About Dr. Rick Cofer

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Periodontal Care in Waco

May 23, 2013

Filed under: Restorative Dentistry — Tags: , , , , , , , , , — Dr. Rick Cofer @ 4:26 pm

It’s important to visit us for a dental check up every six months for a variety of reasons. Gum disease is a serious health concern and is virtually symptomless. When you come in for your checkup, we’ll check you for signs of this serious infection.

Gum disease is an infection caused by a buildup of tartar on your teeth. The tartar irritates the gums, and they become infected. Over time, the gum tissue will begin to recede. Your tooth will gradually loosen and eventually fall out. Since this infection is basically symptomless, it’s important that you visit us regularly so we can inspect your smile. One of the few symptoms is bleeding gums, so if you’re experiencing this then please call our office.

If you do have gum disease, we can provide periodontal care to restore the health of your teeth and gums, and keep the infection from spreading throughout your body. If left untreated, you’re putting yourself at risk for losing a tooth.

Gum disease is a serious dental health concern, but you’re not alone. We are here to help with periodontal care to stop the infection and ensure that all our patients have healthy smiles.

Premier Family Dental provides quality dental care from our Waco dental office because we truly believe in the power of a beautiful smile. We serve patients from Robinson, Lorena and the Central Texas area. Call us today to schedule your appointment!

Smile Securely With Dental Implants

May 9, 2013

Filed under: Dental Implants — Tags: , , , , , , , — Dr. Rick Cofer @ 4:24 pm

If you’re missing teeth, we’re here to help. At Premier Family Dental, we offer dental implants to help replace missing teeth securely and keep your smile whole and dazzling.

Dental implants are a great solution because they come closest to mimicking a natural tooth. The implant is secured by a titanium post that’s inserted to your jaw bone, mimicking the roots of a natural tooth. The post will bond with your jaw bone over time, creating a secure base for your implant.

Once bonded, we’ll attach a custom-made porcelain crown to the post, completing the restoration. Dr. Cofer, Jr. has over 192 hours of study in the field of dental implants. He would love to use his expertise to help improve your smile.

It is important to replace missing teeth for a variety of reasons. First, missing teeth impairs the function of your teeth and may make it harder to eat. Also, once you’re missing a tooth, it increases the risk that you will lose another. Finally, when you’re missing a tooth, your remaining teeth will shift around over time to try and fill the gap, which could negatively impact the function and alignment of your bite.

If you’re missing teeth, dental implants could be the right solution for your smile. Give us a call to learn more and see how you could have a complete smile once again.

Premier Family Dental provides quality dental care from our Waco dental office because we truly believe in the power of a beautiful smile. We serve patients from Robinson, Lorena and the Central Texas area. Call us today to schedule your appointment!

Teeth Whitening Solutions at Premier Family Dental

April 25, 2013

Filed under: Cosmetic Dentistry — Tags: , , , , , , — Dr. Rick Cofer @ 7:55 pm

Is your smile dull or yellowed? Do you find yourself longing for a dazzling smile like you see in magazines and on TV? Have you tried over the counter whitening solutions but weren’t impressed with the results? You should look into teeth whitening treatment from Premier Family Dental.

We offer take-home whitening kits, so you can whiten your smile from the convenience of your own home. Dr. Cofer will provide you with a customized whitening tray and professional grade whitening solution. Simply fill the tray with the solution, wear as directed, and watch as day after day your teeth become brighter. After three to four days, you will noticed a marked improvement in the appearance of your smile.

This is a great option for busy patients who are always on the go. Since it’s a take-home whitening solution, you won’t need to find time to come in to our office for a whitening appointment. After the initial appointment, you can whiten your teeth at home, whenever it’s convenient for you.

If you want a dazzling smile, teeth whitening could be a great solution for you. Call our office to learn more or set up your appointment.  Everyone deserves to have a wonderful smile, and we’re here to help.

Premier Family Dental provides quality dental care from our Waco dental office because we truly believe in the power of a beautiful smile. We serve patients from Robinson, Lorena and the Central Texas area. Call us today to schedule your appointment!

Start Fresh this Spring with a Dental Checkup

April 11, 2013

Filed under: General Dentistry — Tags: , , , , , — Dr. Rick Cofer @ 7:52 pm

Spring is a time of year that is often associated with a fresh start or a new beginning. Winter is over, the days are starting to get warmer and flowers are starting to bloom. If you have been neglecting your dental health, now is a good time to correct this.

Come visit us at Premier Family Dental for a dental checkup and cleaning. This is a great way to help keep your smile looking beautiful and healthy. It is important that you have one twice a year, to ensure the continued health of your teeth and gums.

Our staff will remove plaque and tartar from your teeth, ensuring the continued health of your smile. We’ll also inspect your smile for signs of serious health concerns such as oral cancer and gum disease. This is also when we can discover cavities so they can be treated before they negatively impact your smile.

This spring, make a commitment to start fresh with your dental health and come see us for your dental checkup. Taking the time to care for your smile now will help you have better dental health in the future.

Premier Family Dental provides quality dental care from our Waco dental office because we truly believe in the power of a beautiful smile. We serve patients from Robinson, Lorena and the Central Texas area. Call us today to schedule your appointment!

Restore Your Smile with Composite Fillings

March 28, 2013

Filed under: Restorative Dentistry — Tags: , , , , , , — Dr. Rick Cofer @ 8:04 pm

If you have a cavity, it is important to get it repaired as soon as possible, before the damage is allowed to spread. Fillings are a great way to repair and restore your tooth. Cavities are a common dental concern. Even with good brushing and flossing habits, it’s still easy to miss a spot, allowing plaque to grow and cause a cavity.

At Premier Family Dental, we offer composite fillings. This is the preferred way to perform fillings because it gives a more pleasing appearance. Composite materials are tooth-colored so no one will be able to tell you’ve had any dental work. The decayed portion of your tooth will be removed and filled, leaving you with a tooth that is strong and full functional.

Also, composite fillings are preferable to the traditional silver amalgam option, both for appearance and for health concerns. If you’re concerned about the risk of mercury from amalgam fillings, then composite fillings are a great option for your smile.

If you have a cavity, a composite filling is a great solution. Your tooth will be healthy once again, and since the composite will be matched to the color of your natural teeth, no one will be able to tell that you had any work done at all. Call us today to schedule an appointment and see how simple it can be to repair your smile.

Premier Family Dental provides quality dental care from our Waco dental office because we truly believe in the power of a beautiful smile. We serve patients from Robinson, Lorena and the Central Texas area. Call us today to schedule your appointment!

Children’s Dentistry in Waco

March 14, 2013

Filed under: Children's Dentistry — Tags: , , , , , , , — Dr. Rick Cofer @ 7:55 pm

At Premier Family Dental, we want to take care of your entire family, so we also offer children’s dentistry. No matter what your age, we want all of our patients to have healthy, beautiful teeth. It is important to start good habits early on.

Children’s dentistry focuses on the special teeth needs that children have: learning proper brushing and flossing techniques, cavity prevention, and keeping baby and permanent teeth healthy.

Once your child’s teeth start coming in, it is important that they start visiting a dentist to ensure their teeth are developing correctly. We also recommend that you bring them along to one of your appointments so they can get used to the environment of a dentist’s office.

We offer fluoride treatments and dental sealants to help keep cavities from forming. Just because your child’s baby teeth will fall out doesn’t mean it’s not important to make sure they’re healthy. It is important for the development of your child’s smile and their self-confidence that their baby teeth remain healthy and stay in their mouth until pushed out by permanent teeth.

Children’s dentistry plays an important role in the health of your child’s smile. We would be honored to help ensure that your entire family has healthy, beautiful smiles. Call us today to schedule your child’s next appointment.

Premier Family Dental provides quality dental care from our Waco dental office because we truly believe in the power of a beautiful smile. We serve patients from Robinson, Lorena and the Central Texas area. Call us today to schedule your appointment!

Porcelain Veneers for a Beautiful Smile

February 28, 2013

Filed under: Cosmetic Dentistry — Tags: , , , , , — Dr. Rick Cofer @ 8:26 pm

Are you dissatisfied with the appearance of your smile? Are your teeth chipped, crooked, yellowed, or have gaps between them? Porcelain veneers from Premier Family Dental could be what your smile has been waiting for.

Porcelain veneers are thin pieces of porcelain that cover your natural teeth. Porcelain reflects light similarly to your natural teeth, and is stain-resistant. By covering over your natural teeth, we can give you a fresh look without extensive dental work.

If your teeth are yellowed and discolored and won’t respond to teeth whitening treatments, this can help. Also, it’s a great way to repair cracks and chips in your teeth. If you don’t like the shape of your teeth, or if they’re crooked or have small gaps, porcelain veneers are a great alternative to braces.

Dr. Cofer will analyze your teeth and see if porcelain veneers are a good fit for your smile and your dental needs. He’ll prepare your teeth and take impressions that will be sent to a lab and used to manufacture your custom veneers. When your veneers are ready, you’ll come back in and have them placed. You’ll have a beautiful smile in as few as two dental appointments.

Porcelain veneers are a great way to achieve the beautiful smile you deserve. If you’re interested in learning more or setting up your consultation, call us today! Our caring staff would love to help you.

Premier Family Dental provides quality dental care from our Waco dental office because we truly believe in the power of a beautiful smile. We serve patients from Robinson, Lorena and the Central Texas area. Call us today to schedule your appointment!

Crowns from Premier Family Dental

February 14, 2013

Filed under: Cosmetic Dentistry,Restorative Dentistry — Tags: , , , , , — Dr. Rick Cofer @ 8:23 pm

Despite our best efforts, our teeth are subject to damage and decay. Fillings are a great solution to these dental issues for many cases. If the damage or decay is more extensive, then a crown from Premier Family Dental could be a better solution.

Crowns are like a cap for your teeth. They can be made of several materials, with porcelain being a popular choice because it more closely resembles natural teeth. They cover over a damaged or decayed tooth to help protect it from damage and to restore the strength and health of the tooth.

If you have any of the following dental issues or concerns, you should consider getting a crown:

  • A broken tooth
  • Extensive decay
  • Fractured filling
  • You’ve had root canal therapy
  • You want to improve the appearance of your teeth

Your crown will be custom made so it will fit well and resemble your natural teeth. It will take about two visits for the procedure to be complete because of the time required to make your crown.

If you have a damaged or decayed tooth, a crown could be a great way to restore the health of your tooth. Call us today to learn more and set up a consultation with Dr. Cofer.

Premier Family Dental provides quality dental care from our Waco dental office because we truly believe in the power of a beautiful smile. We serve patients from Robinson, Lorena and the Central Texas area. Call us today to schedule your appointment!

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!

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