed with the condition. Obstructive sleep apnea happens when something partly, or completely, blocks the upper airway during sleep. The condition can reduce the flow of oxygen to vital organs and cause irregular heart rhythms. Our doctors at Bridge Smiles Dental Group P.A. can provide treatment options to help manage obstructive sleep apnea and improve your quality of sleep. 

When obstructive sleep apnea occurs, our doctors at Bridge Smiles Dental Group P.A. may suggest a night guard or a Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) procedure as a last resort. UPPP is a procedure used to remove excess tissue in the throat to widen the airway. This sometimes can allow air to move through the throat more easily when you breathe, reducing snoring. Sleep apnea is a chronic condition that requires long-term management. Lifestyle changes, mouthpieces, surgery, and breathing devices can successfully treat sleep apnea in many people.

If you have questions or concerns regarding sleep disorders, please give us a call. To learn more about sleep apnea and all the treatments we offer, visit www.bridgesmilesdental.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with one of our doctors at Bridge Smiles Dental Group P.A. in Somerville, NJ, call 908-725-0400.

Caring For Your Retainer

Many orthodontic patients require a retainer at the end of orthodontic treatment.  Removable retainers are an easy step to take to preserve a straight smile.  Bridge Smiles Dental Group provides retainers for patients, and caring for your retainer properly is important so that it functions and lasts as long as possible.  A silly but common mistake people make with their retainers is trying to cut corners -- don’t try to clean or brush your retainer while it’s still in your mouth!  The retainer cannot be completely cleaned of debris this way, and toothpaste can also be abrasive to the plastic of the retainer.  Always remove your retainer before cleaning thoroughly with water and your toothbrush. Use a mild dish or hand soap to help clean off debris- never abrasive toothpaste.

You should clean your retainer daily, and also treat it weekly by soaking.  Soaking helps maintain the cleanliness of the retainer and keep it from drying out.  To soak the retainer, dissolve denture cleaning tablets in water or add a little baking soda to water to make a solution.  Storing your retainer properly is also important for its longevity.  Get in the habit of always using and carrying a case.  Too many retainers have disappeared after being folded up in napkins!

To learn more about caring for your retainer, visit www.bridgesmilesdental.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with one of our doctors at Bridge Smiles Dental Group P.A. in Somerville, NJ, call 908-725-0400.

Pediatric Patients

Bridge Smiles Dental Group is proud to serve the families from our community, and we want them to know it’s just as important for children to have regular dental visits.  A child’s first dental visit should be scheduled when the first baby tooth appears, or around the child’s first birthday.  Baby teeth eventually come out, but their growth and development is important for overall oral health for the child and the development of their adult teeth.

Baby teeth should be brushed and cared for like adult teeth, and it’s important to monitor their growth and development.  Missing any tooth for too long can change the development of surrounding teeth and compromise the structure of the jaw bone, but regular checkups can keep a child’s tooth development right on track.  Our dentists are skilled and experienced in administering dental care to children.  If your child has seems nervous about seeing a dentist for the first time, we recommend going through a brushing routine with them at home, and talking about the dental visit before you arrive.  Once we get your child’s oral health off to a great start, we offer a full range of services for child patients including dental cleanings, fluoride treatments and sealants.

We love to see good oral hygiene habits formed early and make lifetime patients out of kids from our community!  To learn more about pediatric dental care and all the services provided at our practice, visit www.bridgesmilesdental.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with one of our doctors at Bridge Smiles Dental Group P.A. in Somerville, NJ, call 908-725-0400.

Benefits of Dentures

Dentures act as replacements for missing teeth that can be taken out and put back into your mouth. While dentures take some getting used to, and will never feel exactly the same as one’s natural teeth, today’s dentures are natural looking and more comfortable than ever. If you have a toothless smile, but desire a noninvasive treatment option, our doctors at Bridge Smile Dental Group P.A. can recommend dentures.

When you lose all of your teeth, facial muscles can sag, making you look older. Dentures can help fill out the appearance of your face and profile. They can also be made to closely resemble your natural teeth so that your appearance does not change too much. There are different types of dentures that we can suggest depending on the individual case such as implant-retained dentures, or partial dentures.  

If you have questions or concerns about dentures or restorative dental services, please give us a call. To learn more about the services we provide at our office, visit www.bridgesmilesdental.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with one of our doctors at Bridge Smile Dental Group P.A. in Somerville, NJ, call 908-725-0400.

Tooth Sectioning

We take seriously our promise to do gentle, painless dentistry at the Bridge Smiles Dental Group. There are times, particularly in the course of orthodontic work, when it is necessary for teeth to be extracted. In those circumstances, we want patients to understand more about what we’re doing so they’ll feel at ease about tooth sectioning.

The wisdom teeth are large and are anchored by strong ligaments. Often, the reason they need to be removed is that there is not enough room for them to erupt, which means there is also not enough room for them to be removed without incisions. But sometimes, a dentist will want to cut the tooth itself apart. This is done so that it will require less force to pull or elevate out, decreasing the risk of accidental injury to the patient. It also could mean the dentist wouldn’t have to make as large an incision in the gum line. Sectioning is only done after a patient has been numbed and sedated. It is accomplished using a dental drill and a stream of water, which minimizes heat. Following the extraction, the surgical site will be sutured and patients will usually check back in a week to have the sutures removed.

Drs. Meghadri and Grewal run Bridge Smiles Dental Group at 820 US Hwy 202 North Neshanic Station, NJ, and 15 North Bridge St. Somerville, NJ. To schedule an appointment, visit Bridge Smiles Dental.