Are you new to the Costa Mesa, CA area? If so, welcome! Moving can be a complicated process, not just for the actual logistics of the move itself. Once you are settled in a new area, finding new doctors, dentists, hair stylists, vets, grocery stores, or even the fastest way to work can be a challenge. Smiles4OC wants to help you with at least one item on that list, with tips for choosing a good dentist!

Dentists are vital:

Some people don’t see the need to choose a dentist, until they are in dire need of one because of a serious tooth infection, a knocked-out tooth, or other urgent dental needs. Also, many people don’t realize the impact your oral health can have on the rest of your body. More studies each year are linking the health of your gums and teeth to other conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and even emotional well-being! Seeing a dentist on a regular basis can help prevent many oral health issues. These are all key reasons why having a dentist you trust is vital to your overall well-being.

The link between oral health and your overall physical well-being:

Your oral health is integral to your overall health at every stage of your life. Healthy teeth and gums are essential to receiving proper nutrition, but also assists in your emotional well-being by promoting self-esteem. Bacteria from the mouth can either cause or speed along infections in other parts of your body. Every year, more studies are done that definitively prove this link. The most well-known conditions that your oral health plays a part in are:

• Diabetes: If you have gum disease and are diabetic, the gum disease is magnifying your diabetes. The inflammation of your gums weakens your body’s ability to control blood sugar and impairs your body’s ability to use insulin. Unfortunately, as a diabetic, you will find yourself more susceptible to gum disease issues. That’s why it is important to always maintain regular check-ups with a trusted dentist, even if you don’t think anything is wrong.
• Heart disease: The reasons for this aren’t fully understood at this time, but multiple studies have linked your gums health to heart disease. Up to 91 percent of patients with heart disease also have periodontal disease. The typical percentage is 66 percent of people with no heart disease have gum disease. The theory is that the inflammation caused by gum disease can cause inflammation in the blood vessels, which increases your risk for a heart attack.
• Pregnancy: Recently, researchers have studied whether the inflammation caused by gum disease is interfering with the development in the womb. It’s highly recommended that if you are pregnant, or are trying to become pregnant, it’s best to get a comprehensive oral exam.
• Rheumatoid arthritis: It’s been shown that treating gum disease reduces the pain associated with rheumatoid arthritis.
• Lung conditions: Your oral health may negatively impact pneumonia and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It’s believed that it is due to a possible increase of bacteria in the lungs.

Tips for choosing the right dentist for you:

• Experience is crucial: It’s important to find a dental office that has dentists with years of experience. This ensures that even the newer dentists in the office are learning from skilled and competent providers while on the job.
• Good reputation: Check dentists’ reputation. You can do this by searching online reviews on multiple websites to see what other people just like you are saying.
• Check the state dental board: The state dental board has a board of dentistry website that will track any claims made against a dentist.
• Interview any potential providers: Many people don’t realize this is an option available to them. Excellent care providers are always willing to take a few minutes for a phone call or short visit to answer any questions you may have, such as how long they have been practicing, their dental specialty, and other information about the office.
• Ensure that any dentist you choose meets your specific needs. Ask your potential dentist what their focus is on. Do they provide family dentistry? Cosmetic dental procedures? Urgent dental care?
• Patient comfort: Find out how committed they are to helping patients feel at ease at the office. Find out if they offer sedation dentistry and amenities.
• Financing: It’s important to ensure that your dentist accepts your insurance plan. It’s also very helpful to find out what type of payment plans and other ways they will work with your specific budget needs.

Why Smiles4OC might be the place for you:

• Our areas of service: We don’t just focus on one thing here. We provide family dental services, sports dentistry, cosmetic dental services, gum disease treatment, full mouth rehabilitation, and other services.
• Our commitment to care: We strive to create an atmosphere of compassion, convenience, and quality dental services. We offer sedation dentistry for anxious patients. We are committed to recognizing the vital role oral health plays in your physical well-being. We will bring in specialists to our office for procedures that need to be done (for example, wisdom teeth extractions) instead of referring you out to another provider.
• Our experience: Between Drs. Rolfes, Do, and Rolfes, we bring decades of experience to your treatment. Each of our dentists is passionate about ongoing education, community service, and improving the field of dentistry in general. Between our four dentists, we have memberships with the Academy of General Dentistry, Orange County Dental Society, American Dental Association, American Association of Dental Office Management, and many others.
• Our established role in the community: Check out our reviews. Dr. Thomas Rolfes has been practicing in this same location since 1984. He’s had the pleasure of serving multiple generations of Costa Mesa residents.

Give us a call today with any questions you may have or to schedule a tour of our office. We look forward to meeting you and helping you find your way in the community! Call or text us at (714) 557-0700 or email us.

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