While daily oral hygiene habits are essential to good oral health, professional dental cleanings at our office ensure your teeth are treated to a deeper level of cleaning. We recommend for most of our patients to have a checkup at least every six months. In addition to a thorough cleaning and polishing of your teeth, these regular visits help us detect and prevent the onset of tooth decay and periodontal (gum) disease. During your visit, we’ll check the health of your mouth, teeth, gums, cheeks, and tongue. We’ll also check old fillings and restorations, as these can wear away over time from constant chewing, grinding, or clenching.

If you are predisposed to oral diseases, you may need to visit our office more often than every six months. Factors at play in these diseases include age, pregnancy, tobacco use, medical conditions (such as diabetes, dry mouth, or HIV infection), along with how well you take care of your teeth on a daily basis.

Make sure your teeth get the professional attention they deserve – If you’re overdue for your next cleaning, check with our office to schedule an appointment!

The initial visit also involves getting your medical history. When you share your medical history with us, be sure to provide complete, up-to-date information on your health. Please let us know if you have experienced recent hospitalization or surgery, or if you have recently been ill. Also tell us the names, doses, and frequency of any medications you are taking — whether prescription or over-the-counter products — and the name of your physician. Please also let us know about any changes in your health or medications. This information will us select the most safe and effective method of treatment path for you.

Have any more questions about your first visit? Please give us a call!

Be careful about desserts such as pies, cakes, cookies and breakfast treats) because they create a kind of super-plaque that is up to five times harder, stickier, and more acidic than the dental plaque made without much starch. Worse, not brushing right after eating these sugary, starchy foods gives those bacteria extra hours to pile up plaque on your teeth!

Here are some tips to protect your teeth: according to Dr. Oz:

•Wash dessert down with cranberry juice. A molecule in cranberries cuts acid production of certain bacteria by 70% and keeps them from sticking to teeth.
•Avoid soft drinks. Sodas tend to be acidic, which helps erode tooth enamel. That goes for diet soda, too. Carbonated sodas — even diet soft drinks — have been linked to obesity and diabetes, too.
•Chew sugarless gum. Specifically, chew gum sweetened with xylitol. Chewing stimulates saliva, your body’s natural mouth rinse, and xylitol curbs bacteria. Chewing gum can also stifle your cravings.
•Put your toothbrush and floss on your pillow. That way, no matter how tired you are, you’ll remember to safeguard that smile with nightly brushing and flossing.

Have a great weekend everybody!

Why is having a great dentist so important to not only your oral health, but your overall health as well? Dr. Forrest Faulkner explains in the above video!

More and more people are realizing that healthy teeth & gums are essential to their overall health – a great smile can change your appearance, as well as confidence!

A great dentist can change your life! At Advanced Dental Concepts in Pace, Florida, we are committed to providing optimum care for all our patients in a compassionate manner. Give us a call today at (850) 304-0027!

We also encourage you to call us and let us know if you have any new phone numbers or if your contact information has changed this spring!

Thank you! Have a great week!

Look at your medications. Discuss any you are taking with your physician to rule out ones that may contribute to the problem at hand.

Increase the amount of water you drink. Keep quality water with you and drink a little more than you think you need.