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Enhance Your Smile with Zoom! Teeth Whitening

September 9, 2013

One of the most popular cosmetic dentistry services available today is teeth whitening. With this effective service, Dr. Folck and Dr. Santos can help patients improve the appearance of stained teeth and enjoy a more dazzling smile.

But first, why do teeth darken in the first place?

It’s because the protective layer of enamel on the outside is porous. As a result, dark colored foods and drinks are among the most common causes of staining. Which ones in particular? Some of the most common include:

  • Coffee
  • Tea
  • Red wine
  • Soft drinks
  • Fruit juices
  • Chocolate
  • Curry
  • Blueberries

Tobacco use and some medications also contribute, as does aging. But with Zoom! Whitening, patients can enjoy a whiter, more attractive smile after just a single visit with our Virginia Beach cosmetic dentists. How much whiter? By as much as 10 shades.

Here’s what you can expect from your whitening appointment. First, your Virginia Beach cosmetic dentists will look at your teeth and gums to see if whitening is right for you. If it is, we’ll make sure you’re comfortable, then place a protective covering over your lips and gums. The special Zoom! Whitening gel will be applied to teeth and activated by a low-heat lamp. The gel will penetrate beneath the enamel and work on the stains you want to get rid of. The entire process only takes one hour.

Do you want to learn more about teeth whitening? Call Smile by Design in Virginia Beach for a consultation visit.

CEREC One-Visit Crowns

August 22, 2013

Earlier this month, we outlined the restorative dentistry services you’ll find at Smile by Design. For today’s post, we’d like to zero-in on just one of them: CEREC one-visit crowns.

Dentists use crowns to help patients restore badly damaged or decayed teeth. That’s important, but a typical crown restoration takes at least two appointments to complete, which can be inconvenient. CEREC one-visit crowns take the return visit out of the equation by giving patients a high-quality, custom-made crown in just a single visit.

Here’s what you can expect from a CEREC appointment. First, Dr. Volck or Dr. Santos will examine your tooth and take a series of detailed, digital pictures of it. Then, using CEREC’s special 3D technology, our Virginia Beach team will design your customized restoration. Once this information has been transmitted to the CEREC milling unit, all you have to do is sit back and relax while it goes to work. Using high-quality dental porcelain, it will create exactly what you need.

When the CEREC milling unit is done, Dr. Volck or Dr. Santos will polish and place your new crown. As we’re finishing up, we’ll just check to see that it matches the shade and shape of your smile. Then you’ll be ready to return to your normal schedule.

Do you want to learn more about how CEREC can help you improve your smile’s functionality and appearance? Call Smile by Design today to reserve a consultation appointment. We serve patients from Virginia Beach, Fort Story, Sandbridge, and all surrounding communities.

Effective Restorative Care for Virginia Beach and Beyond

August 8, 2013

In our last post, we talked
about cosmetic dentistry, which is all about helping patients improve the
appearance of their teeth. Today we’d like to focus of restorative
dentistry
, which is all about improving the functionality of a patient’s
teeth. In some cases that means repairing ones that are damaged, while at other
times it means restoring ones that have been lost.
Why is restorative dental
care important? Because without it,
patients may have trouble chewing or speaking clearly. Damaged or missing teeth
also increase one’s vulnerability to gum disease or decay, plus additional
tooth loss. Patients may also experience bone loss in their jaw, develop bite
problems, or see their appearance change.
Regardless of your own needs and what you’ve experienced, Dr. Folck and Dr. Santos are
confident they can help. They offer a range of today’s best restorative
dentistry services, including:
But which one of these services is right for you? Dr. Folck and Dr. Santos would be happy to answer that for you with a
consultation visit. Following an oral exam, we can help you understand your
needs and devise a plan that will help you meet them. Depending on your needs,
completing your restorative dentistry
plan may only take one visit, or it may take several visits over the course of
a few months. Regardless, a healthier, more functional smile will be waiting
for you at the end.

Do you need restorative
dental care
? Call
Smile by Design today for an
appointment. We offer excellent restorative dental care to patients from Virginia Beach, Fort Story, Sandbridge,
and beyond.

Enjoy a Beautiful, New Smile with Cosmetic Dentistry

August 6, 2013

Every patient wants to feel confident about her smile; few are born with the kind of dazzling smile you see on TV, on magazine covers, or at the movies, though. That’s why dentists like Dr. Folck and Dr. Santos of Smile by Design offer cosmetic dentistry. With our great cosmetic services, we can help patients from all around the Virginia Beach area enjoy better self-esteem and even oral health.

Our cosmetic dentistry services include:

Depending on your needs, we may use just one of these services, or we may put together a treatment plan that combines at least two or more.

Your cosmetic dentistry procedure will begin with a consultation at our Virginia Beach dental office. Dr. Folck or Dr. Santos will complete a through oral exam and then talk to you about the goals you have for your smile. Based on what we find out, we can recommend the path that’s most right for you. Many of our services take between just one or two visits to complete.

Do you want to know more about the cosmetic services we offer? Call Smile by Design today to reserve an appointment. Every day, we’re creating beautiful smiles for patients from Virginia Beach, Fort Story, Sandbridge, and other communities.

Periodontal Therapy for Virginia Beach and Beyond

July 23, 2013

Periodontal therapy is treatment for periodontal disease, aka gum disease. How serious is gum disease? According to some estimates, a majority of the adult population has some form of it. What’s more, though gum disease starts out mild, if left untreated it can lead to serious oral health problems. In fact, gum disease is the number one cause of adult tooth loss. All of which means that periodontal therapy is important for anyone with even mild symptoms.

How can you know if you have gum disease? Consider these symptoms:

  • Gums that are red, swollen, or tender
  • Gums that bleed after you brush or floss
  • Persistent bad breath
  • Deep pockets between your teeth and gums
  • Loose teeth
Are you experiencing one or more of these symptoms? Contact Smile by Design in Virginia Beach for an appointment with Dr. Santos or Dr. Folck. During your appointment, we can talk to you about our approach to periodontal therapy, which involves scaling and root planing. Even though gum disease isn’t fully curable, the symptoms can be treated and its progress can be halted. 
Scaling and root planing is a deep cleaning method that lets us remove bacteria and plaque from deep below the gumline. Following your advanced care, regular brushing and flossing, plus twice yearly dental appointment, are important for helping your smile stay healthy.

Call us to set up an appointment. We can put together a periodontal therapy plan designed around your specific needs so that you can return to good oral health and find relief from your symptoms. Dr. Santos and Dr. Folck provide effective periodontal therapy to patients from Virginia Beach, Fort Story, and Northeast Virginia Beach.

The Benefit of Family and Children’s Dentistry

July 9, 2013

Even though regular dental care is important for adults and children, you don’t want to have one doctor for yourself and another doctor for your little one. What you want instead is a place that can help your whole family—where you might even be able to schedule back-to-back appointments, for convenience.

That’s what you’ll find at Smile by Design in Virginia Beach. With the family and children’s dentistry we offer, we’re helping patients of all ages have healthy smiles.

Visit Us Twice a Year for Better Oral Health

Every patient should see a dentist at least twice a year. Why? So Dr. Santos and Dr. Folck can look for changes in you or your child’s oral health. Catching things like gum disease and tooth decay early are important for providing care.

During a family or children’s dentistry appointment at our Virginia Beach office, we’ll thoroughly examine your smile for signs of the most common oral health issues. Then, we’ll complete a dental cleaning to get your teeth cleaner than is even possible with the best brushing and flossing routine. For children, we can also add a fluorite treatment to the appointment. Fluoride strengthens teeth against decay, which is something that all smiles—but especially young smiles—need help with. If Dr. Santos or Dr. Folck finds anything during your appointment, we can put together a treatment plan to help you or your little one reclaim optimal oral health.

Has it been more than six months since your last appointment? Call Smile by Design today for an appointment with Dr. Santos or Dr. Folck. We’re proud to serve patients from Virginia Beach, Fort Story, and Northeast Virginia Beach.

Welcome to the Blog for Smile by Design

July 1, 2013

Thank you for visiting the official blog for Smile by Design. Here, you’ll find informative posts on the services offered by Dr. Stephanie Santos and Dr. Vinita Folck, plus tips on how you can help your family enjoy better oral health in between visits. At Smile by Design in Virginia Beach, we believe that educating our patients will help them enjoy better oral health throughout life.

Effective Services for Virginia Beach and Beyond

To help patients enjoy good oral and overall health, Dr. Santos and Dr. Folck offer a wide range of general, cosmetic, and restorative services. Some of our most popular services include:

Personalized Care for Adults and Children

When you come to see our Virginia Beach dental team, we’ll complete a thorough oral exam to diagnose your situation and understand your needs. Every treatment plan we put forward is based on the patient’s individual needs. If you have any questions about what we recommend, we’ll be happy to address any concerns you might have.

Do you want to know more about the services we offer or how our Virginia Beach dental office can help? Call our office today for an appointment. We serve patients from Fort Story, Northeast Virginia Beach, and all surrounding areas.

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