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Virginia Beach, VA 23452
(757) 499-9639
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New Possibilities for Your Smile with Cosmetic Dentistry

December 6, 2013

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , — smilebydesignteam @ 5:39 pm

We don’t have to tell you how important a healthy smile is, but a beautiful smile also has its advantages.Whether you’re hoping to make a good impression with a new client or you’re about to re-enter the dating scene, a white, dazzling smile can be to your advantage.

At Smile by Design, Dr. Stephanie Santos and Dr. Vinita Folck offer three popular cosmetic dentistry services to help patients from Virginia Beach and beyond enjoy better oral health but also improved self-esteem. Those services include:

Depending on your needs, Dr. Santos or Dr. Folck will recommend one or more service during a consultative appointment. Every plan we create is designed to deliver truly personal results. If you have any questions about what we propose, don’t hesitate to let us know. We want our patients from Virginia Beach and beyond to feel comfortable with the solution we put forward.

Often you can achieve a healthier, more beautiful smile in just one appointment, though some services require at least two. Find out how long your smile makeover could take during a consultation appointment.

Call us today. Dr. Santos and Dr. Folck offer exceptional cosmetic dental care to patients from Virginia Beach, Fort Story, Sandbridge, and nearby communities.

Root Canal Therapy for Virginia Beach and Beyond

November 27, 2013

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , — smilebydesignteam @ 8:00 am
If you’re experiencing sensitivity or pain because of decay,
damage, or an injury, you may benefit from a root canal. During
a root canal, Dr. Folck and Dr. Santos
will remove your tooth’s infected nerve and replace it with a safe substance
before capping it with a protective crown. This treatment will relieve your
painful symptoms, restore your oral health, and prevent the need for a tooth
extraction.
But despite the changes made to your tooth, you won’t have
to worry about your smile’s functionality changing. In fact, root canals are designed to preserve
them. A root canal only removes your
tooth’s nerve; it doesn’t remove your tooth root, which is essential for
anchoring your tooth to your jaw. Tooth roots also promote bone growth in the
jaw so that it stays healthy throughout the years.
Conversely, when you lose a tooth root, your jawbone begins
to shrink, potentially throwing your smile out of alignment and leading to the
loss of other teeth. A root canal
will help you prevent this by treating infection before extraction becomes
necessary.
What are the signs that you might need a root canal? Consider these:
  • Sensitivity to hot or cold foods and beverages
  • Pain when biting or chewing
  • Sensitivity to pressure
  • Pain that keeps you awake at night
  • Pimple-like sore on the gums
  • Pain in head, neck, or shoulders
  • Swelling

Do these symptoms sound familiar? Call Smile by Design today to reserve a consultation appointment with our Virginia Beach

Use Your Dental Benefits Before the Year Is Over

November 13, 2013

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , — smilebydesignteam @ 9:57 pm
The end of November isn’t that far away, and after that 2014
is just around the corner. That doesn’t just mean that it’s time to replace
your calendar. It will also mean a change in your dental benefits.
Right now, if you’ve paid your deductible for the year and
you still have some of your yearly maximum left, you’re insurance company will
help you pay for select dental services. At the beginning of 2014, though, you’ll
be looking at a new deductible and a fresh yearly maximum. You may also see
changes in your premiums and co-pays.
But between now and the end of the year, you can take full
benefit of your dental benefits as
they currently are, getting the most out of what’s left. For instance, maybe you
already know that you need general or restorative help. Or maybe you just need
to schedule your second checkup for the year.
Dr. Folck and Dr. Santos recommend
that all of their Virginia Beach
patients come in twice a year for a regular exam and cleaning. Why are regular
checkups so important? Because the buildup of plaque and bacteria around the
teeth and gums is what causes two of the most common oral health problems—gum disease
and tooth decay.

Do you need to schedule a year-end visit with Smile by Design? Call us today. We’re
happy to help patients from Virginia
Beach, Fort Story, Sandbridge, and nearby communities.

Virginia Beach Dentures & Partials

October 31, 2013

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , — smilebydesignteam @ 7:00 am

Patients can lose teeth for a variety of reasons—an injury, gum disease, severe decay, or with an extraction procedure. But regardless of why you’ve lost one or more teeth, looking for a replacement option is important. At Smile by Design in Virginia Beach, Dr. Santos and Dr. Folck offer two excellent options for patients to consider: partial dentures and full dentures.

But first, why is it important to replace missing teeth? Because of the impact they can have on your appearance, but more importantly, the impact they can have your oral and overall health. For patients missing a complete upper or lower row of teeth, eating can be extremely difficult. For patients missing a few upper or lower teeth, it’s easy for remaining teeth to shift out of alignment. With a partial denture, you can help retain your smile’s healthy alignment, and with a full denture you can enjoy eating and smiling again.

What’s more, patients can get either of these options in an implant-supported form. Dental implants provide patients with an enormous amount of stability, because of the way implants mimic the natural structure of teeth.

Do you need a partial or full set of dentures? Dr. Santos and Dr. Folck can help you understand your needs and pinpoint a solution that will give you the best help. During a consultation visit with us, we’ll asses your oral health and create a treatment plan that can meet your needs.

Call us today to set up an appointment. We serve patients from Virginia Beach, Fort Story, Sandbridge and beyond.

Contemporary Periodontal Therapy for Virginia Beach and Beyond

October 18, 2013

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , — smilebydesignteam @ 2:11 pm
Why does our team at Smile
by Design encourage you to come in for checkups twice a year? Because
regular care will help us protect you from a common oral health condition like periodontal disease. Caused by a
buildup of plaque and bacteria, periodontal
disease can lead to red or swollen gums, plus bleeding, and in more
advanced cases, tooth loss.
Other symptoms of periodontal
disease include:
  • Persistent bad breath
  • Receding gums
  • A change in the way your teeth fit together
  • Pockets between your teeth and gums
Through regular visits with Dr. Stephanie
Santos and Dr.
Virginia Folck, our Virginia Beach
dental team can help you monitor your smile for any of these symptoms.
Sometimes periodontal disease can
slip by unnoticed in its earliest stages. It takes a trained eye to spot these
symptoms early on.
If we find any signs of periodontal disease during your
appointment, we’re happy to recommend a treatment plan with root planing and
scaling. This deep cleaning approach is a very effective way of treating periodontal disease before it becomes
too severe.

But of course, our real goal at Smile by Design is preventing the need for periodontal therapy altogether. To schedule a checkup and cleaning
with our Virginia Beach office, give us a call today.
 We’re happy to serve patients from Fort Story, Sandbridge, and beyond.

A Beautiful Smile for the Holidays with Porcelain Veneers

October 10, 2013

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , — smilebydesignteam @ 9:01 pm
The holidays are all about getting together with family and
loved ones. That means lots of catching up, smiling, and laughing. Put your
best foot forward this year with a more dazzling smile. And thanks to a
cosmetic dental service like porcelain veneers,
you can do exactly that in just two visits.
Using porcelain veneers,
Dr. Santos
and Dr. Folck
can:
  • Close gaps
  • Hide stains
  • Change tooth length
  • Cover cracks or chips
  • Whiten teeth
  • Make teeth look straighter
What’s more, the process of transforming your smile with porcelain veneers is easy. It takes
just two appointments, after which you can leave our Virginia Beach with the results you’ve always wanted.
Here’s what you can expect from the porcelain veneer process. First, Dr. Santos or Dr. Folck
will conduct a thorough exam and oral health assessment to make sure your smile
is healthy enough for the procedure. If it is, we’ll design personalized veneers based on the shade and shape of
your teeth. We’ll also talk to you about the results you’d like to see.
Once we have all the information we need, we’ll prep your
teeth by removing a small amount of enamel. This will let your finished porcelain veneers lie flat with your
teeth. Then, after our lab has made your veneers
according to our detailed instructions, we’ll apply them, completing your
procedure.

Have a whiter holiday season right now with porcelain veneers from Smile by Design. Call us today to
reserve your consultation. We’re happy to provide cosmetic care to patients
from Virginia Beach, Fort Story, Sandbridge, and beyond.

A Family Dentistry Checkup before the Holidays

October 8, 2013

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , — smilebydesignteam @ 4:15 pm
At Smile by Design,
Dr. Santos
and Dr. Folck
encourage their Virginia Beach
patients to come in for checkups at least twice a year. Why so often? Because catching
common oral health conditions like gum disease and tooth decay will lead to
less invasive, more comfortable care. And with 2013 quickly coming to an end,
is there a better time for your family to come in for a checkup than before the
holidays start?
Halloween, Thanksgiving, and the December holidays all come
with their own special treats—ones that are tasty but pose a threat to your
oral health. With a family dentistry
checkup at Smile by Design, our Virginia Beach dental team can assess
your current health and determine if you’ll need care before the holidays
arrive.
Even though you should be careful how many sweets you
consume, we want you to enjoy the time you spend with friends and family, and
that means being able to enjoy a few goodies over the next few months. What’s
more, seeing you before the holidays begin will give us a chance to offer some
nutritional advice as well.
A natural sweetener known as xylitol can be used instead of sugar in holiday treats because it’s
sweet but won’t cause the same problems as regular sugar. In fact, xylitol is used in some toothpaste
brands to guard against cavities. That’s because sugar leads to the creation of
acid in the mouth, while xylitol creates
a neutral atmosphere that makes it difficult for harmful bacteria to cling to
teeth.

 

Learn more about xylitol
by visiting Xylitol.org.
And to schedule a visit for yourself or someone else in your family, call Smile by Design today for an
appointment. We’re happy to serve patients from Virginia Beach and beyond.

Enhance Your Smile with Zoom! Teeth Whitening

September 9, 2013

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , — smilebydesignteam @ 1:29 pm

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

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , — smilebydesignteam @ 7:00 am

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

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , , , , — smilebydesignteam @ 1:02 pm
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.
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