We are open again for ALL dental care with new infection control procedures in place. Call us now in Florissant (314-837-7744) or Chesterfield (314-576-0088) to schedule your appointment.
Hello Florissant! Has your smile lost its luster? Are your teeth discolored? If flashing a pearly white smile is important to you, I can help. My name is Martin Buchheit and I have been creating whiter, brighter smiles for patients in the Florissant area since 1987 at Koch Park Dental – Martin L. Buchheit, DDS.
Whether your teeth have been stained through sipping dark-colored drinks such as red wine or coffee, or if smoking has left your teeth brown and dull, my staff and I at Koch Park Dental – Martin L. Buchheit, DDS can lighten your teeth and improve your smile.
Maybe you have injured a tooth causing it to turn gray. We offer several solutions to restore the color to a tooth. When you come in for a consultation we will determine which cosmetic dental procedure is ideal for your teeth.
Your smile the first thing people notice. I will make sure your smile is brilliant and absolutely brilliant!
At Koch Park Dental – Martin L. Buchheit, DDS we not only offer tooth whitening to our St. Louis area patients, we also offer cosmetic dentistry.
If you or your family need general dentistry or porcelain veneers we invite you to come in for a dental consultation. We are located at 2149 Charbonier Rd in Florissant, Missouri.
Invest in a white, bright smile! Call Koch Park Dental – Martin L. Buchheit, DDS in Florissant today at 314-837-7744 or visit http://www.kochparkdental.net/. Thanks for visiting my cosmetic dental blog – Martin L. Buchheit, DDS
Contact Koch Park Dental – Martin L. Buchheit, DDS:
Hello, thank you for visiting the Koch Park Dental – Martin L. Buchheit, DDS blog. I’m Dr. Martin Buchheit. Along with my fantastic team, I have been providing trusted dental care since 1987.
Today’s message is about the American Dental Association. You have probably seen the ADA symbol on toothpaste and floss—but what else do you know about this dental institution?
The ADA’s self-proclaimed objective is to improve the level of public oral health by supporting the dental industry through not-for-profit federal, state, and local chapters. It was formed in 1859 and is run by its members, which currently total over 160,000.
The ADA Seal of Acceptance is not an endorsement of a product per se, but rather is a confirmation of the claims made by said product. Companies who want the ADA credential for a product must submit proof of rigorous scientific testing. Once submitted, the ADA re-tests the product to further verify the results. There are currently over 300 products with the ADA certification.
The ADA does more than evaluate dental products. Here are some other ways the ADA works to carry out its mission:
Provides resources to support dentists and their practices
Educates the public about oral health
Works to expand access to dental care
Offers advice on critical issues that affect the dental industry
Works with other organizations on scientific research projects and public health initiatives
Offers scholarships to dental students
For more information about the ADA, visit http://www.ada.org/en/about-the-ada
If you are afraid of the dentist and have not had a check-up in years, today’s post is for you. Good news! Dentistry in the Florissant area and around Missouri is nothing like it was when you were a kid. (Even if you’re still a kid, we invite you to keep reading.)
There Is No Reason to Avoid Dental Visits
First off, if you need dental treatment, oral sedation dentistry allows you to sleep during the procedure. There are several levels of sedation – you can remain conscious or take a trip to la-la land. Schedule a consultation with Dr. Martin Buchheit for more important details about sleep dentistry.
If you have a bad memory of hurting for days after a procedure, relax. Improved painkillers, lasers, and advanced techniques have reduced the pain experienced by Koch Park Dental – Martin L. Buchheit, DDS patients. If you need extensive treatment, we will create a pain management plan to ensure that you remain comfortable.
You Won’t Be Here All Day
Dr. Buchheit can perform procedures much quicker with today’s extremely precise dental instruments. Healing times for oral surgery are also much shorter.
You don’t have to live with gaps in your smile, sore gums, stained teeth, or a toothache. We can take care of all your dental problems. We will help restore your oral health to improve your quality of life and prevent dental problems from affecting other parts of your body.
Today’s Florissant dentistry is not your father’s dentistry. We invite you to discover why you shouldn’t avoid the dentist any longer.
We look forward to meeting you. Call Koch Park Dental – Martin L. Buchheit, DDS today at 314-837-7744
Contact Koch Park Dental – Martin L. Buchheit, DDS:
A simple way for St. Louis residents to choose beverages that won’t harm their teeth is to keep it simple and make water their go-to drink. However, for safety, thrift, and convenience, many dental patients choose to drink bottled water or filter it themselves at home.
Filtered water can be detrimental to oral health if it doesn’t contain fluoride, which is a great tooth decay preventer.
If you choose bottled water and are wondering if any naturally occurring fluoride has been removed, you can check the label. If you prefer to filter your own tap water, look to see if the American Dental Association has given the filter its seal of approval.
Water filters that carry the ADA seal don’t remove fluoride, so you can be sure that the fluoride is still in your water and benefitting your teeth.
I’m Dr. Martin Buchheit, an experienced Florissant dentist serving the Chesterfield, Maryland Heights, and St. Charles areas. I am passionate about helping my patients have healthy mouths and beautiful smiles. Contact us today at 205-933-0323 and we can answer any questions you have about dental health, cosmetic dentistry, or smile makeovers.
We have been serving the Florissant area since 1987, and we would love to make you another one of our satisfied patients. If you’re wondering about fluoride and tooth decay, or dental veneers and teeth whitening in Florissant, we’d be happy to schedule a consultation for you. Call now!
Contact Koch Park Dental – Martin L. Buchheit, DDS:
People that are plagued with dental phobia (Dentophobia) may take comfort in the fact that it is a fairly common diagnosable mental condition. At least they know they are not alone and that the medical community takes it seriously.
Phobias like Pteromerhanophobia: (the fear of flying) and Acrophobibia (the fear of heights) can be problematic, but a person can live a perfectly healthy life without getting on an airplane or riding an elevator to the top of the Chrysler Building.
A person who suffers from dental phobia or dental anxiety is at risk of getting into a vicious cycle of decreasing oral health.
Fear causes the person to forego dental checkups for years. When a minor dental dilemma (like a tiny cavity) progresses until it reaches a nerve and leads to pain, the patient is forced to visit the dentist.
At this point, the needed therapy is a major procedure (possibly an extraction followed by a dental implant). The procedure reinforces the dental phobia and, once again, the patient stays away from the dentist’s office. That’s how some people end up losing teeth at a relatively young age.
Experts believe that the prevalence of dental phobia may be as high as one in four individuals. Are you one of them?
At Koch Park Dental – Martin L. Buchheit, DDS, we want to help nervous patients successfully overcome or at least manage their apprehension so they can withstand twice-yearly checkups and cleanings. Preventive dentistry is the only method to protect teeth and gums.
If you haven’t had a dental checkup in a while, please schedule a consultation. You can meet with Dr. Buchheit about the many options available including behavioral therapy, cognitive therapy, and conscious sedation (sleep dentistry).
If you are afraid of going to the dentist, there is hope. At Koch Park Dental – Martin L. Buchheit, DDS, we have successfully treated many patients just like you. We invite you to schedule a consultation today.
Snoring can make for a bad night’s sleep, for you and your bed mate. But if it happens because you have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), it may be the signal of a bigger problem. Sleep apnea is the involuntary cessation of breathing while you are asleep. There is increasing evidence that untreated obstructive sleep apnea can have a significant effect on your personal health. The condition raises your risk of health conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes.
Untreated sleep apnea is connected to high blood pressure. If you already have it, sleep apnea can make it worse. Sleep apnea can also make it harder to treat blood pressure with medication. When you wake up often during the night, your body becomes stressed. That makes your hormone systems go into overdrive which ups your blood pressure.
Heart Disease
People with OSA are more likely to have heart disease. The causes may be low oxygen and the stress of waking up often during the night. Strokes and atrial fibrillation are also connected to OSA.
Type 2 Diabetes
Sleep apnea is common among men and women with type 2 diabetes. Research indicates that blood sugar levels are higher among individuals with OSA. Obesity raises the risk for OSA and Type 2 diabetes. However, treatment for OSA can decrease blood sugar levels.
Premature Death
Because OSA is connected to many chronic health issues, untreated OSA can result in premature death. In a recent study, it was found that men and women with severe OSA have a much higher mortality risk than those without OSA.
Dental Treatment Option
The health risks of untreated OSA may seem daunting. However, your dentist can often help treat your OSA. Oral appliance therapy can be a beneficial treatment for OSA. Oral appliance therapy uses a custom-fit, “mouthguard-like” device worn only during sleep. Oral appliance therapy helps maintain an open, unobstructed airway.
Does your heart start pounding at the mere thought of having a cavity filled? Do you get sweaty palms when you drive by a dental practice?
Many men and women who have improved their smiles with cosmetic dentistry or underwent extensive restoration services chose to use sedation. Though the terms ‘sleep dentistry’ and ‘oral conscious sedation’ are generally used interchangeably, they are not identical. Let’s examine the three main types of sedation used in dentistry.
Nitrous Oxide
The first level uses nitrous oxide, or ‘laughing gas’ as it is frequently called. Nitrous oxide has been used in cosmetic dental offices for many years because it is safe and effective. It goes to work at the first inhalation, relaxes the patient during the procedure, but wears off quickly after the mask is pulled off. If you need a little help to get through dental procedures, but don’t want to be knocked out cold, nitrous may be the ideal choice.
Oral Conscious Sedation
Oral sedatives don’t start working as quickly as nitrous oxide, but they help most patients achieve a deeper level of tranquility. These medications, however, do not usually lead to complete unconsciousness. Thus, oral sedatives and nitrous oxide are used in ‘conscious’ sedation. Two of the most prevalent sedatives used by Florissant dentists are diazepam and triazolam.
IV Sedation
IV sedation uses medications similar to those used in surgery and results in true ‘sleep dentistry.’ Most patients are oblivious to what is going on in their mouth. IV sedation is often used for services such as root canals, wisdom teeth extractions, and multi-procedure smile makeovers. (The sedation will wear off shortly after the procedure, so you won’t need a handsome prince’s kiss to wake you up.)
For more details about sedation dentistry, adult braces, tooth implants, or porcelain veneers, call Koch Park Dental – Martin L. Buchheit, DDS at 205-933-0323.
Contact Koch Park Dental – Martin L. Buchheit, DDS:
Looking into how much dental implants cost and getting a relatively simple answer can be frustrating. But there is a reason for that.
It can be confusing to research the cost of getting a dental implant and finding nothing solid on the internet. Let’s take a moment to discuss why most dental sites don’t publish the cost of tooth implants.
1. The Math Might Come Out Higher Than it Should
The number of teeth being replaced may be more than the number of implants needed to cover that section of the mouth. Tooth implant dentists want to offer accurate pricing rather than scare you away with higher estimates. It takes a straightforward consultation to review dental history, evaluate needs, and create a treatment plan. This could mean more efficient surgery with fewer implants.
2. There Might Be Something Better For Your Mouth
While dental implants really are the state of the art in tooth replacement, much better than a bridge or denture, sometimes the method won’t be what you thought it was going to be, or maybe you aren’t a good candidate for the service.
3. Supply Costs and Lab Costs Change
A ballpark number might be possible to post on the internet but the changing cost of supplies and lab fees makes it impossible to guarantee an exact price for full mouth dental implants. Dentists who offer implants can correctly calculate dental implant surgery expenses based on current prices when you come in for a consultation.
Please make an appointment to quickly and accurately get these answers. Call Koch Park Dental – Martin L. Buchheit, DDS at 205-933-0323 for more specifics.
Contact Koch Park Dental – Martin L. Buchheit, DDS:
Looking into how much dental implants cost and getting a fairly simple answer can be frustrating. But there is a reason for that.
I’m Dr. Martin Buchheit. Thanks for stopping to read my blog. I know it can be confusing to research the cost of getting a dental implant and finding nothing solid on the internet. Let me take a moment to explain why most dental sites don’t publish the cost of tooth implants.
1. The Math Might Come Out Higher Than it Should
The number of teeth being replaced may be more than the number of implants needed to cover that section of the mouth. Tooth implant dentists want to offer accurate pricing rather than scare you away with higher estimates. It takes a straightforward consultation to review dental history, evaluate needs, and construct a treatment plan. This could mean more efficient surgery with fewer implants.
2. There Might Be Something Better For Your Mouth
While dental implants really are the state of the art in tooth replacement, much better than a bridge or denture, sometimes the method won’t be what you thought it was going to be, or maybe you aren’t a good candidate for the service.
3. Supply Costs and Lab Costs Change
A ballpark number might be possible to post on the internet but the changing cost of supplies and lab fees makes it impossible to guarantee an exact price for full mouth dental implants. Dentists who offer implants can accurately calculate dental implant surgery expenses based on current prices when you come in for a consultation.
Please make an appointment to quickly and accurately get these answers. Call Koch Park Dental – Martin L. Buchheit, DDS at 205-933-0323 for more information.
Contact Koch Park Dental – Martin L. Buchheit, DDS:
If you need a non-viable tooth pulled, it may be possible to receive a dental implant on the same day. As long as you have enough strong, healthy jawbone in which to anchor the implant.
Bone graft
As soon as a tooth is taken out, the bone begins to recede. A dental implant is the only tooth replacement procedure that prevents or (greatly reduces) bone deterioration.
If teeth at the implant site have been gone for a while, the bone may have regressed. Bone can also be weakened or destroyed with a severe infection.
A key determination is whether an implant patient needs bone augmentation.
In a bone grafting procedure, an oral surgeon or dentist packs bone material into the area where the implant will be placed.
If the implant will be placed in the upper arch, you may need a sinus lift treatment. When bone matter diminishes in parts of the upper jaw, it may cause the floor of the sinus cavity to fall into the space created.
A sinus lift procedure is done in conjunction with a bone graft. The goal is to raise the floor of the sinus cavity to make room for the additional bone material.
After the bone graft, you need to wait until the new bone has integrated with the existing bone. This will create a strong and stable foundation for the implant.
Recovery after a bone graft procedure
Day of procedure: Though bone grafting requires oral surgery, don’t let the term “surgery” give the impression that it has a long recovery time. The site will be sore, but most patients can take care of it with Ibuprofen or aspirin.
It doesn’t take much longer than filling a cavity. Most patients can return to work the next day.
If swelling or pain increases a few days after the procedure, contact Koch Park Dental – Martin L. Buchheit, DDS.
After a bone graft, how long until I can get my implant?
The fusing process can take several months. You don’t want to rush this because successful implantation requires a sturdy foundation.
Recovery after implant placement
Just as with the bone graft procedure, the implant placement procedure can be completed in less than two hours. If you elect to have IV sedation, however, you will need to wait until the effects of the sedation have worn off.
You will probably experience the following post-procedure:
Pain at the implant site
Minimal bleeding
Swelling and/or bruising of the gums and cheeks
These effects should subside after a few days. Ice packs used on the outside of the face can reduce swelling. Call our office if these symptoms persist.
NOTE: It is not necessary for a permanent tooth implant recipient to be unconscious for the dental procedure. A local painkiller is usually sufficient. However, individuals with dental anxiety may elect stronger sedation.
Healing abutment
Your dentist may attach a temporary healing abutment to the post during the initial surgery. A healing abutment is sometimes described as a ‘healing cuff’ or ‘healing cap.’
Make sure you practice daily oral hygiene but be extra careful when cleaning around the surgical site.
It’s important to follow all post-procedure instructions. And be sure to make the recommended follow-up visits.
Smoking can make it harder to heal from any type of oral surgery.
After a tooth implant has had time to fuse with the bone, you will have an appointment to attach the abutment.
Attaching the abutment
This is a fairly quick treatment. Your dentist will make an incision in your gum tissue at the implant site to expose the post. Then the abutment is attached. Your dentist may place the prosthesis (artificial tooth crown, dental bridge, or denture/partial denture) at the same time. Or your dentist may wait until your gums have healed.
Permanent dental implants can give you a beautiful new smile. To keep it beautiful and avoid further issues (like decay or an infection):
Practice proper oral hygiene—keep your teeth and gums clean and healthy
Eat a nutritious diet
Don’t chew on hard foods or other items
If you grind your teeth, pursue treatment.
Have a twice-yearly dental exam and cleaning
At Koch Park Dental – Martin L. Buchheit, DDS in Florissant, we restore missing teeth with tooth implants. Dental implant placement studies have found a five-year success rate of 98%.
Contact Koch Park Dental – Martin L. Buchheit, DDS:
A copy of this text will be sent to the office and to your cell phone. The office's reply will also be sent to your cell phone where you can continue the text conversation.
Note: Mobile message and data rates from your cell phone carrier may apply.
