General Dentistry is the foundation of our Jacksonville dental office. Dr. Alexander is a family dentist in Jacksonville, FL. He and his dental team dedicate themselves to providing quality, attentive, comprehensive care for the entire family. We offer a complete suite of general dental services for our patients of all ages.
General Dental Services
Dental Fillings: You should address tooth cavities as soon as your dentist discovers them, or you will start feeling tooth pain. Alexander Dentistry uses the most modern, metal-free dental fillings. He can provide composite resin or porcelain dental fillings in a single visit. The main difference between composite resin and porcelain is longevity.
Porcelain fillings are much stronger and do not require touch-ups in the future. We can color-match composite resin and porcelain tooth fillings so they don’t stick out like metal fillings.
Emergency Dentistry: If you are experiencing tooth or jaw pain in Jacksonville, contact us immediately! We reserve times for dental emergencies. From toothaches to major mouth trauma, Dr. Alexander can help.
Periodontal Therapy: In our dental office, we can promptly stop bleeding gums, gingivitis, and gum disease. Many factors contribute to poor gum health, so we don’t judge. Address this issue promptly before infections and diseases cause tooth loss and other health issues.
TMJ Treatment: Jaw pain, frequent headaches, and teeth-grinding symptoms are all signs of a Temporomandibular joint disorder. Dentists also call this disorder TMD.
Tooth Extractions: We believe in keeping as much of your natural teeth as possible, but there might be situations where removal is best. We provide tooth extractions and wisdom teeth removal in Jacksonville and beyond.
Root Canal procedure: Unaddressed cavities can cause tooth decay that reaches the root. A root canal procedure is the best treatment in this case. Fortunately, today’s root canal procedures are virtually painless.
Pediatric Dentistry: We treat patients of all ages. Bringing in your children as early as three years old can help promote good oral health and build a trusting dentist-patient relationship. This helps reduce dental anxiety and prevents your child from developing a fear of the dentist.
Sedation Dentistry: We offer the benefits of sedation dentistry for patients with dental anxiety and fears. Oral conscious sedation will keep you relaxed throughout your dental visit.
Your First Appointment With Us
The initial preventative care appointment for adult patients with our dentist involves a comprehensive dental exam. Dr. Alexander will review your medical and dental history and listen to your goals/concerns before inspecting your teeth.
The dental exam is thorough and consists of:
- Checking all your teeth for decay and defective fillings.
- Examining your mouth for oral cancer and periodontal disease.
- Taking necessary diagnostic x-rays.
Our registered dental hygienist will perform the dental cleaning. Once we diagnose your exam results, Dr. Alexander will discuss his findings with you and outline the best treatment plan for you. The plan will include detailed information, such as the time and cost associated with your treatments.
Preventive Dental Care
The goal of general dentistry is to treat problems in their earliest stages. We accomplish this by establishing a regular schedule of dental cleanings and exams. Dr. Alexander will recommend an oral health routine that best suits each individual’s needs and goals. Many patients only need to visit every six months, but others may benefit from more regular visits.
Routine visits allow us to recommend the most conservative methods of treatment for our patients. This means we preserve the natural teeth more often and save the patient from potentially expensive and uncomfortable procedures.
Dentistry For Children in Jacksonville, FL
General dentistry and regular dental cleanings are especially important to the health of children and teens. As a family dentist, Dr. Alexander offers dental services for children, including preventive appointments starting at age 3.
Our staff can help educate parents about common oral health topics, too! Topics such as the best tooth brushing techniques, how to curb thumb sucking, best orthodontics options, and when to remove wisdom teeth.
The Importance of Preventative Care
Preventative dental care requires steps at home and regular dental office visits. Practicing only one of those habits isn’t enough to keep your smile healthy. At home, brush your teeth at least twice daily and floss at least once daily. If you can, brush after every meal. Regular brushing and flossing at home prevents the buildup of plaque and tartar on your teeth. They dispel food particles and bacteria, ensuring they aren’t building up in your mouth.
But you still have to visit the dentist, too. Reaching certain areas of your mouth with a normal toothbrush is difficult. Our office has specialized dental tools designed to reach these trickier areas. Even if you brush diligently at home, plaque and tartar still build up in the places you can’t reach. You can be at a high risk for tooth decay and gum disease, even if you brush after every meal.
We also perform thorough oral exams when you come into the office. Conditions like oral cancer and gum disease have early warning signs that can be hard to detect if you don’t know what you’re looking for. They aren’t painful, so many patients don’t even realize there’s a problem until things get worse. We also have diagnostic technology like x-rays to see between teeth and areas you can’t see with the naked eye.
Early detection and intervention means that we can keep treatment less expensive. It’s also less invasive, so your treatment options are more comfortable. Ensuring your teeth are clean makes you less susceptible to serious dental problems. It’s much easier to treat a mild cavity than a tooth completely rotted due to infection.
Diet and Oral Health
Your diet plays an important part in your oral health. Certain vitamins and minerals are essential for your teeth and gums. Calcium and Vitamin D are two of the most vital. Calcium strengthens your tooth enamel, fortifying it against bacteria and infection, while Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium better. Phosphorous is also essential for tooth development and repair. Foods like dairy, leafy greens, eggs, lean meat, and fish can help you get enough of these.
Fibrous fruits and vegetables almost act like a natural toothbrush for your teeth when you eat them. They help clean out other food debris that may get stuck between teeth in your mouth. It takes a lot of chewing to break down these foods, too, leading to increased saliva production. Saliva is essential for washing bacteria and debris away from your smile while also neutralizing acids in the mouth. Drinking water regularly helps, too, especially if you’re on medication with dry mouth as a side effect.
Acidic foods and those high in sugar are the worst things for your smile. Harmful oral bacteria primarily feed off of sugars. They then release an acidic byproduct that wears away at your tooth enamel, starting cavities. If you add acidic foods to the mix, too, they wear through the enamel even faster.
If you consume these things, rinse your mouth with water afterward. Avoid brushing after 30 minutes after acidic foods. Though brushing is good for your mouth, brushing too soon after acid exposure can increase enamel erosion.
Schedule a Dental Exam Today
Our patients often tell us that a visit to Alexander Dentistry is unlike any other trip to the dentist. Our comprehensive approach is part of what makes us so successful in delivering healthy, beautiful smiles. Contact our dental office in south-side Jacksonville, FL, to schedule your consultation with Dr. Alexander.