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At Koch Park Dental in Florissant, we repair decayed teeth with fillings and other restorations to create smiles that are both healthy and beautiful. Recent advances in techniques and materials have made the impossible not only possible, but affordable for as well.

Decay is the most common dental problem and the second most common disease in the nation (number one is the common cold). If you have one or more teeth with decay, it’s time to take care of them.

Fillings, inlays, onlays and crowns are used to restore teeth for our St. Louis cosmetic dental patients. Even the most basic procedure – filling a cavity – has evolved. There are several types of new materials available including porcelain and composite resin. Each has specific strengths and aesthetic considerations. Patients who replace silver amalgam with tooth-colored fillings love getting the metal out of their smile.

Inlays and onlays are more extensive restorations. There are two types: direct or indirect. Direct inlays and onlays are applied in one visit. Indirect inlays and onlays are fabricated in a dental lab. They usually require a second visit but the results are well worth the extra trip.

When a patient has a tooth that cannot be restored with an inlay or an onlay, a natural-looking crown is the answer. At Koch Park Dental we create crowns that blend in perfectly with the rest of your teeth. Let us show you some photos of patients who have received smile makeovers – you will not see any “Chiclet” crowns that stick out like a sore thumb.

Koch Park Dental in Florissant provides dental fillings and all other general dentistry services. We also offer cosmetic dentistry. Schedule an appointment with us today.

Contact Koch Park Dental – Martin L. Buchheit, DDS:

205-933-0323

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

2149 Charbonier Rd
Florissant, Missouri
63033

You smile deserves regular attention. If it’s been a while since you visited Koch Park Dental in Florissant MO for an exam, look at these essential reasons:

1. Check Up: It’s time, and this is the best way to prohibit dental problems.
2. Clean Up: Our dental hygienist is ready to give you a super clean smile.
3. Brush Up: If it has been a while since your last dental visit, it’s probably time to come in for a refresher course on correct dental hygiene.
4. Avoid Pain: If you have dental pain and have been putting off a trip to the dentist, come in now, because we specialize in relieving dental pain.
5. Fillings: We can find and fill all your dental cavities in almost no time at all. This will help you avoid more painful troubles down the road, and helps some of those sensitivities to hot and cold.
6. Prevent Gum Disease: Let us analyze the health of your gums and suggest treatments or practices that are available to help you improve the health of your gums.
7. A Whiter Smile: We can help. We have tooth whitening options available that will beautify your smile and make your teeth whiter.
8. Tooth Replacement: If you are missing a tooth, we can help restore your smile with the latest in tooth replacement technology.
9. Cosmetic Dentistry: Considering making improvements to your smile? We can help you assess the options.
10. Confidence: Nothing brings you more confidence than a healthy,  smile.

At Koch Park Dental in Florissant MO, we care about the dental health of each of our patients. Our services include general and cosmetic dentistry. Schedule your next appointment today.

Contact Koch Park Dental – Martin L. Buchheit, DDS:

205-933-0323

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

2149 Charbonier Rd
Florissant, Missouri
63033

It’s a little bit like the chicken-or-egg question: which should you do first, brush your teeth, or floss them? The answer depends on who you ask. The team at Koch Park Dental in Florissant has an answer. Keep reading!

Some dentists will tell you it’s better to floss first. That way, you loosen plaque, or food debris from between your teeth, and brush it away. Also, you won’t be tempted to skip flossing after you’ve brushed.

On the other hand, some dentists say it’s better to brush first. Then when you floss, you’ll get some toothpaste between your teeth.

According to one survey, there’s about a fifty-fifty split among Americans, with a slight edge going to those who brush first. We think you should do whichever you prefer. Just be sure to do both!

Our recommendations are in line with the American Dental Association:

• Brush for at least two minutes, twice a day
• Use a soft-bristle brush, replaced every three months
• Hold the brush at a 45-degree angle at the gum line
• Brush in circular, half-tooth-wide strokes
• Be sure to get the back teeth
• Be sure to get in, outer, and top surfaces
• Don’t forget your tongue!

With flossing, use about eighteen inches of floss, so you’ve got a clean piece for each section

Brushing and flossing are an essential part of your dental health regimen, and so is proper technique. At Koch Park Dental in Florissant, we encourage you to keep up with this essential practice. Our services include general and cosmetic dentistry, and specialties like dental implants. Schedule an appointment with us today!

Contact Koch Park Dental – Martin L. Buchheit, DDS:

314-837-7744

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

2149 Charbonier Rd
Florissant, Missouri
63033

This post from Koch Park Dental in Florrisant MO looks at one of the miracles of modern dentistry: the dental restoration.

Let’s pretend you are a biomedical engineer working in the field of dentistry before the introduction of dental restorations. The men and women of your generation who have missing or damaged teeth want to repair or replace them with a man-made substitute. You have been hired to find or create a material that can be used to engineer fillings, crowns, and dental bridges.

Consider the physical and chemical requirements of this incredible substance. It must tolerate forces of 162 pounds per square inch (PSI), hundreds of times a day – day after day, year after year. It must be resistant to cracking and chipping. But there’s a catch regarding its stability; it must not damage the enamel on opposing teeth. This material must also maintain its size and shape and be resistant to shrinking.

It must be bondable to living tooth structure as well as other materials needed for specific appliances. It must be biocompatible with the soft tissues in the mouth as well as tooth enamel, dentin, and bone. It can’t create allergic reactions in the wearers. It must be corrosion-resistant to the chemicals in saliva, foods, and beverages. It must resist infection regardless of ever-present bacteria in the mouth. And it can’t contain toxic chemicals that could be absorbed into the bloodstream.

And we haven’t even discussed the cosmetic properties yet. Ideally, this extraordinary material would be indistinguishable from real-life teeth in color, opacity, and translucence.

Of course, we know that such a material exists because dental restorations have been around for a long time. At this time, there are numerous materials used alone or in combination including porcelain, ceramic, and metals such as gold and silver amalgam. Though the metals are immensely strong and malleable, they don’t meet some patient’s esthetic requirements and are used mainly for back teeth.

At Koch Park Dental in Florissant, we offer general and cosmetic dentistry. Schedule your next cleaning and checkup with us today.

Contact Koch Park Dental – Martin L. Buchheit, DDS:

314-837-7744

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

2149 Charbonier Rd
Florissant, Missouri
63033

At Koch Park Dental in Florissant MO, we stay abreast of new discoveries in dentistry and occasionally share interesting facts with our patients. This blog post focuses on new findings in an intriguing field of research, genetic dentistry.

“About 60% of the risk for tooth decay appears to be due to genetic factors,” said Mary L. Marazita, director of the Center for Craniofacial and Dental Genetics at the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine.

Whoa! Did she say 60%? That’s huge. You might be thinking: “That’s why I brush and floss but still get cavities.” Or, better yet, you might be thinking, “No wonder I have never had a cavity but eat candy often and occasionally go to bed without brushing.”

A recent article on CNN.com highlights tooth decay risk factors that have a genetic link:

Enamel Strength
Your genes play an essential role in the composition of your tooth enamel. Soft enamel is more cavity prone.

Sugar Cravings
Whether or not you love sugar has a genetic basis. Now you can why you want to pop M&Ms all day. (But it still isn’t good for your teeth or waistline!)

Chemical Composition of Saliva
Your saliva can protect against cavities – if it properly metabolizes critical minerals and vitamins like calcium, potassium, iron, and Vitamin C. Your genes impact your saliva’s power to prevent decay.

Immune Response to Bacteria
We don’t like to think about the harmful bacteria in our mouth but, hopefully, our immune system is ever-vigilant at fighting their constant attempts to cause decay and gum disease. The strength of your immune system is determined, in part, by genetics.

In the next few decades, scientists in the emerging specialty of genetic dentistry may play an important role in the development of new cavity prevention techniques.

At Koch Park Dental in Florissant MO, we urge all our patients to avoid sugary drinks and foods, and see us for a checkup every six months. We provide a full range of dental services, including cosmetic dentistry and dental implants. We treat serious issues such as sleep apnea. Schedule an appointment today.

Contact Koch Park Dental – Martin L. Buchheit, DDS:

314-837-7744

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

2149 Charbonier Rd
Florissant, Missouri
63033

Most people probably know how a pediatric dentist differs from an orthodontist. Some may even know the unique focus of endodontists. But few probably know that the American Dental Association recognizes nine dental specialties. Today’s post from Koch Park Dental in Florissant MO looks at the specific disciplines within the fascinating world of dentistry and the years in which they were formally recognized by the ADA. (If you want a challenge, see if you can name all nine before you continue reading this post.)

Endodontics (1983): This area focuses on “the morphology, physiology and pathology of the human dental pulp and periradicular tissues.”¹ If you need a root canal in Florissant, you may require the services of an endodontist.

Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics (2003): If you want to straighten your teeth, you need an orthodontist. Dentofacial orthopedic specialists correct facial deformities using many of the same types of appliances used in teeth straightening therapy.

Pediatric Dentistry (1995): {edoatroc dentists provide dental care for infants, children and teenagers.

Periodontics (1992): Periodontics is that specialty of dentistry which encompasses the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of gum disease and the surrounding tissues of the teeth or their substitutes.

Prosthodontics (2003): Prosthodontists provide restorative dental procedures including dental implants, crowns, bridges, and dentures. They also perform cosmetic dental treatments including porcelain veneers, crowns, dental bonding, invisible fillings, and teeth bleaching.

Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology (1991): This specialty concerns “the nature, identification, and management of diseases affecting the oral and maxillofacial regions. It is a science that investigates the causes, processes, and effects of these diseases. The practice of oral pathology includes research and diagnosis of diseases using clinical, radiographic, microscopic, biochemical, or other examinations.”¹

Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology (2001): Oral and maxillofacial radiologists analyze radiographic images (x-rays) for issues of the maxillofacial area.

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (1990): Oral surgeons perform surgery on the teeth, jaw, face, and gums. These include facial reconstruction, cleft lip and palate correction, bone grafting, dental implants, and impacted teeth.

Dental Public Health (1976): This discipline focuses on preventing and controlling dental diseases and promoting dental health through organized community efforts.

At Koch Park Dental in Florissant MO, we provide general dentistry, and specialize in dental implants. Schedule an appointment with us today.

Contact Koch Park Dental – Martin L. Buchheit, DDS:

314-837-7744

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

2149 Charbonier Rd
Florissant, Missouri
63033