Total Dental Solutions Blog

Your dentures seemed great when you first got them, but now they may seem more frustrating than they are helpful.
When you speak, you sometimes make this strange whistling noise. At other times your “teeth” come loose and cause you to slur the words you’re trying to say.
You’ve also noticed that your dentures don’t fit as well as they once did. The way they rub your mouth can irritate your gums. It may even be painful.
And don’t get us started on eating. You’ve tried using denture adhesives, but even with that, you can’t eat as well as you once could. Many people just give up trying to eat foods they love because they are now too difficult to bite or chew.
George A. Hoop, DDS, has a solution that could end your frustration. Mini implants can make your dentures more secure and more stable. With mini implants for your dentures, you could eat anything you want and enjoy your meals, too!
Call (239) 594-8817 to schedule a consultation to learn more at our offices in Fort Myers or North Naples, FL.

No More Loose Dentures

Loose dentures are going to happen. If not today, then tomorrow.
The reason why is you don’t have anything to anchor your dentures in place. Your dentures are resting over your gums, which means they are resting on a wet, slippery surface.
Traditional dentures can be a good cosmetic replaces for the crowns of your missing teeth. They don’t replace the roots, and that’s a big source of the complaints we have heard from many long-time denture wearers.
Without roots or implants (which replace the roots of missing teeth), your jawbone is not feeling any pressure when you bite and chew. Without pressure, your jawbone does not make enough new bone tissue. And without new bone tissue, your jaw will get smaller and smaller.
That changes how your dentures fit in your mouth, which is why the fit gets worse over time. A bad fit leaves you with loose, irritating dentures.
By getting mini implants, you restore that connection between your dentures and your jaw. This can prevent the kind of bone loss that causes problems when you have dentures alone.
Mini implants are smaller than standard implants, but they can provide the same benefits. They also reduce your recovery time (due to their smaller size). Minis also can save you the expense of bone graft.
This is a bone tissue transplant to help rebuild a jaw that may not have enough bone left to support a full-sized implant. This also adds to the time it takes to get implant-supported dentures.

No More Denture Adhesives

Adhesives will provide some temporary benefits during a meal. Only the other hand, adhesives can have a distinctive aftertaste that can change the flavor of your food.
Even so, adhesives are not doing anything to prevent bone loss in your jaw. That’s why you need more and more adhesive. It’s also why the adhesive becomes less and less effective over time.
When you have mini implants to hold your dentures in position, you won’t need adhesives for any reason. You can trust that your “teeth” will stay where they should. You eat what you want comfortably and enjoy real flavors again.

Quit Suffering from Slippery Dentures

Dentures wearers don’t have to suffer any longer. Dr. Hoop can help you get mini dental implants and give you security, stability, and strength that you may not have realized ways possible.
Mini implants may be small, but they provide full-sized benefits. You can learn more by contacting us online or by calling (239) 594-8817 to set up an appointment at either our Fort Myers or North Naples, FL location.

Summer is a wonderful time of year. Sure, it can get a little warm in our part of our Florida, but the extra hours of sunshine are a great excuse to spend more time with family and friends.
And most kids will tell you that no school makes for a lot of fun days playing outside.
Summer is also the perfect time to schedule an appointment at either of our dentist offices in North Naples or Fort Myers, FL. Today, we want to discuss four reasons you may want to make an appointment for yourself or your whole family.
Call (239) 594-8817 to plan your next visit with our team at the practice of George A. Hoop, DDS.

1. Peace of Mind During Your Vacation

If you have plans to travel during your family vacation in the months ahead, you don’t want an oral health problem to spoil the fun.
A good daily oral hygiene routine and regular professional dental cleanings and exams are the best way to keep you and your loved ones’ smiles happy and healthy. The last thing you want to hear as you’re packing for your trip is, “Mom, my tooth hurts.”
By scheduling a cleaning before you leave town, you could avoid that situation. During your cleaning, one of our dental professionals will remove any plaque or tartar buildup on your teeth. This will greatly reduce your family’s risk of tooth decay, cavities, and toothaches.
We also will be looking closely for any signs of decay or gum disease. If so, we can help you get treated before you start your fun.
We want to keep you smiling and out of pain. (We also look forward to hearing about your big trip when you get back.)

2. Selfie-Ready Smiles

Whether you are planning to go on vacation, attend a wedding or two, or just invite friends over for some backyard cookouts, you will probably take some pictures this summer.
And in today’s age of social media, those pictures could be shared instantly with hundreds of people online. Whether you are snapping a selfie with one of your kids or one of your friends is taking your picture, we want you to smile with confidence.
Unfortunately, we are all getting older. (That’s not something we can stop.) As we get older, it’s normal for our teeth to get darker and yellower. This is almost inevitable. As long as you eat colorful foods and drink colorful drinks, you are going to slowly add to the stains on your teeth with every snack and every meal.
Getting rid of those stains can make your smile look brighter, and it can make you look a little younger, too.
The safest and the fastest way to do that is with professional teeth whitening under the supervision of a dental professional. Professional whitening products have higher concentrations of the bleaching agents used to remove deep stains from your teeth.
For results you can see that same day, we recommend our in-office whitening treatments. If you prefer to do your teeth whitening at your convenience, we also offer take-home products that are more effective than anything you’ll find in the toothpaste aisle.
Call us today to find schedule a consultation and find out which of our whitening options is perfect for you!

3. Fix Your Chipped Tooth

Accidents happen to all of us.
Sometimes they can cause minor embarrassment. Sometimes they might leave a bruise or a scratch, which will heal in time.
And something you chip a tooth by biting into the wrong thing, getting struck by something in the mouth, or just bumping into something (or someone).
That chip may be small, but depending on its location, it may become a noticeable part of your smile. Likewise, a chip could affect how well you can bite with a particular tooth.
Whether you want to restore your smile, eat normally again, or both, we have a few ways we can fix it.
The fastest option is tooth bonding. This involves applying a resin to the chip or crack in your smile. The resin can be hardened, shaded to match the color of your teeth, and polished to shine why your natural teeth as well.
Bonding can last for years with proper care, but you should be aware that it may need to be replaced in time.
For a long-term solution, you may want to consider a dental veneer instead. We offer both e.max and Lumineers at our offices. These can be used to repair chips, cracks, breaks, and more to restore the look and the function of your damaged tooth.

4. Replace Old Fillings

If you are like more than 90 percent of the U.S. population, you may have had a cavity already. It’s also possible that you have a metal filling made from gold or amalgam (which is a blend of metals including mercury).
The primary purposes of any filling are to restore the function of your decayed tooth and to protect that tooth against further decay. Amalgam and gold can do both of those things well … until they wear out, chip, or crack, which is inevitable with time.
When the time comes to replace your old filling, why not get one that’s less noticeable? One that blends in with your smile and looks like part of your natural tooth?
Our tooth-colored fillings provide the same benefits as your old metal fillings without becoming a distraction when you smile or speak. If you need to replace an old filling or fill a new cavity, our team is happy to help.
 

Visit Us For Your Oral Health

Dr. Hoop and the rest of our team in Fort Myers and North Naples, FL, want you to have a happy and healthy smile this summer and for many summers to come. We hope you will call (239) 594-8817 or fill out our online form to request an appointment today, so we can see you soon.
New patients are always welcome!

Barbara dealt with dental problems for many years and saw all kinds of specialists leading up to her move to North Naples, FL.
When she arrived, she knew she would need to find a highly-skilled dentist to take on her series of oral health complications.
She found that with Dr. Hoop and our team at George A. Hoop, DDS.
Hear Barbara’s moving testimony about how a full-mouth reconstruction in our North Naples, FL dental office gave her a beautiful, confident smile she loves to show off!
Call George A. Hoop, DDS today at (239) 594-8817 or fill out our online form to request a consultation.

Would you like to have a new smile in time for Valentine’s Day? You could if you start your orthodontic care soon!
With Six Months Smiles^®, you could correct your crooked teeth, close gaps in your smile, and feel more confident, too. Six Month Smiles is a great short-term orthodontic option for adults who are primarily interested in creating a more appealing and attractive smile.
This system can work so quickly because it’s focused on fix the most visible teeth in your mouth. For anyone with mild or moderate crowding, gapped teeth, crooked teeth, or an overbite, this may be the perfect solution for you.
If you live in or near Fort Myers or North Naples, FL, George A. Hoop, DDS, would be happy to examine your teeth and let you know if Six Months Smiles or one of our other orthodontic services could work for you.
Fill out our online form today or call (239) 594-8817 to request your appointment. It just might be your first step to a better smile.

We will save money for months or even years to enjoy something that we know won’t last forever — like a new car or truck — or something even shorter — like a week-long vacation.
What if you could get something that does last much, much longer, like the rest of your life, instead? What if you could get a new smile, keep eating the foods that you love, and try new ones, too?
That would probably make your next vacation and your day-to-day life even more enjoyable.
You can do that by investing in your smile. If you are missing one or more teeth, call (239) 594-8817 to learn about dental implants at the office of George A. Hoop, DDS.
Our implants have helped countless people in and around Fort Myers and North Naples, FL restore their smiles and their quality of life.

Restore Your Teeth Completely

Each of your teeth is a single unit, which is divided into a crown (the part above the gumline) and the root (the part below the gumline embedded in your jawbone).
Your roots anchor your teeth in place and add strength to your bite by creating a direct connection from your crown to your jaw. The crowns of your teeth are the tools you use to bite and chew your food. The crowns are also what people see when you smile.
Many replacement teeth are focused on restoring the crowns. Dentures and dental bridges are a few examples of this.
What’s missing is a replacement for the roots of your lost teeth. Implants fill this role. By getting implants, you are recreating the connection between your jaw and your crowns so you can continue eating the foods that you love.
The stability that comes with implants allows your dentures, dental bridges, and dental crowns to function more like natural teeth. Implants make your restorations more secure as well, which means you can keep them even longer.

What You Can’t See Is Just As Important

Many people think about their appearance after losing one or more teeth. This certainly affects your smile, and it can affect your self-confidence as well.
This is understandable. We all want to look our best, and having an empty space where you once had a tooth can have an emotional impact.
Unfortunately, if you fill that gap with a dental bridge or dentures, then you may be allowing another problem to develop. With nothing to replace your missing root, your jawbone may start to shrink.
Without a root or a replacement, your jaw will stop making new bone tissue. This new tissue is essential because it replaces old tissue as it is absorbed by your body. Without new tissue, your jaw will get smaller and weaker.
By getting an implant or implants to support your crown, bridge, or denture, you are replacing your missing roots. Your jaw will continue making new tissue as a result, and your restorations will look, feel, and function nearly as well as your healthy natural teeth once did.

What Are Your Teeth Worth?

Many people have pointed out that we don’t really appreciate something until it’s gone. That’s certainly true of our teeth. Based on our experience, a lot of people don’t realize how much their teeth affect their everyday lives until those teeth are gone.
We want you to keep smiling. We want you to feel comfortable eating what you want to eat. We also want you to be able to speak without worrying that your “teeth” might fall out.
Implants and Dr. Hoop can give you that assurance. But first, you have to schedule an appointment with us at either of our locations in Fort Myers or North Naples, FL. You can do that by calling (239) 594-8817 or contacting us online.