To Mouthwash or Not

/ Glenn Reit D.D.S./

They come in all colors and flavors in small and large bottles. To use or not to use; that is the question. There’s the original yellow Listerine which we have all used when we have a sore throat. It even tastes like medicine. Is that a good thing? All these products claim to do something including fresher breath, fewer cavities and whiter teeth. For most people with healthy teeth and gums, it’s just a personal preference. What are the benefits of using these products? Cosmetic benefits include freshening your breath for an important meeting or whitening your smile for a date. The products temporarily control odors by masking them with a pleasant aftertaste but they don’t last long. Therapeutic benefits are used to control gingivitis, dry mouth and/or mouth sores. The problem with daily use of these rinses is many are alcohol based. In that case you are continually ingesting alcohol into your oral cavity which is not in your best interests since alcohol dries out your mouth. There are many alcohol-free mouthwashes on the market which are the ones you want to use if you are using a mouthwash daily. Most important to remember is that mouthwashes do not replace brushing or flossing. It is only an adjuvant to these daily necessary routines. When you have a sore throat due to a cold the old Listerine does help you to swallow easier.

At the dental practice of Dr Glenn Reit DDS located at 1498 Third Avenue between 84th and 85th streets we care about you and your teeth.  With decades of experience we’ve seen it all.  Our vision is to educate you about your dental health, give you alternatives for any treatment you may need and discuss what it will cost before we begin so you may make an educated decision on how to proceed.

We want to instill confidence and create a bond with you while performing your dentistry in a stress free environment.  We realize going to the dentist is not on most people’s top ten list so our goal is to give you more in service value than what you pay for your dentistry.

Call us 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!

Make Cleaning Your Teeth a Daily Habit

/ Glenn Reit D.D.S./

When you do things often enough at the same time each day, it turns into a routine. Some routines are monotonous while others can be quite exhilarating. When you exercise routinely, you experience an endorphin rush after your workout. This makes you feel good. Feeling good helps you maintain your routine. Taking a shower or bath each day makes you feel clean, which for most is an enjoyable sensation. To achieve something, you need to develop a routine. To clean your mouth, ideally it should be done twice daily, in the morning and in the evening. When you wake up each morning, you might have the sensation that I call morning mouth. The bacteria within your mouth have been having a party. They have grown and are producing noxious substances, which can irritate and smell. To reduce the party, you should brush and floss before you go to bed, causing the bacterial count in your mouth to be less upon waking. So the goal is to brush in the morning and follow up in the evening. All the bacteria in your mouth are anaerobic, meaning without oxygen. The air contains 20% oxygen. So, when you brush your teeth, you bring air into your mouth, and the oxygen within destroys the bacteria. You can only brush the top, front, and backs of your teeth. To prevent cavities between your teeth, you need to floss. The floss brings air in between your teeth, which kills the bacteria hiding there. Everyone wants a healthy mouth. You have the tools to make it so. By brushing and flossing twice per day, every day, you will make cleaning your teeth a routine, which ultimately leads to a habit that in this case will maintain your tooth health. You should also come in to see us for a professional cleaning twice per year. We can tell you how you’re doing and make sure there is nothing growing inside your mouth. Since most dental insurances cover your exam, X-rays, and cleaning at 100%. It’s a no-brainer.

At the dental practice of Dr Glenn Reit DDS located at 1498 Third Avenue between 84th and 85th streets we care about you and your teeth.  With decades of experience we’ve seen it all.  Our vision is to educate you about your dental health, give you alternatives for any treatment you may need and discuss what it will cost before we begin so you may make an educated decision on how to proceed.

We want to instill confidence and create a bond with you while performing your dentistry in a stress free environment.  We realize going to the dentist is not on most people’s top ten list so our goal is to give you more in service value than what you pay for your dentistry.

Call us 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!

Teeth Straightening For Most Everyone

/ Glenn Reit D.D.S./

It’s now possible with Invisalign

Everyone deserves to have a smile they love, and with today’s modern dental technology, that goal is attainable. A generation ago, straightening options were limited to old-school bracket-and wire braces. These work well, but they’re considered taboo for adults. Invisalign, which straightens your teeth using custom-made clear trays, is a great alternative for patients of all ages. The way Invisalign works is not completely different from traditional braces. In both cases, your teeth are realigned gradually. The difference comes in form. With braces, an orthodontist regularly tinkers with your wiring depending on where you are in the process. With Invisalign, on the other hand, you change aligners throughout treatment as you move from origin to destination. Depending on the results you’d like to achieve, treatment usually lasts between 8 months and 2 years. Invisalign appeals to many patients for a number of reasons. First and foremost, the aligners are essentially invisible. Nobody will even know you’re wearing them. Despite their outward invisibility, the aligners do real, demonstrable work. Most patients start to notice changes in their smile as early as six weeks into treatment. Other advantages of Invisalign include comfort and removability. The clear aligners are made of a BPA-free thermoplastic material that’s smooth to the touch and lays flat against your teeth. They are so comfortable that you may even forget you’re wearing them. You should remove your aligners for meals and can take them out for special occasions, but this flexibility can be both a blessing and a curse. If you don’t wear your aligners as often as possible, you’ll stall your progress. The results of straightening your teeth aren’t just cosmetic. Straight teeth are less likely to break or develop gum disease, which means investing in your smile now will save you from needing treatments later. Invisalign is a great option for adult and adolescent patients alike. If you’ve ever wondered how kids have straighter teeth than ever but fewer seem to be wearing braces, now you know. Call our office today to find out if Invisalign is right for you.

At the dental practice of Dr Glenn Reit DDS located at 1498 Third Avenue between 84th and 85th streets we care about you and your teeth.  With decades of experience we’ve seen it all.  Our vision is to educate you about your dental health, give you alternatives for any treatment you may need and discuss what it will cost before we begin so you may make an educated decision on how to proceed.

We want to instill confidence and create a bond with you while performing your dentistry in a stress free environment.  We realize going to the dentist is not on most people’s top ten list so our goal is to give you more in service value than what you pay for your dentistry.

Call us 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!

Looking and Feeling Good When Your Teeth and Gums Are Healthy

/ Glenn Reit D.D.S./

You lead with your smile.  People make subconscious decisions on the way you look.  May not be right but it is true especially when seeing your upper anterior teeth. 

Overtime teeth can discolor, wear down, break or move.  Dentistry today has many options to restore your teeth to a more pleasing position, color, and shape.  The least invasive is to just whiten your teeth using disposable trays that contain a bleaching gel. 

We offer trays that you wear for ten minutes per night for three to four nights and your teeth will lighten.  Not toilet bowl white but whiter than they were.   We find most patients are happy with the result and the cost at 125 dollars is not a stretch.

If your tooth has chips or missing pieces sometimes we can restore them with a simple bonding procedure.  Here composite or white filling material is applied to restore your teeth and matched to the color of your teeth.

If decay or trauma has broken your tooth we can do a porcelain crown to restore it.  With this procedure we can completely reshape your tooth and restore the color you desire.

If the tooth is healthy with no breakage and no decay but you’re just not happy with the look we can do porcelain veneers.   Here a sliver of porcelain is bonded to the front surface of your tooth giving you the shape and color you desire.

If your teeth are out of alignment we can move them into a more pleasing position through orthodontics.   Today using clear trays we can accomplish this treatment without others knowing you are actually undergoing it.  No longer do you need to show metal wires and brackets when you smile. 

Your smile is a reflection of your overall health.  At the dental practice of Dr. Glenn Reit we have been doing these procedures for decades.  In fact we have gone through all the iterations of these procedures as they have been released. 

We are conveniently located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan at 1498 Third Avenue between 84th and 85th streets in Yorkville.  The 4,5,6 and Q subway lines are one block away.

So call today 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!

Something Lost, Something Found

/ Glenn Reit D.D.S./

I’ve Lost A Tooth and I’m not Happy About It

In life things change and one alteration is you could lose a tooth.  This could be through neglect, an accident, or failure of a dental restoration. With regular dental check-ups and dental cleanings problems can be diagnosed before they become problematic saving teeth before they need to be lost.

If the situation arises that you lose a tooth, what are your alternatives?  You could just go without the tooth which probably is not acceptable if it is a front tooth but in the back maybe yes.  For most you want the tooth put back.

Today the best solution is an implant for a single tooth loss.  Here a piece of titanium shaped into the form of a root is placed within your jaw.  After a suitable period of time a crown which looks like your tooth can be then fabricated and attached to the implant.  Now you have a new tooth which looks and functions like the original.

If you do not want an implant you can have a fixed bridge.  Here the missing tooth is attached to the two adjacent teeth if present.  This was the main alternative to replacing a lost tooth before implants became available.   The downside is that the adjoining teeth have to be cut down so crowns can be placed and the missing tooth is joined to the adjacent teeth making it harder to floss and the adjacent teeth which could be healthy and non-carious are being sacrificed in a way to replace the missing tooth.

Another alternative which does not damage the adjacent teeth is to have a removable partial made.  Here a plastic tooth is fabricated that is placed in your mouth in the morning and is removed before sleeping.  The problem is the tooth moves around, food gets under it and you have to take it in and out.

At the dental practice of Dr Glenn Reit in Yorkville we like teeth and the people attached to them.  Even if all you need is a cleaning we would be happy to meet and treat you.  If it’s something more serious we will give you the alternatives and price points so you can make an informed decision.

Call us 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!

Do YOU Have GUARDIAN Dental Insurance?

/ Glenn Reit D.D.S./

Do you have Guardian Dental Insurance?  At the dental practice of Dr. Glenn Reit DDS at 1498 Third Avenue located between 84th and 85th streets here in Manhattan we accept your Guardian Dental Insurance for payment of dental services rendered to you.  At our practice your exam, x-rays and cleaning are covered at 100% meaning you have NO out of pocket payment as long as you have not used your benefits.

Dr Glenn Reit has decades of experience in providing dental services to patients of all ages.  If all you need is a cleaning we’re happy to provide it.  If your situation is slightly more challenging we will work with you to resolve your situation. Nobody likes going to the dentist so we will strive to make your appointment what we would want when going to the dentist.

We see patients on time all the time which is another plus.  Your time is valuable and we respect that.  Most people have a good idea of what’s going on in their mouths so there generally are no surprises when coming to see us.

We will always give you alternatives, price points and time commitments to complete any needed or optional dental treatments.  We also have Saturday hours so you will not have to take time off from work.

If it’s been awhile since you’ve seen the dentist and believe you should schedule a cleaning and check-up what are you waiting for?  With your active Guardian Dental Insurance it’s a no brainer.  You’re out of cost payment for preventive services are zero dollars.  Someone is paying for your Guardian policy and Guardian says their best patient is the one who pays and doesn’t use their dental insurance benefits.

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!