Delaying Dental Treatment
June 11, 2013
Do you need dental work performed but find yourself putting it off? Unfortunately, you’re not alone. At Blanco Circle Dental Care we try to encourage our patients to visit us as soon as possible. Many people delay dental work for numerous reasons, including the following:
- Fear
- Cost of the procedure
- Sounds and smells
- Appointment time
- Pain or discomfort
- Not wanting to be judged
- Health concerns
No matter how good your reasons to delay your dental care may seem, in the end they’re simply not worth it. Delaying dental care only makes the issues worse. This could lead to more pain or discomfort, or even a dental emergency. When you finally do seek treatment, it may end up being more expensive than if it had been treated earlier.
Also, you’re putting yourself at a higher risk for losing a tooth. Not only is it expensive to replace missing teeth, but it also puts you at risk for losing more teeth. Delaying dental care only serves to put the health of your smile at risk.
If you need dental work done, give us a call today. Our caring staff is here to help and meet all your dental needs. There’s no need to delay your dental care any longer.
At Blanco Circle Dental Care, Dr. Gary Klugman and Dr. Christina Bianco provide quality general, cosmetic and sedation dentistry services. Our Salinas, CA dental office serves patients from Hollister, Monterey, Seaside, Prunedale, Marina, Greenfield, Gilroy, and King City. Call us today to schedule your next appointment.
Treat Dental Anxiety with Sedation Dentistry
May 28, 2013
Do you experience anxiety at the thought of going to the dentist? Is fear causing you to delay or avoid treatment? We offer sedation dentistry to help better meet the needs of our patients.
In the past, patients could only be sedated at an oral surgery office, and the only procedures these offices provided were extractions. Blanco Circle Dental Care introduced oral sedation to Northern California fifteen years ago. We are still the only general dental office in Monterey County that offers IV sedation. This is great for our patients, because it eliminates the need to go to multiple offices for all these procedures.
During sedation, you’ll feel relaxed and comfortable while we work on your teeth. This procedure helps us to perform dentistry on many patients we wouldn’t be able to treat otherwise. Dr. Klugman has a master’s from the College of Sedation in Dentistry and is an expert examiner for the Dental Board of California. Also, our office receives referrals from dentists and physicians every week because of the quality and skill of our sedation services.
Sedation dentistry can be a great choice for our patients that experience dental fear or anxiety. Give us a call today to see how we can help improve your smile. Dr. Klugman is skilled at performing sedation dentistry and would love to help you in any way he can.
At Blanco Circle Dental Care, Dr. Gary Klugman and Dr. Christina Bianco provide quality general, cosmetic and sedation dentistry services. Our Salinas, CA dental office serves patients from Hollister, Monterey, Seaside, Prunedale, Marina, Greenfield, Gilroy, and King City. Call us today to schedule your next appointment.
Xylitol: Natural Sugar for Healthy Smiles
April 2, 2013
While we all know that eating lots of sugar and sugary foods is bad for our teeth, sometimes it’s just hard to avoid using sugar. Did you know that there’s a natural sugar called xylitol that’s actually better for your teeth than other varieties of sugar? At Blanco Circle Dental Care, we are always searching for ways to help our patients better care for their smiles.
Xylitol is another form of sugar that has extremely few calories and is safe for diabetics. It’s naturally found in some fruits and vegetables, including berries and mushrooms. The real benefits comes when you look at how it affects your dental health.
After you eat foods containing regular sugar, the bacteria on your teeth will multiply and attempt to wear away at your enamel. Xylitol helps to neutralize the bacteria and prevent the acid erosion of your enamel.
Thus, it’s a way to get the taste of sugar in foods while helping to protect your teeth. This is a great solution that we urge all of our patients to consider using. While xylitol can be found in some over-the-counter sugar free chewing gum, you can get a more effective dose from gums like this one from CariFree. There are a variety of xylitol products available, including gum, mouthwash, toothpaste and mints.
Making the switch to xylitol gum or using other xylitol products could be a great way to help protect your teeth against cavities. We want all our patients to have healthy, beautiful smiles and are here to help in any way that we can.
At Blanco Circle Dental Care, Dr. Gary Klugman and Dr. Christina Bianco provide quality general, cosmetic and sedation dentistry services. Our Salinas, CA dental office serves patients from Hollister, Monterey, Seaside, Prunedale, Marina, Greenfield, Gilroy, and King City. Call us today to schedule your next appointment.
Selecting the Right Tools for Proper Teeth Care
March 19, 2013
Just because you’re brushing your teeth regularly doesn’t necessarily mean you are taking good care of them. Even people that brush regularly can still wear their teeth away. It is important to look carefully at your brushing technique, your toothbrush and your toothpaste. Blanco Circle Dental Care wants all of our patients to take the best care of their teeth possible.
Make sure you’re not brushing too hard. If your toothbrush bristles are looking frayed or bent after a short amount of time, it could be a sign that you’re brushing too hard. Brushing too hard can wear the gum tissue away. Also, make sure you’re using the right kind of toothbrush. If the bristles are too hard or rough, you could actually be wearing the enamel off of your teeth when you think you’re cleaning them.
Selecting the right toothpaste is very important to ensure a healthy smile, and is something most people don’t think a lot about. Not all toothpastes are created equal. Make sure it’s not too abrasive, or you could be accidentally wearing away the surface of your teeth when you think you’re cleaning them. Whitening toothpastes are often among the worst, as they may be ‘whitening’ your teeth by using abrasive materials to remove the top layer of your teeth. To get a copy of our list of different kinds of toothpaste and their abrasiveness, email us at drk@salinasdental.com.
It is not enough to just brush your teeth. Make sure you’re using the proper tools while doing so to ensure the continued health of your smile. Pay careful attention to your toothpaste selection, they are not all created equal. Call us to learn more and make sure you’ve made the right choices for your smile.
At Blanco Circle Dental Care, Dr. Gary Klugman and Dr. Christina Bianco provide quality general, cosmetic and sedation dentistry services. Our Salinas, CA dental office serves patients from Hollister, Monterey, Seaside, Prunedale, Marina, Greenfield, Gilroy, and King City. Call us today to schedule your next appointment.
Effects of Acid on Tooth Enamel
March 5, 2013
Acidic foods and beverages can have a negative impact on your enamel. Enamel is the thin outer covering of the tooth that helps to protect it against damage from everyday use. At Blanco Circle Dental Care, we want our patients to be informed about their teeth to know how to better take care of them.
Acidic items include carbonated drinks, fruit juice, wine, fruit, pickles, yogurt, and honey. Citric acids that are found in these items can dissolve the enamel on your teeth. Once the enamel wears away, your teeth will be more vulnerable to decay and damage, as well as being more sensitive.
It is a better idea to skip sodas and have water instead, but if you can’t skip acidic foods and drinks, there are some things you can do to minimize the negative effects on your teeth. It is important to talk to us as we can give you specific tips based on your tooth health and your personal habits.
Generally, try and have acidic items at meals so the effect of the acid is minimized. While you’re eating, your body will produce saliva that will also help to keep the acid from lingering in your teeth. It’s a good idea to use a straw when having acidic drinks, and to avoid swishing them around in your mouth. Also, brush your teeth or rinse your mouth out with water after eating acidic food to help neutralize the acids.
Some signs that you may have acid erosion of your enamel include the following:
- Discolored teeth
- Cracks
- Small dents on tooth surface
- Teeth with a sand-blasted appearance
- Increased sensitivity
- Teeth appearing translucent near the edges
It is important to visit us regularly so that if your enamel is eroding, we can help alert you to the problem and come up with solutions for your smile. Erosion of enamel due to acid is a serious dental health concern, so it is important to stay informed.
At Blanco Circle Dental Care, Dr. Gary Klugman and Dr. Christina Bianco provide quality general, cosmetic and sedation dentistry services. Our Salinas, CA dental office serves patients from Hollister, Monterey, Seaside, Prunedale, Marina, Greenfield, Gilroy, and King City. Call us today to schedule your next appointment.