Hudson Valley Health

Hudson Valley’s premier husband and wife cosmetic dental team, Kunwar Nagpal D.D.S. F.I.C.O.I. and Ram D. Phull D.D.S. opened their practice, Nagpal Dental Associates, in 1983 in Port Jervis, New York.
The practice, whose entire staff numbers seven dental professionals, provides more than general dentistry for children through adults. It also offers a range of cosmetic services, surgical and prosthetic dental implants and TMJ (temporomandibular joint) treatment.
“Cosmetic dentistry and implant dentistry are the niche market for this country,” said Dr. Nagpal. “People are very, very conscious about their smiles.”
Treatment begins with a complete examination that includes physical and digital x-ray screenings for tooth decay, gum disease, and alignment problems. More than a way to identify existing problems, such exams also help in the detection of developing concerns, allowing potential problems to be handled before they become major issues. Always, Dr. Nagpal and Dr. Phull emphasize an interdisciplinary approach to meeting their patients’ needs.
“Periodontal treatment, orthodontic treatment and dental implants are incorporated into the art and science of dental aesthetics now,” he said, the latter of which may include veneers, single crowns, onlays, inlays, bridges, direct restorations and the latest bleaching techniques.
“Your smile is actually designed on a laptop,” said Dr. Nagpal, “so you can visually see and show the patient what they will look like when it is all over.”
Patients suffering from jaw and bite problems associated with TMJ disorders are treated by Dr. Nagpal’s wife, Dr. Phull.
“It can give you all kinds of pain,” said Dr. Nagpal of disorders related to TMJ. “You can have pain in and around your ears, you can have a tender jaw, a popping in your mouth, clicking noises in your jaw, headaches, neck aches. It can be constant or cyclical or erratic.”
Whether it’s caused by accidental trauma, troublesome oral habits like teeth grinding, a misaligned bite, arthritis, gum disease or another source, TMJ cases may be handled in a variety of ways from less invasive practices like exercises, muscle relaxants and mouth protectors to more extensive treatments such as corrective surgery or injections.
Dr. Nagpal stresses pain-free dentistry, including the use of a computer-controlled local anesthesia instead of conventional injection. He also uses laser dentistry, which allows for some dental procedures to be performed with little anesthetic and no noise, pain, heat, or vibrations. Laser dentistry, said Dr. Nagpal, can be used for some cases of gum surgery, tooth drilling, and cavity filling.
“You can do soft tissue surgery without using scalpels or blades,” said Dr. Nagpal of laser dentistry. “There’s no bleeding and no stitches.”
One of the more promising studies in modern dentistry relates to research and medical advancements centering on bone loss, which happens naturally when teeth are lost and not replaced.
“We’re working on replacing lost bone in jaws with the use of DNA growth factors and bone morphogenic proteins,” said Dr. Nagpal.
Such advancements are among the timely topics that Dr. Nagpal and his wife teach other doctors; Dr. Nagpal as the assistant clinical professor of the Advanced Aesthetic Dentistry program at New York University College of Dentistry and his wife, Dr. Phull, as the co-director of the TMJ program at the Hospital for Joint Diseases in Manhattan.
“We like to be at the cutting edge of research,” said Dr. Nagpal.