It’s Time for a Stunning Summer Smile Makeover at Smile by Design

Summer is officially in full swing, and it’s time to get outdoors and enjoy everything the warmer weather and beautiful sunshine have to offer. Make sure that you’re ready to soak up the sun and revel in the fun of the season with friends and family when you come to Smile by Design. Conveniently located in Virginia Beach, VA, the practice of Dr. Vinita Folck and Dr. Stephanie Santos can help get your smile ready for pool parties, backyard cookouts, and summer vacation with a variety of cosmetic dentistry treatments.

Say Hello to Your Brand New Smile

Many American men and women admit that they would benefit from some level of cosmetic enhancement when it comes to their smiles. Sometimes, it’s a simple matter of stains or yellowing that has them feeling down about their appearance. Deep discoloration caused by coffee, wine, tobacco, and certain medications can make you look and feel years older than you actually are, but professional teeth whitening can help. With the proven power of Zoom! Teeth Whitening, our doctors can help erase years of built-up stains from your smile. You’ll be leaving our office with a revitalized new look and a gorgeous set of pearly whites you can be proud of!

If yellowing isn’t your only concern, you’re not alone. What about problems like fractures in your enamel, mild misalignment, crowding, gaps between teeth, and more? Fortunately, we have a solution for these issues as well. Porcelain veneers are an ideal fix for all kinds of problems all at once, giving you a perfectly proportioned, uniform smile in just two visits. These ultra-thin, durable layers of customized dental porcelain fit right over your natural teeth, giving the gorgeous smile you’ve always wanted with minimal preparation. Whatever you need to feel great about your smile this summer, you’ll find it here at Smile by Design.

Schedule Your Cosmetic Consultation Today

Whether your smile needs a complete transformation or you’d simply like to give it a little boost for summer, our doctors are here to help. Contact our office in Virginia Beach, VA today to schedule your visit with our team, and explore the possibilities of cosmetic dentistry for yourself. We look forward to helping you reveal your most beautiful and confident smile yet. Our practice serves patients from throughout the Virginia Beach area, including Norfolk, Sandbridge, Portsmouth, Fort Story, and beyond. 

Sleep Apnea Therapy: Get the Restful Night’s Sleep You Want and Deserve

Snoring is a common complaint among partners of men and women with sleep apnea, but this noisy nuisance isn’t the primary reason to treat the underlying condition. Sleep apnea has been linked to a wide range of associated health complications and should be treated to avoid potentially fatal conditions. At Smile by Design in Virginia Beach, VA, Dr. Stephanie Santos and Dr. Vinita Folck offer a comprehensive solution to sleep apnea and loud snoring in order to help our patients rest well, feel better, and stay healthy.

Complications of Untreated Sleep Apnea

When a patient suffers from obstructive sleep apnea, the tongue and soft tissues of the oral cavity partially or fully block the airway during sleep. The level of oxygen in the blood gradually decreases until the brain sends an urgent signal to the body to wake up and take a full breath. Most patients don’t awaken fully, though they do experience the sensation of lost sleep the next day. Feeling exhausted at work and on the road can be exceedingly dangerous, particularly for individuals who drive long distances or work with heavy machinery. Other complications associated with untreated sleep apnea include the following:

·         Circulatory problems, including high blood pressure

·         Cardiovascular disease

·         Eye conditions, including glaucoma and conjunctivitis

·         Increased risk of complications following surgery

·         Coronary artery disease

·         Stroke

·         Respiratory failure

·         Irregular heartbeat

·         Pulmonary hypertension

·         Complications during pregnancy

·         Chronic headaches

·         Seizures

Improve Your Life with Sleep Apnea Therapy

Contact our office in Virginia Beach, VA today to schedule your consultation with our doctors and our caring, experienced team. We look forward to helping you overcome snoring and sleep apnea in a way that suits your lifestyle and improves your health. Our state-of-the-art dental facility proudly serves patients from the entire Virginia Beach, VA area and nearby communities in Sandbridge, Norfolk, Fort Story, Portsmouth, and more. Our team can’t wait to serve you and your family with exceptional dental care. 

Over-the-Counter Teeth Whitening Products: How Effective Are They?

Everyone wants a bright, healthy smile that they’re proud to show off to the people in their lives, but aging and many external factors can cause our teeth to look less than lustrous. Today, there are many over-the-counter teeth whitening products available at your local pharmacy and grocery stores, each of them promising amazing results. It is important, however, to be an informed consumer when it comes to teeth whitening products and services before you make a decision. At Smile by Design in Virginia Beach, VA, our doctors are happy to help patients understand the intricacies of teeth whitening and how it affects your teeth.

OTC Whitening vs. Professional Teeth Whitening

Teeth whitening strips and comparable over-the-counter whitening products are capable of producing temporary results because they remove surface stains from the enamel. Unfortunately, their active ingredients aren’t powerful enough to deliver long-lasting results and, therefore, customers must repeat the process every month or so. In addition, because these products are used at home, there is more margin for error in application. This means that you may not even get the results you see on the package, particularly if the whitening solution does not remain in contact with all surfaces of the teeth for the prescribed amount of time.

Zoom! Whitening: Advantages of In-Office Whitening

Unlike over-the-counter teeth whitening products, professional whitening services – including the highly-effective Zoom! Whitening we offer in our office – produce lasting results by removing stains from deep within each tooth. The hydrogen peroxide gel formula we use during your Zoom! procedure is activated by a specialized light, allowing the active ingredients to permeate the stained layers of dentin and enamel. Years of discoloration are effectively lifted in a single, one-hour treatment. Take-home kits can be used to touch up your smile and maintain lasting results. Over-the-counter treatments simply cannot penetrate the surfaces of your teeth to remove set-in stains the way Zoom! Whitening can.

Schedule Your Appointment Today

Do you want to experience the full benefits of a gorgeously white smile in less time than ever before? Contact our office today if you have any questions about teeth whitening, or if you’re ready to schedule your appointment with our team of experienced doctors and our friendly staff. We look forward to helping you achieve the brilliantly white, healthy smile of your dreams. Our conveniently located office in Virginia Beach, VA proudly serves patients from the surrounding areas as well, including Portsmouth, Norfolk, Fort Story, Sandbridge, and beyond. 

E-Cigs and Your Smile: How Does Vaping Affect Your Teeth?

As many cigarette smokers turn to electronic cigarettes to get their nicotine fix, the topic of how these popular products affect oral health inevitably comes up again and again. While it is common knowledge that smoking cigarettes can cause a variety of oral health problems – including oral cancer, periodontal disease, and substantially stained teeth – not much is yet known about how e-cigs impact a person’s smile. At Smile by Design in Virginia Beach, VA, our doctors are happy to share valuable oral health information with our patients, including how the mouth is affected by smoking vs. vaping e-cigarettes.

Being an Informed Consumer

Though research is still ongoing regarding how e-cigs affect oral health, there are a few things that medical studies have been able to tell us so far. One of these factors involves the manner in which vaping dehydrates the mouth. A dry mouth is an excellent environment for bacterial imbalance and the development of periodontal disease. Patients who experience chronic dry mouth – whether it is caused by using electronic cigarettes or not – should contact our office for a consultation to determine the underlying issue, as well as to seek treatment.

Other concerns regarding e-cigs and oral health revolve around the ingredients used to create the liquid, or “juice,” these products use to deliver nicotine. More research is needed to determine how these ingredients, including propylene glycol and the flavorings used, impact the teeth and soft tissues of the gums, cheek lining, and tongue.

Schedule Your Appointment Today

Whether you are currently a smoker, an e-cig user, or simply someone who would like to learn more about how these behaviors affect your oral health, we are here to help. Our doctors and caring, compassionate staff are always happy to share vital oral health information with our patients because we want you to have the happiest, healthiest smile possible. Contact our office today to schedule a visit to our Virginia Beach office and discover the difference that our patient-centric approach can make in your life. We also happily serve patients in Norfolk, Sandbridge, Fort Story, Portsmouth, and beyond. 

Pocket Depth and Periodontal Disease: What’s the Connection?

Many people know that gum disease can cause a wide variety of undesirable issues, including everything from bad breath and bleeding gums to eventual tooth loss when the condition is left untreated. However, the majority of individuals – even those who suffer from periodontal disease – don’t understand this condition and how it affects your health. At Smile by Design in Virginia Beach, VA, Dr. Vinita John Folck and Dr. Stephanie L. Santos offer a comprehensive menu of preventive and general dentistry services, including periodontal therapy.

What is Pocket Depth?

Ideally, the tissue of your gums should fit snugly around the base of your teeth, but periodontal disease changes this. Instead, pockets form along the gum line, creating the perfect place for bacteria to hide. Over time, this accumulation of bacteria can lead to the buildup of plaque and tartar, which further increases the size of the pocket. This cycle continues as the gum recedes and the infection spreads. Advanced periodontal disease can lead to complications with pregnancy, coronary artery disease, diabetes, and more.

Benefits of Periodontal Therapy

Periodontal therapy addresses the infection that causes inflammation and increased pocket depth, reducing the amount of room bacteria have to thrive in your gums. As with treatment for any other type of disease, gum disease is most effectively treated when diagnosed early.

Schedule Your Visit Today

Gum disease affects approximately three out of every four American adults; are you one of them? Because the early stages of periodontal disease don’t always present the patient with noticeable symptoms, it is important to see our doctors twice per year for routine exams and cleanings. Contact our office today to schedule your appointment with our experienced, caring team. Our practice proudly serves patients from throughout Virginia Beach, Sandbridge, Fort Story, Portsmouth, Norfolk, and beyond. 

The Role of Fluoride in Your Dental Health

There are a lot of misconceptions about fluoride as it relates to health, and hundreds of sites online that offer conflicting information about its effects. At Smile by Design in Virginia Beach, VA, our doctors want you to feel informed about all aspects of oral health, including the ways in which fluoride can impact your teeth.

Fluoride: Is it Good or Bad for Teeth?

Fluoride is a naturally occurring substance that originates from an element called fluorine. It is found in its natural form in the water and many foods we drink and eat, respectively. Despite much controversy regarding its effects, the amount of fluoride found in normal tap water is not substantial enough to cause any adverse health problems. In fact, fluoride is one of the essential factors in a healthy smile.

Fluoride treatments help to remineralize teeth, offering improved strength and protection against common problems like tooth decay. Adults are advised to use a toothpaste and mouthwash that contains fluoride because of this fact, better fortifying your teeth between visits to your dentist’s office. As with any procedure or treatment performed at our office, we invite you to ask questions and raise any concerns you may have regarding fluoride treatments. We’re here as a source of accurate, up-to-date information pertaining to the overall oral health of you and your family

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Schedule Your Next Visit Today

Has it been more than six months since the last time you had your teeth and gums cleaned and examined at Smile by Design? If so, then it’s time to contact our office in Virginia Beach, VA to schedule your appointment. Our experienced, caring doctors and staff look forward to helping you achieve optimal oral health through general dentistry and preventive services, all while welcoming you into a warm, comforting atmosphere. Our family-friendly practice happily serves patients from throughout Virginia Beach, as well as the surrounding areas of Fort Story, Portsmouth, Norfolk, Sandbridge, and beyond. 

Are You Seeing Us for the First Time?

Is your upcoming visit with us also going your first? Then we'd like to tell you how much we're looking forward to seeing you. At Smile by Design in Virginia Beach, our goal is making close, personal relationships with our patients–new and old–because that's how you deliver truly compassionate and patient-centered care.

We also want to let you know about our New Patient page. On this page, you will find a link for downloading our new patient forms. Filling these out before you come see us will make it possible to streamline your visit. When you come in, just hand us your paperwork and take a seat while we start processing your information.

You may also want to take a look at our Services page, if you have not already done so. On this page, you'll find helpful information about the range of services we offer, and what those services entail. Some of our biggest services include:

• Children's Dentistry
• Periodontal Therapy
• Root Canal Therapy
• Teeth Whitening
• Porcelain Veneers
• Dental Implants

If you have any questions about these services, the information on our site will help you gain a basic understanding of them. If you still have questions afterwards, we would be happy answer them during your visit.

Call us today if you're ready to schedule an appointment with Dr. Santos or Dr. Folck. We're happy to serve the needs of patients from Virginia Beach, Fort Story, Sandbridge, and nearby communities.