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Find answers to common questions about our practice, appointments, payments, and general dental care.
Our offices are open Monday through Thursday from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm, and Friday from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. We offer a 24/7 emergency service.
Please contact our 24/7 emergency service by calling our office at 212-987-7400 and following the recorded instructions.
Yes. Please contact us to learn more about our privacy practices.
Our office staff is fluent in English, Spanish and Hebrew.
Our schedule permits us to see patients from out of town and expedite their treatment. With our specialists and when needed, a dental ceramist on the premises, we can often complete treatment in a few long appointments. If your treatment requires several visits, we can also set up a schedule before you arrive in New York. Patients from out of town should speak with Dr. Gross personally before setting up the first appointment so we can efficiently set a schedule of appointments.
Learn about common dental symptoms, potential causes, and when to seek professional dental care.
Cold sensitivity can indicate several different conditions. Gum recession, tooth decay, clenching and grinding the teeth can all cause cold sensitivity. This should be evaluated by a dentist and is often treated by applying a desensitizer on an exposed root surface, placement of a filling in a decayed tooth or making a guard to protect the teeth at night. The good news is that cold sensitivity is usually reversible. Sensitivity that disappears quickly after the offending stimulus is removed has a better prognosis than sensitivity that lingers, which begins to indicate the nerve in a tooth may be irreversibly involved and in need of a root canal.
Heat sensitivity is generally more ominous than cold sensitivity, especially if the pain lingers. This is often a sign that a nerve is dying in a tooth. Teeth with heat sensitivity should be evaluated by a dentist as soon as possible. Heat sensitivity associated with pain on biting and/or swelling should be looked after without delay and may indicate an infection of a tooth and the underlying bone.
Bleeding gums, for the most part, indicate that there is local accumulation of food, plaque (bacteria and food) or tartar around the teeth. The gums react by becoming inflamed, a condition called gingivitis. If you leave the accumulations there for any length of time and you have a genetic propensity to develop gum disease, bone loss and gum infection may ensue, leading to a condition called periodontitis.
Gingivitis is remedied by having a professional cleaning and instituting fastidious brushing and flossing habits, sometimes accompanied by special rinses. If bone loss and infection are present, the treatment can also involve the placement of medicine directly under the gum, and possibly surgical intervention. So it is better to take care of this problem earlier than later. Occasionally, bleeding gums can indicate systemic disease and is also frequent in pregnant patients.
These can be signs of sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a serious problem, and left untreated, it can lead to or worsen high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes, among other illnesses. Schedule an appointment for a sleep consultation. You may also be referred to a sleep laboratory for more comprehensive analysis. If appropriate, a dental sleep appliance can be made for you that helps to open your airway while sleeping and decreases snoring.
You could be suffering from a temporomandibular disorder (TMD) called a “disc displacement,” which might also be complicated by the fact that you are likely grinding or clenching your teeth at night. The intermittent locking signifies a potential need for future surgical correction if treatment is not sought. A comprehensive TMD consultation should help address these concerns, along with a detailed medical and dental history, examination of the joints themselves and the muscles that control the jaw and any necessary imaging studies (x-rays, CT or MRI) so that a proper diagnosis can be made. Only then can sensible treatment recommendations be given. Treatment often involve an intraoral appliance, medication and physical therapy.
Get detailed information about our various dental procedures, from routine cleanings to advanced treatments.
On average, plaque (bacteria and food debris) and its more adherent cousin, tartar or calculus (plaque and calcium) build up on the teeth over a six-month period. Because these lead to gum disease and decay, we suggest the accumulations be removed twice a year. Some patients build up tartar even more quickly due to a genetic predisposition or an inability to effectively brush and floss their teeth; these patients may need dental prophylaxis more often, sometimes three or four times a year. This is especially true in patients with periodontitis, a more severe form of gum disease.
There is rarely any reason for pain during any procedure in our office. If your teeth and gums are particularly sensitive, we can apply a topical anesthetic paste prior to dental cleanings. We also use local anesthesia (commonly known as Novocaine) for most dental procedures and can supplement this with nitrous oxide analgesia (laughing gas). For patients with severe dental fear, we will sometimes bring in a medical anesthesiologist.
After the local anesthesia has worn off, there will occasionally be slight soreness in a treated area, but this pain is most often controlled with over-the-counter medications such as Tylenol, Aspirin or Ibuprofen. When needed, prescription analgesics can be prescribed, as well. This soreness is generally short-lived.
Most root canal patients experience little or no pain during the procedure and only moderate tooth soreness for about 24-72 hours afterwards. This post-treatment pain can often be controlled with over-the-counter pain medications; further pain medication and antibiotics are prescribed when necessary.
After an evaluation, existing full and partial dentures can be “relined” with a plastic material to make them fit better and stabilize any unwanted movement. Of course, if the dentures are old, broken or just severely worn, new prostheses may be necessary. You may also want to inquire about the feasibility of replacing them with implants so that they become permanent restorations.
At DP5th, we strive to minimize radiation exposure by taking as few x-rays as possible; we also use the new “digital x-ray” devices that reduce radiation up to 90%. Full sets of radiographs are taken only every 5 years for most of our patients, and check-up films (bitewings) every 1 ½ to 2 years. Of course, when there is an emergency problem we will have to take an adequate set of x-rays (usually 1 to 3) to diagnose and treat it. But the amount of radiation you are exposed to in a dental office that’s equipped with modern digital radiography is minimal even compared to level you are exposed to walking around in the environment.
Enhancing your smile takes careful planning. To determine the improvements we can make, we start with an “aesthetic work up.” During this consultation, we’ll talk with you to determine what changes you would like to have. Then we’ll take impressions and models of your teeth, examine and document your current oral condition (teeth and gums), and take a set of portrait and close-up digital photographs, along with needed x-rays.
After analyzing this information, we can discuss what’s possible and fabricate a 3D printed mock-up or composite mock-up of final outcomes and the procedures (veneers, orthodontics, crowns, gum treatment etc) that are necessary to get there. Finally, we’ll discuss the time and fees involved with each procedure.
After a careful examination of the area with the missing tooth along with your surrounding dentition, we will take films and a 3D dCone Beam CT scan to determine if there is adequate quantity and quality of bone to place the implant. We can then discuss the feasibility of dental implants and what procedures will be necessary for placement. Most times the question can be answered with a single short consultation.
Implants are surgically placed into your jaw; usually under the gum. They generally take about 3 months to integrate into the surrounding bone, after which an abutment/post and crown can be placed. There are many situations where a temporary crown can be placed on the same day as implant placement, so that you will not have to walk around with unsightly gaps or a removable appliance. Be sure to speak to us about your specific situation.
Understand common dental terms and the anatomy of your mouth with our clear and concise explanations.
In the adult mouth, there are up to 32 permanent teeth, 16 in each jaw. Young children have only 20 primary teeth, which are replaced by the permanent teeth. The main function of your teeth is to break up food into fragments small enough for you to swallow and digest. Human beings are omnivores—that is, they eat both animal and vegetable food. Human teeth thus have two basic shapes.
The six front teeth in each jaw have single, sharp edges, like knives. The edges of the four incisors are straight, for cutting off pieces of food. The edges of the two canines come to a point, for tearing food as well. Each of these teeth has a single root.
The ten back teeth in each jaw—five on each side—have wide chewing surfaces, to grind food. Each chewing surface contains two or more low mounds, called cusps, separated by hollows and grooves. On each side of the jaw are two premolars (sometimes called bicuspids) and up to three molars. The premolars are smaller than the molars, and have one or two roots. The upper molars usually have three roots; the lower molars have two or three. The additional roots brace these teeth against the heaviest pressures of chewing.
The parts of your teeth most susceptible to decay are the chewing surfaces of the back teeth, surfaces where adjacent teeth meet, and surfaces nearest the gumline.
The mandible is the lower jawbone—a single, arch-shaped bone. It is the densest and strongest bone in your skull. Like other bones, it is fairly flexible in childhood and becomes more rigid during adolescence. When your mouth opens and closes, only the mandible moves.
Like other bones of the cranium, the two bones of the palate are joined together by a thin line of connective tissue called a suture. During infancy and childhood, the suture is flexible and easily stretched, but it becomes stronger and more rigid in adolescence. This change has important implications for orthodontic treatment.
When your jaws close, the teeth meet in occlusion, or bite. A proper occlusion is preferred for more effective chewing. Your upper front teeth should overlap the lowers, and the biting edges of the lower teeth should lightly touch the inner surfaces of the uppers. Your back teeth, the premolars and molars, should meet evenly. The chewing surfaces of the lower teeth should be slightly inside the uppers, so that their outer cusps mesh with the central grooves of the uppers. Ideally, the lower molars and premolars should also be positioned slightly forward of the corresponding upper teeth.
One of two principal parts of each tooth. The crown is the part that’s visible above the gum, and contains the hard biting surfaces. It has an outer layer of enamel, which protects it from wear and decay. Within these outer layers is the main structure of the tooth, the dentin, which contains numerous fine channels called tubules. Inside the tubules are threadlike extensions of living cells called odontoblasts.
One of two principal parts of each tooth. The root is the part normally located below the gum; it rests in a socket in the bone of the jaw.
At the core of each tooth is a channel that extends from mid-crown to root. It contains soft tissue called pulp. The outer layer of the pulp is made up of the odontoblasts, or cells, that protrude into the dentin tubules. The rest is composed largely of nerves and blood vessels. The blood vessels carry nourishment to the tooth, and the nerves are sensitive to pressure, heat, cold, electricity, and certain chemicals.
Cementum is a bonelike material that protects the root of your teeth.
Plaque is a thin film that develops naturally on the teeth. It is formed by colonizing bacteria and must be kept from adhering to your teeth for more than 24 hours to maintain optimal dental health.
Discover why so many multigenerational patients trust Dental Partners of Fifth Avenue for their dental needs. Our expert team provides personalized care in a comfortable environment. Book your appointment and experience the difference.
