Periodontal Disease and Your Health

January 28, 2013

Filed under: General Dentistry — Tags: , , , , , , — Dr. Rick Cofer @ 5:33 pm

While you probably know that you should come see us at Premier Family Dental twice a year for good dental health, did you realize that we’re also checking you for signs of serious health concerns, such as periodontal disease?

Periodontal disease is another name for gum disease. This is caused by bacteria that result from a buildup of plaque on your teeth. At first, your gums will just be inflamed, but if left alone, the bacteria can advance into the gums and cause them to start to pull away from your teeth and form pockets that can become infected. When your gums start to recede, you start to increase your chances of losing teeth.

If left untreated, gum disease can spread and lead to more serious problems, which is why it is so important that you visit our office twice a year so that we can check you for signs of this health concern.  The symptoms are usually mild or easy to confuse for something else. They generally include persistent bad breath, red or swollen gums, bleeding gums, pain while chewing, loose teeth and sensitive teeth. If you have any of these symptoms, it is important to contact us today.

Periodontal therapy is the treatment for this disease. Dr. Rick Cofer, Jr. will remove the plaque and bacteria from your gums and leave you with health teeth once again. It is important to maintain good dental health by visiting our Waco dental office twice a year. We will check your teeth for signs of periodontal disease and keep your smile healthy and beautiful!

At Premier Family Dental, Dr. Rick Cofer, Jr. and our staff provide quality affordable dental care. Our Waco dental office serves patients from Lorena, Robinson, Hewett and the surrounding areas. Call us today to schedule an appointment!

Root Canal Therapy From Dr. Cofer, Jr.

January 21, 2013

Filed under: Restorative Dentistry — Tags: , , , , , , — Dr. Rick Cofer @ 5:50 pm

If you have a toothache, your primary concern will be to stop the pain. Oftentimes, a toothache is a sign of an infection in your tooth, so the pain won’t just stop on its own. If you have a persistent or painful toothache, call us at Premier Family Dental because you may need root canal therapy.

The inside of your tooth is called the pulp, and within this is the root canal. When decay or disease works its way through your tooth into the inside, your root canal will become infected. Some of the symptoms include a toothache or tooth pain and sensitivity.

Root canal therapy is the best way to treat an infection in your tooth. We will drill into your tooth, remove the infected pulp from your tooth, fill it and seal it with a crown to prevent further infection. While many people think that root canal therapy is painful, this is a common misconception. Usually the most pain you will feel comes from the toothache that leads you into our office to diagnose the infection. Plus, you will be numbed during the procedure.

If you think root canal therapy might be right for you or you want to learn more, call us today. This is a great way to help restore your tooth and alleviate the pain and discomfort. Dr. Rick E. Cofer, Jr. performs hundreds of root canal therapy procedures each year and wants to put his experience to work for you.

At Premier Family Dental, Dr. Rick E. Cofer, Jr. and our staff provide quality affordable dental care. Our Waco dental office serves patients from Lorena, Robinson, Hewett and the surrounding areas. Call us today to schedule an appointment!

Repair the Beauty of Your Smile with Partial Dentures

January 14, 2013

In our last blog post, we discussed full dentures and how they could benefit patients who’ve lost a full set of teeth to extraction or other causes. What about those of you who’ve lost only a few or some of your natural teeth, though? You don’t want to let go of the teeth you were born with just to fit a set of full dentures, but it’s also not fair for you to be deprived of a beautiful and lasting smile. Dental implants are an option, but not everyone is an appropriate candidate for the treatment, and they aren’t always the most affordable choice. Dr. Cofer and his team at Premier Family Dental here in Waco, Texas understand your frustration, and have a solution: partial dentures. You can now enjoy all the comfort and ease of dentures while still being able to enjoy and show off your natural teeth too. What could be better?

A partial denture, or bridge, usually is made of replacement teeth connected to a gum-colored base, which is connected by metal framework that holds the denture in place your mouth. Unlike full dentures, which are held in place by natural suction, a partial denture is clipped to remaining teeth. You can be assured that Dr. Cofer will create partial dentures for you that are both natural-looking and a beautiful match for your facial structure.

Better yet, partial dentures have an added benefit. Not only will they fill in the spaces that are missing teeth, making your smile full and beautiful again, they’ll also keep your remaining teeth from shifting out of place, which will save you a headache from having to schedule another procedure.

The team at Premier Family Dental wants to give you something to smile about. You can learn more about partial dentures and some of the other restorative treatments we offer, such as dental implants, here at our website, or you can feel free to go ahead and give us a call today to schedule an appointment. Premier Family Dental proudly serves not only the Waco area, but also Lorena, Robinson, Hewett, and surrounding towns.