When we bask in the sun’s glow, our minds often wander about the warm embrace on our skin.  While it’s no secret that the sun can affect our moods and skin, did you know that solar rays play a part in your oral health, too? In this blog, our dentists in Soho shed light on how the sun affects your smile.

Vitamin D

Suppose your primary care physician has ever suggested adding vitamin D supplements to your daily routine. In that case, you might be 1 of 1 billion around the globe who suffer from a vitamin D deficiency.

Luckily, one of the sun’s perks is its gift of natural vitamin D for free! This vital nutrient aids in calcium absorption, which is essential for sturdy and healthy teeth. Insufficient vitamin D may weaken your teeth, making them prone to cavities. With caution, bask in the sunshine every day to keep your smile radiant and healthy!

Oral Cancer

Unfortunately, the sun’s UV rays are a double-edged sword. While the sun provides vitamin D, it can escalate the risk of oral cancer. The lips are especially susceptible to sun damage, potentially paving the way for cancerous cells.

Fortunately, it’s possible to be proactive against oral cancer and, at the very least, catch it early so that you have a fighting chance to combat this deadly disease. When soaking up the sun, rock a lip balm with SPF or wear a hat to shield your lips. Also, remember to inspect your mouth for any peculiar sores or growths on a monthly basis. Lastly, we strongly encourage adults to schedule annual oral cancer screenings with our caring dentists in Soho.

Dry Mouth

Did you know that dry mouth can be caused by sun exposure? As you lie in the sunshine, dehydration starts to kick in. If your body lacks moisture, saliva production slows down, leading to a parched and puckered mouth.

It’s important to understand that saliva isn’t just for digesting your next meal. Saliva is the unsung hero for oral health, fighting acids, clearing away food bits, and helping prevent cavities. Therefore, it’s important to stay hydrated to keep your smile shining bright!

Periodontal (Gum) Disease

While a bit of sun can brighten our smiles, too much can spell trouble for our well-being. Excessive exposure to UV rays from the sun heightens the likelihood of gum disease creeping in. Moreover, these rays can harm the delicate tissues in our mouths, paving the way for bacteria to sneak in and trigger infections. Fortunately, our gifted in-house periodontist is well-equipped to take care of your gums.

Our Dentists in Soho Keep Your Smile Bright

The sun isn’t just shining down on us; it’s also impacting our oral health! While a bit of sun can be awesome for our teeth and gums, remember to shield and limit yourself from overexposure and keep up with good dental hygiene.

If you want more tips and tricks to keep your smile beaming just the sun, don’t hesitate to contact our dentists in Soho. Greene Street Dental looks forward to keeping your smile radiant.

A lot of patients come in for same-day emergency appointments because of tooth and jaw pain. Although treating the underlying cause of that pain is the ultimate solution, treating the pain itself is also a priority of our Manhattan emergency dentist. That’s where lasers come into the picture. Laser therapy in dental care reduces inflammation and promotes healing. Below, the team at Greene Street Dental explains why we’ve embraced laser therapy in urgent dental care. 

Reduced Pain and Inflammation

Unlike traditional dental tools, which can cause discomfort and inflammation on top of what you’re already experiencing, laser therapy has a more targeted approach. This not only alleviates immediate pain but also avoids long-term discomfort. The end result? Reduced pain that stays away, giving you a much more manageable recovery period. If you need urgent dental care, laser dentistry ensures that your path to pain relief is fast.

Less Swelling

Swelling is a common side effect of dental procedures, particularly emergency ones where the tissue involved is probably inflamed to begin with. After all, you’re coming to see us at Greene Street Dental because you’re already in pain. Thanks to laser dentistry’s precision, we can significantly reduce additional damage to surrounding tissue. This minimizes the swelling you experience after a dental procedure. Less swelling means you’ll be back on your feet and returning to daily activities with minimal downtime.

Faster Healing

The combination of reduced pain, inflammation, and swelling naturally means you’ll experience a faster healing process. But laser therapy does even more than that by helping your blood vessels clot during procedures. In layman’s terms, that means you’ll bleed less, and faster clotting accelerates tissue repair. An example would be if we perform an emergency tooth extraction. Our laser treatment can help with the formation of a blood clot in the socket, on top of soothing pain from the procedure. 

Precise Treatment

In emergencies, the margin for error is slim. Imprecise treatment can cause severe consequences, so accurate care is crucial. Lasers offer unparalleled precision, allowing our Manhattan emergency dentist to treat affected areas of inflammation with finesse. This level of targeting makes our urgent dental care more effective—we only treat the area where you’re experiencing a problem, eliminating any collateral damage. 

Same-Day Results

When you’re experiencing an emergency, you need pain relief right away, not hours after your appointment or later on in your recovery process. Our emergency dental clinic already offers same-day appointments, so our emergency laser therapy also delivers same-day results. You come in for your appointment, we treat your emergency, and we use laser therapy to relieve your pain, all in one visit. 

Our Laser Therapy Sets Us Apart

While other practices offer laser therapy only for specific conditions or for pre-scheduled appointments, Greene Street Dental understands its many applications, including for emergencies. After all, that’s when you need urgent pain management the most. By embracing laser technology, our Manhattan emergency dentist makes visiting our office less intimidating and more comfortable, even in emergency scenarios. Contact our New York City dentist office today for a same-day appointment. We’ll use every tool at our disposal to treat your symptoms and their source.

The boogeyman of wisdom teeth removal, dry socket can actually happen after any tooth extraction procedure. It’s a painful condition that happens when the blood clot that forms where the tooth was removed becomes dislodged or dissolves. That exposes the nerves and bone underneath. Not only can this be intensely painful, but it can also make your recovery longer and even cause infections. 

 Our dentists in Soho, Dr. Caroline Kim and Dr. Andrew Leder, can help you avoid dry socket after a tooth extraction at Greene Street Dental. Take precautions, know the symptoms, and contact us for help. 

Signs of Dry Socket

 The most common sign of dry socket is intense, throbbing pain in the area where the tooth was extracted. This pain can radiate to the ear, eye, or neck on the same side as the extraction. 

 Other signs and symptoms:

• Empty-Looking Socket 
• Bad Taste in the Mouth
• Bad Breath
• Swollen Lymph Nodes 
• Difficulty Opening the Mouth
• Visible Bone 
• Delayed Healing 

 If you experience any of these symptoms after a tooth extraction, it is important to contact our emergency dentist immediately.

How to Prevent Dry Socket

While dry socket can occur even with proper care, there are steps you can take to reduce your risk.

Follow Post-Extraction Instructions

 We provide you with clear instructions in easy-to-understand language following your procedure. Make sure to follow these instructions and let us know if you have any questions. We’d rather you ask us about your care than put yourself at risk. 

Avoid Straws and Smoking

 These seem like strange restrictions, but you use a straw or smoke a cigarette by creating suction in your mouth. That suction can dislodge the blood clot. In general, we want you to avoid straws and smoking for at least 24 hours after a tooth extraction. In some cases, our dentist in Soho might warn you to wait a little longer. 

Rinse with Salt Water

 This is an old home remedy that works wonders. Rinsing your mouth with warm salt water can help keep the extraction site clean and promote healing. Mix 1 teaspoon of salt with 8 ounces of warm water and gently swish it around in your mouth for 30 seconds before letting it drain out of your mouth; spitting can dislodge the clot. 

Use Dry Socket Paste

 If we believe you are at a high risk for developing dry socket, we may recommend using a dry socket paste. This contains ingredients that help soothe pain and promote healing. It is typically applied to the extraction site with a cotton swab and can be reapplied as needed.

Take Pain Medication

 Having a tooth removed hurts. While the procedure itself is painless, you may find you experience pain once any anesthesia wears off. We may prescribe pain medication or recommend over-the-counter options to help you manage the pain. 

Greene Street Dental Guides Your Recovery

Learning about dry socket can help keep you from developing it, so ask us about your risks after your tooth extraction. Our Soho dentist makes sure you have a recovery plan following any dental procedure. You’ll never feel unprepared with us. With proper care, we can work to ensure a smooth and speedy recovery. Reach out to us at any time about dry socket or preventative measures.