Reasons a Dentist Office Visit Should be in Your Future

There are many reasons you need to go to a dentist office. Good oral hygiene is the main one, and we recommend that you visit our office biannually to receive proper care for your oral health.

Here are a few questions that people ask us and the answers may encourage you to visit our Palatka office more frequently. 

Q: Why am I having tooth sensitivity to extreme temperatures? 

A: You might have a cavity if you are experiencing tooth sensitivity. It is wise to see a dentist as soon as possible. If you have a cavity, you need to get it filled as quickly as possible to prevent further decay or the possibility of needing a root canal.

Q: My teeth hurt when I eat sweet or sour things, why?

A: Sensitivity to sweet or sour foods can also mean you have a cavity or a loose filling. We can fill your cavity or replace your filling with a longer lasting material.  In our dentist office, we will also look for any signs of enamel erosion. 

Q: Why are my gums are swollen? 

A: Gum swelling can be due to overly vigorous brushing and flossing. Lighten up on the pressure a little and see if it helps or ask us to show you how to properly brush and floss. If you are also experiencing bleeding and discoloration, you may have gingivitis and/or periodontal disease. These are serious conditions that require immediate care.

Q: My tongue is hurting, and I haven’t burned it lately. Why?

A: Your tongue can hurt if you accidentally bite it in your sleep or you have eaten an acidic food. If you are positive it is neither of these or you have tongue pain for an extended period of time, you should have your mouth checked for oral cancer. Taking precautions with discomfort in an area like this is important. Visit our dentist office soon so we can be sure you don't have any signs of cancer. You should also be keeping track of other symptoms like lumps or sore spots.

Q: I chipped my tooth, and it isn’t hurting that bad. Should I bother coming in?

A: If you chip your tooth, you need to visit a dentist office even if it is not hurting. A chipped tooth is more vulnerable to decay, further chipping, and discomfort in the future. Not having pain is unusual, and discomfort will probably develop soon. You will probably regret not having it cosmetically repaired if you wait.   

Q: Why have I had a few loose teeth recently?

A: Loose teeth can be due to periodontal disease or other problems with your gums. It is a necessity to go to a dentist office as soon as you can. Preventing tooth loss is one of your best defenses against future oral health problems. 

All of these symptoms can have serious consequences. Don’t put your health on the line by waiting to see a dentist. Visiting our Palatka dentist office can help you to remain in good oral health, restore teeth that have been damaged, and watch for signs of oral cancer.

TMJ Treatment in Palatka: A Non-Invasive Solution

When you visit us for a TMJ treatment in Palatka, we can help you feel better right away. While few people are aware of what TMJ is, they are impacted by its symptoms. TMJ disorder is a disorder of the temporomandibular joint, which connects your jaw to the rest of your head, allowing your jaw to open and close. There is a great deal of debate surrounding what causes TMJ disorder, but from a dentist's perspective, we have found that many people suffer due to grinding or clenching their teeth at night. As with any muscle or joint, when you put constant pressure on it, you will experience pain or soreness the next day. Some people grind their teeth every night while others only do so during times of high stress.

Here are a few signs you may have TMJ:

• Constant headaches. If you tend to wake up with a headache, you could have TMJ. The occasional one is not a cause for concern, but persistent, constant headaches are.
• Jaw pain. This is the most telling symptom. If your jaw is sore or in pain, it is likely because of TMJ. Some people start out experiencing subtle jaw pain that intensifies when they eat or speak. If the condition goes on untreated, it can become worse, making it difficult to even open your mouth all the way. In its advanced stages, TMJ can lead to lockjaw, which can be entirely alarming. We encourage you to come in for a TMJ treatment long before you reach this point.
• Facial pain. Even if your jaw is not feeling particularly bad, your face could feel sore or painful. This too can be caused by putting stress on your temporomandibular joint.
• Popping noises. If you hear a persistent popping noise when you open your jaw to speak or eat, pay attention to see if it continues and visit us if it does.

TMJ treatment in Palatka

We are focused on providing you with a non-invasive solution for treating this condition. While some doctors advocate for surgery, there are conflicting reports whether surgery actually helps or makes things worse. The problem is, you cannot reverse a surgery, so this is a risk that may not be worth taking, especially if you have not tried all non-invasive solutions first. One thing you can do is change your diet to eliminate foods that are difficult to chew or hard to bite down on. Since soft foods require minimal force, the chance of your joint becoming irritated is decreased. You can also try our treatment method: a night guard. This is a device that looks similar to a full retainer. It is created using an impression of your mouth and measurements. This way, it fits snugly and securely while you sleep at night. It will not interfere with your ability to sleep, but will prevent your upper and lower teeth from touching while you do. This way, you cannot grind or clench your teeth while you sleep, and you will feel better in the morning as a result.

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

Why You Should Bring Your Teen to See an Invisalign® Dentist

As an Invisalign® dentist, we can straighten your teenager’s teeth and give them a beautiful smile they can be confident to show off. In our dental office, we typically recommend Invisalign® for our adult patients, because clear aligners work best when you have all your permanent teeth. However, by the time your son or daughter reaches their senior year of high school, they will likely be a good candidate for this treatment. To find out, call and schedule an examination so we can determine the best way to straighten their teeth and answer any questions you have about the process.
Why teens love Invisalign®

When it comes to straightening teeth, many kids start as young as elementary school or middle school. This creates an opportunity to straighten teeth young before self-esteem becomes a major issue. This is an excellent idea, but at this young age, traditional metal braces are typically the best treatment solution. For kids who do not get orthodontics at a young age, they become teens who have to decide either to wear metal braces or live with a crooked smile. If your teen is not interested in either of these options, straightening their teeth with clear aligners is an ideal solution.

As an Invisalign® dentist, we know that most teens love Invisalign® because of how discreet this solution is. Instead of wearing metal braces that stand out, teens can wear clear aligners that are virtually invisible. This means their friends will barely notice they are undergoing an orthodontics treatment and instead of being worried about their appearance, they can actually feel better about it. With each new aligner, their teeth will appear straighter, so the benefits begin to show almost immediately, instead of them needing to wait until the orthodontic treatment is complete, like they would when wearing traditional braces.

Teens also enjoy how convenient this solution is. Traditional braces come with several distinct challenges. Since a metal bracket is placed on each tooth with a wire threaded between them, it is very easy for food to become stuck around the brackets and under the wires. As a result, most people have to adjust what they eat, how they eat, and even where they eat. This can be inconvenient for anyone, especially for busy teens who want to enjoy a simple slice of pizza. Invisalign® works completely differently. Since teeth are being straightened with clear, removable aligners, there is no risk of food becoming stuck. The aligners are supposed to come out when eating, so there is no need to adjust eating habits.

As an Invisalign® dentist, we also appreciate how much easier it is to care for teeth when wearing clear aligners. They come out easily when it is time to brush and floss teeth, which means food is unlikely to become stuck in between them and there is less of a risk of your teen developing cavities or stains during the treatment process. These are only a few benefits of wearing aligners. To learn more, call and schedule an appointment.

The Convenience of Visiting a Family Dentist

The idea of a family dentist is one that closely mimics the idea of a family general practitioner or doctor. Its success is also very similar because it relies on the same trust and relationship that family doctors and a family dentist have in common. We understand that nobody ever really wants to go in to see either a doctor or a family dentist. Humans have an intrinsic discomfort with medical procedures, especially when it involves you. On the other hand, the families who come in on a regular basis to visit the family dentist find that the procedures they need are routine, with the maintenance helping to prevent emergency dental needs. At the same time, families who come in together often hold each other more accountable to keeping their oral hygiene routines, which means they have better cared for teeth overall. There are numerous benefits to having a family dentist.

From our perspective, the trust and relationship we have with families, often generations of families, plays a tremendous role in the work we are able to do for them. Think about it from the perspective of a child. When a child goes in to see the dentist or the doctor, they are in an uncomfortable and unfamiliar environment most of the time. There are strange sounds and smells, equipment that needs to be put in their mouth, and the dreaded dentist chair. All of this can cause a child and most adults to have a level of anxiety. On the other hand, when a child is coming in to see the family dentist, it is typically someone they are familiar with, having been to the office with a family member before. The friendly face of the family dentist can help to ease some of those fears, and people instinctively trust a doctor who has already treated other family members. This easing of fears goes a long way in helping with diagnoses and getting procedures done with as little fuss as possible.

From a purely convenience standpoint, there is nothing convenient about having to take multiple members of a family to different appointments. Juggling the timing, along with work and school schedules, as well as finding the right providers can be a hassle. At the family dentist clinic, we know how hard this can be, and so have two simple ways to make your life easier. First, we can have all the major family dentist procedures done right here at our family dentist clinic. Whether you need an x-ray or an extraction, braces or dentures, whatever the needs of your family, we can do them in one place. The only exception is extremely specialized work, in which case, we will help you find the best provider. The second thing we have done is to help streamline our scheduling so we can accommodate families. If we can get the entire family in and maximize your time by combining appointments, we know that we will not only save you time and effort, but that you are far more likely to come in together.

From our perspective, the trust and relationship we have with families, often generations of families, plays a tremendous role in the work we are able to do for them. Think about it from the perspective of a child. When a child goes in to see the dentist or the doctor, they are in an uncomfortable and unfamiliar environment most of the time. There are strange sounds and smells, equipment that needs to be put in their mouth, and the dreaded dentist chair. All of this can cause a child and most adults to have a level of anxiety. On the other hand, when a child is coming in to see the family dentist, it is typically someone they are familiar with, having been to the office with a family member before. The friendly face of the family dentist can help to ease some of those fears, and people instinctively trust a doctor who has already treated other family members. This easing of fears goes a long way in helping with diagnoses and getting procedures done with as little fuss as possible.

From a purely convenience standpoint, there is nothing convenient about having to take multiple members of a family to different appointments. Juggling the timing, along with work and school schedules, as well as finding the right providers can be a hassle. At the family dentist clinic, we know how hard this can be, and so have two simple ways to make your life easier. First, we can have all the major family dentist procedures done right here at our family dentist clinic. Whether you need an x-ray or an extraction, braces or dentures, whatever the needs of your family, we can do them in one place. The only exception is extremely specialized work, in which case, we will help you find the best provider. The second thing we have done is to help streamline our scheduling so we can accommodate families. If we can get the entire family in and maximize your time by combining appointments, we know that we will not only save you time and effort, but that you are far more likely to come in together.

A Family Dentist In Palatka, FL Take On Antibiotics

We are a family dentist in Palatka, FL, which means our focus is on finding the most effective ways of treating families dealing with dental challenges. One of our commitments is to find relief for discomfort as quickly as possible, especially when dealing with younger or elderly members of your family. Often, we have to reach into our tool box and pull out one of the most powerful tools that any dentist, including your family dentist in Palatka, FL, has at their disposal for fighting the microorganisms causing your problems. Antibiotics have made a huge impact on medicine, including dental medicine, since penicillin was first discovered by Alexander Fleming in 1928. Since then, we have used antibiotics to successfully remove all kinds of bacterial infections, and this has allowed modern medicine to make huge leaps of advancement in all kinds of treatments.

As with any great cure, however, there are limitations. When you come in to see your family dentist in Palatka, FL, one thing you can expect is this: While we have antibiotics as an option and it could never be taken off the table due to its effectiveness, it is often not our go-to option. We tend to ask the question, “Are antibiotics needed?” rather than, “Which antibiotics are needed?” when addressing any problem our patients have. This is because we are very aware that overuse of antibiotics can cause more problems than they can solve. Recently, there has been a great deal of news about antibiotic-resistant strains of microorganisms that have been found in increasing numbers across the medical spectrum. This situation has arisen in part due to the over-proliferation of antibiotics, which has allowed bacteria to develop a resistance to them. Our goal is to make sure that when we prescribe an antibiotic, it is because it is absolutely necessary, and that it is a targeted approach that ends up being very successful.

Sometimes as a family dentist in Palatka FL, we have to educate our patients that antibiotics, while an outstanding option, are not the only option. Often, people believe they can solve all their problems with a dose of these medications, and for good reason. When we do prescribe antibiotics, they have almost an immediate effect. Fevers associated with an infection, pain or discomfort, and even swelling because of the infection are very quick to go away, which gives the patient relief. There is little wonder that people want an antibiotic treatment. What is important to remember, however, is that antibiotics are designed to control the infection and restore a balance between your natural immunity and the invading infection. Once this happens, your body is able to quickly regroup, and it is your body's own antibodies that will kill the infection. In fact, in 60 perfect of infection situations, there is no need for any kind of interference or introduction of a foreign substance; your body will take care of the problem all by itself. In other words, antibiotics aren't the greatest fighter of infection, your body is.

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