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Jeffrey C. Klein, D.D.S., P. A.
Mainline Professional Bldg. | 1104-M Route 130 | Cinnaminson, NJ 08077 | Phone: 856-829-2828 |
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Expertise
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Creating and maintaining beautiful and healthy smiles for the whole family through traditional, cosmetic an laser dentistry in the safest, most comfortable, and friendliest environment.
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A Child's Smile
When Should My Child First Visit the Dentist?
As early as 1 year. Your child's first birthday is an excellent time to seek a well-baby dental evaluation to diagnose and prevent any future oral disorders. This age is also a good time to begin weaning your child from the bottle.
What Will Happen at the First Visit?
The dentist or dental hygienist will examine your child's mouth. The examination will include the teeth, gums, tongue, lips, and roof of the mouth. Depending upon the child's age, number of teeth present, and ability to cooperate, the dentist may order a few cavity-detecting X rays, if decay is suspected. X rays are also helpful in determining that the permanent teeth are developing normally. Your child may also have his or her teeth cleaned.
How Can I Prepare My Child?
Make the first visit something for the child to look forward to. Morning appointments are usually when the child is most rested and cooperative. Do not attempt to bribe your child. Today, dentistry for children is a fun and positively anticipated experience. You might read your child a story about a trip to the dentist. Or, you can play "dentist" with the child by taking turns looking into each other's mouths with a flashlight.
If your child asks a question you feel uncomfortable answering, you may respond, "I don't know. Let's ask the dentist." This keeps you from unnecessarily scaring the child; it also allows your child to have an active role in the appointment.
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Root Canal (Endodontic Procedures)
 What Is Root Canal Therapy?
Root canal therapy (endodontics) treats disorders of the nerve (pulp) of the tooth. It used to be that a tooth with a diseased or infected nerve had to be removed. In 95 percent of these cases today, however, this is no longer true. We believe in saving teeth (instead of removing them), and we will make every effort to save yours!
Why Do I Need a Root Canal?
There are several reasons. The most common are:
Trauma—a physical blow to a tooth or a constant striking of a tooth against the opposite jaw that traumatizes the tooth.
Physical Irritation—deep decay or a very large filling.
Regardless of the initial cause, the tooth pulp becomes irritated and an abscess (infection) occurs. Bacteria from your saliva grow within the tooth pulp, causing pressure and pain. In some cases, the face may swell. Eventually the pulp dies, causing the bone around the tooth to be destroyed.
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Pit & Fissure Sealants
What Are Sealants?
Sealants are a clear, acrylic-like material that helps shield out decay-causing bacteria from the chewing surfaces of the back teeth. It is recommended that sealants be applied to a child's primary (baby) molars by the age of 3 or 4 years. Once the 6-year molars (the first permanent back teeth) appear, it is best to apply sealants as soon as possible. As a child's most cavity-prone years continue until the mid-teens, the premolars should also be sealed as they appear.
How Can Sealants Prevent Decay?
Sealant material can bond to the chewing surface of the back teeth to form a protective barrier covering the pits and fissures (depressions and grooves) of the chewing surfaces. Sealants are an intermediate preventative step in delaying or preventing tooth decay on these areas of back teeth.
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Porcelain Veneers
What Are Dental Veneers?
Veneers, usually customized from porcelain, are a thin, semitranslucent "shell," permanently bonded to your teeth. While they're not suitable for every patient, veneers are a cosmetic alternative for a variety of dental conditions of the front teeth, including:
- Diastemas (spaces between the teeth).
- Broken or chipped teeth.
- Unsightly, stained, or washed out fillings.
- Permanently stained or discolored teeth.
- Misshapen or crooked teeth.
Advantages and Benefits of Veneers
There are many benefits and advantages to having porcelain veneers placed on your front teeth. At one time, resin fillings or crowns were the only available treatment for these conditions. Today, a third alternative is available. The advantages of veneers may include all of the following considerations:
- Often no anesthesia is required.
- Only a small amount of tooth structure (if any) is removed during the procedure.
- A healthy "natural" look is achieved with little or no discomfort.
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Gum Disease
What Is Periodontal Disease?
Periodontal (gum) disease is caused by PLAQUE, a colorless film of bacteria that forms on the teeth. Plaque is most harmful when these bacteria form into colonies, which takes about 24 hours. If not removed daily, plaque mixes with sugars and starches in the diet to form acids and other by-products in the mouth. Plaque irritates the gums, causing them to become red, tender, and swollen. It causes the gums to bleed easily. If not removed, plaque hardens to form calculus (tarter) around the necks of teeth.
Eventually, the irritants in plaque destroy the tissue that attaches the gums to the teeth. The gums pull away from the teeth and small pockets form between the teeth and gums. These pockets become filled with more plaque. Eventually, the jawbone supporting the teeth is destroyed.
Periodontal disease is usually a slow, painless, progressive disease. Most adults with gum disease are unaware that they have it. If diagnosed early, however, the teeth can be saved.
What Are the Signs?
- Gums that bleed when you brush your teeth.
- Red, swollen, or tender gums.
- Gums that have receded or shrunken away from your teeth.
- Pus between your teeth and gums when you press your gums with your finger.
- Teeth that seem loose or that change position; often the front teeth tend to "fan" out.
- A change in your bite.
- A change in the way your partial dentures fit.
- Bad breath or a chronic bad taste in your mouth.
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Composite Bonding
What Is Composite Bonding?
Composite bonding is one of the most conservative, versatile, and affordable ways to esthetically restore a multitude of dental cases. Your dentist uses this natural looking, synthetic material to:
- Restore cavities in front and back teeth.
- Replace old or unattractive "silver fillings."
- Repair root abrasion (on roots exposed by gum recession or notched by years of aggressive brushing). Covering these areas helps prevent cavities and root sensitivity, and improves their appearance.
- Close diastemas (spaces between the teeth).
- Restore chipped or fractured teeth.
- Improve or change the color of permanently stained or discolored teeth.
- Reshape crooked or misshapen teeth.
How Long Will Composite Bonding Last?
It's true that composite bonding fillings wear faster than "silver fillings," especially on chewing surfaces of back teeth. Although not as strong as crowns or veneers, with proper care, a bonded restoration may last 5 years or more before requiring touch up or replacement. Your dentist will monitor this during your routine checkups.
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