Our Palatka dental office provides preventative dental care to help keep our patients in excellent oral health and reduce the likelihood they will develop cavities or infections.

Preventative dental care involves several different methods

Fluoride Treatments

Preventative dental care can be proactive, rather than reactive, by cleaning teeth on a regular basis. We can help prevent cavities from forming by strengthening teeth through the use of fluoride. Fluorine is a naturally occurring mineral that can help strengthen your teeth and combat erosion that can occur while eating and brushing on a daily basis. Statistically, when children have a dental fluoride treatment, the risk for developing cavities decreases by 30 percent. The significant drop in risk of developing cavities can also reduce the likelihood your child will suffer from an unnecessary toothache.

Dental Sealant

Dental sealants are another step in preventative dental care. Not everyone needs sealant, but if your children do, this will help reduce the number of cavities they may get. When there are deep ridges on the chewing surfaces of the teeth, it is possible for food to become trapped between them. Brushing alone is often not enough to remove the buildup of plaque since the toothbrush cannot effectively get between the ridges. To prevent decay, we can brush a plastic-like sealant onto the chewing surfaces of the teeth that will serve as a barrier. When eating, food will touch the sealant and not the actual teeth. As a result, nothing will become trapped, and the likelihood of a cavity forming in that area is greatly reduced. Applying sealant is easy, and it only takes a couple of minutes per tooth. This means children can have this procedure without feeling uncomfortable and gain numerous health benefits.

Education.

This is an important part of preventative care because it allows us to provide you and your children with information on how to stay in good oral health between dental visits. We realize that while regular teeth cleanings can help prevent cavities and infections, we need our patients to participate in making healthy choices at home. This begins with your diet. We encourage patients to eat a diet low in sugar and processed carbohydrates, but full of dairy products, lean protein, green leafy vegetables, and nuts. These foods can help strengthen and remineralize teeth so they are strong enough to fight off decay.

Another aspect of education is teaching patients how to brush and floss correctly; this is especially necessary with children. Brushing, in general, is not enough, but brushing correctly can certainly help. Proper brushing involves starting the brush at the gum line and moving it in a circular pattern toward the center of the mouth. It is important to brush for two minutes at a time and use a soft toothbrush that will not irritate the teeth, along with a fluoride toothpaste. When combined with proper flossing, these at-home steps can help to keep you in good oral health in between dental visits.

For more tips and suggestions, call our Palatka dental office and schedule an examination.

Dental Office  >  Dentist

Is Cosmetic Dentistry Really the Solution to My Smile Problems?

As a cosmetic dentistry office in Palatka, we are in the business of transforming smiles and do so on a daily basis. We love what we do because it gives us the opportunity to give our clients a fresh start, a renewed confidence that really shines through. Still, many people call asking if cosmetic dentistry is really any different from regular dentistry and what we can do to help them. We understand that there is a great deal of confusion surrounding what we can and cannot do, which is why we focus on patient education.

Bottom line: As a cosmetic dentist, we can give you a beautiful smile and correct most aesthetic problems you have with your smile. How we do so and what the exact results will be, depend on the condition of your teeth right now.

Ways a Cosmetic Dentist Can Help You:

• Close gaps in between your teeth
• Whiten your teeth and remove deep stains
• Make crooked teeth appear straighter
• Change the shape or size of your teeth
• Promote a strong and healthy jawbone after tooth loss
• Replace your missing teeth
• Restore your damaged teeth

In our Palatka cosmetic dentistry office, we have a variety of tools to accomplish these goals. Our objective is to solve any challenges you are facing in a way that looks entirely natural. We want your replacement teeth or restorations to look like natural ones, so no one will know you ever had a dental health issue.  Whether you were in an accident or lost a tooth, we can help repair the damage. If we are completing a full smile makeover, our goal is to give you a smile that looks so beautiful and so natural, people will think you were born with it. Our skill and expertise allow us to make you look as though you were born with the most brilliant, beautiful and perfect smile.

A few of the ways we do so is with:

• Dental bonding. For a fast restoration, we can place bonding material on the surface of your tooth, shape, and harden it. This is an excellent solution if you have a cracked or chipped tooth that needs to be fixed immediately.
• Dental veneers. Our patients love dental veneers because they can solve virtually all aesthetic issues. They can cover dark stains, close gaps in between teeth, change their shape and size, and create a truly stunning Hollywood-style smile.
• Dental crowns. When teeth are more severely damaged or much of the enamel is missing, a crown can be placed around the tooth instead. A crown is a cap created using tooth-colored porcelain or ceramic. It works incredibly well when your tooth structure is missing.
• Teeth whitening. This is one of the easiest ways we can improve your smile in our cosmetic dentistry office. Whitening your teeth can make you look younger and healthier. Plus, it is very affordable.
• Dental implants. We can replace your teeth and strengthen your jawbone. By placing dental implants, we can restore your smile, appearance, and the functionality of your missing teeth.

There is so much we can do for you in our Palatka cosmetic dentistry office. To learn more, call and schedule an appointment.

Dental Office  >  Dentist