WDA: Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ's

Click on the question to see the answer.

1. Does your office use nitrous?

Dr. Hoertdoerfer does not believe in the use of nitrous oxide due to the health hazards that the inhalation of this gas encourages. These side effects, dangerous to your central nervous system, include disorientation, fixated vision, hallucinations, oxygen deprivation, loss of motor control, inhibition of vitamin B12, folic acid interference and nausea.

Wantagh Dental Arts cares deeply about your well being, and therefore
the use of nitrous oxide is not within the best interests of our patients.

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2. Where was Dr. Hoertdoerfer educated?

3. Are there any other doctors within the practice?

Currently, this office offers the services of a variety of dental professionals to assist you in obtaining maximum oral health. These professionals include our General Dentists; Dr. Bryan Hoertdoerfer, Dr. Tom Riutta and Dr. Fred Stange, our Periodontist and Implantologist, Dr. Edward Gottesman, our two Hygienists, Denise Cotrone and Christine Singh, and an orthodontist in the near future.

The differentiation in skill and medical training allows for our patients to be treated by the professional their individual needs require, without ever leaving our office.

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4. What exactly do you mean by family and sports dentist?

5. What insurance do you take? What is your office's policy on dental insurance?

6. What products do you endorse when it comes to getting teeth their whitest?

7. Where are you located?

8. How can I make an appointment?

9. What should I use to clean my baby's teeth?

10. Are baby teeth really that important to my child?

11. Are thumb sucking and pacifier habits harmful for a child's teeth?

12. How can I prevent decay caused by nursing?

13. What should I do if my child has a toothache?

14. Toothpaste: when should we begin using it and how much should we use?

15. How do I make my child's diet safe for his teeth?

16. How do dental sealants work?

17. How do I know if my child is getting enough fluoride?

18. What can I do to protect my child's teeth during sporting events?

19. What should I do if my child falls and knocks out a permanent tooth?

The most important thing to do is to remain calm. Then find the tooth. Hold it by the crown rather than the root and try to reinsert it in the socket. If that is not possible, put the tooth in the child mouth or the mother’s mouth or lastly a glass of milk and take your child and the glass immediately to any one of our Dentists or Hygienists.

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20. How safe are dental X-rays?

21. How can I help prevent tooth decay?

22. Should I accompany my child into treatment?

23. What if a child misbehaves during treatment?

Occasionally a child's behavior during treatment requires assertive management to protect him or her from possible injury. Voice control (speaking calmly but firmly) usually takes care of it. Some children need gentle restraint of the arms or legs as well. Mild sedation, such as nitrous oxide/oxygen or a sedative, may benefit an anxious child. If a child is especially fearful or requires extensive treatment, other sedative techniques or general anesthesia may be recommended. Here at Wantagh Dental Art, P.C. we will only use voice control. If the child is too difficult for our office, we will refer them to a pediatric dentist.

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24. What is a healthy diet for my child?

25. How does my child's diet affect her dental health?

26. How do I make my child's diet safe for his teeth?

First, be sure he has a balanced diet. Then, check how frequently he eats foods with sugar or starch in them. Foods with starch include breads, crackers, pasta and such snacks as pretzels and potato chips. When checking for sugar, look beyond the sugar bowl and candy dish. A variety of foods contain one or more types of sugar, and all types of sugars can promote dental decay. Fruits, a few vegetables and most milk products have at least one type of sugar.

Sugar can be found in many processed foods, even some that do not taste sweet. For example, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich not only has sugar in the jelly, but also may have sugar added to the peanut butter. Sugar is also added to such condiments as catsup and salad dressings.

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27. Should my child give up all foods with sugar or starch?

Certainly not! Many provide nutrients your child needs. You simply need to select and serve them wisely. A food with sugar or starch is safer for teeth if it's eaten with a meal, not as a snack. Sticky foods, such as dried fruit or toffee, are not easily washed away from the teeth by saliva, water or milk. So, they have more cavity-causing potential than foods more rapidly cleared from the teeth. Talk to your pediatric dentist about selecting and serving foods that protect your child's dental health.

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28. Does a balanced diet assure that my child is getting enough fluoride?

No. A balanced diet does not guarantee the proper amount of fluoride for the development and maintenance of your child's teeth. If you do not live in a fluoridated community or have an ideal amount of naturally occurring fluoride in your well water, your child needs a fluoride supplement during the years of tooth development. Your pediatric dentist can help assess how much supplemental fluoride your child needs, based upon the amount of fluoride in your drinking water and your child's age and weight.

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29. What causes crowded teeth and other orthodontic problems?

30. Why is early orthodontic care important?

31. What is early orthodontic treatment like?

32. How does fluoride work?

When the element fluoride is used in small amounts on a routine basis it helps to prevent tooth decay. It encourages "remineralization," a strengthening of weak areas on the teeth. These spots are the beginning of cavity formation. Fluoride occurs naturally in water and in many different foods, as well as in dental products such as toothpaste, mouth rinses, gels, varnish and supplements. Fluoride is effective when combined with a healthy diet and good oral hygiene.

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33. Will my child need fluoride supplements?

34. What type of toothpaste should my child use?

35. How safe is fluoride?

Fluoride is documented to be safe and highly effective. Research indicates water fluoridation, the most cost effective method, has decreased the decay rate by over 50 percent. Only small amounts of fluoride are necessary for the maximum benefit. Proper toothpaste amount must be supervised, and other forms of fluoride supplementations must be carefully monitored in order to prevent a potential overdose and unsightly spots on the developing permanent teeth. Do not leave toothpaste tubes where young children can reach them. The flavors that help encourage them to brush may also encourage them to eat toothpaste.

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36. What is topical fluoride?

Topical fluoride comes in a number of different forms. Gels and foams are placed in fluoride trays and applied at the dental office after your child's teeth have been thoroughly cleaned. Fluoride varnish is one of the newer forms of topical fluoride applied at the dentist office. It has been documented to be safe and effective to fight dental decay through a long history of use in Europe.

The advantages of varnish are:

Easily and quickly applied to the teeth.
Decreases the potential amount of fluoride digested.
Continues to "soak" fluoride into the enamel for approximately 24 hours after the original application.

This method is especially useful in young patients and those with special needs that may not tolerate fluoride trays comfortably.

Children who benefit the most from fluoride are those at highest risk for dental decay. Risk factors include a history of decay, high sucrose carbohydrate diet, orthodontic appliances and certain medical conditions such as dry mouth.

Additional information can be found on the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry website (www.aapd.org) .

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