Looking for a new dentist can be overwhelming and can leave you feeling unsure of how to even begin your search. Deciding what makes a dentist a good fit for you can be challenging. However, there are a few things you could take into consideration in order to find the best dentist for you before scheduling your new patient exam.

First, choosing a dentist convenient to home or work with hours that are suitable for your schedule is very important. This way scheduling appointments is less of a hassle for you. Learning how emergencies are handled at different practices you are researching is also beneficial when choosing the right dentist for you. The next step would be to search for highly recommended dentists with many years of experience. Ask around to learn if your friends or family have had great experiences with their dentist. After 8 years in Charlotte, Belvedere Family Dentistry has cared for thousands of satisfied customers that can share their testimonials about our services. Check out some of these awesome 5-Star reviews on Google!

Another important thing to consider is the cost that could be associated with the dental services you need to maintain good oral health, like dental X-Rays or deep cleaning procedures. If you have dental insurance our front office can let you know if we are in-network with your plan. At Belvedere Family Dentistry we want to make receiving dental care as easy as possible. We accept most major insurance plans including Humana PPO, UnitedHealth Care PPO, MetLife PPO, Delta Dental PPO/Premier, Connection Dental, Assurant, Cigna PPO, BCBS of NC, and Guardian. We will also help you file your claim and help you understand what coverage is available to you and your family.

Lastly, feeling comfortable at the dentist is very important. It is essential that you are able to comfortably explain symptoms or concerns you may be having with your oral health. After 12 years of experience, Dr. Bansch has made it a priority to have his patients feeling comfortable and at ease while visiting us on Rozzelles Ferry Road. 

We’d love for the opportunity to show you how Belvedere Family Dentistry can help you with all of your dental needs and end your search for a new dentist. If you have any questions or are interested in joining our dental family give us a call at 704-927-5499.

Even though April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month, this form of cancer does not receive as much attention as other forms of cancer, such as skin cancer. However, the mortality rate for oral cancer is higher than the other types of cancer people hear about more often. The reason oral cancer has such a higher mortality rate is because it is often diagnosed in the later stages.

That is why it is extremely important to get regular oral cancer screenings from one of the family dentists in Charlotte. Oral cancer screenings can help diagnose the condition while it is in its early stages. Screenings can also help reduce your risk of developing oral cancer.

What Is Cancer?

Oral cancer is a type of cancer that affects areas of the mouth. It often develops on the tongue or lips, but it can also develop on the floor or roof of the mouth and the lining of the gums or cheeks. Many people are diagnosed when the cancer has already spread to other parts of the body. Once the cancer has spread, a patient’s prognosis is worse.

The early stages of this condition are often missed unless people are screened regularly by general dentists. Oral cancer may not cause discomfort or pain.

Risk Factors

Men are twice as likely to get oral cancer as women. A person’s risk of oral cancer also increases after the age of 50. Below is a list of some of the additional risk factors that increase the risk of oral cancer:

General dentists play an important role in the prevention and detection of oral cancer. They cannot only perform oral cancer screenings, but they can also give people tips on things that they can do to reduce their risk of developing oral cancer. Family dentists in Charlotte not only keep your smile looking great, but they can also help protect your health.

Unsightly dental work performed in the past can hinder a person’s confidence and make them self-conscious about their appearance. Bad dental work also results in poor occlusion, improper mastication, infections and tooth loss. Our Charlotte dentists offer several methods of improving a patient’s smile and facial esthetics through specialized cosmetic dentistry solutions as noted below:

Tooth-colored Fillings
Existing amalgam or silver fillings can be replaced by tooth-colored materials. Although durable, the silver fillings darken and fracture over time leaving gaps between the tooth structure and the restorations. Plaque and bacteria accumulate in the pits and fissures of the tooth leading to infections and pain. Most amalgam restorations can be replaced with a sturdy composite material that matches the natural pigmentation of the dentition.

Porcelain Laminate Veneers
Permanent discoloration of anterior (frontal) teeth can be corrected with the application of veneers. This method of improving the patient’s smile is a great alternative to more invasive procedures, such as crown placement. The veneers are typically recommended by Charlotte dentists for patients with severely discolored teeth or multiple diastemas. Medically compromised patients are not good candidates for this procedure. Cosmetic dentistry services are focused on correcting any existing dental issues without compromising the function or facial esthetics.

Crowns and Bridges
Excessive tooth structure loss and root canal treatments often require the application of crowns and bridges. Bad dental work can also be corrected by this technique and provide the patient with a beautiful smile. Our Charlotte dentists will carefully inspect the health status of each tooth and determine if the patient can benefit from this procedure using CEREC technology to accomplish a successful treatment with only 1 visit to our office. The color and the shape of the crowns are perfectly matched to complement any existing dentition.

Removable Prosthetics/Dentures
In cases where a crown or a veneer may be out of your budget, you may want to consider the benefits of partials and dentures. Non-metal prosthetics can be manufactured replacing missing teeth and improving the patient’s smile and oral functions at a more affordable rate. Our cosmetic dentistry services offer these dental appliances by using the highest quality materials at discounted prices.

If you have any questions or would like more information about our cosmetic dentistry treatments, please feel free to contact our Charlotte dentist office at 704-927-5499 or by using our convenient online appointment request form.

In the same way that preventive care is one of the most important elements of dentistry, a regular cleaning of the teeth is one of the most important elements of preventive dental care. Teeth cleaning is available from most general dentistry offices and is one of the services available from a Uptown Charlotte dentist.

Why is Dental Cleaning Important?
Teeth cleaning is needed to prevent the accumulation of tarter and plaque, the latter of which contains bacteria that can lead to other problems. Cleaning thus works in the following ways:

•Protection from tooth decay
•Protection from gum disease
•Protection from other diseases

The cleaning process is usually quick and easy, and can be performed in any general dentistry office. The dentist or dental hygienist will first remove large deposits of tarter and plaque by hand, using special instruments and without causing any harm to the teeth or gums. The teeth will then be polished and, possibly, treated with fluoride.
Teeth whitening is a cosmetic technique that is supplemental to cleaning, but may be needed when teeth become stained or discolored. Whitening is achieved through the use of a special dental bleach that is applied directly to the teeth. Most dentists provide teeth whitening services.
Dental cleaning is virtually painless and can avoid conditions that are a genuine pain.
Untreated dental problems have been linked to such ailments as dementia and heart disease.

When is the Right Time for Cleaning Teeth?
A teeth cleaning every six months has for many decades been the accepted routine in dentistry. However, this time frame will vary upon the condition of a person’s teeth and gums and of one’s personal practices. Those who participate in a good dental hygiene program may be able to stretch their cleanings to a year or longer. On the other hand, those with serious oral problems may require cleaning on a monthly basis, at least until the underlying condition can be brought under control.
Even the best brushing and flossing practices will not prevent the accumulation of tarter and plaque, which is why periodic cleanings are still necessary. However, you should consult with your dentist to determine what schedule is best for you. A Uptown Charlotte dentist is available to keep your teeth clean and white. Contact our office to make an appointment.

For a large portion of the population, dental checkups are a stressful experience. Some people worry that the dentist will find a cavity or other dental issue, and other people find the cleaning process to be painful and uncomfortable. However, visiting your general dentist for regular checkups is essential for maintaining good dental health, and checkups and cleanings will be beneficial in the long run.

You can make dental checkups much easier by being prepared for the appointment. Here are four steps you can take to prepare:

Brush and Floss

Brush and floss your teeth thoroughly before you leave for your appointment. If you’ve gone several months without flossing, flossing every day for the week leading up to your appointment will probably not fool your general dentist. Flossing at least once is better than not flossing at all, though, and most people like to go to their appointment with a clean mouth. However, you should avoid brushing your teeth too aggressively as it can damage your gums and make your teeth more sensitive.

Take ibuprofen to Help with Pain

Some people find the cleaning procedure at a checkup to be painful. If you’re worried about pain at your appointment, take the recommended dose of ibuprofen about an hour before your checkup. You can also take one about six hours after the appointment to reduce any inflammation.

Think of Any Dental Problems You’ve Been Experiencing

If you have any questions or concerns about your dental health, write them down or take a mental note of them. A general dentistry appointment is the best time to ask about any problems you’ve experienced. Some common problems include:

Confirm Your Appointment in Advance and Arrive Early

Call or email your dentist’s office a day or two before your appointment to confirm it. If you have to cancel, make sure to give them 24 hours notice. On the day of the appointment, try to arrive 10 or 15 minutes early in case you need to fill out any paperwork.

Our Uptown Charlotte dentists can provide general checkups and cleanings, and they can answer any questions you may have about your dental health. If you need a dental checkup, call our Uptown Charlotte dentist office today to schedule an appointment.

Maintaining white teeth and a confident smile is easy with the help of a dentist, and getting regular checkups from a Uptown Charlotte dentist helps you prevent problems before they even start.

How Often to Get a General Checkup

Most people find that they can see a general dentist once or twice a year to maintain a healthy smile.

If you take excellent care of your teeth, and generally have little risk of gum disease, cavities, or more serious oral diseases, your dentist will likely recommend that you come back in six to twelve months after your appointment.

Some people fall into groups that are considered to be high-risk by dentists, however. These groups include:

• Diabetics
• People who have gum disease
• People with a history of cavities
• People with weak immune systems
• Pregnant women
• Smokers

Anyone who falls into this group should visit their general dentist more regularly than those who see low risk of oral disease problems. The recommended visiting rate for anyone who falls into one of these categories is every three to four months. However, people who struggle with things such as cavities, gum disease, oral cancer, or frequent bacterial infections might need to visit even more often than that.

What You Can Expect at a General Checkup

During your general checkup, a dentist will help you maintain healthy white teeth in a few simple steps.

The typical appointment will begin with a thorough teeth cleaning. Either the dentist or the dental hygienist will remove any remaining plaque or tartar from your teeth and gums using dental tools, and then, your teeth will be flossed and polished to prepare for your exam.

A full dental examination is performed by the dentist themselves. During the exam, the dentist looks at your whole mouth, including the tongue, teeth, and gums. The exam is done to look for potential problems or diseases.

Every couple of years, or in some cases, annually, the dentist may take an x-ray of your mouth. X-rays are used as diagnostic tools to look below the surface at things the dentist cannot see on their own. An x-ray can be used to find impacted teeth, tooth decay, abscesses, or damage to your jaw.

If you are ready for to create a confident smile, click here to request an appointment with a Uptown Charlotte dentist.

What is a Pediatric Dentist?

A pediatric dentist is trained in the care of children’s oral health. They typically treat children who are infants through the teenage years. Children normally begin to get teeth when they are six months old. Between the ages of six and seven, many children begin to lose their first set of teeth and grow in a second set that is permanent. A pediatric dentist has special qualifications in caring for children’s teeth, gums and mouth throughout all of these stages.

A pediatric dentist must complete:

Additionally, many pediatric dentists receive additional training in treating children with special needs, such as autism, anxiety or hyperactivity.

What Treatments are Typically Done by a Pediatric Dentist?

A children’s dentist can provide:

At What Age Should My Child See a Pediatric Dentist?

Proper dental hygiene for children is a growing concern with tooth decay being five times more common in children than asthma and seven times more common than hay fever. Tooth decay can cause infections, pain and problems with proper tooth alignment.

Because of this, it is important to schedule regular visits with a children’s dentist. The American Dental Association recommends that a child’s first visit to the dentist occur as soon as their teeth being to grow in, between six and 12 months of age. An appointment from the local dentist office should be requested as soon as teeth begin to appear.

What Can I Expect from a First Appointment?

During the first visit, a child’s teeth, gums and mouth will be thoroughly examined. This exam may include taking x-rays. The child’s teeth will then be cleaned and a fluoride treatment may be applied to the teeth. The dentist can teach parents the best ways to clean the child’s teeth, remove plaque, give dental hygiene tips and answer any questions that parents may have about their child’s oral health.

A pediatric dentist will be able to provide specialized care for children of all ages. The local dentist office will be able to recommend a pediatric dentist that will give individual care for whatever the child may need.

Oral health is highly important, and its equally crucial to have a relationship with a general dentist who will become familiar with your specific needs. Whether you are new in town and seeking a local dentist office to oversee your oral care or just looking for somewhere to receive regular dental exams, you’re taking the steps necessary to maintain the smile you show the world.

How Often Should I Visit?

It’s recommended that you see your general dentist at least once per year for dental exams and cleanings. However, it’s preferable to be seen biannually. For your first visit at a new local dentist office, you can expect:

What’s the Proper Way to Brush My Teeth?

Your dentist will show you in detail the proper way to care for your teeth. The toothbrush, preferably soft-bristled, should be angled along the gum line, and it’s best to use circular motions. Spend ten seconds on each quadrant quadrant for the front, back and bottom of each tooth.

Pain Management

Let’s face it. There is a possibility you, like so many others, have put off seeing a dentist because you are afraid of the visit. After all, the tools used can be loud and intimidating, and they are being used inside your mouth. Fortunately, there have been many advancements made in dentistry anesthesia, and there are numerous options to best meet your needs and provide you the level of comfort you need.

Will Wisdom Teeth Need to Be Removed?

While it’s common for wisdom teeth to be removed to relieve pressure on other teeth, this may not be necessary in your case. Your dentist will be able to analyze your teeth and decide whether this is something that would benefit you.

Local Dentist Office With a Staff That Cares

You deserve the best, and, in order to maximize your potential, its important you feel confident. Our staff specializes in ensuring you’re smile is one that radiates, and we can help you schedule regular dental exams that will ensure proper maintenance year-round. Call our office today, and we can schedule an appointment for you to meet with our general dentist in the near future.

The term cosmetic dentistry pertains to the enhancement of a smile through various restorative techniques typically used by local dentist office providers. Although its main focus is on aesthetics, many cosmetic procedures also improve the overall function of the mouth, such as speech patterns and mastication. In addition, a beautiful smile boosts the patient’s self confidence and poise.

Because of continuous advancements in technology, an array of cosmetic dentistry procedures can be performed to correct the teeth that have been chipped, fractured, stained or misaligned due to trauma, poor nutritional choices or genetics.

Tooth Bleaching

Perhaps the least invasive method of smile improvement recommended by a cosmetic dentist is tooth whitening or bleaching. The procedure is painless to the patient. Depending on the severity of the present staining, it can dramatically enhance the appearance of the teeth. Tooth bleaching requires periodic re-applications and can be maintained by proper oral care at home and changing individual eating and drinking habits.

Composite Restorations (Bonding)

By bonding durable tooth-colored material, the cosmetic dentist is able to restore the tooth structure lost because of decay or fractures. The composite compounds are also used to close small diastemas (spacing between teeth) or minor cracks. Due to the porosity of the material, the restorations may have to be occasionally replaced as they wear down.

Porcelain Veneers

More durable than composite and made of ceramic ingredients, the veneers are implemented when significant aesthetic discrepancies are present. They can only be applied within the anterior region of the mouth and considerably improve the patient’s smile. The shade of the ceramic restorations closely mimics the natural hue of the existing teeth.

Tooth Reshaping

Minimally invasive, this method is used for slightly misaligned teeth or dentition that could benefits from minute redesign. It is sometimes combined with bonding for better functional value.

Crowns and Bridges

Numerous types of materials are used in this type of restorations and depend on the location and function of the tooth in the oral area. All-ceramic crowns are often placed on anterior teeth. Porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns are placed on posterior teeth as they provide added strength and durability needed for chewing and speaking. Dental bridges effectively replace missing teeth and have long-term prognosis.

Local dentist office professionals always offer full explanation of each option and guide the patient through the process with their skills and knowledge. New materials and techniques are continually developed, and the patients are encouraged to schedule their initial consultation to learn more.

Our staff relies on digital X-rays to help us diagnose oral conditions and process images at incredibly high speeds. You can also view digital X-rays in real time while we examine your mouth with an intraoral camera and upload the images to a software program. A chair side computer monitor lets you see these images as we refine areas of concern to ensure an accurate diagnosis.

But are dental X-rays safe?

Yes! They emit 80 percent less radiation than exposure-type X-rays and provide detailed images to improve diagnosis and treatment. We can now detect dental problems in their earliest stages without subjecting you to unnecessary radiation. The amount of radiation released by digital X-rays is “negligible,” which means the amount is so small, that it can be safely disregarded.

Safe enough for children and pregnant women, digital X-rays detect microscopic pitting in tooth enamel and other abnormalities in the oral tissues that might have remained undetected with traditional X-rays. When our doctors and staff discover dental caries in their earliest stages, we can initiate treatment measures that will effectively prevent cavity development, tooth decay, and potential tooth loss.

Patient appointment lengths are shortened with digital X-rays as well, because images are immediately viewable and do not require the exposure time associated with old-style X-rays.

How Digital X-Rays Differ from Traditional X-Rays

Instead of using cardboard-contained film, we insert a small sensing device about the size of a pen in your mouth and engage the digital X-ray machine by manually manipulating control buttons. Within seconds, images appear on the monitor that can later be stored in your file or sent to another doctor for further examination.

The increased resolutions afforded by digital X-rays means that patients are able to understand the seriousness of their dental issues better, and are more inclined to follow through with procedures recommended by our team.

Safer, Better and Faster

For detection of cancerous tumors in their early states, digital X-ray technology offers vast improvements over film X-rays because of its cutting-edge image processing capability. Early detection of oral cancer and dental caries is the best way to prevent any type of oral health problem from exceeding the treatable stage.

Uptown Charlotte Dentistry & Orthodontics

Specializing in Invisalign, Composite Bonding, Veneers and Crowns.

We do our best to make it easy for you to get the beautiful smile you deserve! Our office accepts nearly all major insurance plans. Even though dental insurance is a private arrangement between you and your company, we will file your claim, handle all the paperwork, and help you get maximum insurance benefits.

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