Tag: Oral Health
Why Access Matters
At DentFirst Dental Care, we understand the importance of a healthy smile. However, to that point, we also understand that access to the proper care to help you proactively maintain a healthy smile is essential. Unfortunately, everyone doesn’t have equal access to optimal oral health care. One of the biggest hurdles that many people face when it comes to dental care is being uninsured, accessibility and/or affordability.
We will be the first to admit that dental care isn’t always extremely affordable, especially if dental issues have gone unaddressed for an extended period of time. The longer an issue goes unaddressed, the more expensive it typically becomes to correct.
We are passionate about dental care and we are passionate about helping and supporting our community.
So, that’s why we created the DentFirst Prime and Prime Plus Membership Programs. We wanted to create a program specifically for our existing and future uninsured patients to ensure they always have access to quality dental care at an affordable price. Optimal oral healthcare shouldn’t be a luxury or something that ever feels out of reach. Life happens, financial situations change, but we don’t ever want our patients to feel as if they have to sacrifice continuing to receive the treatment they need and deserve.
We believe that through creating this program, we will make getting the treatment you need at a price you can afford the new basic standard of care. There’s nothing we love more than seeing the smile of someone’s dreams come to life.
Achieving and maintaining a healthy and beautiful smile is a collaborative effort and we are committed to doing our part to help.
If you join our program, you gain access to our amazing team of doctors, assistants and support staff, state-of-the-art care, our 12 locations and emergency dental services.
Access matters. Affordability matters. And we’re here to help bring that to everyone in Atlanta and its surrounding areas with ease.
You have a smile worth investing in and we want to make sure that investment lasts you a lifetime. We value your smile as much as you do and want to help you achieve the smile of your dreams.
Why We Do What We Do
At the heart of DentFirst Dental Care, we want to change lives. We love seeing people’s self-confidence and self-esteem go through the roof when they’re proud of their smile.
We are incredibly fortunate to have the most stellar team members who work hard every day to keep our patients’ smiles healthy and happy! We have structured our offices around making dentistry both comfortable and convenient for our patients. Patients truly are FIRST at DentFirst!
DentFirst has been serving Atlantans for almost 35 years and we take great pride in all of the smiles we have been so fortunate to brighten and care for!
So often, people seem to be in search of the “perfect smile,” but we know that that the “perfect smile” starts with a healthy foundation. We’re here to help you build that healthy foundation so that it can hopefully last you a lifetime!
Many of our patients started with us when they were young children and we’ve been able to continue investing in their smile as they have matured into adults. This is why we love when parents bring in their 2-3 year olds because helping children understand the importance of caring for their teeth starts young.
The great thing, however, is that whenever you’re ready to start investing in your smile or you’re simply looking for a new dental home, we are here for you and always accepting new patients!
We are incredibly proud to be a multi-specialty practice because it gives us the capacity to create a comprehensive and multi-faceted treatment plan for our patients who need it. For instance, if you’re experiencing tooth decay issues due to overcrowding or misalignment of your teeth, your general dentist can work directly with your orthodontist to help straighten your smile and protect the health of your teeth.
Opening the lines of communication, demystifying dentistry and creating an environment of transparency is integral to building lasting and trusting relationships with our patients.
We want to help co-create your perfect smile with you while making your time in and out of our office as pleasant as possible. For us, what it really comes down to is simplifying a, sometimes, otherwise complicated or stressful process.
It is so important to us to keep our patients in the loop of what’s going on with their treatment and to make what they need readily and easily accessible when they need it.
Our locations offer specialties in Periodontics, Orthodontics, Prosthodontics, Oral Surgery and Cosmetic Dentistry. Outside of our specialties, we also offer Emergency Care because we understand that things don’t always happen during regular business hours.
Our patients know that when they need us most, we’re here. As a team, we continuously strive for excellence so our patients can rest assured that their smiles are always in the best hands in Atlanta!
The art and practice of Dentistry as a whole is certainly a collaborative effort between the patient and his/her provider. We love being a part of this effort and always look forward to caring for new and existing patients.
We do what we do because dentistry is more than an industry to us, it’s who we are and it’s what we love.
DentFirst Dental Care is proud to serve Atlanta and proud to serve YOU!
To Floss or Not to Floss, That is the Question
Recently, you may have heard the legitimacy of flossing brought into question in the media and on the news. Studies have been presented to the public that cannot confirm the benefits of flossing.
For many people, this is likely incredibly disconcerting after growing up being told by the dentist the importance flossing has on your oral health.
We understand, sometimes flossing feels like a chore or maybe even uncomfortable. However, before you throw away your floss for good, here’s our perspective on the great floss debate!
When we eat food, it is almost completely inevitable that we get food stuck in between our teeth. We typically only think about food being stuck in our teeth when it’s visible, but food left in between your teeth that can’t be easily seen can be problematic towards your oral health long term.
Yes, brushing your teeth is a great way to help remove food stuck between your teeth, but a toothbrush cannot get everything. Of course, we understand this varies from person-to-person, as we all have different teeth alignment.
Flossing is a great way to help remove food that our toothbrush might miss.
Why is this so important?
Decay!
One of the biggest oral health problems plaguing people is tooth decay. Tooth decay can lead to cavities and other problems such as bad breath, discoloration or tooth loss.
A major enemy to our teeth is sugar and many of us consume foods that are carbohydrates (breads, cereal, rice, potatoes, etc). When these carbohydrates break down in our mouths, they turn into sugars. Many of us also eat food that has sugar in it which can compromise the health of our teeth over time. If you’re eating throughout the day and only brushing twice a day without flossing, chances are there is a lot of food and sugar hanging around between your teeth that can cause decay.
No, flossing isn’t a guarantee against anything, but it is a preventative measure that could greatly reduce decay that derives from plaque and food between our teeth.
Another thing to consider about floss is the importance of your gum health.
Our gum health can be a big indicator of not only the state of our oral health, but also our overall health. Gum disease can have problems that overflow into general health such as heart disease in extreme cases.
Flossing regularly helps reduce inflammation or bleeding in the gums and the chance of getting gingivitis. Flossing also helps reduce the chance of having periodontal disease.
Periodontal disease can lead not only to tooth loss, but bone loss within the mouth.
Lastly, flossing regularly also has cosmetic benefits.
Plaque, when left alone for extended periods of time, turns into tartar that forms around gum-line. This tartar build-up can make you feel self-conscious about your smile. Tartar is a hard, white and yellowish build up that can affect the health and look of teeth. Once plaque has turned into tartar, it can only be removed by a dental professional with the proper tools to help remove it without compromising the rest of the tooth. Flossing and brushing regularly helps keep your plaque at bay and slows or prevents the build-up of tartar.
So, even if the effectiveness of flossing frequently has been questioned, the great thing is that you can decide for yourself the importance it has in your oral healthcare regimen.
Flossing isn’t a definitive answer to oral health woes, just like brushing twice a day isn’t. Having a healthy and beautiful smile is just as much about being proactive as it is about being reactive. Having a healthy smile means doing as much as you can at home to care for your smile to keep it healthy between dental office visits.
Don’t put off your oral health until something happens. Sometimes it might be too late, consider Periodontal Disease as an example. Once a person has been diagnosed with it, it cannot be fully reversed, only maintained to slow it down and prevent it from getting worse.
We still recommend brushing and flossing daily because we understand the importance of preventative and proactive care. Having this approach to your oral health can save you money long term, but, even more important than that, it can protect your beautiful smile for years to come!
Foods to Help Keep Your Smile Healthy
When it comes to protecting your teeth, knowing what to eat is just as important as knowing what not to eat or to eat in moderation. As National Nutrition Month draws to an end, we wanted to share some foods with you that are great for your smile!
Some of these foods may already be a part of your diet or you may find that incorporating certain foods will protect your teeth and help to keep them strong and healthy.
Remember, a diet rich in foods that help your teeth comes second to maintaining regular oral health examinations from your DentFirst Dentist!
Below you will find a few types of food that have inherent benefits in protecting your smile.
Foods Rich in Fiber
Eating fruits and vegetables that are high in fiber increase saliva flow and help wash away potential cavity causing food particles more quickly.
(Celery, carrots, apples)
Foods with Calcium
Calcium is a mineral that is great for strengthening teeth and protecting tooth enamel. Regularly consuming foods that are high in calcium is a great way to protect your teeth.
(Milk, cheese, leafy green veggies, calcium-fortified juices and soy products)
Foods with Vitamin C
Many people are unaware of the benefits that Vitamin C has on our oral health. Vitamin C has properties which help keep our gums healthy and ward off conditions such as gingivitis which can lead to loss of adult teeth or periodontal issues.
(Oranges, carrots, spinach, sweet potatoes)
Sugarless Gum
Who doesn’t enjoy chewing gum occasionally? Fortunately there are a plethora of sugarless gums on the market to choose from. Chewing sugarless gum shortly after eating a meal is a great way to increase saliva flow and help decrease acids in the mouth that can affect our enamel and remove potentially harmful food particles.
(Sugarless gums sweetened with Xylitol can also protect from tooth decay)
Choosing Tea over Coffee
If a nice cup of coffee is your preferred way to have a quick caffeine boost, consider swapping it out with a cup of black or green tea without added sugars. Black and green teas both contain properties which help prevent gum disease and keep cavity-causing bacteria under control.
Are any of the foods listed above already a big part of your daily diet? If so, it’s awesome to find out that you already have foods that are great for your smile incorporated into your diet. If not, now you know a few different types of foods that can help and the positive effects they have on your teeth.
If you want to learn more about how your diet may be positively or negatively affecting your smile, be sure to ask your DentFirst Dentist for more information.
Patients are FIRST at DentFirst!
*This information is adapted from Delta Dental and existing findings from the ADA.
