General Dentistry

Mar13

How to Whiten Your Teeth Safely

Categories: Cosmetic Dentistry, Dental Emergency, General Dentistry

professional teeth whitening Gibsonton

White teeth make anyone look younger, happier and more attractive. At Your Time Dental Urgent Care in Gibsonton, FL, it seems like there are more teeth whitening selections than ever before.

Whitening Toothpaste

The lowest-priced product you’ll find in Gibsonton is whitening toothpaste. It helps remove surface stains while gently polishing and providing mild stain removal. Because it doesn’t contain bleach, teeth will only be lightened up to one shade.

Lightening Strips and Gels

Whitening strips and gels are also popular. They’re usually peroxide-based. You apply them for two weeks, twice a day. They may be able to bleach your teeth a shade or two. The results can last up to three or four months.

Whitening Rinses

Whitening rinses are one of the newer practices for whitening teeth. Because of the small amount of contact time these rinses have on teeth, they often have a minimal effect.

But are these whitening systems safe?

Below are a few tips on how you can whiten safely so your smile is not only brilliant but also healthy.

  1. Get a dental check-up. Let your dentist know if you experience sensitivity when you whiten your teeth. At Your Time Dental Urgent Care, we are happy to help you prevent potential issues. (That’s our job!)
  2. Follow whitening product instructions. They’re not just suggestions. They’re given to help you achieve healthy teeth while avoiding damage.
  3. Do not use brightening products longer than directed. This can result in tooth and gum sensitivity.
  4. Aim for a natural white. If you whiten too much, your teeth may become translucent or even start to have a bluish tint. Try to match the whites in your eyes. Then you won’t overdo it.
  5. To keep your teeth white, forego tea, cola, and coffee. And don’t smoke! (Stained teeth will be the least of your worries.)

The safest way to whiten your teeth?

At Your Time Dental Urgent Care, we offer an in-office whitening treatment that is safe and effective. Our patients can’t believe how great their teeth look when they remove the stains and restore the brightness.

Your smile is worth professional expertise.

 

Contact Your Time Dental Urgent Care:

813-519-0128

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

13145 Kings Lake Drive Ste 105B
Gibsonton, Florida
33534

 

ArticleID 8254
Feb28

Can You Save a Dead Tooth?

Categories: Dental Emergency, Dental Health, General Dentistry

do I need a root canal Gibsonton

Teeth are alive

Since our teeth don’t “grow” and the enamel is not comprised of living cells, sometimes we forget that teeth are alive. We are reminded that they have active nerves when we have a toothache or sudden sensitivity to hot or cold food.

Like other organs, teeth need a blood supply to stay alive and healthy.

What lies below the enamel?

Veins, arteries, lymph vessels, and nerves live below the enamel and dentin in the pulp of the tooth. When the blood flow is cut off, the tooth eventually dies. What can cause blood flow issues? Injury, trauma, infection, large fillings, and multiple restorations can impact a tooth’s blood supply.

Can you save a dead tooth?

At Your Time Dental Urgent Care, we complete root canal therapy to save a dead tooth if necessary.

During a root canal procedure (or endodontic treatment) the soft tissue in the root of the tooth is removed. Once the roots are cleaned out and widened, they are filled with a special rubber material.

What happens after a root canal?

The root canal is only the first step in the complete tooth restoration. The final steps are the core build-up and the beautiful and functional crown.

Root canals ordinarily last many years, but not always. Inadequate oral hygiene, decay, periodontal disease, an undetected crack, abscess, or degradation of root canal sealing materials can all cause a root canal to fail.

How do you know if you have a dead or dying tooth?

It is important to meet with Drs. Richard Kernagis of Your Time Dental Urgent Care immediately if you experience tenderness or pain, hot or cold sensitivity, tooth discoloration, tooth injury, gum swelling, gum pain, or lymph node tenderness or drainage.

Keep in mind, however, that sometimes there are no noticeable symptoms. That is why it is important to visit your dentist regularly for a thorough dental examination and dental cleaning.

You can count on Your Time Dental Urgent Care for quality care when you need it.

We make patients feel comfortable

 

Contact Your Time Dental Urgent Care:

813-519-0128

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

13145 Kings Lake Drive Ste 105B
Gibsonton, Florida
33534

 

ArticleID 6853
Feb21

What is Considered a Dental Emergency?

Categories: Dental Emergency, Dental Health, General Dentistry

urgent dental clinic Gibsonton

When you have an unexpected medical problem in Gibsonton, you have two choices for care. You can go to the E.R. or an urgent care clinic.

The emergency department is for accidents and sudden, severe illnesses. Conditions that are serious, but not life-threatening, can be treated at an urgent care facility.

What about dental emergencies?

Is there a dental practice counterpart for each type of medical facility? In other words, is there a dental emergency room in Gibsonton? How about a dental urgent care clinic?

There is a type of dental practice uniquely equipped to take care of emergency and urgent dental needs.

It’s aptly named an urgent care dental practice.

Urgent care dentists treat emergencies AND serious dental issues

Urgent dental care practices serve both purposes.

When you have an unexpected dental issue, you don’t have to ascertain if it’s urgent or an emergency. Call our office and we’ll advise you on the best course of action. We are open when other dental practices are closed.

What types of conditions are treated at Your Time Dental Urgent Care?

A loose tooth

  • If you discover that one of your teeth is suddenly loose, there is something serious going on. You don’t need to call an ambulance–but you do need to see a dentist as soon as possible.

Knocked-out tooth

  • If a permanent tooth is knocked out, your dentist may be able to re-implant it. It needs to be done quickly. (Baby teeth should not be re-implanted because it might damage the permanent tooth coming in.)

Hold the tooth by the crown. Don’t touch the root. If the tooth fell on the ground and is dirty, rinse it cautiously with water. Make sure you are wary not to brush off any tissue. If you can, reinsert the tooth into its socket.

It’s vital to keep the tooth from drying out. If you can’t get to our office ASAP, put it in a cup of milk to keep it moist.

If the tooth cannot be saved, you may need the tooth pulled. Permanent dental implants can replace missing teeth. We provide dental implant services.

Oral infections

  • An infection can trigger or aggravate a loose tooth. Both gingivitis (gum disease) or tooth decay can lead to an infection. If you have unexplained mouth pain, it could be an infection.

Swollen jaw

  • If your jaw starts swelling, and you don’t know why then call us without delay. It could indicate a dangerous infection.

Tooth abscess

  • An abscess is a pocket of pus. (There’s no way to sugarcoat it. It’s gross!) Some infections result in an abscess. It can be located inside a tooth or gums. Though it’s less common, it can occur in the jawbone near the tooth root. An abscess can create intense pain. If ignored, this can destroy the bone and eventually cause a lot of pain.

Tooth pain

  • All of the troubles discussed here can cause tooth pain. If you come to Your Time Dental Urgent Care with severe tooth pain, we will give you medication to relieve the pain. You won’t have to wait until your medical doctor can call in a prescription.

When should I go to the emergency department at a hospital?

  • If you have a laceration in your mouth that’s bleeding heavily, go to the E.R. or urgent care clinic.
  • If you suspect that you’ve broken your jaw, that’s another issue for an emergency room physician.

After the medical emergency is treated, come to Your Time Dental Urgent Care if there is a related dental problem.

At Your Time Dental Urgent Care, we treat dental emergencies. In addition, we are a full-service general and cosmetic dental practice.

 

Contact Your Time Dental Urgent Care:

813-519-0128

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

13145 Kings Lake Drive Ste 105B
Gibsonton, Florida
33534

 

ArticleID 8241
Jan3

Your Mouth Pain Might Be Pulpitis. Call Us ASAP!

Categories: Dental Emergency, General Dentistry, Restorative Dentistry

emergency dental clinic Gibsonton

Some men and women hate going to the dentist.  They only seek treatment when the pain is unbearable.

Because we are an urgent care practice in Gibsonton, many of our patients fall into this category.

We take extra care with those who have dental anxiety.

Pulpitis a condition that can lead to so much pain, even the most dental-phobic patients are forced to request treatment.

There are many causes of mouth pain. Some are more serious than others.

If the pain is caused by pulpitis, you need urgent care treatment immediately.

What is Pulpitis?

The “itis” suffix is a clue. In medical-speak, the suffix means “inflammation of.”

Dermatitis is inflamed skin. Bronchitis is inflammation of the bronchial tubes. Pulpitis, therefore, is inflammation of the tooth pulp.

Why do body parts become inflamed?

Inflammation is an immune response. Your body couldn’t heal infections or lacerations if it didn’t trigger an inflammatory response.

What are the indications of inflammation?

Medical students learn the acronym PRISH to remember them.

Can you guess them?

  1. Pain
  2. Redness
  3. Immobility
  4. Swelling
  5. Heat

These symptoms warn us that there is a problem in the affected tissue or organ. They motivate us to address it. Some can be treated at home. Perhaps a heat rash or superficial wound. Others are crucial and require visiting a doctor or dentist.

If you have a tooth with inflamed pulp, you definitely want to visit an urgent care dentist. Call Your Time Dental Urgent Care now at the number below.

What causes inflammation of the tooth pulp?

The pulp of the tooth is composed of nerves, blood vessels, and the tissues that hold everything together.

  • Tooth trauma or decay can bring about an infection.
  • Repetitive impact, like tooth grinding (bruxism) can cause pulpitis—even though there is no bacterial infection.
  • A cracked or chipped tooth may trigger or exacerbate pulpitis.

It usually hurts like crazy.

Pulpitis can be reversible or irreversible.

If you have reversible pulpitis, removing the cause of the inflammation can restore health to the pulp. When tooth decay is causing the inflammation, removing the decayed tooth structure and filling the hole is necessary.

If you have irreversible pulpitis, the pulp can’t be saved. But you may be able to save the surrounding tooth. Urgent care dentists (like those here at Your Time Dental Urgent Care) can perform a pulpectomy.

What is a pulpectomy?

Back to our Greek and Latin medical terms. The suffix “ectomy” means “to surgically remove.” An appendectomy is the surgical removal of the appendix. A tonsillectomy is the surgical removal of the tonsils. You know where this is going. A pulpectomy is the surgical removal of the tooth pulp.

This is the first stage of a root canal. Your dentist will carefully remove the pulp taking care not to damage the intact tooth. Disinfectant is applied to the hollowed-out area to prevent further infection. Finally, the tube is filled and sealed. Because there is no more pulp to supply blood and nutrients, the tooth is now considered “dead.” A dead tooth is weak and in jeopardy of damage. In most cases, the tooth will require a crown.

In cases of severe pulpitis, it may not be possible to save the tooth. The tooth will need to be extracted.

If you are experiencing unexplained tooth pain, call our office ASAP. We will diagnose the cause and treat the problem. You don’t need to suffer from mouth pain.

Contact Your Time Dental Urgent Care:

813-519-0128

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

13145 Kings Lake Drive Ste 105B
Gibsonton, Florida
33534

 

ArticleID 8220
Dec27

Your Time Dental Urgent Care Treats 3 Urgent Dental Issues

Categories: Dental Emergency, General Dentistry

fix knocked out tooth after hours Gibsonton

Our mouth and teeth work hard for us. Consider how much they experience day after day. It’s not surprising that occasionally problems occur.

As an urgent care office, we are uniquely qualified to treat a wide range of oral troubles.

Here are three of the most prevalent:

1. Abscessed Tooth

An abscess is a serious infection accompanied by pus, pain, and swelling. It transpires deep down in the root of a tooth. The infection can destroy tissue and even bone it left untreated.

A root canal procedure is used to remove an abscessed tooth root.

2. Knocked-out Tooth

This is the classic dental emergency. We hope it never happens to you.

But if it does, follow these critical directions:

  • Pick up the tooth by the crown (the chewing surface) NOT the root.
  • If it’s dirty, carefully rinse the tooth with warm water, being careful not to remove any tissue attached.
  • Put the tooth back in the socket immediately (if possible). Gently set it into the socket. Bite down slowly and carefully. If it’s a small child that has suffered the injury, don’t risk swallowing or choking. Put the tooth in milk. Don’t use tap water.
  • Make sure the tooth stays moist at all times.

Visit Your Time Dental Urgent Care within 30 minutes. Our number is listed below.

3. Painful Wisdom Teeth

Whether wisdom teeth have erupted or not, they can cause a lot of oral problems. They move around and bump into other teeth. They can be difficult to clean and increase the risk of decay. They can become painful and inflamed. At Your Time Dental Urgent Care, we treat wisdom teeth-related concerns.

If you still have your wisdom teeth and want to avoid future problems, come into our office for an exam and consultation. We can take an X-ray and advise you on a course of action.

Contact Your Time Dental Urgent Care:

813-519-0128

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

13145 Kings Lake Drive Ste 105B
Gibsonton, Florida
33534

 

ArticleID 8221
Dec20

We’ll Fix Your Cracked Tooth. Prevent the Next One.

Categories: Dental Emergency, Dental Health, General Dentistry

Lithia cosmetic dental and adult braces

You’re munching popcorn at the movies and bite down on an unpopped kernel. You hear a noise that makes your toes curl.

Crack!

You’ve cracked a tooth.

Nobody wants the pain and inconvenience of a cracked tooth.

Your Time Dental Urgent Care is here after-hours and on weekends to repair a chipped or cracked tooth. We can fabricate a custom crown in one visit with our state-of-the-art CEREC system.

Why is it important to fix a cracked tooth immediately?

  1. When the enamel is compromised, the tooth is more susceptible to decay.
  2. You may start chewing differently and experience head or jaw aches.
  3. The tooth may be so week it’s vulnerable to further damage.
  4. The damaged tooth may damage adjacent or opposing teeth.
  5. Your tongue won’t leave it alone and it will drive you crazy.

Have you been living with a cracked tooth for a while now? Schedule an appointment and we will fix it for you. We have extended hours to accommodate your schedule.

Don’t Chew Hard Things!

Now, let’s focus on how to avoid this preventable problem.

Steer clear of chewing on hard things if you don’t want a cracked tooth! This includes ice, hard candy, and (sorry cinephiles) popcorn. Be careful with pitted fruits. In fact, be careful with fruit that has supposedly had the pit removed. Sometimes a small hard pit fragment remains.

Chew beef jerky carefully or avoid it altogether. (It’s unreasonably expensive anyway.)

Wear Sports Mouthguards

Protect your smile against any impact on the mouth that could be experienced during sporting events. If you are a member of a local Apollo Beach or Fishhawk rec center basketball, ultimate frisbee, or flag football league, pick up a mouth guard at any Tampa area sporting goods store.

Better yet, talk to us about a custom mouthguard.

Have Tooth Grinding Treated

Tooth grinding is never a good thing, and it can even lead to a cracked tooth or temporomandibular conditions. Talk to your dentist, doctor, or physical therapist and try some stress reduction techniques to keep your jaw nice and relaxed.

Have Regular Dental Checkups

Be sure to keep your regular checkups with your Gibsonton dentist. He/she can spot possible problems that could predispose you to a cracked tooth such as an uneven chewing surface or brittle teeth. Your dentist will check for enamel erosion and damage to existing restorations

If you have a cracked tooth, you’ll want to pursue the correct course of treatment and, if needed, explore some cosmetic dentistry procedures. In addition to urgent care dental services, we provide veneers, the aforementioned CEREC crowns, and dental implants.

 

Contact Your Time Dental Urgent Care:

813-519-0128

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

13145 Kings Lake Drive Ste 105B
Gibsonton, Florida
33534

 

ArticleID 4794
Dec13

Toothache? Broken Braces? Knocked-Out Tooth?

Categories: Dental Emergency, General Dentistry, Restorative Dentistry

Bad Breath Treatment Tampa

Let’s consider three dental issues that may require immediate treatment.

Toothache

Most of us experience a toothache at some point in our lives. Even one day with oral pain can seem like an eternity.

A toothache could be a symptom of an abscess. If an abscess progresses, it can destroy the root of the tooth. It can even destroy the surrounding bone.

Possible causes of a toothache are decay, an injury to the tooth, a broken crown, an infection, and TMD (temporomandibular disorder).

Let Drs. Kernagis take care of you. You will quickly be back to pain-free eating, speaking, and sleeping. What a relief!

Call Your Time Dental Urgent Care if you have a toothache.

Broken Braces

What if one of the wires on your braces comes loose? It can damage your teeth or gums. If this happens and you cut the inside of your mouth, rinse with a solution of salt and water.

Call Your Time Dental Urgent Care if a wire on your braces breaks. We have extended hours for when an oral problem can’t wait.

Knocked-Out Tooth

We hope this never happens to you. But we are here in the unfortunate event that it does. All is not lost.

If a tooth is knocked out, it may be successfully re-implanted if done rapidly. Make sure you hold the tooth only by the crown. Never touch the root!

Rinse the tooth gently with water. Be cautious not to brush off any tissue attached. Put the tooth back in the socket if you can easily, although this can be tricky with younger children.

These are just a few of the urgent-care issues we treat at Your Time Dental Urgent Care. But we are also a full-service dental office.

We perform:

Save our number in your contacts on your phone. If you have a dental emergency, you can call without delay.

 

Contact Your Time Dental Urgent Care:

813-519-0128

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

13145 Kings Lake Drive Ste 105B
Gibsonton, Florida
33534

 

ArticleID 8218
Nov15

Saliva And Dental Health

Categories: Dental Health, General Dentistry

Saliva And Gibsonton

Today we review the importance of your saliva. Though most people may think it’s gross, saliva is vital for dental health as well as digestion.

Saliva is mostly water, but a small portion of it is made up of enzymes, antibacterial substances, mucus, and minerals. The optimal pH balance of the mouth is maintained by saliva, and pH balance is a critical factor for preventing cavities.

The minerals in saliva help to maintain the enamel surface of the teeth. Immunoproteins in saliva curb the overgrowth of microbes in the mouth, thereby protecting the gums from gingivitis.

Now that you know how critical saliva is to dental health, I’m sure you can see why sufficient salivary flow should concern you. For most individuals, everyday chewing is enough to stimulate salivary glands to release saliva. However, dry mouth, also known as xerostomia, is a condition that should be dealt with quickly before oral health troubles take place.

If you are in the Gibsonton area and are looking for quality dental care, please contact our office today at 813-519-0128.

Our comfortable staff would be happy to speak with you about urgent dental care, sedation dentistry, and the other services we provide to our valued patients.

 

Contact Your Time Dental Urgent Care:

813-519-0128

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

13145 Kings Lake Drive Ste 105B
Gibsonton, Florida
33534

 

ArticleID 3781
Oct22

Smile Makeovers? Yes, We Do Those, Too!

Categories: Cosmetic Dentistry, Dental Health, General Dentistry

Gibsonton lowest price teeth bleaching

At Your Time Dental Urgent Care, we are known for emergency dental care. This includes extractions, root canals, and treatment for a knocked-out tooth.

Our patients appreciate the fact that we take walk-ins. We are also open late on weeknights and even have weekend hours.

If that were not enough, we also provide cosmetic dentistry—even complete cosmetic dental smile makeovers.

If you are not happy with the way your teeth look, you may be considering a smile makeover. We hope you don’t overlook our practice. We provide excellent cosmetic dental care.

Let’s talk about jaw-dropping smiles.

What makes up a perfect smile? White teeth? Straight teeth? Teeth with pleasing proportions relative to one another? A stunning smile is more than the sum of its parts. At Your Time Dental Urgent Care, we believe that your perfect smile also contains another element—your unique personality.

What is a smile makeover? It is a combination of procedures that remedy any problems with your existing smile.

At Your Time Dental Urgent Care, we offer all the revolutionary treatments available. On the least invasive end, we have dental bonding and inlays/onlays. These can often be completed in just one visit. Porcelain veneers can remedy small imperfections such as chips. A veneer can also correct the shape of a tooth that is misaligned.

If you have teeth that are not structurally sound, you may need a dental crown. The crowns we provide at Your Time Dental Urgent Care blend perfectly with your existing teeth.

Perhaps your greatest need is to repair prior dental work performed elsewhere. We can remove old silver fillings and replace them with natural tooth-colored fillings. We can also replace broken dental crowns.

Give us a call to schedule a smile redesign consultation.

We make patients feel comfortable

Contact Your Time Dental Urgent Care:

813-519-0128

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

13145 Kings Lake Drive Ste 105B
Gibsonton, Florida
33534

 

ArticleID 6553
Sep26

Same Day Smile Makeovers At Your Time Dental Urgent Care

Categories: Cosmetic Dentistry, Dental Health, General Dentistry

Same Day Smile Makeovers At Your Time Dental Urgent Care In Gibsonton Have you ever wished your cosmetic dentist could glue new pearly white covers on your existing teeth as easily as you paint a wall in your house? Guess what? With porcelain veneers, it’s possible. Porcelain veneers are wafer-thin tooth-shaped fronts that are permanently bonded to your natural teeth.

Unlike a crown procedure, your dentist does not need to remove tooth structure to place the restoration.

At Your Time Dental Urgent Care, veneers are used alone and in combination with other cosmetic dental procedures in complete smile makeovers. Because they can correct cosmetic tooth misalignment in one visit, veneers are sometimes referred to as ‘instant orthodontics’.

Do veneers look like natural teeth?
Skilled dental lab artists create porcelain veneers with the color, reflective properties, and translucency of natural teeth: perfect natural teeth, that is. In addition, porcelain veneers can be produced in any size or shape.

Are veneers strong?
Porcelain veneers are fabricated out of extremely durable material. If you have questions about whether a veneer or dental crown is the best choice for you, talk to us. Drs. Kernagis will consider the size and condition of the tooth and its position in the mouth.

How long do veneers last?
Some smile makeover patients have veneers they received over 15 years ago. (And they still look good!) If properly cared for, veneers can last as long as dental crowns.

Are porcelain veneers affordable?
The cost of cosmetic dental veneers at Your Time Dental Urgent Care is competitive with another premium cosmetic dental practices in the Tampa area.

We use the top dental lab to create our veneers and a significant portion of the cost goes to the lab. Porcelain veneers are often less expensive than crowns and orthodontia.

Contact Your Time Dental Urgent Care:

813-519-0128

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

13145 Kings Lake Drive Ste 105B
Gibsonton, Florida
33534

 

ArticleID 3089