Cosmetic Dentistry

Did you know that enamel is the hardest substance in the body? It’s true! This substance, found on the outer surface of your teeth, truly should last a lifetime. But just because it’s super strong doesn’t mean you don’t have to work to take care of it.

Here are some useful tips for keeping enamel healthy.

1. Pick the right foods for enamel health. It’s no secret that soft drinks weaken your teeth, and don’t think that diet sodas are harmless – the artificial sweeteners can also erode enamel over time. There are also other culinary culprits that can do a lot of harm. Sticky, chewy candies should be avoided. Chewing ice is a no-no. And don’t use your teeth as tools. Take a minute to grab some scissors before you rip open that package with your incisors.

On the flip side, foods with calcium can neutralize acid in your mouth and safeguard your enamel. So, enjoy your dairy products like milk, cheese and yogurt!

2. Avoid vigorous brushing and use a soft brush. Also, it’s best to brush about an hour after eating, because foods, especially acidic ones, can soften the enamel, thus making it more prone to weakening from brushing. If your teeth are discolored or yellowish, you may feel you need to brush harder. Instead, examine teeth whitening and communicate with your dentist.

3. Keep stomach acids in check. If you have a problem with severe heartburn, the stomach acid could be traveling up your esophagus and into your mouth. This acid can erode enamel, so it is important to meet with your Gibsonton doctor about treatment.

4. Talk to your dentist about dry mouth and tooth grinding. Lack of saliva is a major dilemma for tooth enamel, and it’s no surprise that teeth grinding can also wear it down. Make sure your dentist is aware if you observe either of these issues.

Hi, my name is Dr. Richard Kernagis. I want my patients to have the best oral health possible, and enamel health is a key component. I also love helping my patients achieve the beautiful smile they want with cosmetic dentistry procedures such as dental bonding, veneers, invisible braces, tooth-colored fillings, and dental implants.

My practice, Your Time Dental Urgent Care, is currently accepting new patients. Give us a call at 813-519-0128 to make an appointment!

The following website was used as source material for this blog:
http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/healthy-teeth-2/tooth-enamel-damage, accessed on September 18, 2013

Contact Your Time Dental Urgent Care:

Contact Your Time Dental Urgent Care:

Locations: (Tap to open in Google Maps):

South Shore – Gibsonton

13145 Kings Lake Drive Ste 105B
Gibsonton, FL 33534
Call: 813-519-0128

FishHawk – Lithia

5486 Lithia Pinecrest Rd, Ste B
Lithia, FL 33547
Call: 813-519-0128

Are you an avid flosser? Many of us from time to time skip this necessary habit. Studies show that around 68% of men and women report flossing at least once a week while 20% say they really never floss. Skipping the regular flossing routine can have devastating consequences on your overall dental health and bring about costly dental work in the future. Find out more about 3 major ways flossing helps protect us from gingivitis, decay and enhances our social lives. 

1. Helps Fight Cavities

Every time we eat, small remnants of food are left behind. It’s common for these tiny bits of food to accumulate in between our teeth without us always being aware. When we floss, it gets rid of all these bits of food and helps reduce the amount of plaque buildup on our teeth.

If we’re not flossing routinely, more and more plaque will form and put us at risk of developing decay. When plaque begins to cover our teeth, the enamel is slowly worn down and can result in a tiny hole which we call a cavity. The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends flossing at least once per day to prevent this accumulation of plaque.

2. Prevents Gum Disease

Gum disease is a serious dental issue and can leave you with fewer teeth if not properly taken care of in a timely manner. There are four stages to gum disease and the first signs usually show up as blood in your gums after flossing or brushing. Anytime we’re flossing and notice this, we can take it as a sign we’re not flossing well enough. The bleeding in our gums creates an accumulation of plaque and tartar along the gumline.

Flossing is a great way to get rid of this plaque from our teeth. With a piece of floss, we can reach areas a toothbrush can’t reach. If we avoid flossing for long bouts, more and more tartar can build up and become harder to remove, so our gums bleed. Plaque and tartar allow certain bacteria to build up and seep in between our gums, damaging our teeth in the process.

3. Freshens Your Breath

Have you ever wondered why your breath is stale at times? This could be due to a lack of flossing, even if you brush routinely. When you brush your teeth, you get rid of small amounts of saliva, food, and a variety of fluids from your teeth. If you don’t brush routinely, everything sticks to your teeth and results in foul-smelling breath. The same thing can happen when we start minimizing the amount of time we spend flossing. Since the food is collecting at a slower rate, we may not notice our breath turning sour. Eventually, this will lead to covering our mouths during the conversation.

Conclusion

Even if flossing is the most challenging part of your oral health regimen, refusing to floss is not worth the risk. Removing the bacteria in between your teeth frequently is crucial to your dental health and will keep your breath smelling fresh.

Flossing and brushing are the best preventative measures to avoid gum disease. Remember to have twice-yearly professional dental cleanings as well. If you’re not currently flossing, it’s best to start sooner rather than later. Unexpected cavities can be expensive to treat and damaging to your health.

Contact Your Time Dental Urgent Care:

Contact Your Time Dental Urgent Care:

Locations: (Tap to open in Google Maps):

South Shore – Gibsonton

13145 Kings Lake Drive Ste 105B
Gibsonton, FL 33534
Call: 813-519-0128

FishHawk – Lithia

5486 Lithia Pinecrest Rd, Ste B
Lithia, FL 33547
Call: 813-519-0128

Are you up on the latest cosmetic dentistry procedures offered by your Fish Hawk, Tampa, or Lithia dentist? Take our quiz and find out!

1. This popular treatment uses a dental composite that resembles enamel. This composite is applied to the surface of the teeth, sculpted, and then hardened and polished.

A. Veneers
B. Flossing
C. Defanging
D. Bonding

The correct answer is D, bonding.

2. This procedure, which can be done by your dentist or at your Gibsonton, Florida area home is very common and its main purpose it to lighten the color of one’s teeth.

A. Teeth Bleaching
B. Teeth Whitening
C. Inlays and Onlays
D. Buffing the Ol’ Pearly Whites

The correct answer is B, teeth whitening, though it is also called teeth bleaching.

3. These thin, porcelain coverings are custom-made for each mouth and are usually used to close gaps or cover discolored teeth.

A. Wax lips
B. Bleaching trays
C. Veneers
D. Tooth socks

The correct answer is C, veneers, however, tooth socks do sound cozy!

4. Which dentist serving the Tampa area can skillfully perform state-of-the-science cosmetic dentistry procedures to give you a celebrity-caliber smile?

A. Dr. Richard Kernagis at Your Time Dental Urgent Care
B. Dr. Bertha Bicuspid
C. Dr. Leo Spaceman
D. Dr. Whitey Toothson

The correct answer is A, Dr. Richard Kernagis.

Hi, I’m Dr. Richard Kernagis of Your Time Dental Urgent Care in Gibsonton. We serve the Apollo Beach, Fish Hawk, and Lithia areas with superior experience and care. If you have any questions about our services or about cosmetic dentistry procedures such as tooth whitening or smile makeovers, please contact us today.

Contact Your Time Dental Urgent Care:

Contact Your Time Dental Urgent Care:

Locations: (Tap to open in Google Maps):

South Shore – Gibsonton

13145 Kings Lake Drive Ste 105B
Gibsonton, FL 33534
Call: 813-519-0128

FishHawk – Lithia

5486 Lithia Pinecrest Rd, Ste B
Lithia, FL 33547
Call: 813-519-0128

Hello Gibsonton friends of Your Time Dental Urgent Care! Teeth take a lot of tender, loving care. And even when we do our best to practice daily dental hygiene, bacteria can still sneak in and cause cavities – the common cold of oral health. At Your Time Dental Urgent Care, we have been filling cavities for years and would be happy to take care of any cavities or other dental dilemmas you are experiencing.

Few men and women go their entire life without getting a cavity. Unfortunately for some children, a cavity is the first health problem they go through in childhood.

Cavities are caused when bacteria, acid, food debris, and saliva combine to form plaque.

Plaque then clings to your teeth and the acid in the plaque starts to dissolve the enamel. The result is a hole in your tooth which can also be accompanied by pain.

Because of how quick and effective dental fillings are, they are one of the best options to fix a cavity. At Your Time Dental Urgent Care, Dr. Kernagis uses top-of-the-line instruments to examine the size and severity of the cavity and then identify exactly what type of filling is needed. We offer white fillings that are as durable as traditional metal fillings and match your teeth exactly.

Once a decision is made on what filling you’ll need, Dr. Kernagis will carry out the needed preparations for the procedure. When a filling is carried out the right way, it can last for decades! That’s why we are sure the treatment is done with precision.

A filling isn’t a “set it and forget it” treatment. A tooth that has received a filling still needs to be properly cared for because tooth decay can occur in the surrounding tooth structure if bacteria is allowed to flourish.

Checkups are an important part of caring for your teeth and there’s no better place to receive checkups than at Your Time Dental Urgent Care. We have a comfortable, state-of-the-art office and a friendly, professional staff! That’s why so many men and women in Gibsonton have trusted us with their teeth since 2001.

Contact Your Time Dental Urgent Care:

Contact Your Time Dental Urgent Care:

Locations: (Tap to open in Google Maps):

South Shore – Gibsonton

13145 Kings Lake Drive Ste 105B Gibsonton, FL 33534 Call: 813-519-0128

FishHawk – Lithia

5486 Lithia Pinecrest Rd, Ste B Lithia, FL 33547 Call: 813-519-0128

When you go to a drugstore or supermarket looking for toothpaste, mouthwash, teeth whitener, or other oral care product, make sure that it carries the seal of the American Dental Association. This is a simple way to make sensible choices for the products you need to keep your mouth clean, healthy and free of decay.

You can depend on the American Dental Association (ADA), which only places their seal on a product after it has been evaluated to be safe as well as effective. This often means that companies have to meet standards even higher than those required by law.

Making sure to purchase products with the seal is practically like shopping with your Gibsonton dentist or dental hygienist right by your side!

Hi, I’m Dr. Richard Kernagis of Your Time Dental Urgent Care in Gibsonton. We also serve the Apollo Beach, Fish Hawk, and Lithia areas. We take pride in caring for our patients and, like the ADA, want you to have a healthy, beautiful smile.

Many of our patients want information about smile redesigns. If you’d like to know what advanced cosmetic dentistry can do for your smile, schedule an appointment and we’ll advise you on possible courses of treatment.

Contact Your Time Dental Urgent Care:

Contact Your Time Dental Urgent Care:

Locations: (Tap to open in Google Maps):

South Shore – Gibsonton

13145 Kings Lake Drive Ste 105B Gibsonton, FL 33534 Call: 813-519-0128

FishHawk – Lithia

5486 Lithia Pinecrest Rd, Ste B Lithia, FL 33547 Call: 813-519-0128