The miracle of Zoom! Whitening, Marco Island

Posted on April 5, 2012 by Engle

An attractive smile plays an important role in our psychosocial behaviors. According to a study conducted by the AACD (American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry), 99.7 percent of Americans believe an attractive smile is an important asset, and 75 percent believe than a smile is important to a successful career. If we are embarrassed by stained or discolored teeth we refrain from smiling, which can have a negative effect on our self-image and interaction with others. You can whiten your smile with Zoom! Whitening or even conventional Professional bleaching systems. Florida Choice Dentistry, located in Naples and Marco Island Florida, offers brilliant smiles using proven Professional bleaching systems.
Teeth whitening is the safest and most requested cosmetic dental procedure available today. It isn’t just modern man that yearns for that bright white smile. The desire for whiter teeth dates back to 3000 BC. In Fact, small sections of branches (twigs) with one end frayed (chew sticks) were used to remove plaque and particles from teeth. The Egyptians brushed their teeth with vinegar and pumice beginning around 2000 BC. History even tells us that the ancient Romans even brushed their teeth with urine because the ammonia in it cleaned and whitened teeth!
In the 1600s, the teeth were mechanically filed and acid was then applied – it did whiten the teeth but caused rampant tooth decay. In the late 1980s, dentists stumbled upon the technique that gave birth to modern methods of teeth whitening. While attempting to keep peroxide gel on the gums to treat infection, they realized the peroxide was actually even whitening the teeth when excess gel seeped onto the teeth.
Thankfully, today we have state of the art methods of creating sparkling smiles. Years of clinical studies and research have gone into the development of the Zoom! 2 whitening system. It is the one most requested by patients because it is an in-office bleaching system that can be completed in a little over One (1) hour. To date, Zoom! 2 has been completed on at least four million dazzling smiles.

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To protect your periodontal health, Marco Island dentist provides comprehensive care

Posted on April 5, 2012 by Engle

Nearly 80 percent of all adults in America have some form of periodontal disease, yet only three percent inquire about treatment for it. Many are unaware they have gum disease because it is usually painless in the early stages. For a full assessment of your periodontal health, Marco Island Periodontist Dr. Bradley Engle is someone that you can turn to. It is crucial that periodontal disease be detected and treated in the early stages.
Research has indicated an association between periodontal disease and heart disease, stroke, diabetes, preterm births, low birth weight babies, pulmonary disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and Alzheimer’s. These studies show that proper oral hygiene and regular dental check-ups may be vital to maintain overall health as well as periodontal health. Dr. Engle believes in educating his patients in all aspects of their oral health, with a his main focus on prevention. A healthy and happy smile is the result of a close partnership between the patient and dentist.
Your first defense against gum disease is good oral hygiene. Brush your teeth at least twice a day for two minutes with a soft bristle toothbrush. Clean the front, chewing, and back surfaces of each tooth with small circular movements, making sure to sweep the plaque away from the gumline as you finish. It is recommended to floss at least once a day; slide the floss around each tooth in an up and down motion, making sure you gently go under the gum line. A small interdental brush or floss holder may also be helpful if you are having difficulty cleaning all areas. Rinse with an antiseptic or anti plaque mouthwash like a Listerine product. Avoiding sugary snacks and eating a well-balanced diet can also aid in the prevention of gum disease as well. It is important to note that smoking, or use of other tobaccos, dramatically increases your risk of developing periodontal disease and decreases the chances of successful treatment.
Regular comprehensive dental exams are your second and best defense against gum disease. Dr. Engle will see signs of periodontal disease before you will. With regular check-ups, he will find any subtle changes in your gums by visual inspection and measuring the depth of gum pockets. When detected and with treated early, the first stages of this disease can be completely reversible.
Schedule an appointment with Dr. Bradley Engle at Florida Choice Dentistry today and begin a successful partnership for optimum periodontal health and the ultimate smile!

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Are you looking to replace missing Teeth?

Posted on April 2, 2012 by Engle

If you have one or more teeth missing, you have the option to choose to do nothing or have a dentist replace missing teeth using a implant, partial denture or dental bridge. Dr. Bradley Engle of Engle Implant Dentistry works with his team of General Dentists that help him provide these type of Dental treatments. It is important to understand that a replacement for missing teeth can be crucial to your mental, oral, and overall health.
Gaps in your smile directly affect your self-esteem, making you self-conscious about your appearance. Gaps results in you avoiding to smile, socialize, public speaking, and/ or even attending work related gatherings. This type of anti-social behavior could have devastating effects on your personal, social, and professional life.
Missing teeth are harmful to your oral health, which in turn will eventually damage even your general health. Adjacent teeth next to Gaps can drift and can even interfere with your bite (the way that your teeth come together). This can lead to potential TMJ (joint) issues. Food and bacteria can become trapped in the spaces between drifted teeth which puts you at a higher risk for gum disease/ bone loss. From our previous discussions, Periodontal disease has been linked to cardiovascular and pulmonary complications secondary to tooth loss.
A dental bridge, which consists of three or more teeth, is an excellent method of filling in Gaps. A bridge is simply an artificial tooth or teeth (called a pontics) anchored between two crowns that are placed on the teeth adjacent to that missing tooth, forming a bridge across the gap. The procedure for having a traditional dental bridge placed is very simple and straightforward. A local anesthesia is used to ensure that you are comfortable while the dentist prepares teeth (abutments). An impression of the gap and the abutments is taken and sent to a lab where the bridge will be fabricated. Your dentist will use a temporary bridge which will be placed to protect the teeth and gums until your permanent bridge is ready. During your next visit, the temporary bridge is gently removed and the permanent bridge is cemented/ fitted into place.
In addition to traditional bridges, there are bonded bridges, a good choice if the abutment teeth are in good shape and not broken down too much. The artificial tooth is attached to a metal band that gets bonded to the abutment teeth. Bonded Bridges using are used in the anterior part of your smile. A third type of bridge, called a cantilever bridge is utilized when there are no solid tooth abutments on one side of the gap which in turn extends the bridge beyond the abutment tooth (or teeth) to fill the gap.
If you are ready to replace missing teeth, consult Dr. Engle today. His team will guide you to choose the best restorative choice that will help your smile again.

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A Basic History of Dental Implants

Posted on March 31, 2012 by Engle

Most people think of dental implants as a relatively new way to restore esthetics and function. They are indeed on the cutting edge of technology with new advancements being made all the time. Dr. Bradley Engle of Engle Implant Dentistry places dental implants on Marco Island using all of the latest proven innovations.
Special surfaces/ coatings on the titanium promote new bone and vessel growth around the implant to speed up the process of healing and osseointegration into the bone. Improvements with the shapes and/or thread designs of the implants requires less invasive. New component designs aid implant placements in patients even with extensive bone loss. 3D CAT scanning technology provides data that enables the doctor to plan the implant surgery with precision. Dr. Engle is a understands the benefits of the latest innovations and even offers implant placement using CAD/ CAM technology. The Teeth in an Hour™ is a revolutionary procedure that aids with ideal placement of a Dental implant without cutting or any sutures.
Implants may be at the top of advancements in patient dental care, but their history is rooted in antiquity. In 1931, archaeologist Dr. Wilson Popenoe discovered a Mayan jawbone dating back to 600 AD. It had three tooth shaped pieces of shell embedded in the bone. There was even an implant made of iron that was found in the jawbone of a second century Roman in a cemetery in France. In Egypt, unwrapped mummies have been found with gold nuggets stuffed in the sockets of missing teeth.
The ancients used a variety of materials in their attempts to find the ideal dental implant material. Evidence has been found that early designed implants were made of semi-precious stones, oxen bone, rubber, copper and ivory. In France, in the 1700s, the wealthy could purchase teeth from young people and have them implanted to replace missing teeth. In the 1800s gold, platinum, and other meal alloys were used in experimental implants. Unfortunately, there was little success in these early efforts to create the perfect solutions for tooth replacement; they early attempts resulted in malfunctions, rejections, and infections.
The birth of titanium-based implants as we know them today began in 1952. Per-Ingvar Brånemark, a Swedish research professor, discovered that titanium would structurally integrate with living bone. In 1965, Dr. Brånemark performed his first successful implant on a human patient with inserts made from titanium. By 1969, the first US patent for titanium implants was issued.
Research, development and refinement of titanium implants continue even to this day. Only a doctor dedicated to advanced education like Dr. Bradley Engle can skillfully get the best results from these newer techniques. Call Engle Implant Dentistry today for a consultation to learn what this modern marvel can do for you.

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Gum Disease and the Benefits of Bone Grafting

Posted on March 27, 2012 by Engle

Gum disease is serious if left untreated. Even with proper brushing, daily flossing and regular check-ups, patients can still be susceptible to lose bone and attachment around their teeth. Many times progressive gum disease can be traced back to a genetic component. Does your Mother or Father have missing teeth? Do you have bad breadth? The effects of gum disease can be serious and irreversible if left untreated- for anybody and at any age.

Gum disease begins with the build-up of tartar and plaque (bacterial plaque). The growth of bacteria around the teeth and gums can lead to the loosening of the gums around the teeth. As it progresses, the bone begins to melt away and at some point you can run the risk of loosing teeth. Once the damage progresses to a certain point, the damage is difficult to reverse. It is essential to keep regular hygiene appointments to identify potential gum problems prior to the progression of this disease.

Prior to completing any restorative considerations, definitive gum treatment is necessary and recommended to complete. When the disease progresses to a certain point, gum surgery is required (with or without bone grafting). Definitive gum treatment will include both scaling/ root planing and osseous gum surgery.

Bone grafting is done when a patient has lost an extensive amount of bone around a tooth, and helps to regrow the bone. It will also be recommended when a tooth or multiple teeth are extracted. Bone grafting with extractions help preserve/rebuild the amount of quality/amount of bone present and reduces post-operative bleeding and soreness.

Florida Choice Dentistry works with highly trained dental specialists to provide oral surgical/ periodontal procedures, bone grafting, extractions, dental implants, and other extensive procedures within our office. We are proud to offer you the convenience of completing your dental work from each of our office locations and to create a new standard in providing that care.

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Using Dental Specialists

Posted on March 27, 2012 by Engle

One of the unique benefits about Florida Choice Dentistry is the ability to have several types of dental treatments/ services under one roof. Not only is our Board Certified Periodontist able to help keep your gums healthy and replace missing teeth with dental implants, he is able to help with many of your oral surgical needs/ requirements. Dr. Bradley Engle is one of the Dental Specialists found at Florida Choice Dentistry. He is an educator that holds a staff appointment in the Department of Periodontics at the Medical University of South Carolina and is a member of the NCH hospital system.

Dr. Engle provides a number of dental specialty services to the Florida Choice Dentistry offices. He will help your general dentist with surgical extractions, bone grafting including sinus augmentation, cosmetic adjustments, guided tissue regeneration, dental implants, and IV/ oral sedation techniques. Dr. Engle is thoroughly trained in providing these services and will work with your assigned general dentist at Florida Choice to provide comprehensive/ complex care in an easy and convenient way. Dr. Engle has provided Specialty Dental services for Southwest Florida since 2000.

Periodontal disease MUST be treated prior to completing any Dental work. A stable and healthy smile requires healthy gums. Prior to getting your teeth cleaned or completing complex dental care, our doctors will provide a Comprehensive evaluation of your gums as part of their initial examination.

Dental implants depend upon a healthy, strong bone structure to provide long-term success rates for the case. Proper planning and preparing at the extraction appointment can help to ensure higher successes. Before having a tooth pulled, understand all of the treatment options to graft the site, not to graft the site, replace the missing tooth with a dental implant, replace the missing tooth with a bridge, etc. Proper planning can help reduce unnecessary costs associated with Dental care.

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Dental Hygiene

Posted on March 27, 2012 by Engle

Studies have shown that a healthy smile can result in a healthier body. Individuals that have gum disease or infections located in their mouth can be shown to be at a higher risk of a number of different health concerns such diabetes, heart disease and even stroke. A Smoker with Advanced Periodontal disease has a significantly higher risk of experiencing a STROKE. Taking care of your mouth is serious business.

Regular hygiene check-ups can ensure better health of your mouth. Our hygienists are trained to remove the hard and soft plaque that form around your teeth. Bacterial plaque is the primary cause of both gingivitis and periodontal disease. The frequency of getting your teeth cleaned is often determined by your Hygienist. With proper oral home care and a healthy mouth, hygiene visits could be scheduled every 6 months. However, depending on the level of gum disease and plaque formation around your teeth, some patients are seen every 2 months.

Regular hygiene appointments can identify new problems and teeth that are beginning to break down. Our hygiene staff will spend up to 1 hour providing updates to your radiographs (x-rays), removing the plaque on your teeth, performing a periodontal exam (with Cancer screening), and provide suggestions on how you can improve your hygiene techniques. Regular hygiene appointments even ensure longer-term success of dental treatment.

Our Dental team realizes the importance of completing Oral Cancer screening and detection. Both the Doctors and Hygiene team will periodically evaluate the gums, cheek, tongue and other related structures to ensure that your entire mouth stays healthy. A healthy mouth does NOT only mean that your teeth are healthy!

Florida Choice Dentistry understands the importance of keeping your mouth clean and healthy. Schedule your hygiene appointment with one of our Florida licensed dental hygienists (Registered Dental Hygienist).

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Teeth Whitening

Posted on March 27, 2012 by Engle

A whiter and brighter smile can improve your self-esteem. Teeth whitening is a popular cosmetic procedure that can lighten the color of your natural teeth. There are two types of professional bleaching techniques: take home teeth whitening trays and chair-side (in-office) bleaching. Both are convenient, effective and safe methods to lighten your teeth.

Many of our patients elect to use take home whitening trays. Our staff will take alginate impressions of both your upper and lower jaws in order to fabricate thin clear plastic trays. These trays are placed over the teeth for a few hours a day depending on the type of bleaching gel provided to you. At home systems slowly whiten your teeth over the course of several weeks. Using professional teeth whitening systems (provided by your dentist) consist of stronger concentration of bleaching gels that are monitored regularly by our dental team.

Chair-side bleaching is completed at the dental office under the direct supervision of the dental team/ staff and oftentimes takes about an hour. One type that Florida Choice Dentistry offers is called “Zoom”. Using a higher concentration of bleach (compared to take home systems) the gel gets activated by using a special light. Clinically whiter results can be seen in 60 minutes. Zoom techniques are safe and effective. With Zoom, take home trays are oftentimes given to provide touch ups and maintenance to keep your teeth whiter, longer.

Looking for a mini-makeover? Teeth whitening techniques will enhance the results of other dental work when coordinated together. Be aware, bleaching materials cannot change the colors of already completed ceramic crowns and/or tooth colored fillings. Alternative considerations must be discussed.

Florida Choice Dentistry offers a wide number of cosmetic procedures that help improve the cosmetic look of a smile. Teeth whitening can provide an additional opportunity for you to change and enhance the smile that you are looking for!

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General Dentistry

Posted on March 27, 2012 by Engle

Many experts agree that having a healthy, brilliant, and functional smile plays a significant role in your every day life. First impressions are often based upon a warm and welcoming smile. Florida Choice Dentistry recognizes the importance of keeping your mouth healthy and functional. We are proud to offer (at each of our locations) general dentists, dental hygienists, and in-house dental specialists. Keeping dentistry simple and convenient provides us a leading advantage with positive feedback from our patients.

From a simple cavity preparation to placing a tooth colored restoration to providing a cosmetic makeover using crowns, bridges, and/ or dental implants, our doctors and staff are trained to provide all of your dental needs and care. A healthy smile involves regular hygiene appointments, replacing broken down fillings and restorations. General dentistry does NOT only involve fillings. Consider our complete approach.

Want to replace your Silver filings? With the latest advances in Dentistry, Florida Choice Dental offices no longer offer Amalgam (silver fillings). Tooth colored fillings (composite) provide an effective and highly predictable alternative. Composite fillings do not contain Mercury (unlike the silver fillings that do).

Our Doctors have completed appropriate advanced training in dentistry so they can offer predictable highly esthetic and functional results. Each case is evaluated with appropriate radiographs, clinical examination and when necessary a set of study models. Proper treatment planning prior to beginning a case can oftentimes reduce the number of unknown surprises as well as provides adequate opportunity to ensure the patient’s expectations of treatment is understood. The more complex the case, the more time is required in planning the case.

To create a beautiful smile can be rewarding. Florida Choice Dentistry has the winning team approach to help. We offer the latest proven technologies/ treatment recommendations that Dentistry has to offer.

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Sedation Dentistry

Posted on March 27, 2012 by Engle

Ever consider Sedation Dentistry?

Sedation dentistry is a highly effective method to reduce and/or eliminate anxiety. Many people fear going to the dentist anyways due to either by a past traumatic experience or because of a true phobia. This FEAR keeps thousands of Americans each year from having their annual check-up, getting their teeth cleaned or to accept needed dental work.

In the State of Florida, a Dentist can offer Sedation services but needs to have formal training to do so. Most Dental Specialists receive this training in their residency. However, a General Dentist may elect to complete this training using a Florida Board of Dentistry certified training course at any time.

Florida Choice Dentistry offices (both Naples and Marco Island) provide both Intravenous (IV) and oral sedation techniques. Oral sedation is easy. Prior to your appointment, the patient simply takes a pill. After a period of time, the relaxing effects can be felt. Oral pills can achieve the desired level of sedation; however, the time it takes for the desired effects of the pill to be felt can be unpredictable. Oral sedation is effective and can be considered very cost effective.

IV sedation allows the dental provider more control in pushing the patient down to the desired comfort level. The process requires the placement of only a small catheter. This allows your provider the ability to deliver enough medicine to provide amnesia, reduce anxiety, reduce post-procedure discomfort, and reduces the overall stress of the dental procedure(s). IV sedation techniques are safe and highly effective to complete much needed dental care.

Florida Choice Dentistry is proud to have IV sedation credentialed providers both for general dentistry and dental specialty services. For more complex cases, both doctors can complete and provide their treatment in a single appointment.

Florida Choice Dentistry reduces the overall number of visits to complete Dental care as well as can reduce most of the dental treatment anxiety. This is a key reason that our patients refer their friends to us.

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