FAQs

Everyone – adults and children – should visit the dentist twice a year, or every 6 months. Dental exams can help you maintain optimal oral health and reveal any signs of disease, decay, or negative affliction that can then be remedied. By catching these conditions early, you can prevent them from becoming worse and making everyday activities – such as eating, chewing, and talking – more difficult. Additionally, regular cleanings remove more plaque from your teeth, giving you a brighter, more attractive smile.

Dr. Adam Helfand recommends you floss your teeth twice a day – once in the morning and once before you go to bed. At the very least, you should remove the foodstuffs and build up that brushes cannot get in the spaces between your teeth at least ONCE every day.

Plaque is a sticky clear film that forms daily on your teeth from food and bacteria. When not removed with brushing and losing, it can lead to a plaque build-up that can cause gum disease and cavities. Along with brushing and flossing, regular dental check-ups can help remove a majority of plaque to very safe levels.

A family dentist has the unique ability to work with patients of all ages, including children. Dr. Adam Helfand and the Rockaway Dental Center have built our practice on this capability, and by offering all of the updated, fast, effective dental services that families need. Our family dental practice is different from a traditional dental practice because we make it our goal to make our patients comfortable and at ease when they visit us. We give you the “why” and the “how,” and explain everything about important oral hygiene practices to give you and your family total peace of mind.

Periodontal (gum) disease occurs when the gums and bones inside your mouth become infected. Plaque builds up and hardens on the teeth (generally from lack of brushing and flossing), and the gums become red and swollen. Periodontal disease can lead to gingivitis and then, in the later stages, to sore and bleeding gums, pain while chewing, and eventual tooth loss.

Not all dental professionals place and restore implants. You should always enquire about a dentist’s placement and restoration skills, training, and credentials before you schedule service:

• How long have they been practicing these essential skills?
• What organizations are they involved with for continued learning?
• Are there multiple options for implants offered at their practice?
• How do they handle dental implant complications and problems when they arise?

All of these questions are important for your overall dental health, and your satisfaction.

Nothing has a 100% success rate. Dental implants are no exception. However, their success rate is close at approximately 99% across the industry. Dental implant restorations follow in a close second with a success rate of approximately 85% – 95%, overall. Failure of implants and restorations usually result from inadequate attention to detail from the surgeon, faulty lab procedures, failure of the patient to follow instructions or pre-existing health problems from the patient. Dr. Adam Helfand will take you through all the risks and explain how your implants will help you achieve the bright, straight, complete smile you want.

For standard implant maintenance, you should make an appointment with the Rockaway Dental Center three to four times per year within the first two years. Dr. Helfand and our team will check the appearance of the implants, and your occlusion (bite), and take x-rays to ensure everything is in stable, working order. If within the first two years, you are problem-free with your implants, you should expect to visit the office for maintenance ONCE every year.