Total Dental Solutions Blog

With all the delicious food that we eat during the holidays, it’s is a good time to remind ourselves that it’s important to clean between our teeth, too.
Flossing is a great way to reduce your risk of gum disease and tooth decay.
We also want you to know that if you do develop a periodontal infection, George A. Hoop, DDS, is more than qualified to help. Before deciding to focus on general dentistry, Dr. Hoop was a periodontist, which is a specialist in gum health.
To make an appointment at either our North Naples or Fort Myers, FL location, call (239) 594-8817 today. We want to keep you smiling.

Brushing Isn’t Enough

Brushing your teeth is an excellent way to remove plaque and bacteria from most of your smile. However, your toothbrush is not as effective at removing food particles from the spaces between your teeth or between your teeth and gums. Those particles can become fuel for bacteria, which can lead to decay and periodontal problems that you want to avoid.
Flossing is an effective way to clean these parts of your mouth.
Now, you can “floss” a few different ways:

• Use dental floss — Dental floss may be the best-known way to clean between teeth. Flossing is available is a variety of styles, widths, and even flavors.
• Use a flosser — Surveys show that less than half of Americans floss daily (as the ADA recommends). Many people don’t like using, won’t, or can’t use dental floss. Flossers make this easier by attaching a strand of floss to a short handle.
• Use a water flosser — Instead of a using string-like material, this tool creates a stream of water that you can aim to clean between your teeth and gums. This flushes out food, bacteria, and plaque. You can find water flossers in a range of styles and prices.

The most important thing is not which interdental tool you use. Instead, do your best to make this a consistent part of your daily oral hygiene routine along with brushing.

Prevention is Your Best Option

As we noted above, Dr. Hoop is more than qualified to take care of gum infections. However, it’s better for your oral health to prevent those kinds of problems from the start.
That’s why you should schedule routine dental cleanings and exams in addition to your daily hygiene habits. Having a dental professional look at your mouth can make a big difference in your long-term oral health.
We can spot symptoms of gum disease in the early stages, so you can get less invasive treatment if any is needed.
At home, looks for signs like red, swollen gums or gums that bleed when you brush or floss. This could be an indication that you aren’t flossing as often as you should. If that doesn’t help, please call us at (239) 594-8817 or contact us online. We would rather fix a small problem today than a big one tomorrow.

We have a lot to be grateful for.
We live and work in the wonderful communities of Fort Myers and North Naples, FL. We have amazing patients who keep coming back to see us. And we get to make a difference in people’s lives every day.
With that in mind, we want you to be grateful too for having a healthy smile. If you don’t, our dental professionals at the offices of George A. Hoop, DDS, can help you get back on track so you can keep your teeth looking their best.
Today, we want to offer a friendly reminder about the benefits of healthy teeth to encourage you to keep doing what you should do to save your smile.
Call (239) 594-8817 to make your next dental appointment if you haven’t scheduled it already.

What’s Your Smile Worth?

It’s hard to say, isn’t it?
Poor oral care can lead to a number of problems. This can include decayed, stained, and infected teeth. Any of those issues can affect the appearance of your smile … as well as your confidence in face-to-face situations.
Patients have shared these concerns with us throughout our years of service in South Florida. It’s also the reason millions of people across the country are willing to spend hard-earned money for cosmetic and restorative dentistry every year.
Dr. Hoop is happy to help patients restore their smiles, but we also know its in your best interest to avoid the kinds of problems mentioned above. That’s why we encourage all our patients to make a habit of:

• Brushing your teeth twice daily
• Flossing daily
• Getting regular dental cleanings and exams

As part of our general dentistry, we’ll remove tartar and plaque buildup from your teeth. We also offer additional services, such as dental sealants and fluoride treatments to make it more difficult for bacteria to eat into your teeth.
Giving 5 minutes of your time each day to brush and floss and a few hours per year for professional care can help you keep your teeth healthy and strong.

Your Teeth Affect Your Quality of Life, Too

While damaged teeth are bad, missing teeth are worse.
When you have a gap in your smile or loose-fitting dentures, your life just isn’t the same. When you can’t eat the foods that you want to eat — or eating those foods starts to feel like a chore — it affects how much you can enjoy dining with family and friends.
You shouldn’t spend any time wondering if you can eat something. Instead, you should enjoy the flavors of your food and the company of the people who are dining with you. That’s more likely to happy if you still have a full set of healthy teeth.

Enjoy Your Smile for Many Years

With a good daily dental hygiene routine and professional care, you can keep your teeth strong and intact. We are more than ready and willing to help at Dr. Hoop’s offices in Fort Myers and North Naples, FL.
Just call (239) 594-8817 or contact us online to request an appointment with us.

Bigger isn’t always better. Mini dental implants are a great example of this.
These are similar to standard implants but with a smaller diameter. As our doctor, George A. Hoop, DDS, explains in the video below, minis can help patients save time and money with their teeth replacements.
To find out if mini implants are a good option for you, set up a consultation either our North Naples or Fort Myers, FL dental office. You can contact us online or call (239) 594-8817.

We have patients from teens to seniors who want to straight teeth. The good news is you are never too old to correct your smile!
At our offices in Fort Myers and North Naples, FL, we offer a variety of orthodontic options, so you can create the smile of your dreams. From traditional braces to practically invisible options, we are confident we can help you find the right treatment to fix your crooked teeth, close gaps in your smile, or correct your bite issues.
Call (239) 594-8817 or contact us online to request an appointment at either office of George A. Hoop, DDS.

If you are suffering from oral pain, please call (239) 594-8817 right away.
As you will hear in the video below, our goal is to help end your pain as quickly as we can. George A. Hoop, DDS, understand that dental pain can interfere with your daily life. It’s why we make every effort to see patients who are in pain on the same day that the call our offices in North Naples and Fort Myers, FL.