Juno Beach Smiles Blog

Start Planning Your End-of-Year care

October 31, 2013

cosmetic and restorative dentistry Everyone wants to have a beautiful smile for the holidays. But a beautiful smile can’t be made overnight—it’s takes some planning. At Juno Beach Restorative & Aesthetic Dentistry, Dr. Duane Keuning and Dr. Greg Riley offer many of today’s best cosmetic and restorative services. Working from a deep understanding of your needs, our Juno Beach team can design a treatment plan that will give you the smile you want.

But to have it in time for the holidays, we need to get started now.

During a consultation appointment, we’ll assess your current needs and talk to you about the kinds of changes you’d like to see. Depending on the results of both, we may be able to give you the smile you want in just one or two appointments. If you need more work, the process may take longer.

Teeth whitening and porcelain veneers are among the most popular cosmetic services we offer. If you’re primarily looking for an aesthetic makeover, these can help you achieve dazzling results. If you need restorative care, we offer a range of options, including crowns, crown and bridgework, and dental implants.

Which service (or services) is most right for you?

Dr. Keuning and Dr. Riley want to help you answer that question. Call Juno Beach Restorative & Aesthetic Dentistry today to reserve an appointment. We’re creating healthy, beautiful smiles for patients from Juno Beach, North Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Tequesta, and Jupiter.

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Full Mouth Reconstruction for Juno Beach Patients

October 23, 2013

Filed under: Cosmetic Dentistry,Restorative Dentistry — Tags: Dr. Duane E. Keuning, Dr. Greg K. Riley, Florida, full-mouth reconstruction, Juno Beach, Juno Beach Restorative and Aesthetic Dentistry, Jupiter, North Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Tequesta — Greg Riley @ 8:28 pm

Many patients need some level of restorative care, but a smaller segment of the population will need more advanced care. That’s why Dr. Duane Keuning and Dr. Greg Riley offer full-mouth reconstruction services. With full-mouth reconstruction, patients who need help improving the appearance and functionality of their teeth can get the help they’re looking for.

Services that might be included in a full-mouth reconstruction plan include:

Crowns
Inlays and onlays
Porcelain veneers
Teeth whitening
Dental implants
Crown and bridgework
Tooth-colored fillings

Each service by itself has proven to be effective through years and years of use; when two or more are combined, they can have a truly transformative impact on a smile severely damaged by poor hygiene or an injury. But not every service is right for every patient.

Which service(s) will help you reclaim lost confidence and good health? That’s a question Dr. Keuning and Dr. Riley would be more than happy to answer during a consultation at their Juno Beach dental office. With a complete oral health assessment and a conversation with you about your own goals for your smile, we can create a customized treatment plan you’ll love.

Call Juno Beach Restorative & Aesthetic Dentistry today for an appointment. We offer full-mouth reconstruction to patients from North Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Tequesta, Jupiter, and surrounding Florida communities.

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Trade Sugar for Xylitol This Holiday Season

October 10, 2013

Filed under: General Dentistry — Tags: Dr. Duane E. Keuning, Dr. Greg K. Riley, Juno Beach, Juno Beach Restorative and Aesthetic Dentistry, Jupiter, North Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Tequesta, xylitol — Greg Riley @ 4:47 pm

Xylitol You already know how damaging sugar can be to your smile. But did you know there’s an alternative to sugar that can give you your sweet fix without ruining your oral health?

Xylitol is a natural sweetener derived from the fibrous part of plants. But unlike sugar, which creates an acidic environment harmful to your smile’s tooth enamel, xylitol creates a neutral environment. In this environment, bad bacteria have trouble sticking to teeth, preventing cavities instead of causing them.

That’s why xylitol is sometimes used as the main cavity-fighting ingredient in toothpaste. There are also brands that specialize in candy sweetened with xylitol, like Ice Chips and Dr. John’s Candies. You can even find xylitol candy for sale on Amazon and in some natural health food stores.

If you’re going to be doing some baking for Halloween, or in November and December, xylitol can also be substituted for sugar at a 1:1 ratio. No one will notice the change, but everyone will benefit.

Do you have questions about xylitol and how it can benefit your smile? Talk to Dr. Duane Keuning and Dr. Greg Riley of Juno Beach Restorative & Aesthetic. We can explain more about how sugar can damage your smile and how xylitol works as a substitute. We can also recommend a treatment plan to help you with any oral health problems.

Explore our services or call us today. We serve patients from Juno Beach, North Palm Beach Gardens, Jupiter, and Tequesta.

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Another Cause of Decay and How It Can Be Treated

September 27, 2013

tooth-colored fillings In our previous post, we talked about what effect acid reflux can have on your smile. Today, we’d like to highlight a more common cause of decay and other oral health problems.

In most cases, tooth decay is caused by the way certain kinds of bacteria react to food, especially foods high in sugar. These bacteria react by producing acid, which encourages the growth of new bacteria and then more acid. As bacteria accumulate, a harmful, acidic environment is created. This is how decay occurs.

But that’s just the beginning. If not cleared away by brushing and flossing, bacteria eventually becomes plaque, which can irritate the gums and cause gum disease. When untreated, gum disease can eventually cause pockets to develop between teeth and gums. It’s also known to be the primary cause of tooth loss in adults.

Thankfully, the doctors at Juno Beach Restorative & Aesthetic can help with tooth-colored fillings, plus crowns, inlays, and onlays. We can also provide periodontal care and offer tips on how to maintain good oral health in between visits.

Regular visits are important for more than just offering general and restorative services—they’re also about prevention. We don’t want to just treat common oral health problems; we want to prevent them as much as possible, too.

Is it time for your next visit to Juno Beach & Restorative Aesthetic. Call our Juno Beach dental office today for an appointment. Dr. Keuning and Dr. Riley serve patients from North Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Tequesta, and Jupiter.

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What Can Acid Reflux Do To Your Smile?

September 13, 2013

Filed under: General Dentistry — Tags: acid reflux, Dr. Duane E. Keuning, Dr. Greg K. Riley, general dentistry, Juno Beach, Juno Beach Restorative and Aesthetic Dentistry, Jupiter, North Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Tequesta — Greg Riley @ 6:47 pm

Occasional heartburn is common. What’s less common is experiencing heartburn two, three, or more times a week, though it happens.

If you experience heartburn this frequently, it could be a sign of acid reflux disease. Other symptoms of acid reflux disease include:

Burping or bloating
Nausea
Regurgitation
Hiccups
Narrowing of the esophagus
Weight loss
Sore throat, wheezing, hoarseness, or dry cough
Black/bloody stools or bloody vomiting

But were you aware that acid reflex can also have an impact on your oral health? That’s because, when a patient experiences acid reflux, some amount of acid leaks from the stomach to the esophagus. If this acid ends up coming into contact with a patient’s teeth, it can damage the patient’s protective tooth enamel, exposing the sensitive layer of dentin underneath.

Signs your teeth may have been damaged by stomach acid include:

Sensitivity to hot, cold, or sweet foods and drinks
Thin or shortened teeth
Pain or irritation
Sharp-edged teeth

At Juno Beach Restorative & Aesthetic Dentistry, Dr. Duane Keuning and Dr. Greg Riley offer a combination of general and restorative services to help patients overcome decay and reclaim optimal oral health. We serve patients from North Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Tequesta, and Jupiter. Call us today!

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What Makes Crowns, Inlays, and Onlays So Different?

August 23, 2013

Filed under: Restorative Dentistry — Tags: crowns, Dr. Duane E. Keuning, Dr. Greg K. Riley, inlays, Juno Beach, Juno Beach Restorative and Aesthetic Dentistry, onlays, restorative dentistry — Greg Riley @ 7:14 am

crowns For a tooth that’s badly damaged or decayed, sometimes the best treatment option is a crown. A crown covers an entire tooth, protecting it from further damage, but leaving it and the root underneath in place for the benefit of your oral health. With the proper care, crowns can last for years and restore your smile’s appearance and functionality.

But as great as crowns are, not every patient needs something quite as dramatic. At the same time, though, maybe you need more than just a simple filling to reclaim optimal oral health.

That’s where inlays and onlays come in.

Inlays and onlays are similar to crowns, in that they’re made of porcelain, but they don’t cover your entire tooth the way a crown does. You might say they’re halfway between a crown and a filling then. Inlays are made to repair the part of the tooth that runs between its cusps, which are the bumps on top of a tooth. Onlays, on the other hand, are designed to replace one or more cusps.

Are you worried you might need advanced care with a crown, an inlay, or an onlay? Call Juno Beach Restorative & Aesthetic Dentistry today for an appointment with Dr. Keuning or Dr. Riley. We’re proud to offer excellent cosmetic and restorative care to Juno Beach, North Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Jupiter, and Tequesta.

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Entering the Home Stretch of 2013

August 9, 2013

Filed under: General Dentistry — Tags: Dr. Duane E. Keuning, Dr. Greg K. Riley, general dentistry, Juno Beach, Juno Beach Restorative and Aesthetic Dentistry, Jupiter, North Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Tequesta — Greg Riley @ 2:14 pm

fall For patients who visited Dr. Keuning or Dr. Riley back in January or February, now is the perfect time to schedule your second visit with our Juno Beach team. Not only is August the eighth month of the year, it’s a sign that we’re entering the home stretch of 2013.Within the next month, children will be going back to school, and not long after that, the holiday season will be on everyone’s mind.

All of which means your life is about to get busier. Make time for your next checkup and cleaning now, while you have it available.

During every checkup and cleaning, Dr. Keuning and Dr. Riley look for some of the most common oral health issues a patient can face. That includes the obvious, like gum disease and tooth decay, but it also involve neuromuscular problems and oral cancer. It’s only through having a thorough understanding of your current needs that an effective diagnosis can be made.

If we find any reason to suggest extra care, you can look forward to excellent cosmetic and restorative care from our Juno Beach dental team. With our years of experience, our education, and our continued eagerness to learn, we’re helping patients achieve healthy smiles and a better sense of wellbeing.

To schedule your next appointment with Juno Beach Restorative & Aesthetic Dentistry, call us today. We’re happy to serve patients from Juno Beach, North Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Jupiter, and Tequesta.

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What You Should Know About Diabetes and Gum Disease

July 31, 2013

Filed under: General Dentistry — Tags: diabetes, Dr. Duane E. Keuning, Dr. Greg K. Riley, general dentistry, gum disease, gum disease therapy, Juno Beach, Juno Beach Restorative and Aesthetic Dentistry, Jupiter, North Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Tequesta — Greg Riley @ 7:19 am

As we’ve mentioned on this blog before, gum disease doesn’t just affect your oral health—it’s also been linked to a wide array of health problems in the rest of the body, and that includes diabetes.

For a while, researchers weren’t sure what the exact nature of that relationship was, but we have a better understanding of it today. It turns out the relationship goes two ways. Gum disease raises the body’s blood sugar levels, increasing the risk of diabetic complications. Meanwhile, because of how diabetes affects blood sugar levels, diabetics have an increased risk of developing the disease in the first place.

All of which means that if you have diabetes, seeing Dr. Duane Keuning or Dr. Greg Riley twice a year for checkups is important—and not just if you have diabetes. Every patient can benefit from seeing a dentist twice a year. That’s because a majority of Americans have some form of gum disease, even if it’s very mild.

During your visit with our Juno Beach dental team, we can offer you home care tips to keep in mind, or we can put together a more advanced therapy plan if we need to. Some of the most common treatments for gum disease include scaling, root planing, antibiotics, and surgery.

Are you a diabetic with concerns about gum disease? Call Juno Beach Restorative & Aesthetic Dentistry today for an appointment with Dr. Riley or Dr. Keuning. We offer effective cosmetic and restorative care to Juno Beach, North Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Tequesta, and Jupiter.

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Decrease Your Risk for Cavities by Knowing the Risk Factors

July 25, 2013

Filed under: General Dentistry — Tags: cavities, Dr. Duane E. Keuning, Dr. Greg K. Riley, general dentistry, Juno Beach, Juno Beach Restorative and Aesthetic Dentistry, Jupiter, North Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Tequesta — Greg Riley @ 3:17 pm

general dentistry Not everyone has the same level of risk when it comes to developing cavities. Knowing what risk factors are associated with them can help you protect your smile and improve your oral health. That’s what today’s post is all about. If you have any questions afterwards, feel free to call Juno Beach Restorative & Aesthetic Dentistry to let us know.

Having a cavity already increases your risk of developing new cavities

If you think you might have a cavity, or a doctor has diagnosed one, have it treated as soon as possible with a filling or crown. This will help you support your oral health and prevent the spread of decay

Watch what you eat

Foods and drinks that are sugary or acidic will increase your risk of decay by spurring the production of bacteria and acid in your mouth. This, in turn, can weaken your tooth enamel and lead to cavities.

Poor oral hygiene

Are you brushing and flossing enough? We recommend brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and flossing once a day. This will protect your smile from the acid and bacteria that comes from sugary or acidic foods and drinks. Getting enough fluoride is especially important because it helps to strengthen your enamel.

Poorly done fillings or crowns

When a filling or crown isn’t done the way it should be, your smile may be especially vulnerable to bacteria, as you may have bacteria deposits in a hard-to-brush area. Give our Juno Beach office a call if you’ve had a negative experience with another doctor.

Family history

Sometimes a patient’s increased risk of cavities is due to genetics, but in other cases, it may just be that good oral health habits weren’t taught at home. Remember to brush and floss regularly, and make an antibacterial or fluoride mouthwash a regular part of your regimen.

Not seeing your dentist enough

Dr. Duane Keuning and Dr. Greg Riley recommend coming in for regular visits twice a year. Why? So we can watch for changes in your smile. Cavities need to be treated as soon as possible, and with a visit every six months, we can provide early care that will help you support your oral and overall health.

Do you need to schedule your next visit with Dr. Keuning or Dr. Riley? Give us a call today. Our Juno Beach dental office is happy to provide general, cosmetic, and restorative care to patients from North Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Jupiter, Tequesta, and surrounding areas.

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The History of Dental Implants

July 16, 2013

Filed under: Implant Dentistry,Restorative Dentistry — Tags: dental implants, implant dentistry, Juno Beach, Juno Beach Restorative and Aesthetic Dentistry, Jupiter, North Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, restorative dentistry, Tequesta — Greg Riley @ 7:23 am

In , we talked about the history of teeth whitening. Today, we’d like to focus on another popular service—dental implants.

As with whitening, people have always been looking for a way to replace missing teeth. Scientists have found evidence that the Mayans implanted tooth-shaped shells into the jaw 1,300 years ago to replace missing teeth. Going back even further, the Romans may have used cast-iron, while the Egyptians used gold wires. Other materials that have been used throughout history include rubber, ivory, copper, semi-precious stones, and oxen bone.

And then there are dental implants as we now know them. These date from around 1965. Scientist Per-Ingvar Brånemark discovered that titanium would fuse with bone tissue, leading eventually to the placement of the first dental implant in a human skull.

Why are modern-day dental implants so effective? Because they mimic nature’s design, with a crown on top and a titanium root underneath to act as a prosthetic root. What’s more, they’re versatile enough to replace a single tooth or a full row of teeth.

Not every patient is a candidate for dental implants, though. To find out if dental implants might be right for you, call Juno Beach Restorative & Aesthetic Dentistry for a consultation. During your visit with us, Dr. Greg Riley and Dr. Duane Keuning will help you decide if dental implants will help you meet your needs, or if another service might be better.

We’re proud to provide cosmetic and restorative care to Juno Beach, North Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Jupiter, and Tequesta.

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