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Signs You Might Need a Root Canal in Virginia Beach

November 28, 2016

Stop pain and extraction with root canal therapy in Virginia Beach. Drs. Santos and Folck perform endodontics to infection and restore failing teeth.

Intense dental sensitivity and swollen gums frequently indicate infected tooth pulp. Root canal therapy in Virginia Beach is a comfortable alternative to tooth extraction. Also called endodontics or “ a root canal,” this restorative treatment extracts diseased inner pulp and crowns remaining tooth structure to protect it for years of additional service. Dr. Stephanie L. Santos and Dr. Vinita John Volck of Smile by Design perform endodontics to restore smiles to health, function and great aesthetics.

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Restore Damaged Smiles with CEREC Virginia Beach

November 16, 2015

a woman with a beautiful smile thanks to the CEREC virginia beach residents preferIf you’ve ever had a crown, inlay, onlay, or other dental restoration you’re likely aware that traditional dental restorations require at least two appointments. During the first visit, patients’ teeth are prepared, and impressions taken that are used by a lab to create a custom smile restoration. In the meantime, patients wear a temporary restoration. During a subsequent appointment several weeks later, patients receive their final dental restoration. At Smile by Design, we offer patients CEREC, the single-visit smile restoration alternative.
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Tooth Loss: Common Causes from Virginia Beach Dentist

September 24, 2015

Father and daughter smiling with missing teeth. Get tooth loss facts from your Virginia Beach Dentist.However it happens, losing teeth is always a traumatizing experience. Gaps in your smile negatively affect more than your confidence — they can also interfere with the way you speak, eat and chew. The key to avoiding tooth loss is knowing why it happens, and what you can do to stop it. Keep reading to learn about the top four causes of tooth loss from the Virginia Beach dentist you trust at Smile By Design.
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All About Dental Implants Virginia Beach Prefers

September 4, 2015

Smiling woman with beautiful dental restoration with the dental implants Virginia Beach trustsMissing teeth happen for a number of reasons. It could be genes — maybe your mother gave you her knack for tennis, but she could have also given you a few gaps in your mouth. Or perhaps your missing teeth were the result of a traumatic accident, like a car wreck. Whatever caused those gaps in your smile, one thing is for sure — you’ve got to get them fixed. Did you know that nothing comes closer to a natural tooth replacement than dental implants? Today, learn how your Virginia Beach dentist can help you complete your smile with dental implants.
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Enjoy General Dentistry Services That Will Keep Your Family Smiling Big

May 21, 2015

General dentistry for the whole family.To us, there’s nothing better than seeing a family with bright, beautiful smiles. Think about family pictures throughout the years. You want you and your family’s smiles to stay beautiful throughout your lives, and the best way to maintain a great smile is by keeping Dr. Santos, Dr. Folck and the rest of the Smile By Design team as part of your dental family. Our general dentistry services are here to help your mouths stay strong, clean and, most importantly, healthy. Unhealthy mouths can lead to a multitude of problems down the road that could be very expensive and time consuming. With comfortable, comprehensive dental care within your reach, why wouldn’t you want to treat your family’s mouths to a dental team that has their care at the top of their minds? Our Virginia Beach, VA office is ready to treat your family with the utmost care.
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Don’t Let Toothache Pain Ruin Your Holidays: Get Root Canal Therapy at Smile By Design Today

November 30, 2014

With all of the cooking, shopping, decorating, and traveling
you have to do this holiday season, the last thing you’ll want to deal with
is a toothache. Pain and soreness from a toothache can be so intense; it can
literally render you helpless. That’s why it’s so important to see a dentist to
get a sore or sensitive tooth treated, before the pain and discomfort have a
chance to ruin your holidays. Make an appointment
with the gentle and caring dentists at Smile
By Design
today. Dr. Santos and Dr.
Folck
can get you immediate pain and sensitivity relief with root canal
therapy
. Smile By Design provides root canal therapy to patients throughout
Virginia Beach, VA, Norfolk,
Sandbridge, Portsmouth, Fort Story
, and nearby communities.
What Happens During Root Canal
Therapy
?
·         The dentist will complete the anesthesia, so
all pain is blocked
·        
The infected tooth will be isolated with a
rubber dam
·        
An access whole will be drilled into the core of the
tooth
·        
The root canal will be cleaned out and shaped
·        
The dentist will fill the root canal with gutta-percha and
use a dental sealer to cover the whole
·        
A temporary or permanent crown will be placed
Will Root Canal
Therapy
Hurt?

No. The compassionate and gentle dentists at Smile By Design take every
precaution to ensure that you are completely calm and comfortable during the
entire procedure. They will also insure that the infected tooth and surrounding
tissues are completely numbed before beginning the root canal
therapy
. Besides, the intense pain of a toothache far exceeds any
sensitivity you might experience during a standard root canal therapy
procedure.
If you are muddling through toothaches, you’ve already
waited too long to see a dentist. Not only can Smile By Design relive your pain,
the root canal
therapy
they provide can also save your natural tooth from falling out, or
needing to be extracted. To protect your teeth and your sanity this holiday
season, make an
appointment
with the experienced restorative dentists at Smile By Design today. Dr. Santos and Dr.
Folck
can complete your root canal
therapy
quickly and efficiently. Smile
By Design
is conveniently located in Virginia Beach, VA with
comprehensive dental services to patients throughout Norfolk, Sandbridge,
Portsmouth, Fort Story
, and surrounding areas.

No Long Waiting Periods with CEREC One Visit Crowns

November 15, 2014

If you have ever needed car repairs, you know that the
process can be daunting. You have to drop your car off at the repair shop,
get a rental car, and then wait several days (or even weeks) to get your
car back. This is because the repair shop has to order special parts, wait for their delivery, and then begin working on your car. It’s all a
big hassle. The same is true for traditional dental crown procedures. In the past, if you
needed a dental crown, your dentist had to first take impressions of your teeth, construct and place a temporary crown, then wait two weeks
for the crown to be constructed by a dental lab. After this long waiting period, your dental
crown could finally be placed. Not anymore! With the new CEREC (Chairside
Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramic) one visit crowns
, there’s no
long waiting period for your permanent restoration. You can be in and out with
your brand new crown in one short visit. If you need a damaged or compromised
tooth crowned, make an
appointment
with the experienced restorative dentists at Smile By Design today. Dr. Santos and Dr.
Folck
can restore your teeth quickly and efficiently using the new CEREC crowns
technology. Smile By Design is
conveniently located in Virginia
Beach, VA
and proudly serves patients throughout Norfolk, Sandbridge,
Portsmouth, Fort Story
and surrounding communities.
You may need a CEREC crown
to repair:
·        
large cavities
·        
disfiguring chips or cracks
·        
broken teeth 
·        
misshapen teeth
The CEREC crown
procedure is a simple six step process. Your dentist will:
·        
Cover the tooth with non-toxic powder and take
digital pictures
·        
Using 3-D CEREC technology, the restoration is designed 
·        
This detailed information is sent digitally to
the CEREC milling unit
·        
The personalized porcelain crown is fabricated right in your dentist’s office
·        
The new crown is polished and placed
·        
The crown is permanently bonded to your tooth
The benefits of CEREC Crowns
include:
·        
No fabrication waiting period
·        
Prepping, fitting, and placing all in one visit
·        
No temporary crown that falls off or is
sensitive
·        
You receive your final crown in one visit
·        
You get a more accurate scanned impression
·        
Your dentist can make any necessary changes
immediately
Repair Your Teeth
with CEREC
Crowns
in Virginia
Beach, VA
We use technological advancements to make our lives simpler
and easier every day. This principle should also be true of our dental care. CEREC crowns
make dental crown procedures faster and less complicated for dentists and  patients. That means that your dentist has more time to focus on giving you
the best possible care. Make
an appointment
with the highly qualified cosmetic and restorative dentists
at Smile By Design today. Dr. Santos and Dr.
Folck
restore smiles daily throughout Virginia Beach, VA, Norfolk,
Sandbridge, Portsmouth, Fort Story,
and nearby areas.

What To Do When Canker Sores Won’t Go Away

September 29, 2014

A canker sore is a small, painful, shallow ulcer that appears inside the mouth; they may form on the tongue, the back portion of the roof of your mouth, or inside your cheeks. The exact cause of most canker sores is still unknown, although stress or tissue injury is thought to be the cause of most simple canker sores. Highly acidic foods can also trigger a canker sore or make the problem worse. Some cases of complex canker sores are caused by an underlying health condition, such as an impaired immune system or nutritional deficiencies involving vitamin B-12, zinc, folic acid, or iron. Other medical conditions like gastrointestinal tract disease, celiac disease, or Crohn’s disease could also be the culprit. If you have a canker sore that has lasted more than a week or two, you should make an appointment with the dentists at Smile By Design today. Dr. Santos and Dr. Folck can help you get immediate treatment and relief. Smile By Design is conveniently located in Virginia Beach, VA and proudly serves patients throughout Norfolk, Sandbridge, Portsmouth, Fort Story and surrounding communities.

Types of Canker Sores

There are two types of canker sores. The first type is the simple canker sore. These may appear sporadically three or four times per year and last for up to a week. They typically afflict young people between the ages of 10 and 20 years old. The second type is the complex canker sore. Complex canker sores are larger than simple canker sores, extremely painful, take more than a month to heal and can possibly leave a scar. They are less common and occur more often in people who have a long history of simple canker sores. People often confuse canker sores with cold sores but they are not the same. Cold sores, also known as fever blisters or herpes simplex type 1, are groups of painful, fluid filled blisters. Unlike canker sores, cold sores are caused by a virus and are extremely contagious. While canker sores only appear inside the mouth, cold sores typically appear outside the mouth, under the nose, around the lips, or under the chin.

Treatment for Canker Sores in Virginia Beach, VA

Usually, the pain from a canker sore lessens in a few days, and the sores heal themselves without treatment in about a week or two. However, if you experience any of the following symptoms, you should make an appointment with the experienced dentists of Smile By Design immediately as these may be signs of a more serious medical condition:

  • Unusually large sores
  • Sores that are spreading throughout your mouth
  • Sores that last three weeks or longer
  • Intense pain despite avoiding acidic foods and taking pain medication
  • Difficulty drinking enough fluids
  • High fever accompanying the canker sores

Smile By Design is located in Virginia Beach, VA,
with service to patients from the nearby communities of Norfolk, Sandbridge,
Portsmouth and Fort Story
.

What to Do In a Dental Emergency

April 7, 2014

You can never see a dental emergency coming—that’s part of
what defines an emergency. So knowing what to do when you’re in the middle of
one is very important. In today’s post, we want to go through some of the most
common dental emergencies and offer tips on what to do in each case. If you don’t
see your emergency on the list, don’t hesitate to give us a call. We’re
ready to help you!
Knocked Out Tooth

If you suddenly lose a tooth because of an accident, injury,
or some other cause, call
us immediately
. Reattachment is possible if we can see you soon enough.
Until Dr. Santos
or Dr. Folck
can see you, gently rinse the tooth and put it back in its socket. If you’re
unable to do that, store it in a baggie of milk.
Broken Tooth

As with a knocked out tooth, breaking a tooth is also a
jarring experience. If you have a broken or cracked a tooth, call us for an
appointment
. And in the meantime, rinse the area with warm water and apply
a cold compress to the area to treat pain and swelling.
Damaged Crown

Crowns can also become damaged, especially temporary crowns.
At Smile by Design, we can replace
your broken crown in a single appointment with our Virginia Beach office’s CEREC machine.
Severe Toothache

Are you struggling with a severe toothache? Before you call
us, try flossing around the affected tooth to see you can dislodge anything
from the area. If flossing does not help and your toothache continues, call us for an
appointment
. Avoid putting aspirin on your tooth as this can damage your
sensitive gum tissue.
Something Caught
between Teeth

As with the last emergency, try flossing before you give us a call. Avoid
using sharp instruments to help you.
Cut/Bitten Tongue or
Lip

Bleeding from your tongue or lip is a more serious emergency
that may require a trip to your local emergency room. Clean the area and hold a
cold compress to it for a while to stop the bleeding. If your bleeding does not
stop, visit your area ER.
Possible Broken Jaw

As with a bleeding tongue or lip, you should see your local
emergency room for help with a broken jaw.

Are you experiencing a dental emergency not listed here? Dr. Santos and Dr. Folck would be happy to consult with you. Call us immediately
for help. Our Virginia Beach office serves
patients from Fort Story, Sandbridge, and nearby communities.