Clean, removable, invisible, and snug--these words describe Invisalign aligners, the discreet alternative to metal braces. Patients wear no irritating wires or brackets. Instead, thin, customized appliances move crooked teeth into straight, functional positions. At their Niskayuna, NY, office, Dr. Kent Molino and Dr. Todd Vaccaro offer Invisalign to teens and adults as a quicker, unobtrusive way to better smiles.

The invisible Invisalign way

It starts with an orthodontic evaluation:

• A complete oral examination (your teeth and gums must be healthy before starting any orthodontic procedures)
• X-rays
• Three-dimensional digital scanning

From there, Dr. Molino or Dr. Vaccaro devise a treatment plan to show you the position of your teeth through each stage of Invisalign treatment. You'll wear a series of thin, clear appliances, specially crafted at the Invisalign lab by a highly trained technician. The aligners look like teeth whitening trays. They are removable so you can easily eat, brush, and floss.

There are 18 to 30 aligner pairs in all, and you'll wear each pair for approximately two weeks. While some soreness is expected at the beginning of Invisalign treatment, patients generally feel comfortable as treatment progresses. Plus, you'll enjoy Invisalign's discreet appearance.

The treatment process in Niskayuna

Orthodontic correction with Invisalign takes less time than metal, ceramic, and lingual braces. On average, treatment lasts nine to 15 months, about half that of traditional braces.

During that time, you'll see your dentist every 4 to 6 weeks and receive new aligner pairs. To keep treatment progressing correctly, you'll wear the appliances 20 to 22 hours a day. You take them out to eat, floss, and brush and if you have a special event such as a wedding or professional presentation. When you've completed your treatment, you'll love your smile!

What Invisalign corrects

Invisalign works for many common bite issues (such as overbite), tooth rotation and tipping, gaps and crowding. However, severe issues require conventional appliances. So rely on the wise advice of Dr. Molino or Dr. Vaccaro to decide if Invisalign is right for your mouth.

Your new smile

Join the more than 5 million people who have improved their smile alignment and oral health through the Invisalign system. For more information and to arrange a one-on-one consultation with Dr. Molino or Dr. Vaccaro, call the office team at (518) 377-3628.

When your teeth don’t feel strong or have significant damage, it can make you feel insecure about eating and showing off your smile. If one or more of your teeth aren’t as strong as they used to be, dental crowns can help restore their strength and good looks. They are caps that are custom-designed to cover the outer part of a tooth to provide stability. Consult a family dentist at Molino and Vaccaro Dental in Niskayuna, NY, to see if this restorative treatment will work for you.

Common Tooth Damage Causes

A lot of tooth damage happens due to normal wear and tear or aging. But some patients have damaged teeth because they eat too many hard candies or have a problem with bruxism (tooth grinding). Dental decay can also cause permanent damage to a tooth, requiring a root canal and crown. Patients who play contact sports may be more prone to dental injuries like cracked and chipped teeth.

Strengthen Your Teeth with Dental Crowns

Most dental crowns are made of resilient porcelain material that both strengthens and whitens broken, discolored teeth. They form a complete outer protective layer, guarding the tooth from dental decay and damage from enamel erosion. It’s also difficult for dental stains to absorb into porcelain. The crowns used in bridges can also strengthen your smile by closing the large gaps caused by missing teeth.

Additional Dental Crown Advantages

There’s a good chance that one or more people you know have at least one dental crown as it is a very common dental procedure. Here are a few additional advantages of getting dental crowns installed by your Niskayuna, NY, family dentist:

• If you keep up with good dental hygiene, your crown can last for 10 years or longer.
• Crowns look so natural that no one will be able to tell you have one.
• If you have a crown due to dental decay, the inside of your tooth will have a better chance to heal after a root canal procedure.

Crowns Restore Your Smile

As healthy and strong as your teeth may be right now, crowns can make them even stronger. Contact a family dentist at Molino and Vaccaro Dental in Niskayuna, NY, to schedule a crown consultation with Dr. Kent Molino or Dr. Todd Vaccaro.

Your best smile--is it really possible? You have some deep stains and a gap in between your two front teeth. Habitually, you cover them because you feel self-conscious. But, your dentists in Niskayuna, NY, Dr. Kent Molino and Dr. Todd Vaccaro, offer a cosmetic treatment perfect for your situation. Called porcelain veneers, these tooth-shaped shells of ceramic cover a variety of enamel defects. Read more about this beautiful way to refinish your smile.

Porcelain veneers and you

You may be a good match for each other. Dr. Vaccaro or Dr. Molino will examine your teeth and gums to find out. Your teeth and gums should be free of decay and gum disease. If they are, the dentist will take oral impressions and prepare your teeth with a limited enamel resurfacing. He'll place temporary veneers and send a treatment plan to the dental lab where a skilled ceramist will craft each veneer individually.

On your return visit, your Niskayuna dentist will remove your temporary veneers, treat your teeth with an etching liquid and then place the veneers. He'll look at the shape, fit and color match. Then, he'll apply a special bonding adhesive which the dentist may adjust in shade to blend in with neighboring teeth. Finally, he completes the process with a curing light which ensures a strong bond.

Uses of porcelain veneers

They disguise many dental flaws, including:

• Gaps
• Crowding
• Chips
• Hairline cracks
• Odd tooth shape and uneven length
• Deep stains which do not respond to professional whitening

Additionally, veneers strengthen teeth which have thin enamel or which have lost a fair amount their structure due to oral trauma. However, veneers do not require the extensive enamel reshaping which dental crowns do.

Caring for your veneers

Brushing and flossing are no different--with or without veneers. Follow American Dental Association guidelines: floss daily and brush twice a day with a soft toothbrush. Also, see Dr. Molino and Dr. Vaccaro as usual every six months for a cleaning and check-up. Your dentist will make sure your veneers are solidly in place and that your gums are healthy.

Avoid things which stress tooth surfaces: eating hard foods and opening bottles with your teeth are examples. If you grind your teeth, consider a customized bite guard to cushion your smile.

Also, while veneers are stain resistant, limit coffee, blueberries and other dark menu choices, says the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. Eliminate cigarettes and chewing tobacco, too, to keep veneers bright and your health vibrant. With good care, your porcelain veneers in Niskayuna should last for a decade or more.

A great smile

It could be within your reach. Find out the details on porcelain veneers during a personal smile consultation with Dr. Molino or Dr. Vaccaro in Niskayuna, NY. Call the office today for an appointment: (518) 377-3628.

Finding out how this restoration could be the long-term solution for your tooth loss.

Are you dealing with one or more missing teeth? Are you looking for a dental option that will not only provide you with a natural-looking replacement but will also last you a long time? If you said yes, then you’ve come to the right place. Our Niskayuna, NY, dentists Dr. Kent Molino and Dr. Todd Vaccaro, are here to tell you more about how dental implants could help you.

How do dental implants work?

This small metal post or screw provides a stable and strong foundation from which to support a false tooth. In most cases, the implant is made from titanium because it is not only durable but it is also biocompatible (this means that the tissue and bone in your mouth are not likely to reject the restoration).

The implant is surgically placed into a small, pre-drilled hole in the jawbone where it will take over the role of tooth roots. Once the procedure is complete our Niskayuna, NY, implant dentist will give your mouth several months to fully heal from the surgery and for the bone and tissue to fuse together naturally with the implant. Once this occurs, the implant is now ready to support a false tooth or support even a full set of dentures.

Are dental implants a good choice for your smile?

Implants have been helping countless adults gain healthy, full smiles again and you could be next. Implants are truly the closest thing you can get to natural teeth and they offer a very high success rate. With the proper care, this new restoration could even last the rest of your life.

Of course, in order for you to be considered an ideal candidate for treatment this means that we will need to examine your smile and perform x-rays to make sure that your jawbone is healthy enough to support an implant and that there aren’t any other issues such as decay or gum disease that will need to be treated beforehand.

If you are a non-smoking adult who is healthy then you could very well be a great candidate for implants. Imagine finally having a full, beautiful smile again that you can rely on. Now doesn’t that sound ideal?

Are you ready to take the plunge and get dental implants in Niskayuna, NY? If so, then the next step is to schedule a consultation with Dr. Molino or Dr. Vaccaro to find out if your smile is right for this tooth replacement option. Let us help you get your smile back on track.

If you've been considering replacing one or more of your missing permanent teeth, you've probably run across several options. As trained experts in the field of restorative dentistry in Niskayuna, NY, Dr. Kent Molino and Dr. Todd Vaccaro often suggest dental implants as the best investment for optimal appearance and dental health. Read on to learn why dental implants come so highly recommended by dentists and patients alike.

What are dental implants?

Dental implants are a three-part tooth replacement offered by your Niskayuna dentist. The first portion of the implant is the post, which is a tiny wedge-shaped piece of metal that looks similar to a screw. This is the section that Dr. Molino or Dr. Vaccaro actually implants into the jawbone during an in-office procedure. Over a period of a few months, the implant will osseointegrate, or fuse, with the jawbone, securing into place. After that, it will be time to attach the abutment, another tiny metal piece that connects the post to the crown, the only visible part of the dental implant. Crowns are made from a high-quality ceramic material and carefully shaped and polished to look just like a natural tooth.

What are the advantages of dental implants?

Dental implants have changed the way that both dental professionals and patients deal with tooth loss. They do not require replacement or adjustments, unlike crowns and bridges or dentures; they're designed to last several decades and as long as a lifetime, thanks to the unique way that they integrate with your own anatomy. They also do not require removal or special care for cleaning. Just regular brushing, flossing, and checkups are all you need to maintain your dental implants.

If you're ready to make a great decision for the way your teeth look and feel, it's time to contact Dr. Kent Molino and Dr. Todd Vaccaro in Niskayuna, NY to schedule a consultation about dental implants. You can also contact our office with any other dental-related questions you may have!