Patient Care

Do you wake up in the morning feeling like you have a mouth full of cotton? Do you find yourself reaching for lozenges, hard candy, mouth spray, or water constantly? If this sounds like you, you are likely one of the millions of people who suffer from dry mouth.  According to the Mayo Clinic, dry… (Read More)

Examining your child’s mouth isn’t easy! Their bone structure is still developing, and they might have difficulty opening wide—if they don’t, you’ll probably need a flashlight and a dental mirror for examination.  Your Bolivia and Oak Island dentists at Coastal Cosmetic Family Dentistry, are equipped with a comfortable dental chair for them to lean back… (Read More)

Some schools require a back-to-school dental visit, but even if yours doesn’t, right before school starts is a good time to schedule one of your child’s regular checkups. Coastal Cosmetic Family Dentistry can take care of any problems so your child won’t have to miss class after school starts, and if oral hygiene routines got a… (Read More)

Teeth are typically the first thing that comes to mind for people when they hear the words dentist or dentistry, which makes sense—the root word dent means tooth! However, your teeth require healthy gums to hold them in place.  Did you know gum disease is the leading cause of adult tooth loss? That’s why we… (Read More)

At Coastal Cosmetic Family Dentistry, we know a lot of people feel they’re adding a layer of tooth decay and gum disease prevention to their oral hygiene routines when they swish with mouthwash—which may be true, but it depends on the mouthwash. If you floss and brush properly, mouthwash isn’t always necessary, and certain types could even… (Read More)

When you find a toothbrush that’s just right for you, it can be easy to get attached. After all, you use your toothbrush morning and night (ideally) to prevent plaque and bacteria from hardening and becoming tartar—that’s what we like to call quality time!  When your toothbrush does so much good, you want to return… (Read More)

You’ve worn your braces or aligners, kept your checkup appointments, and followed treatment instructions from Coastal Cosmetic Family Dentistry. You love your new smile, but it’s not over yet—how long will you have to wear a retainer? There are two types of retainers: removable and fixed. Removable retainers are taken out of your mouth during… (Read More)

Mail-order braces are a controversial dental topic, and Coastal Cosmetic Family Dentistry weighs in today. Direct-to-consumer orthodontics companies make many appealing promises—no dental visits, aligners delivered to your door, and lower costs. But are the risks worth it?  Not according to this consumer alert from the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO). As of November 2017,… (Read More)

At Coastal Cosmetic Family Dentistry, education is paramount in our mission to help our Bolivia and Oak Island friends and neighbors improve and maintain their oral health. For this reason, we try to avoid using dental jargon when we’re speaking with our valued patient’s family.  However, some terms can’t be broken down as easily; in… (Read More)

The Americans with Disabilities Act defines disability as a “physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.” (Specific examples of major life activities addressed by the ADA include functions such as caring for one’s self, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, and learning.)  Disabilities may be congenital (present… (Read More)