We all have a general idea of why it is important to visit your hygienist regularly. If you -or someone you know – are interested in having a thorough teeth cleaning, contact the Dental Hygiene Clinic at (727) 341-3668 to book your appointment today. At the amazingly low cost of just $30 you can have a deep full mouth cleaning, comprehensive dental exam, oral hygiene instructions with samples to take home, fluoride treatment, and so much more! If it is deemed necessary that you need a full mouth series of x-rays, you will be asked to pay only $15 additional (compared to about $90 for x-rays alone at private practices). And you can take the x-rays with you! Just ask any of the current patients how happy they are with the service provided at the clinic and you’ll soon realize how great of a deal this truly is.

And for a limited time, the clinic is participating in a Colgate clinical research study in regards to gingivitis. Stipulations are in place; however, if you qualify, you will be given the opportunity to participate in the study and you will receive full reimbursement of the $30 office charge at that very visit. Participation is 100% optional. You will be required to attend a very crucial 30 minute follow-up appointment at a later date in which you will receive an additional $25 prepaid Visa gift card. If you fail to show at the follow up appointment, you may not be able to be seen at our clinic in the future. Please, when calling to schedule an appointment, be sure to mention that you are interested in the “Colgate Study”. Students participating in the research are proud to have been hand-picked by Colgate to carry out these exciting and educational trials. It is both an honor and a privilege that we have been chosen to participate in this study and we couldn’t be more thrilled to offer this to our patients. You must currently be using a toothpaste other than Colgate toothpaste at home.

While many folks have an innate fear of being seen by a dentist or dental hygienist, that feeling can be mutual. “How”, you may ask “could a dental professional possibly be fearful of the patient?” As a dental professional myself, I wholeheartedly fear that some of my patients may very well lose all or many of their teeth – due to absolutely preventable causes. Sadly, this goes hand in hand with simply not being adequately educated on proper oral home care practices. Bear in mind that not all cases are quite this severe.

• Hygienist: “I’d really like to see you start flossing daily and brushing more frequently.”
• Patient:“Yeah, uh huh, okay.” And as soon as the patient leaves the dental office they dismiss the advice like it was yesterday’s tabloid news.

Those of us that have been in for a dental hygiene cleaning are probably familiar with the scenario aforementioned. Seeing firsthand the amazing things that can be accomplished with regular dental visits and frequent self home care, I like to challenge and motivate all of my patients to be cavity free!

Speaking of cavities…exactly what the heck are they? Okay, here’s a very fun, fact packed breakdown of the cavity process: Your mouth has countless numbers of areas and spaces in which food and debris (also known as plaque) can become lodged and trapped. Hundreds of millions of bacteria (found within our mouths) feast on this debris like it’s Thanksgiving dinner…and they use this food as fuel. There are more bacteria in your mouth than there are people on Earth! As the bacteria begin to digest and process the debris, they in turn create a very harmful acidic product. This acid quickly begins to erode at the surfaces of your teeth – which causes holes (cavities) in your enamel and even the roots of your teeth. Also, your body will try to attack the nasty little bacteria inside your mouth and will inadvertently do harm to the bones and tissues that are the foundation to your teeth. If we fail to remove the debris in a regular, timely manner it becomes mineralized and hardens like steel. Once the debris becomes hardened it is known as calculus or tartar – which then becomes a hotel for the bacteria to get down and party in. Calculus cannot be removed at home and must be removed by a dental professional.

This breakdown is precisely why it is so imperative to remove the plaque, the bacteria, and the calculus in order to maintain a healthy set of choppers. Taking a few short minutes out of each day can lead to a life time of healthy teeth that you can keep all to yourself for the remainder of your years. SO, which teeth should you floss exactly? Only the ones you wish to keep!

The smiling faces you'll encounter at the dental hygiene clinic.

Many faculty and students that attend St. Petersburg College are not fully aware of the invaluable resource that is easily within their reach. That tremendous resource just happens to be the Dental Hygiene Clinic found at the heart of the Caruth Health Education Center (which is located in beautiful Pinellas Park, Florida). Combined, the attending dentist(s) and dental hygiene faculty have 100+ years of dental experience!

“Dental hygiene students are license-seeking preventive oral health professionals, who provide educational, clinical and therapeutic services supporting total health through the promotion of optimal oral health.” (2010). Keep in mind that many factors play huge roles in the saga of your teeth. Amongst those factors are genetic make-up, smoking, poor diet, grinding, not flossing, and systemic issues (i.e. diabetes) to name a few. As you can see, research is proving more than ever that there is a direct link that correlates your body’s health to the health of your mouth.

If you want to make your smile brighter, come in and brighten our day with your presence. It will be an experience not to be forgotten. Remember, be true to your teeth – or they’ll be false to you.

St. Petersburg College – Caruth Health Education Center

Dental Hygiene Clinic

7200 66th Street North
Pinellas Park, FL 33781

(727) 341-3668