Basic Kids Dental Care

Baby teeth are important to a child, even though they will fall out. They are the place-markers for their adult teeth, they help develop their speech, and they help develop good eating habits. At Pellegrino Cosmetic and Family Dentistry in Allentown, PA, we want our patients to take good care of their teeth from a young age. Keep reading to learn about basic kids’ dental care.

Basic Care

Kids should start seeing the dentist as soon as their first tooth appears, or by the age of one if they have not grown in their first tooth by then. Baby teeth should be brushed with a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste. Teeth need to be flossed as soon as two teeth touch each other. Kids will need help with flossing until they are old enough to do it on their own.

Bad Habits

Some kids always like to have something to drink. When they are little, they may like to carry sippy cups or bottles around. Instead of always having their cup filled with milk or juice, put water in there. Milk and juice both contain a lot of sugar, so a constant supply can lead to tooth decay. Pacifiers and thumb sucking are two more habits that should be broken. The constant sucking motion can affect the way teeth develop.

Good at-home care and routine dental visits are important parts of your child’s health. To schedule your family’s next dental visit at Pellegrino Cosmetic and Family Dentistry in Allentown, PA, call us at (610) 530-7901. To learn more about us, visit our website, www.allentowndentist.com. 

The Intraoral Camera

When it comes to making our patients feel comfortable and giving them the best possible outcomes, those are goals on the top of our priority list. One of the ways we accomplish this at Pellegrino Cosmetic and Family Dentistry in Allentown, PA is by using an intraoral camera. This technology allows us to be more accurate and more efficient.

The intraoral camera is a device that lets your dentist see up close. In the past, hard-to-reach areas were difficult to access and could be difficult to view. Now, we can see closely and clearly. The device also allows us to put the images up on a monitor so that our patients can see what we are looking at. The pictures and videos can be saved for future reference, print, or to be sent to another doctor.

Efficiency means shorter appointments without sacrificing quality. More accurate diagnoses mean more accurate treatment plans and better outcomes.

To learn more about the advanced technology we use here at Pellegrino Cosmetic and Family Dentistry, be sure to visit our website, www.allentowndentist.com. To set up an appointment in our Allentown, PA office, call us at (610) 530-7901. 

Full and Partial Dentures for Tooth Replacement in Allentown, PA

Dentures are a great option for patients who have lost a few teeth, many teeth, or all of their teeth. They allow patients to eat, speak, and smile normally again. At Pellegrino Cosmetic and Family Dentistry in Allentown, PA, we provide full and partial dentures for our patients looking to replace teeth.

When teeth are lost, the bone tissue around the area begins to deteriorate. When many of the teeth are missing, the deteriorated bone tissue changes the shape of the facial structure and causes facial muscles to sag. This can make a person appear older. Dentures help slow down the deterioration of the bone tissue along with improving chewing, smiling, and talking.

In our Allentown, PA office, we offer full and partial dentures. Partial dentures are like removable bridges that are for when there are only a few teeth missing. Full dentures replace all of the teeth and are able to be applied conventionally or immediately. The benefit to immediate dentures is that there will be no time spent without teeth (if extractions are necessary), however in the future, they will need to be re-fit. When teeth are extracted, the gums must heal. Gums tend to shrink as they heal, rendering the dentures misplaced in the future. Conventional dentures are fitted after the gums heal.

If you are looking to regain confidence in your smile, contact Pellegrino Cosmetic and Family Dentistry to find out if dentures are right for you. To schedule in our Allentown, PA office, call us at (610) 530-7901. More information may be found on our website, www.allentowndentist.com. 

Natural-Looking Custom Crowns

When a tooth becomes cracked or weakened, it is important to make it strong again to prevent infection. Restoring health and function of a tooth is essential for both oral and overall health. Dental crowns are long lasting and strong tooth restorations, which is why we at Pellegrino Cosmetic and Family Dentistry in Allentown, PA, choose to use them for our patients.

Dental crowns are like caps that go on your tooth when there has been too much decay or damage for a filling to hold. They are completely customized, so they blend in with the rest of your natural teeth. Crowns are not only restoring your oral health but also improving the aesthetic look of your smile!

In our dental practice, we have updated technology so that we can create a custom crown right in our office. CEREC technology scans your reshaped tooth and begins milling a tooth that looks and feels just like one of your natural teeth. CEREC cuts out weeks of waiting time.

If you are interested in learning more about our natural-looking crowns, contact Pellegrino Cosmetic and Family Dentistry of Allentown, PA. We can be reached in our office at (610) 530-7901 or through our website, www.allentowndentist.com. 

Root Canals Are Quick and Comfortable

Root canals used to trigger scary thoughts, but these days, root canals are usually no more than minor discomfort. At Pellegrino Cosmetic and Family Dentistry in Allentown, PA, we perform root canals that are quicker and more comfortable than root canals of the past. We are changing the root canal reputation one patient at a time!

When a tooth is infected, it can become painful, irritating, and sensitive. With modern pain medication and advances in dental technology, root canal therapy does not come with the pain or discomfort they may have in the past. Root canals save teeth and relief the pain associated with an infection.

To begin the process of a root canal, an access hole is drilled into the tooth to reach the infected dental pulp. The pulp is cleaned out, replaced with a sealant called gutta-percha, and then a filling is placed on the access hole. In some cases, we may want to apply a crown to the tooth for extra protection.

If you would like to find out more about root canal therapy or have been experiencing prolonged pain, please schedule an appointment with us at our Allentown, PA dentistry. Call Pellegrino Cosmetic and Family Dentistry at (610) 530-7901 to schedule or visit our website, www.allentowndentist.com for more information. 

White Fillings for Natural-Looking Restorations

Cavities are pretty common, but it still can be surprising when you find out that you have one. It can also make you worry about the look of your smile. Fortunately, here at Pellegrino Cosmetic and Family Dentistry in Allentown, PA, Dr. Jason Pellegrino utilizes composite resin for white fillings.

Composite resin is able to be matched to the shade of your natural tooth. This makes it indistinguishable in your smile. When you have a cavity filled, now no one will be able to tell. This is a vast improvement from the silver amalgam fillings of the past. Amalgam fillings were dark and noticeable; often diminishing the look of your smile.

To place a white filling, we use the same process as always. First, we will remove the decayed tooth tissue. We will then place the tooth-colored composite resin in the tooth. The resin is allowed to harden and then is trimmed and shaped to maintain a proper bite. You now have a healthy and good-looking tooth!

If you are experiencing pain or sensitivity to a tooth, be sure to schedule an appointment with Dr. Jason Pellegrino. To schedule at Pellegrino Cosmetic and Family Dentistry in Allentown, PA, call our office at (610) 530-7901. For more information, visit our website, www.allentowndentist.com. 

Custom Teeth Whitening Trays

Having a white smile can unleash confidence you never knew you had! Here at Pellegrino Cosmetic and Family Dentistry, we have a couple of options for professional teeth whitening. Dr. Jason Pellegrino provides custom take-home teeth whitening trays to his patients in his Allentown, PA office who want to do their whitening at home.

For those who do not want to sit in the dental chair to wait for whitened teeth, we have this take-home option that is similar to whitening kits you’ve seen in stores. However, what makes this whitening system different is the customized trays we create to fit your unique smile. This gets the best and most even whitening possible. In addition, our whitening gel and system are professional and supervised by your dentist. If you want white teeth, you will want to go to the people who specialize in teeth; your dentist!

To create these custom trays, we will take impressions of your teeth. This way we get every curve, shape, and alignment perfect. You then put our whitening gel into the trays and wear them for a short period of time over a few days. The end result is often a smile that is four to eight shades whiter!

Whether you’ll be hitting the red carpet or smiling for family pictures, you want to put your best, brightest smile forward! Call Pellegrino Cosmetic and Family Dentistry of Allentown, PA at (610) 530-7901 to schedule with Dr. Jason Pellegrino. For more information, visit our website, www.allentowndentist.com. 

Veneers for a Perfect Smile

Veneers are a great way to get that fabulous smile you desire without major dental work like surgery or braces. Dr. Jason Pellegrino of Pellegrino Cosmetic and Family Dentistry in Allentown, PA offers veneers to his patients as an option to restore a smile to perfection.

Veneers are able to fix the look of dental imperfections like gaps, cracks, discoloration, misaligned teeth, and more. Veneers are very thin ceramic shells that are placed over your existing teeth. There is no need to spend years in braces or go through dental surgery to get a great smile.

To apply the veneers, Dr. Pellegrino will first remove a small layer of enamel from your teeth. The amount of enamel removed is about the same thickness of the veneer that will replace it. Impressions are then created of your teeth. The impressions, along with photos and additional information will help a dental laboratory create the perfect set of custom veneers for you. You will wear temporary veneers during this time. When the custom veneers are bonded into place, they can last for five to ten years with good care.

Do not hide your smile simply because you are embarrassed by an imperfection. Schedule a consultation with us to find out if veneers are right for you. To schedule with Dr. Jason Pellegrino in Allentown, PA, call our office at (610) 530-7901. For additional information about Pellegrino Cosmetic and Family Dentistry, visit our website, www.allentowndentist.com. 

Implant-Supported Dentures in Allentown, PA

Dentures are great for restoring a smile and allowing you to chew well once again. However, many patients complain of ill-fitting, uncomfortable, or loose dentures. This is why here at Pellegrino Cosmetic and Family Dentistry in Allentown, PA, Dr. Jason Pellegrino offers his patients implant-supported dentures.

Implant-supported dentures make the most stable and comfortable base for dentures. We can use as little as two dental implants to make this happen. As these dental implants are often smaller than traditional dental implants, the dentures are often able to be placed onto the implants the same day that they are installed.

Most dentures are able to be altered so that they fit onto the implants; so many patients are able to keep their current dentures. The implants and dentures work with a ball and socket joint. It is very easy for a patient to clip the dentures in and out on their own.

Dental implants keep the dentures in place without any looseness, wobbliness, or ill-fitting. Your gums will feel comfortable as the dentures will be able to fit better than ever before. In addition, implant-retained dentures help keep the jawbone from degenerating as quickly, so dentures will fit well for much longer.

If you are dealing with ill-fitting dentures that affect the way you eat, smile, and talk, it may be time to consider implant-supported dentures! To schedule an appointment with Dr. Jason Pellegrino of Pellegrino Cosmetic and Family Dentistry in Allentown, PA, call our office at (610) 530-7901. For more information, visit our website, www.allentowndentist.com.