Overbites and Underbites

/ Glenn Reit D.D.S./

For some their lower jaw is forward – think Jay Leno while for others their lower jaw is intruded like they’ve hit the wall.  These conditions can cause havoc in your mouth in relation to your teeth.   However, for most their jaws are in alignment but their teeth may not be.

If the front surface of your upper teeth are more forward than the front surfaces of your lower teeth you have an overbite generally meaning your upper jaw is bigger than your lower jaw.  You may be able to sort of stick your tongue between your upper and lower teeth when your jaws are closed.  In an underbite it’s just the reverse with the lower jaw being bigger than your upper jaw.

Some others have what is called a cross bite like the x crossing of railroad tracks.  These conditions can lead to dental problems since the upper and lower teeth are not coming together correctly.  Think of the gears of a motor not being in alignment.  Over time the teeth of the gears will wear down unevenly and even break off.

You see the same thing on your shoes if your feet are not in alignment the soles of your shoes wear unevenly.  Same with a tire on your car – when out of alignment the ride is less smooth and the tires wear out quicker.

Also when teeth are crooked it is harder to keep them clean leading to gum disease and tooth decay.    Today in dentistry we are able to realign crooked teeth.  It leads to longevity of your dentition and makes it easier for you to keep them clean and decay free.

At the dental practice of Dr Glenn Reit located at 1498 Third Avenue between 84th and 85th streets in Yorkville we always like meeting new people and taking care of their dental needs whether mild or more advanced.  So, if you are looking for a dentist give us a call at 212 517 90000 today.  You and your teeth will be glad you did.

Looking for a Dentist in the Upper East Side?

At the practice of Glenn Reit DDS; we provide quality care in a relaxed, comfortable, clean and safe environment. Please contact us today at 212 517 9000 for this or any other of your dental needs. We look forward to seeing and taking care of you!

The Case Against Silver- Change Amalgam Fillings for Looks Not Safety

/ Glenn Reit D.D.S./

If you have some Silver Dollars in your pocket you are not going to throw them away.  If you were given a sterling silver set for your wedding you’re probably going to keep them.  But, for some if you have silver in your mouth you might be inclined to have them nuggets removed.

The Amalgam Silver controversy is still alive today.  If you are of a certain age you probably have some silver fillings in your mouth.  These restorations can last for decades, some more than fifty years.  Think of something else that a human can create that can last for more than a half century with only little maintenance efforts on your part.  Quite impressive!

Back in the day the choice was gold or silver since white fillings did not exist.  If you were in the limo you were probably getting gold while in the bus or subway silver was for you.  The concern with silver is the filling is an amalgam or a combination of things.  The thing most patients are concerned about is the mercury in the filling.

Mercury is produced by the burning of coal and is a heavy element.  When coal is burned mercury is placed into the atmosphere and since it is a heavy element it falls back down to the surface of the earth.  Most of the planet is water so the mercury enters the oceans where the oysters, lobsters and clams consume it.  The large ocean fish such as tuna, shark and tile concentrate the mercury within them when feeding on the other inhabitants of the seas.  When you eat them you concentrate their mercury content in your body.  With silver filling the mercury is a bound salt so if you swallow your filling the mercury will just pass straight through you instead of accumulating within your body.

Silver fillings are strong but not aesthetic.  Today with the development of white fillings, silver ones are entering the dustbin of history.  With a white filling you can’t see it so it’s like you never had it and you’re even more beautiful.   It took a while for dentist’s to figure out how to successfully place white fillings but today the process is very straightforward.

So do you remove any silver fillings you have?  In my opinion no unless you are not happy with the way they look or if your tooth is becoming grey in color due to leakage of the silver ion into your tooth.  You must realize that every time you perform surgery on your tooth there is a chance of the tooth’s nerve checking out as if saying I’ve had enough.  If this happens root canal therapy can be in your future.

Besides aesthetics one advantage of white fillings is that when they finally fail the filling breaks and generally not the tooth.  When a properly placed silver filling fails decades later generally the filling is still intact but it is the tooth that breaks because ultimately a silver filling is a wedge within the tooth.

At the dental practice of Dr Glenn Reit we believe in informing you what is happening in your mouth and if there is a concern giving you the options and price points to correct the situation.  We always like meeting new people even if you’re only looking to have your teeth cleaned.

So if you need a new dentist or a second opinion call today at 212 517 9000 and we will be happy to see you.

Looking for a Dentist in the Upper East Side?

At the practice of Glenn Reit DDS; we provide quality care in a relaxed, comfortable, clean and safe environment. Please contact us today at 212 517 9000 for this or any other of your dental needs. We look forward to seeing and taking care of you!

Tooth Wars- Suspect a Bite Problem?

/ Glenn Reit D.D.S./

It’s tough being a tooth.  You are always in demand especially when the body you’re in is hungry.  If your teeth are out of alignment then they are even more traumatized.  Think of the gears of an engine.  If the gears are out of alignment they will experience more pressure and tension and eventually fall apart.  If the gears of the motor are not kept lubricated more problems will also occur.

Your mouth or masticatory system consisting of your jaws, gums and teeth are your engine for the consumption of foods, necessary to keep you alive.  In addition to the forces placed on your teeth through chewing of food if you are under stress there are increased forces placed on your teeth through clenching and grinding.  If decay is present then the integrity of your tooth is compromised leading to a greater chance of decline while if your gums are infected then there is a greater chance of your teeth leaving your body.

Fortunately many of these problems can be corrected.  If your teeth are out of alignment they can be moved back into place through the use of clear aligners or metal wires.  If a tooth is malformed we can correct the malformation through selective grinding and replacement of lost tooth structure.  For destructive habits we can make tooth guards which will protect your teeth.

If you are experiencing any of these problems give us a call at 212 517 9000.  At the dental practice of Dr. Glenn Reit DDS located at 1498 Third Avenue between 84th and 85th streets here in Yorkville we have been treating patients with these maladies for decades.

Maybe all you need or want is a dental exam and cleaning.  We are still here for you.  No one really likes going to the dentist but an ounce of prevention is truly worth a pound of cure.  Being proactive vs reactive on your dental care is always better choice.

Call Today:  You and Your Teeth Will Be Glad You Did

Looking for a Dentist in the Upper East Side?

At the practice of Glenn Reit DDS; we provide quality care in a relaxed, comfortable, clean and safe environment. Please contact us today at 212 517 9000 for this or any other of your dental needs. We look forward to seeing and taking care of you!

Affordable Teeth Whitening

/ Glenn Reit D.D.S./

Do you want whiter teeth?  Do you want to not spend a lot?  Do you want it to be easy?  If so give us a call at 212 517 9000 and come on in for your teeth to be whiter.  We have a system that has pleased our patients for the past ten years.  Since Dental Insurance does not cover whitening everyone who desires it has to pay out of pocket and we are getting no complaints.  Realize that the whiter your teeth are to begin with the whiter we can make them.  Most patients’ teeth are shades of yellow, grey and even brown.   For these individuals the whitening product will not turn your teeth white but will lighten their appearance making you happier.

A dental exam and x-rays are necessary before performing a whitening procedure since the whitening gel cannot be placed on teeth with active decay or gums that are inflamed.  We even reduce the price further during our yearly Holiday Whitening Sale from Thanksgiving to New Year for those patients wanting to save even more.

Whether you need a cleaning or dental checkup in addition to whitening your teeth, we are conveniently located at 1498 Third Avenue between 84th and 85th streets in Yorkville on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.  We are one block away from the 4 5 6 and Q subway lines and there is plenty of bus service.

We like meeting new people and helping them to resolve their dental needs.  So don’t delay call today.  You and your teeth will be glad you did.

Looking for a Dentist in the Upper East Side?

At the practice of Glenn Reit DDS; we provide quality care in a relaxed, comfortable, clean and safe environment. Please contact us today at 212 517 9000 for this or any other of your dental needs. We look forward to seeing and taking care of you!

Do Your Teeth Need a Facelift?

/ Glenn Reit D.D.S./

You lead with your face and a major component of your face is your teeth.  Maybe when you look in the mirror you’re not thrilled.  If only my teeth could look better. It is a common belief that when you look better you generally feel better.

What can I do?  Today in dentistry we have a solution for crooked, minimally misaligned, misshapen or stained teeth called veneers.  These are thin pieces of porcelain matched to the shade you desire and placed on the front surface of your teeth.

They are super strong tooth colored porcelain laminates which are shaped into thin shells and custom fitted for each patient’s unique set of teeth.  How many veneers should you get? This depends on how many teeth you want to improve and the overall condition of your teeth.

The thickness, enamel color, alignment and shape of your existing teeth will impact the results achieved.

Your gum condition needs also to be evaluated before treatment begins.  Ideally if you are doing several teeth they need to be done at the same time.

Dental Veneers are not as strong as your original teeth since they are an addition to your tooth, but they are a viable alternative to improving your smile and are more conservative in nature than a dental crown or cap.  An alternative to veneers are dental bondings but their long term longevity is less and in some cases a veneer or crown is the only alternative to improve the esthetics of your smile.

Dr Glenn Reit, having practiced in Los Angeles and New York for decades and being involved in these procedures since their inception, if you are interested in learning more about dental veneers and to see if you are a candidate for this procedure give us a call today at 212 517 9000.

Looking for a Dentist in the Upper East Side?

At the practice of Glenn Reit DDS; we provide quality care in a relaxed, comfortable, clean and safe environment. Please contact us today at 212 517 9000 for this or any other of your dental needs. We look forward to seeing and taking care of you!

Smile Boosters

/ Glenn Reit D.D.S./

Do You Need A Boost

Who Ya Going to Call; Smile Booster’s?

Sometimes when looking in the mirror you might see something you’re not too thrilled about.  It could be the space between your lips as in your teeth.  Maybe you need a little upgrade.  Here are 4 Smile Boosters that can improve your smile.

1.       Teeth Whitening is quick, easy, affordable and non-invasive.   External tooth whitening occurs when teeth whitening agents bleach the teeth directly. 

2.       Dental Implants are another common procedure that many New Yorkers now seek to replace missing teeth.  A dental implant is secured into one of your jaws and then a natural-looking crown is attached to the implant.  In addition to improving your appearance it restores tooth function and maintains your bone support.

3.       Dental Bonding can be done using various materials such as porcelain and composite resins.  These materials can now precisely replicate natural tooth structure and natural appearance.

4.       Periodontal Plastic Surgery is a terrific solution for gum recession and cosmetic irregularities.

You can remove a gummy smile or remedy an uneven gum line.

If you are interested in boosting your smile give us a call today at 212 517 9000.

You and your teeth will be glad you did

Looking for a Dentist in the Upper East Side?

At the practice of Glenn Reit DDS; we provide quality care in a relaxed, comfortable, clean and safe environment. Please contact us today at 212 517 9000 for this or any other of your dental needs. We look forward to seeing and taking care of you!

What about Whitestrips?

/ Glenn Reit D.D.S./

Do whitestrips work?  You know about them and you see them but what’s it all about Whitestrips.

For some reason they work great if you are a teenager.  Whenever I see someone who has really white teeth I ask them if they used whitestrips in their teens and the answer is always yet.  I have been doing dentistry for decades and this seems always to be the case both here and in Los Angeles.  But something strange happens once you turn 20 they no longer seem to work.  I don’t know why it’s just my observation.

The problem is that the concentration of the whitening agent on the strips is quite low because the manufacturer knows this is unsupervised self treatment and following directions is out the window.

Youngsters probably load up on the strips beyond the directions stated and at a young age the teeth seem more adaptable to the product.

But, if you are over twenty; you’re not going to get the result you desire.  However, since the cost is low and sometimes they are even on sale your buddies will say why you paid the dentist when you could have gotten it done for less with the whitestrips.  So give it a try, it will at least alleviate any feelings of buyer’s remorse.

Here in our practice after trying numerous products we have found a whitening system that seems to work for most patients.  No your teeth are not going to look super white but they will look whiter and you’ll be a little happier.  All our patients are paying for this treatment since there is no dental insurance reimbursement for this procedure and we are not receiving any complaints.

 So if you’re looking for whiter teeth or just in need of a cleaning give us a call at 212 517 9000. 

We are always happy to meet new people and help them achieve their dental health.  Please realize if you want to proceed with whitening we need to make sure there are no cavities or infection in your mouth.  The bleaching gel is strong and will not damage your teeth but with active decay or gum disease these conditions need to be treated before undergoing the procedure.

We are conveniently located at 1498 Third Avenue between 84th and 85th streets in Yorkville directly across our very own Upper East Side Mickey Dees.  We are in a five story brownstone on the second floor, one block from the 4 5 6 and Q subway lines and 3rd Avenue bus stop.

Call today you and your teeth will be glad you did.

Looking for a Dentist in the Upper East Side?

At the practice of Glenn Reit DDS; we provide quality care in a relaxed, comfortable, clean and safe environment. Please contact us today at 212 517 9000 for this or any other of your dental needs. We look forward to seeing and taking care of you!

Did you have a Spring Break with a Broken tooth?

/ Glenn Reit D.D.S./

Spring Break NOT

I have a broken tooth, what will I do, what will I do?

Well, you’ll likely call a dentist. Maybe you’ll call us.  I’m Dr Glenn Reit and have been doing dentistry for decades.  Nobody likes going to the dentist, including me.  But, sometimes you have to bite the bullet and just go.  Most importantly nobody wants to feel any pain.  So I have taken additional training to make sure you are comfortable during treatment.  Yes, it is possible to give a painless dental injection.  Once you are numb and not able to feel anything the procedures are a whole lot more comfortable.

So maybe that hard pretzel was a little too hard, or that jawbreaker is a jaw breaker or that taco shell was just a little bit too crunchy and suddenly your tongue notices that part of your tooth has gone the way of the Dodo.  You look in the mirror and low and behold part of your tooth has left the building.

When you come in we will calm you down and look inside your mouth and tell what has happened.  Then the good part we will tell you your options on how to correct the situation and the costs involved.  If you have dental insurance it is better for you because they will cover a percentage of your treatment.

Maybe you just need to have your tooth smoothed; possibly a filling or maybe you’ll become a king or queen with your very own crown.  Maybe it’s a veneer, maybe an onlay or if the tooth has to be removed we will tell you how to replace it.

Hopefully, you will not find yourself in this situation but life happens and if you do we are here for you.  Located in Yorkville at 1498 Third Avenue between 84th and 85thStreets you can reach us at 212 517 9000.  After many years I have seen it all so whatever your situation we have seen it and treated it.

So call today even if it’s just for a routine dental exam and cleaning, you and your teeth will be glad you did.

Looking for a Dentist in the Upper East Side?

At the practice of Glenn Reit DDS; we provide quality care in a relaxed, comfortable, clean and safe environment. Please contact us today at 212 517 9000 for this or any other of your dental needs. We look forward to seeing and taking care of you!

Are You Happy With Your Smile?

/ Glenn Reit D.D.S./

Fall into the Gap or maybe not.   Do you want to appear like David Letterman?  Maybe you do but maybe you do not.  We are talking about dental dilemmas here.  Like a big space between your upper front teeth.  Good for sucking juice through a straw with your mouth closed but not so well for most when smiling.  Remember you lead with your smile.  So what can you do?

Here at the dental practice of Glenn Reit DDS we can cosmetically close that space using various alternatives.  The first and best is to do orthodontics to move the teeth together.  This is accomplished using Invisalign removable retainers which will sequentially move your teeth into a more esthetic appearance.

Don’t want to go through orthodontics then cosmetic bonding is another alternative.  Here resin composite which matches the color of your teeth is placed without drilling or injections to recreate a more pleasing appearance when you smile.   If the space is somewhat large dental veneers made in a dental lab used on multiple teeth can achieve the smile you are looking for.

When you love your smile your confidence increases and you smile more often making those you interact with you feel a whole lot better.

So give us a call at 212 517 9000.  We are always looking to meet new people.  We are conveniently located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan at 1498 Third Avenue between 84th and 85th streets.

So don’t delay call today and your teeth will be glad you did.

Looking for a Dentist in the Upper East Side?

At the practice of Glenn Reit DDS; we provide quality care in a relaxed, comfortable, clean and safe environment. Please contact us today at 212 517 9000 for this or any other of your dental needs. We look forward to seeing and taking care of you!

It’s Not James Bond but Dental Bond

/ Glenn Reit D.D.S./

Good Evening and welcome to my world of dentistry.  Sometimes nature can be cruel or accidents do occur.  When these maladies concern your teeth you might be seeing me.  It’s a good thing.  Maybe your teeth are misshapen, asymmetric, have gaps and spaces between themselves, discolorations and/or stains, chipped or cracked or have an exposed root.

If you’ve noticed any of these flaws in your own smile then come on down and meet with us.  Dental bonding can be an effective way to cosmetically rejuvenate your tooth or teeth.  Dental bonding is using an acrylic resin which is matched to the color of your teeth and can be molded to recreate a more pleasing appearance to your smile.

Once placed, tooth bonding should be brushed and flossed just like all your other teeth.  It is amazing how just a little bonding in certain areas of your mouth can brighten your whole smile.

We are located at 1498 Third Avenue in Yorkville between 84th and 85th Streets.  Easily accessible to the 4,5,6 and Q subway lines one block away and local bus service.  So if you need a cleaning or maybe a little bit more give us a call today at; 212 517 9000.

Looking for a Dentist in the Upper East Side?

At the practice of Glenn Reit DDS; we provide quality care in a relaxed, comfortable, clean and safe environment. Please contact us today at 212 517 9000 for this or any other of your dental needs. We look forward to seeing and taking care of you!

Peace Begins With A Smile

/ Glenn Reit D.D.S./

Mother Teresa once said “Peace begins with a smile” So smiling is good for all especially you.  How do you feel about your smile?  Are you at peace with it?  Are proud to flash a wide happy grin?  Do you believe it is beautiful?  Does it express your real you?

There are ways to restore or correct the vagaries of nature.   If you are not content with the appearance or condition of your teeth, gums or bite give us a call at 212 517 9000. 

For the past several decades I have been providing dental services for the rejuvenation of your smile.  A great smile will also make you feel a whole lot better and be a help as you travel through life.  It can be achieved today.

We’re conveniently located at 1498 Third Avenue between 84th and 85th streets in Yorkville.

So call today – you and your smile will be glad you did.

Looking for a Dentist in the Upper East Side?

At the practice of Glenn Reit DDS; we provide quality care in a relaxed, comfortable, clean and safe environment. Please contact us today at 212 517 9000 for this or any other of your dental needs. We look forward to seeing and taking care of you!