FAQs For Your Dental Health
You’re bound to have a lot of questions when it comes to your first dentist visit or a new dental procedure and these frequently asked questions & answers should help. After years serving the Myrtle Beach area, we’ve heard just about every question you could think of. Please browse our list of FAQs and when you are ready to a visit, request an appointment today. If you also see any questions we may have left off, please contact us and we will not only answer you personally, but will add your question to our growing list.
In addition to these FAQs, you may enjoy checking out the most common questions, along with detailed answers, for you to ask your dentist on your next visit.
Red sore swollen gums normally are indicators that something more serious is occurring under the gums, it could be early signs of gingivitis which is inflammation to the gum tissue caused by large amounts of plaque and calculus under the gums. If left untreated it can cause more problems in the future and may progress to periodontal disease. In order to fully diagnose the current condition of your mouth, we will need to get full diagnostic images and photographs that will help determine the best care possible to start maintaining proper, healthier oral health. X-rays are needed to evaluate and assess the bone support and check for any bone loss around the teeth.
Please call us at 843.650.2000 or schedule an appointment as soon as possible, red and sore gums are a warning sign you should not ignore.
Veneers often but not always are cosmetic treatments that will help correct a wide variety of dental concerns such as stained, worn teeth, spacing or chipped teeth. These are one of many great alternatives to help bring back the confidence to your smile. However all other treatment options should be considered and discussed during your evaluation.
We have a HST home sleep testing machine that patients can use at home to gather information about the patients current sleeping pattern. This data can be diagnosed by a certified sleep physician. The overall health of our patients is top priority and many dental problems can manifest from sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is linked to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, fatigue, mood disorders, and many other conditions. At Saint James Dentistry we believe in doing everything to care for our patients and extending our care from traditional dental services to home sleep testing helps us to care for you the best we possibly can. Want to learn more? Call us at 843.650.2000 to speak with our team about testing for sleep apnea.
We utilize CEREC digital impressions and in office milling to fabricate crowns and other types of tooth colored restorations while you wait. No messy impressions, no temporary crown, and the tooth is protected in a single visit. This is a great option for people that have limited time to be away from their family and work or have high dental anxiety. Many people do not see the amazing value of being able to fabricate and mill your new crown while you wait, typically with older technology this would take multiple visits over several weeks to accomplish. Now, you can relax in our comfortable office just one time and walk out with a new simile. You can learn more about CEREC and our digital dental impressions right here.
A crown is made to cover an existing tooth that is damaged for a multitude of reasons. Teeth with large failing dental fillings, cracks, extensive decay, trauma, worn teeth from grinding or acid erosion or a combination of these may be indications for a crown to be recommended.
We have multiple options to choose from to get you to your maximum whitening. We offer single use take home trays for on the go whitening! made by Opalescence these are removable trays that you can wear at home or on the go. Or if you prefer a more customized whitening option we are able to take impressions and make trays that fit your mouth that you fill yourself and we also offer in office whitening by Opalescence that is a boost to get your at home whitening game started.
Straightening your teeth not only will make your smile better, it will also make you more healthy overall and lead to fewer dental issues as you age. While traditional braces are still an effective means of aligning teeth, there are more options than ever before. Oftentimes we are able to recommend a less visible solution by taking digital impressions of your teeth to facilitate clear aligner therapy. These are clear trays that are successively changed to move the teeth in the desired position. These typically are reserved for less complex orthodontic movement. We work with orthodontists for more complex levels of orthodontic care.
Dry mouth or Xerostomia is multifactorial. Health conditions such as diabetes, autoimmune diseases, cancer treatment, and medications greatly impact the salivary glands. Snoring, mouth breathing, sleep apnea treatments, and many other conditions contribute to dry mouth. Deficient saliva increases the chances of tooth decay and other dental problems. Our hygienists will educate you and develop a personalized preventive and homecare regimen to help with this common condition.
Digital x-rays produce 80% less radiation then conventional x-rays and the images appear immediately with no need for developing. Digital images can be enhanced, zoomed, etc to help aid in accurate and proficient diagnosis.
Please visit our appointments page right here or you can download the new dental patient forms as PDFs here. When you complete you new patient paperwork in advance you’ll save time in the office and we can have most of the time consuming questions out of the way. If you have trouble please the call the office and we can help you!
A complete evaluation will give your dentist and you a clear understanding of your current dental health, issues you may have had in the past, and an insight into how to mitigate any future dental issues. A comprehensive dental evaluation will include: i
- Evaluation for oral cancer
- Evaluation and recording of dental and medical history
- Digital photographs
- Evaluation of all teeth, existing dental work, joint and muscles
- An exam of your gum tissues to determine the best course of care for you.
A general cleaning or prophylaxis is completed for patients showing acceptable health. Patients with active or a prior history of periodontal gum disease may be reappointed to provide more advanced care, depending on the need.
Dental photography which is included with every dental exam at Saint James Dentistry is a very important part of your dental record. Photography and high definition monitors are used to educate you on current and changing conditions in your mouth. These images are also used to aid with insurance reimbursement, cosmetic dentistry, and communicating with outside dental specialists.
Preliminary steps include a review of medical history and current medications in conjunction with a comprehensive dental exam. Standard of care involves taking a dental CT scan that images the patient’s anatomy, vital structures, and bone volume in 3D. The radiation exposure is often less than typical dental x-rays and only takes a few seconds to capture the image. We have 3D scan technology in our office to help guide with implant planning.
Dental implants are typically titanium that are biologically compatible with the body to be placed in the dental arches for multiple dental therapies.
Having a checkup during pregnancy is safe and important to your dental health. At times some pregnant women may have to come more than routinely to monitor their oral health. Some scenarios may require a medical release from your OBGYN. Typically the second trimester is the best time for preventive care.
Nitrous oxide sedation and mild oral sedation can be used in our office. For more advanced forms of sedation appropriate referrals to specialists can be given.
What types do you accept? We take most forms of insurance and as a courtesy to you we will help explain your individual plan benefits as they are all different. We choose to be an out of network provider for all dental insurance companies. The amount of benefits some plans payout is so minimal it would require us to drop the standard of care we provide. The only insurance that our office is unable to file is Medicaid/Medicare plans and discount policies. To learn more about our insurance options, click here.
We can certainly accommodate your hygiene care with one of our fantastic dental hygienists. However in order to make sure the proper care is delivered our office first needs to diagnose your individual oral health at the current point in time. To do this a comprehensive exam of the gums and teeth along with the needed diagnostic images or X-rays are needed.
Yes we accept new comprehensive and recurring care patients as well as emergency care. We would love for you to join the Saint James Dentistry family and you can schedule an appointment here. You can also save time on your first visit by printing out our new patient paperwork and completing in advance of your visit.
At Saint James Dentistry, we offer a wide variety of pediatric dental services for our patients. If more extensive needs are required we will recommend your child be seen by one of the fantastic pediatric dentists we work together with. We provide full family care and look forward to serving as your family dentist from your first baby tooth right through geriatric dental care.
Yes we routinely provide same day emergency services and/or coordinate with outside specialists to get you out of pain as soon as possible.
A comprehensive exam is a complete exam that applies to new patients and established patients who have been absent from active care for a period of time. A limited or emergency focused exam is limited to one specific oral health problem or complaint. Often times during an emergency exam we will recommend more comprehensive care if other concerns are noticed. We can help you with both, just request your dental appointment here.
Unlike outside managed corporate offices we are a full service private general dental practice providing services from pediatric to geriatric patients. From basic preventive services to comprehensive care our goal is to educate you on your current oral conditions to allow you decide what level of care you want for yourself.
Absolutely! Our new state-of-the-art Myrtle Beach location is 100% handicap accessible and we strive to make all patients feel relaxed and comfortable. We’re also always looking for ways to surprise and delight our patients, so if we can make any special accommodations to give you a better dental visit, just let us know. You can call us at 843.650.2000 or contact us in advance.
Saint James Dentistry is a full service dental clinic in Myrtle Beach and we offer all the advanced dental care you would expect, in addition to several services you may not expect from a dentist. A full list of our Myrtle Beach dental care services can be found here.
Some of our featured services include CEREC Primescan same day scans, 3D digital imaging, digital no-mess impressions, guided dental implant placement. We even provide our patients with Oralid oral cancer screening, home sleep study for sleep apnea (HST), and all the preventative and emergency care you would expect from your hometown dentist.
Your first visit to the dentist will not be expensive, in fact you may not have any out of pocket costs at all. Our bi-annual cleaning and checkup are typically covered 100% by your dental insurance provider and we can work with them to make filing easy and as pain-free as your visit!
We also partner with CareCredit to help you finance any portion of your care that is not covered by insurance, you can learn more on our dental financing page here.
St. James Dentistry is conveniently located in Myrtle Beach at 3416 Holmestown Road, Myrtle Beach, SC 29588. You can find our dental practice in-between HWY 17 bypass South and HWY 707 on Holmestown Road. We are in a bright green building between the Speedway and Scipio Lane