Quality Services
At the core of good dental hygiene is a cooperative program of care between you and your dentist. Your part consists of good nutrition, proper home-care (both brushing and flossing), and scheduling regular dental checkups and cleanings.

• Your dentist’s responsibilities are:
• Educating you preventing problems.
• Helping you keep your teeth and gums clean and healthy.
• Assessing and treating problems, including referrals to specialists when needed, for health risks caused by misalignment, decay, abrasion, injury, infection, or disease.
• Providing safe cosmetic interventions, such as artificial teeth and tooth whitening.
  

Young adults, families, and retirees all find tremendous satisfaction with our special brand of caring and our attention to professional detail. After an initial visit to check your overall oral health, we recommend regular dental cleanings every six months. X-rays are recommended at intervals of 1 to 3 years, depending upon your oral health history.

Pediatric Dentistry
The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends that children see a dentist no later than their first birthday, but reports that only 3 out of 5 children have seen a dentist before kindergarten. By then, over half (52 percent) of 6 to 8 year olds have tooth decay. Decay does not go away, and causes pain that makes it difficult for children to eat, sleep and pay attention in school.

The initial visit to Philmont Family Dentistry for a very young child is a simple screening, and helps to get children accustomed to the dental checkup. We check that early teeth eruptions are occurring properly and that no irregularities are present in the teeth, gums, or tongue.

Regular checkups throughout childhood can prevent serious, life-changing oral health problems from starting, and help to train little ones in the importance of caring for their teeth. All of our staff know how to make your youngsters feel at home in the dentist’s office, and every child goes home with a toy and a happy smile.

Children are also at risk for dental injuries because they are constantly active, experiencing the world through the thrill of movement. If your toddler or preschooler takes a hard knock in the mouth, or if your Little Leaguer or skateboarder takes a bad fall, emergency care is almost always available from Philmont Family Dentistry. For more information, you may also want to read Dr. Khalifeh’s articles, Teething: A 21-Year Process, Why Fluoride is Important to Dental Health, and Filling Cavities and Chips: More Choices than Ever. See Articles 4, 3 and 7.
(Also See Emergency Dentistry below.)

Emergency Dentistry
There are, unfortunately, no dental emergency units in the area’s hospitals. But dental emergencies happen every day to young and old. Philmont Family Dentistry stands ready to help in any way we can. While routine appointments and cleanings require ample notice for appointment scheduling, if you have a painful toothache or injury, call or come in during normal office hours and we will provide needed care. If you need emergency assistance after hours, you can reach Dr. Tareq Khalifeh at his emergency number, 845-797-9037. Please note: If a tooth is actually knocked out of a your mouth due to a fall or other accident, immerse the tooth in milk to preserve it, and apply ice to the mouth to minimize swelling.

Restorations
Despite the best efforts, there are times when one or more teeth are lost to injury, advanced decay, or infection. Depending upon your unique situation, your dentist may recommend an artificial tooth replacement in the form of a crown, a bridge, or an implant.

Crowns: Crowns are artificial teeth made from durable enamel that are used to cover a damaged tooth to strengthen it and restore its original appearance. It is sometimes used for cosmetic purposes only, as when a tooth is badly discolored or shaped. But crowns are often recommended to support the health of an existing tooth that has been compromised due to a large filling. The crown can be used to attach a bridge, to protect a weak tooth from breaking, or to restore a broken tooth. It is used to cover a dental implant.

Bridges (Dentures): A bridge (also called a fixed partial denture) replaces missing teeth with artificial teeth made from gold, alloys, porcelain, or a combination of these materials. The bridge helps to maintain the shape of your face, and corrects stress in your bite. Bridges may be fixed, meaning that they are bonded onto surrounding teeth for support, or removable, meaning that you can take them out for cleaning. An implant bridge attaches artificial teeth directly to the jaw or under the gum tissue. (see “Dental Implants” below).

Dental Implants: Dental implants are an alternative to the dental bridge, and are actually fused to the jawbone. Many people like them because they look natural and feel secure. They can also be used to attach full or partial dentures. However, not everyone is a candidate. You must have healthy gums and adequate bone to support the implant. The surgical procedure can be lengthy and requires that you be in good health. And you must be prepared to be fastidious about your oral hygiene and dental visits. We can help you determine if you would be a good candidate for this alternative.

For more information, you may also want to read Dr. Khalifeh’s article, Dental Implants Let Patients Smile Again.

Bleaching
The American Dental Association now has approved certain tooth whitening procedures, which can truly lighten the color of the tooth’s enamel coating. But not everyone is a candidate. And you need to know your options to safely whiten your teeth.

While many people are trying the innumerable tooth-whitening products available over the counter, most dentists prefer to do bleaching in their office. This is not because they want to charge you more for the procedure. It is because they want to minimize side effects and prevent damage to your gums.

In this chairside procedure, your dentist first applies a protective gel to your gums, or uses a rubber shield to protect them. He or she then applies the bleaching gel, which typically contains a higher concentration of the bleaching agent than products approved by the American Dental Association for home use. The bleaching procedure takes only an hour, and can be repeated over a series of visits for maximum cosmetic effect.

For more information, you may also want to read Dr. Khalifeh’s article,
Brightening Your Pearly Whites: The Facts on Tooth Whitening.

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