If you are suffering from gum disease, quick and effective intervention is key to restoring your oral health. While early-stage gum disease can often be remedied with a deep cleaning by your dentist, more extensive cases may require scaling and root planing procedures that remove hardened, intrusive plaque and help the root of the tooth reattach to your gums.

Family dentists Dr. Todd Vaccaro and Dr. Megan Curran of Vaccaro Family Dentistry in Niskayuna, NY, can help treat your painful, problematic gum disease with scaling and root planing.

What are the signs of gum disease?

Gum disease is caused by the extreme build-up of plaque which spreads to and irritates the gums.  It may result in gum inflammation and redness, loosening of your gums, or the development of pockets. You may experience bleeding and pain when brushing or eating.

What is scaling and root planing?

To remove stubborn plaque which can't be brushed away, your family dentist will scrape, or scale, away the hardened tartar using professional tools, which can reach along the gum line and in pockets where plaque can hide and effectively remove build-up on the teeth themselves. Next, your family dentist will perform root planing, with consists of smoothing out the roots of your teeth to allow your teeth to properly reattach to your gums.

What is the recovery for scaling and root planing like?

Pre-procedure at our Niskayuna, NY, office, you will receive a local anesthetic to keep you comfortable during the procedure. Once the anesthetic wears off, you may experience swelling, mild pain, gum tenderness or bleeding, and sensitivity for a few days. Your family dentist may prescribe a pain reliever or mouth rinse to help promote healing. Once fully healed, make sure to keep your teeth healthy with frequent brushing, flossing, and visits to your dentist for professional cleanings and exams.

Call the Niskayuna, NY, office of family dentists Dr. Vaccaro and Dr. Curran at by dialing 518-377-3628 for all your dental care needs.

It's hard to smile when you feel self-conscious about your teeth. Whether they are badly stained, misshapen, crooked, or broken, it affects your self-esteem. Fortunately, dental veneers can help transform your smile. If you need veneers and you live in Niskayuna, NY Dr. Megan Curran and Dr. Todd Vaccaro can help. Keep reading to learn how veneers correct dental problems.

What are Dental Veneers?
Dental veneers are thin tooth-shaped coverings that correct a variety of dental problems. The dentist attaches the veneers to the front surface of your teeth. Typically made from porcelain or resin composite materials, veneers are a smart choice for people who want to improve their appearance.

Problems Veneers Can Correct
Dental veneers can correct several kinds of dental problems. They are great for people who have:

• Severely discolored teeth
• Abnormally shaped teeth
• Extremely small teeth
• Broken teeth
• Chipped teeth
• Missing teeth

If you decide to get dental veneers, your dentist makes a mold or impression of your teeth and sends it to a dental lab. The lab uses the mold to create your new dental veneers. Once your dentist receives the veneers, he or she professionally cleans your teeth to prepare them for the veneer installation. Using a special grinding tool, the dentist roughens the surface of your teeth. This makes it easier for the veneers to adhere to your teeth. The dentist uses a special dental cement to permanently attach the veneers to your teeth. Porcelain veneers can last up to 15 years.

Schedule Your Appointment
If you're ready to completely change your smile, contact Dr. Megan Curran and Dr. Todd Vaccaro to find out more about dental veneers. If you think you might want to try dental veneers and you live in Niskayuna, NY our dentists will help you determine if dental veneers are right for you.

Schedule your appointment today by calling us at (518) 377-3628.

Have you been wondering if dental implants are the ideal solution to fill the gaps in your smile? When you choose this ingenious restoration option offered by your Niskayuna, NY, dentists. Drs. Kent Molino and Todd Vaccaro, you'll soon forget that you ever lost any of your teeth.

5 advantages of dental implants

Implants offer many benefits, including:

• Natural Feel and Function: Your new teeth include replacement tooth roots that function just like your natural roots. Tiny titanium posts bond to your jawbone, providing a stable, secure foundation for your dental crowns. Dental crowns restore the visible parts of teeth and are used to bite and chew food. Thanks to your strong roots, you'll be able to eat anything you want and won't experience a loss of biting power. Best of all, many people in the Niskayuna area report that dental implants feel just like real teeth.
• More Confidence: Unlike other cosmetic issues, there's no way to hide a missing tooth. As a result, you may soon find yourself feeling less confident whether you're out with friends or participating in work-related conversations. Implants enhance your appearance and increase your confidence. Because your crowns are made from an impression of your mouth, your new teeth will match the shape and color of the surrounding teeth.
• No Tooth Alignment Issues: Your teeth help support each other and may begin to drift if there is a gap in your smile. Replacing lost teeth with dental implants prevents teeth from shifting and overlapping. Keeping your teeth straight also offers oral health benefits. If your teeth overlap and become crowded, it's much harder to remove cavity-causing plaque.
• A Stronger Jawbone: Loss of stimulation from tooth roots can lead to jawbone resorption. The condition occurs when the bone weakens and shrinks. In some cases, the bone may be unable to support your remaining teeth or the muscles in the lower part of your face. Eventually, tooth loss and facial sagging can occur. 
• More Than One Option: No matter how many teeth you've lost, you can benefit from dental implants. Single implants replace one missing tooth, while multiple implants support implant-supported bridges and dentures. If you've lost all of your teeth, you'll only need a few implants to support one denture. In fact, implant-supported dentures can be connected to just four implants in some cases.

Do dental implants sound like a good restoration option for you? Call your dentists in Niskayuna, NY, Drs. Kent Molino and Todd Vaccaro, at (518) 377-3628 to schedule your appointment.

Fractures, cracks, decay, chips, and discoloration are some of the more common things that can ruin a beautiful smile. Of course, there is also the common problem of missing teeth. All of these can make your smile “less-than” and greatly affect your confidence and self-esteem.

Here at Molino and Vaccaro Dental in Niskayuna NY, your family dentists Dr. Kent Molino and Dr. Todd Vaccaro regularly use dental crowns to bring back their patient's self-confidence by fixing their smiles with dental crowns.

How Dental Crowns Work

A dental crown is customized to allow it to encapsulate visible areas of the tooth. The damaged portion of the tooth is buffed away, the tooth shaved down and prepped for the installation of the crown. The dental crown is then placed at the top of the tooth and permanently cemented. Using a dental crown can prevent pain and sensitivity when chewing, biting, or drinking hot or cold liquids.

As a tooth-shaped cap, it is fitted over an existing tooth to restore its appearance. It can likewise function as a protective shield for the natural tooth to prevent further decay. Further, it is used to restore a chipped or broken tooth to conceal the damage.

The Smile Solution

What makes dental crowns the right solution at Niskayuna family dentist to fix your smile? Here are some of the common reasons:

Repair Cavities

When the tooth enamel deteriorates, the cavity follows. Removing the decayed portion and sealing it before the entire tooth is covered with a dental crown will restore its beauty.

Stronger Teeth

Teeth that get damaged by bacteria, oral injuries, or normal wear and tear could get fractured, chipped, or cracked. Fitting a dental crown over the affected tooth can restore its strength almost like your natural teeth.

Practical Protection

Harmful bacteria can penetrate your tooth or even get under the gum line. When this happens, infection follows, causing oral health problems. This will necessitate a gum disease treatment or a root canal treatment from your Niskayuna family dentist. Dental crowns protect the infected tooth after it has been treated and restore its appearance to its natural look.

Bring Back That Radiant Smile

Discolored teeth can definitely damper your smile. Dental crowns provide cosmetic benefits that allow your teeth to be restored to its normal color discreetly.

Replacement Tooth

When used with dental implants, the crown is attached to an abutment linking the implant and completing the restoration. For dental bridges, crowns are also used to create a series of replacement teeth. These teeth are anchored using implants to deliver better stability, strength, and longevity.

Interested in Dental Crowns? Call Your Niskayuna Family Dentist to Learn More About Them

Schedule a consultation with one of our family dentists here at Molino and Vaccaro Dental in Niskayuna NY, Dr. Kent Molino, or Dr. Todd Vaccaro, by calling 518-377-3628.

A toothache is a sign that something is wrong and usually requires urgent attention.

For anyone who has experienced a toothache, we know just how painful it can be. A toothache is one of the reasons many people make an emergency trip to visit our Niskayuna, NY, family dentists Dr. Kent Molino and Dr. Todd Vaccaro. While you won’t be able to actually diagnose your toothache online, here are some things that could be causing your aching tooth,

Teeth Grinding

Let’s start with a more minor reason why you could be dealing with a toothache. If you are someone who grinds their teeth (a habit known as bruxism) this can cause teeth to flatten or can even increase their risk for chips, cracks and fractures. Over time, teeth grinding can wear away enamel which can cause tooth sensitivity and even pain. If your symptoms are accompanied by tired, aching jaws then you may be grinding your teeth at night and not even realize it.

Decay

Most people will have some degree of decay in their teeth as they get older. Decay will continue to travel deeper within the enamel and dentin layers of the tooth, which is usually when pain sets in. Anything that exposes the nerves of the tooth can lead to pain, and cavities are usually the most common cause of tooth pain that our Niskayuna, NY, dentists sees and treats on a regular basis.

Broken Tooth

If your tooth hurts after crunching down on something hard (like the pit of a date or a popcorn kernel) then you may have cracked or broken your teeth. While you may be able to notice a visible crack or chip in the tooth, this isn’t always the case. However, if your pain is made worse by biting or chewing, or your tooth is suddenly sensitive to hot or cold temperatures then you could have a dental injury.

Impacted Teeth

An impacted tooth is a tooth that doesn’t fully erupt through the gums. This most commonly occurs in wisdom teeth, the third and final set of molars. These teeth usually make their appearance during a person’s late teens or early twenties and can lead to pain, damage to surrounding teeth, infection and cavities. It’s important to consult with our family dentist to find out whether it’s time to have your wisdom teeth removed.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, our office is taking the necessary precautions to keep all patients living in and around Niskayuna, NY, safe. While we are temporarily closed for routine care, our dentists are still providing emergency dental treatment. For all dental emergencies please call Drs. Kent Molino and Todd Vaccaro at (518) 377-3628.