Dr. Stefan Speck and his team provide general dentistry solutions to patients in Oxford, PA, and the surrounding areas. General dental care includes preventative treatments that address current dental issues while preventing future oral health problems. For example, removing severely infected teeth prevents the infection from spreading and more tooth loss. A special mouthguard made just for your teeth helps keep them safe during sports, so you won’t need fillings or other dental fixes later.
Keep your smile healthy and strong with Dr. Speck’s expert dental care in Oxford, PA. Whether you need a routine checkup, cavity treatment, or a custom sports mouthguard, our friendly team is here to help.
General Dentistry in Oxford, PA
At our dental office, we help you take care of your teeth with treatments that prevent problems before they start. We’ll show you how to keep your mouth healthy and stop small issues from turning into painful ones.
Custom Sports Mouthguards
Patients who play contact sports need custom sports mouthguards to protect their teeth from injury or loss. Dr. Speck offers sports mouthguards that will only fit your unique smile. Mouthguards are important because they prevent dental injuries like tooth chips, cracks, and fractures. We also help players with braces protect their investment.
Emergency Dentistry
If you ever have a dental emergency, call Oxford Family Dentistry. Dr. Speck and his dental team can provide immediate relief for many emergencies. Common dental emergencies include knocked-out permanent teeth, broken dental restorations, and severe tooth pain. Call our Oxford dental office, and we’ll help address your emergency as quickly as possible.
Family Dentistry
Dr. Speck is your family’s dentist, taking care of kids, parents, and grandparents all in one place. From protective sealants for children’s teeth to smile makeovers for adults, we provide just what each family member needs. No need to visit different offices because we’ve got your whole family covered with friendly, personalized care. Visit our family dentistry to see why many choose us.
Tooth Extraction
Dental extractions address infected, impacted, or overcrowded teeth. Removing a problematic tooth or teeth can improve your oral health and save other teeth. Dr. Speck also provides dental implants and implant-secured restorations for patients who need to replace an extracted tooth. Dental implants look like and are as strong as real teeth.
Why Preventative Care Matters
Taking care of your teeth before problems start is the best way to keep your smile healthy. At our dental office, we believe prevention is the most important part of good dental care. You can protect your teeth by brushing and flossing every day at home and by visiting our office regularly.
When you brush and floss, you clean away food and germs that stick to your teeth. If you don’t remove them, they form a sticky film called plaque. Plaque that isn’t cleaned off turns into hard tartar, which can cause cavities and gum disease.
Even if you do a great job brushing, some spots in your mouth are hard to reach. That’s why coming to our Oxford, PA, dental office is so important. We have special tools to clean those tricky areas and remove buildup you can’t get at home.
During your visit, we do more than just clean your teeth. Our team is trained to spot dental problems early, sometimes before you even notice anything wrong. Many adults have gum disease without knowing because it doesn’t always hurt at first. We use modern tools to find problems early when they’re easier and less expensive to treat.
By taking care of your teeth every day and visiting us regularly, you can prevent most dental problems before they start. This keeps your smile healthy and saves you time and money in the long run.
How Food Affects Your Teeth
What you eat will either help or hurt your teeth and gums. Some foods keep your smile strong, while others can cause problems. Let’s look at which foods are good and bad for your mouth.
Foods That Help Your Teeth
Calcium and vitamin D are like superpowers for your teeth. Calcium makes your tooth enamel strong so cavities have a harder time forming. Vitamin D helps your body use calcium better. You can find both in milk, cheese, and yogurt. Some milks and cereals even have extra vitamin D added.
Other important nutrients are vitamin C and phosphorus. These keep your gums healthy and help fight gum disease. Vitamin C is especially good at preventing infections in your mouth. You can get vitamin C from fruits like oranges and strawberries.
Crunchy fruits and vegetables like apples and carrots are nature’s toothbrushes. When you chew them, they help clean between your teeth. They also make your mouth produce more saliva, which washes away food and neutralizes harmful acids.
Foods That Hurt Your Teeth
Sugar is one of the worst things for your teeth. When you eat candy or drink soda, sugar sticks to your teeth. Bad bacteria in your mouth love sugar and turn it into acid. This acid eats away at your tooth enamel and causes cavities.
The more often you eat sugary snacks, the more acid attacks your teeth. That’s why it’s better to have sweets with meals instead of snacking on them all day. Always try to brush after eating something sweet.
Acidic foods like citrus fruits and soda can also damage teeth. The acid weakens your enamel. If you eat something acidic, wait about 30 minutes before brushing. Brushing right away can actually hurt your teeth more because the acid makes them softer temporarily.
Eating tooth-friendly foods and limiting sweets will keep your smile healthy between dental visits!
General Dental FAQs
Read answers to common questions that many patients ask about general dentistry treatments in our Oxford dental office.
Do tooth extractions hurt?
Before your tooth extraction, Dr. Speck uses a local anesthetic to numb the treated area. Anesthetics help provide pain-free dental care, so patients feel relaxed and comfortable during tooth extraction.
What do I do if I have dental anxiety?
You’re not alone if you feel nervous or scared about going to the dentist. Many people have dental anxiety. The good news is that we’re here to help make your experience as easy and comfortable as possible.
If you or a loved one has dental anxiety, please let us know. You can call our dental office before your appointment to talk about your concerns. Our caring team understands how you feel and will take extra steps to make sure you’re relaxed and at ease.
We can work with you to create a plan that helps you feel more in control. Our team can explain each step before we do anything, give you breaks during treatment, or use calming techniques to help you stay comfortable. We can also offer sedation options to help you stay relaxed.
How do store-bought mouthguards compare to custom mouthguards?
Over-the-counter sports mouthguards are often bulky and can fall out during a game because they aren’t customized to you. Sports mouthguards have a comfortable, precise fit. We create custom and professionally-made sports mouthguards from dental impressions. Store-bought mouthguards are not as effective as custom sports mouthguards.
How often should I get a dental X-ray?
The frequency of dental X-rays depends on your oral health. Some patients may need X-rays as often as every six months. Patients with no recent gum disease may only need X-rays every 12 to 24 months.
Children or adults who are at higher risk for cavities may need X-rays more often. We’ll also recommend new X-rays if you are a new patient or if its been some time since your last visit.
Who needs dental sealants?
Dentists usually recommend dental sealants for children and teenagers when their permanent molars and premolars come in. But adults without fillings or tooth decay can also benefit from sealants. It’s a preventative measure to protect against tooth decay.
How long can you delay wisdom tooth extraction?
Most dentists recommend removing wisdom teeth when they emerge in your late teens or early twenties. Wisdom teeth can cause tooth impaction, infection, and crowding of other teeth. Delaying this procedure could lead to more complex and painful problems down the road. These problems include infections, cysts, or damage to neighboring teeth.
Schedule a Dental Exam Today
Are you looking for a new dentist in the West Grove or Oxford, PA area? Call Oxford Family Dentistry today at 610-981-1320 or request a dental consultation with Dr. Speck online.
Let Dr. Speck or a member of his dental team know if you have any remaining questions. We look forward to meeting you on your next visit to our office.