Preventative Dental Care

Reaching adulthood without ever having any cavities is commendable. However, be aware that dental diligence is vital at any age. In fact, we are at risk of tooth decay our entire lives, even past the formative years. Adults have a new set of factors that can impact dental health, such as coffee and tea consumption, smoking, and certain piercings.

Take the following steps to ensure you'll always have healthy teeth and gums and a beautiful smile.

• Brush at least twice a day with a soft bristle brush and an ADA-approved fluoridated toothpaste. Sonicare brushes and battery-operated ones do a very effective job towards fighting plaque and decay. Make sure to replace your toothbrush every 3 to 4 months.
• Flossing a minimum of once a day will take care of tough to reach places between the teeth where a toothbrush can not. Waxed, flavored flosses are nice to use, leave your mouth feeling fresh, and keep gums healthy. Flossing also helps remove plaque. When left unchecked, plaque can build up, harden and result in tartar. At that point, a professional cleaning will be necessary.
• By adding a dental rinse, tongue scraper, and sugarless gum to your dental hygiene kit, your teeth and gums will benefit greatly. Using a few extras such as these is a nice way to boost the power of regular brushing and flossing.
• Keep a spare set of dental care tools plus a bottle of water with you to make taking care of your teeth a regular habit, even when at work, school, or on the go.
• Come see Dr. Simon Melcher at General & Implant Dentistry regularly. Every six months is recommended and immediately if there are any issues. Get the most from brushing and flossing by having your dental hygienist refresh your memory on the proper techniques.

Preventative care for your teeth saves discomfort, pain, time, and money down the road and is well worth the investment in new toothbrushes, floss, and other dental care tools as well as the time it takes daily to properly use these tools.  We strongly encourage you to take excellent care of your teeth and to come and see us often!  Call today to schedule an appointment: 919-782-0548.

Reviews for Implant and General Dentistry in Raleigh

Here's What Our Patients Have to Say!

In our ongoing quest to offer the best in dentistry and patient care, we encourage feedback from our clients. Here are a few recent samples we'd like to share with you. By the way, these were all 5-star ratings on our RateADentist.com site. Our current rating based on over 50 responses is 4.9 stars. 5 is the highest and we will continue to reach for the stars where our patients and quality of care are concerned!

-"I am very comfortable with the staff in this practice and appreciate the care I receive concerning my teeth." by G. Glass on 04/15/2013

-Thank you for the great dental care you provide for Dawn and me. We could not be more pleased. Thank you, Ken Lucas" by Ken Lucas on 04/17/2013

-"Well now, where do I begin?? Wonderful care, wonderful people, wonderful clean bathroom and to top it all off--WONDERFUL price!! Oh, and I just love my brand new puffy pucker (not really a word, I guess) kissable lips!! All in all, I had a great time and walked out with a super glued tooth! Love that glue! I have almost given up tootsie roll pops for good and haven't eaten one with the glued tooth!! I have to wean off of them!!! Thanks for everything and I will see you soon." by Margie on 05/17/2013

-"Jennifer was fantastic. Best hygienist I have ever been to. Not only is she gentle, she is very thorough. I will recommend her to my friends. Thank you" by Anonymous on 05/20/2013

-"As with each visit, my most recent visit with this office was outstanding. I no longer live in the Triangle, but I make sure to schedule my appointments every six months when in town. My experiences have been just that great. EVERY staff member greets me by name and a genuine smile. I have never waited in the waiting room for longer than 5 minutes. Once in the chair, the cleaning starts immediately, and the hygienist informs me of everything that is going on and even checks on specific things that I mentioned in previous visits. I have had nothing short of stellar experiences with the Implant & General Dentistry Team across the board. You guys are truly awesome." by Anonymous on 06/18/2013

-"I'm always happy with the dental care I receive at Implant and General Dentistry." by Janice Bolick on 07/01/2013

Read more reviews and schedule an appointment to meet with Dr. Melcher and his staff at Implant and General Dentistry in Raleigh: 919-782-0548

Rethink Your Drink Campaign

In addition to being a major culprit that contributes to weight gain, poor beverage choices also wreak havoc with your dental health. Many are loaded with corrosive sugars and acids that contribute to severe tooth decay.

At Implant and General Dentistry in Raleigh, we love the Rethink Your Drink campaign from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  They provide nutritional information on typical drinks - and drink serving sizes - that can be very eye opening.

For instance, they show a realistic example of a person who chooses a medium cafe latte made with whole milk with their breakfast, a 20-oz non-diet cola with their lunch, a 16-oz sweetened lemon iced tea in the afternoon, and a 12-oz glass of ginger ale with dinner as adding 796 calories to their day!  Wow - for some of us, that's almost half of our daily recommended caloric intake just for drinks. Check their site to see alternatives that add up to only 155 calories.

Here are some tips from the CDCP on how to choose the best drinks for your overall health.

Learn to be a savvy label reader and go for beverages that have zero to very little added sugar and artificial ingredients. Of course, water is always the best choice, but for those times when H2O won't do, please consider the ingredients and pay close attention to the sugar content.

For ideas about healthier alternatives, review the following suggestions and see if there is any room for improvement where your "go-to" drink options are concerned.

• According to the American Heart Association, "women should limit added sugars to only 100 calories per day (approximately 6 teaspoons), while men should take in no more than 150 calories in sugar (about 9 teaspoons a day)." It was recently revealed that the average American consumes 22 teaspoons a day!  Be on the lookout for these added sugars:
• High-fructose corn syrup
• Fructose
• Fruit juice concentrates
• Honey
• Sugar
• Syrup
• Corn syrup
• Sucrose
• Dextrose
• Make Better Choices:
• Let water be your #1 drink choice
• Try using less or 0 sugar in coffee and tea
• Make a "natural" soda by mixing ½ seltzer with ½ fruit juice
• Try lower calorie and lower glycemic sweeteners like Stevia and Agave syrup
• Keep soda and sugary drinks out of your house-just don't buy them! Instead, chill jugs of water and use lemon slices and fruit or herb filled ice cubes to make H2O a more enticing choice!
• Invest in BPA free water bottles and carry them with you daily
• If you have to have a soda, go for the 8 or 6-ounce size
• At mealtime, set the table with water goblets and fill an attractive pitcher with ice water

By changing just a few habits, you will likely see a big improvement in your overall well being, not to mention your dental health.

If you have questions regarding your dental health, please don't hesitate to contact our Implant and General Dentistry office in Raleigh, NC to schedule an appointment: 919-782-0548

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