James Island dentist Archives - Holy City Dentistry

5 Drinks that Are Good (and Bad) for Your Teeth

Posted on January 27, 2021 by Lucy Gordon

There’s nothing like a refreshing drink to quench your thirst. But it’s also important to know if that drink you’re enjoying will be good for your teeth or not. And while you may think you know which drinks aren’t the best for your teeth, you may be surprised to find how common beverages can negatively affect your dental health.

When it comes to how drinks affect your teeth, there are two important factors to consider: acidity and sugar content. If a drink is highly acidic, it can be hard on your enamel, resulting in discoloration and sensitive teeth. Enamel erosion begins at a pH of 5.5 or lower, and sugar promotes bacterial growth, which leads to plaque buildup and eventually tooth decay.

Drinks to Avoid to Keep Your Teeth Healthy

Americans consume 22 grams of sugar each day, more than twice the amount recommended by the American Heart Association. Much of this sugar can be found in the beverages we drink. Here are some of the top drinks to avoid for better dental health.

Soda: This common beverage is a double whammy when it comes to being harmful to teeth. Not only do most sodas contain tons of sugar, but they are also very acidic. Plus, many sodas contain colorful dyes that stain your teeth. Before you reach for carbonated water, like LaCroix, as a healthy substitute, keep in mind that the acidity in these drinks can still damage your enamel.
Energy drinks: While the dangers of the high levels of caffeine in energy drinks like Red Bull and Monster are well-known, the damage they can do to our teeth is not as well-publicized. One serving of Monster contains 27 grams of sugar, equal to almost seven teaspoons of sugar. Red Bull offers a sugar-free version, but it still has a pH of 3.39, which is still harmful to your teeth. A study published in Gen Dent showed that exposing teeth to energy drinks four times a day for 15 minutes caused permanent enamel loss.
Fruit juice: People are often shocked to learn that their favorite fruit juices contain high amounts of sugar, sometimes as much as 10 teaspoons a day, rivaling the sugar content in many popular sodas. This, along with the high acidity can cause tooth decay.
Sports drinks: Sports drink companies use fit, muscular athletes to advertise their products, but what they don’t advertise is the amount of sugar they contain. A 32-ounce bottle often has 56 to 76 grams of sugar, which equals 14 to 19 teaspoons, and the pH level of a typical sports drink is around 2.9.
Bottled water: The brand of bottled water you buy makes a surprisingly big difference when it comes to acidity. Common brands like Dasani and Aquafina are actually acidic enough to be harmful to your teeth. Look for bottled water with a pH level between 7 and 9. Some of the best brands include Essentia, Evian, and Fiji.

Healthy Drinks for Your Teeth

If you’re looking for some refreshment and want to keep your teeth healthy, you have no shortage of options. These beverages will quench your thirst and keep your teeth looking and feeling great!

Water: Water is truly the only beverage your body needs to survive, so the more water you drink, the better. Filtered tap water and bottled water with a healthy pH level will pose no problems for your teeth. Plus, staying hydrated allows you to produce healthy amounts of saliva. Tap water containing fluoride, which is fairly common today, has the added benefit of strengthening the enamel of your teeth.
Milk: Absent of any staining agents and filled with healthy minerals like calcium, phosphorus, and Vitamin D, milk can help keep your teeth healthy. It also contains a protein called casein, which can actually protect your enamel against tooth decay. However, because of the natural sugars found in milk (lactose), it is important that milk isn’t left on the teeth too long. If your child wants some milk before bed, be sure to have them brush after they drink it, and leave water for them to drink throughout the night instead.
Vegetable Juice: Obviously it won’t be as sweet as fruit juice, but you can find creative ways to make healthy vegetable juice more refreshing, such as adding mint leaves, or selecting those with just a touch of apple or carrot juice. A vegetable smoothie with spinach or kale provides vitamin B, which is important for gum health, and calcium, which is good for your enamel.
Tea: While you’ll want to avoid black teas that can stain your teeth, many herbal teas, especially white and green tea, may help fight cavities and gum inflammation because they contain fluoride and polyphenols, along with many other antioxidants. For the best health benefits, unsweetened or sugar-free tea is the way to go. Kombucha, which is made with tea and is often considered healthy because of its probiotic and antioxidant levels, is frequently filled with sugar, so be sure to check the nutrition info before purchasing.
Coconut Water: A tasty and refreshing alternative to fruit juice, coconut water (with no added sugar!) is both nutrient-dense and low in acidity, making it a great option for dental health.

To keep your teeth healthy and get more tips on proper oral care, schedule an appointment at Holy City Dentistry today!

The Differences Between Dental Veneers and Composite Bonding

Posted on January 26, 2021 by Lucy Gordon

For patients who want to improve the appearance of their smiles by creating a brighter, smoother look, there are plenty of options. Two common treatments to consider are dental veneers and composite bonding. And while these two treatments are similar and yield comparable results, there are also some significant differences to be aware of.

What Are Dental Veneers?

Many people are often left baffled when they see picture-perfect smiles on TV. But quite often, the secret behind those perfect smiles is dental veneers. This cosmetic dental treatment can provide a straight, bright smile for patients looking to improve the look of their teeth.

Dental veneers are small layers of porcelain added to the surface of the teeth, typically just on the teeth that are visible when smiling. It’s often used to cover up cracks, uneven spacing, stains or to simply brighten up a patient’s smile.

What Is Composite Bonding?

As an alternative to dental veneers, composite bonding is a process that uses dental fillings to improve the appearance of the surface of a tooth. The material used for composite bonding is softer and doesn’t typically cover the whole tooth surface. Instead, it can fill in cracks or holes, making a tooth look smoother. The material is also matched to the color of the tooth to create a uniform appearance.

Pros and Cons of Dental Veneers

For patients willing to commit to getting dental veneers, it is a highly effective and long-lasting option for optimizing the way their smile looks. You can both improve the color of your teeth and optimize the shape of the surface for a smile that is symmetrical and bright. The use of porcelain also results in improved durability while making your teeth more resistant to staining.

While some may not consider it a downside, it should be noted that getting dental veneers is a permanent alteration to the teeth. The procedure often requires removing the surface level of the enamel (although minimal) so the veneers don’t appear too large. But for patients who have cavities, old fillings, or severe staining, losing some of their old enamel may not be much of a concern for them.

Pros and Cons of Composite Bonding

Composite bonding is less expensive than getting dental veneers and isn’t nearly as much of a permanent commitment, which may be preferred by some patients.

While composite bonding will last a significant amount of time, it won’t be quite as durable or resistant to staining and wear as veneers. Therefore, they tend to require more ongoing maintenance and replacement long-term than veneers.

Here at Holy City Dentistry, we offer both composite bonding and dental veneers for patients who want to improve their smiles. We will be happy to go over the benefits of each option and give you a recommendation on which treatment is right for you. Contact us today to schedule your appointment!

A Personal Note From Dr. Castles

Posted on January 7, 2021 by mhall@unimediasolutions.com

The number one thing a dentist hears (and dreads) when they meet a new patient for the first time is “Sorry doc, but I just need to tell you that I hate the dentist. No offense.” No one wants to hear that strangers hate them all day, and some dentists take it personally. But after hearing this a few times, I decided to dig deeper. The dentist chair isn’t my favorite place to be either. In fact, dentists tend to be the worst patients and ironically tend to avoid the dentist themselves.

But I wouldn’t say I hate it—I did become a dentist after all.

After helping numerous patients work through this feeling, I now know most of this dislike stems from bad experiences in the past. My goal is to change this mindset with new, positive experiences. A large part of why I decided to risk everything and open a practice of my own is because I wanted control over the patient experience.

I try to treat every patient as if they are me, my mother, or my child sitting in the chair. What would I want? How would I feel? How can I make this visit better? At Holy City Dentistry, the patient is our focus, because it’s your mouth and you’re in control of it. And we know you don’t have to be here, but we’re happy you are.

Obviously no dentist can promise to be 100% pain-free, because every person’s pain threshold is different. But there are techniques that can absolutely minimize pain and anxiety, while focusing on making the patient as comfortable as possible. It takes some extra time, patience, empathy and communication, which is why so many dentists get a bad reputation if they don’t focus and deliver on those things. We do.

I created my dentist office on James Island to help people achieve optimal oral health, be confident in their smiles, and live a long, happy life being able to eat, drink, and say whatever they want. Our goal is to form a lifelong partnership with our patients.

Do we need teeth to live? No. But it sure makes life more enjoyable to be able to smile big for that wedding photograph, or eat a beautifully cooked steak. We’re here to help get you there, or to help you do all the right things to stay there. No one is perfect, including ourselves, so we get it. Ours is a judgement and lecture-free office. We’re ecstatic when you walk through our door, and we will do everything in our power to ensure you are happy to be there.

Get to Know the Holy City Dentistry Team

Posted on June 1, 2020 by mhall@unimediasolutions.com

At Holy City Dentistry, it is our goal to get to know each of our patients personally. In return, we thought you might like to know a little more about us, so here are 10 fun facts about each of us that you probably don’t know.

The answers are in the same order as our photos above: Dr. Castles, Christine (dental assistant), and Rachel (receptionist).

What’s your favorite song from the 80s or 90s?

Dr. C.: Any Man of Mine by Shania Twain
Christine: Billie Jean
Rachel: Every Celine Dion song

What’s the last thing you watched on TV?

Dr. C.: The Last Dance
Christine: Below Deck
Rachel: Jack Ryan

What movie can you watch over and over again?

Dr. C.: The Princess Bride
Christine: Christmas Vacation
Rachel: Devil Wears Prada

What was the last photo you took?

Dr. C.: Another photo of my dog to add to the collection
Christine: Pics with my pets
Rachel: A Bible verse

What are your favorite restaurants in the area?

Dr. C.: Hen and the Goat and The Obstinate Daughter
Christine: California Dreaming and The Royal Tern
Rachel: The Ordinary and The Darling Oyster Bar

What is your favorite thing to cook?

Dr. C.: My husband is the better cook, but I can make some mean scrambled eggs!
Christine: Pasta
Rachel: Southern food

If you could live anywhere, where would it be?

Dr. C.: Charleston! Love where I live!
Christine: Here at the beach
Rachel: Charleston – I love living here!

What’s your favorite board game or video game?

Dr. C.: Sequence
Christine: Heads Up
Rachel: Monopoly

Which way should toilet paper hang, under or over?

Dr. C.: There’s only one right answer here- over
Christine: Over, because I am a type A personality
Rachel: Over

What is the best piece of advice you have ever received, and who gave it to you?

Dr. C.: My mom wrote me a beautiful letter on my wedding day, here’s my favorite part: “You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to get up each morning with the goal to do better, be kinder, to love deeper, to laugh more. If you aim for that, you will always be moving in the right direction.”
Christine: “Always leave it better than you got it” – My Grandfather
Rachel: My mom always told me to treat everyone fairly and with kindness!

We hope you enjoyed getting to know a little more about us, and we look forward to seeing you at our James Island dentist office!

Keeping Our Patients Safe at Holy City Dentistry

Posted on May 1, 2020 by mhall@unimediasolutions.com

As we start welcoming people to our James Island dental office, we want to ensure each of you that we are taking the safety of our patients and staff very seriously. Our high standard of care ensures that your trust and safety are never compromised. In addition to the stringent OSHA sterilization procedures previously in place, we are following the guidelines of the CDC and the American Dental Association to address the current concerns related to COVID-19.

Social Distancing

Appointments will be managed to allow for social distancing between patients. That might mean you are offered fewer options for scheduling your appointment. We will do our best to allow greater time between patients to reduce waiting times for you, as well as reduce the number of patients in the reception area at any one time.

In order for us to keep traffic in our practice to a minimum, we ask that you contact our office if you are going to arrive more than 5 minutes before your appointment OR more than 5 minutes late.

We also ask that only the patient enter our office to limit the number of people inside at one time. Obviously we are fine with a parent accompanying a young child, but please use your best judgment when it comes to older children and do your best to come alone if you are the patient.

Temperature Readings and COVID-19 Symptoms

We will be sending out a pre-screening COVID-19 questionnaire to be completed online once your appointment is reserved. Please ensure this is completed before your appointment.

All visitors will have their temperatures taken and be screened again for symptoms before they are allowed to enter the treatment area. If symptoms are present, or they have a temperature of 100.4 degrees or higher, we will ask them to reschedule their appointment. Staff members will also be screened to ensure we are symptom-free as well.

While rescheduling an appointment or us being short-staffed may be inconvenient, we hope you will be patient as we do our best to keep everyone healthy.

Digital Forms

We are implementing a 100% paperless system and ask that all forms related to your appointment be completed before your visit. You will receive an email with the necessary forms attached. We also have a mobile app you can download to access and fill out the forms, check in and confirm your visits, customize your reminders, make payments, and collect loyalty points to exchange at our office for amazing gifts!

Personal Sanitization

Our new welcome when you come for your visit may be a wave or a friendly elbow bump as we want to do everything possible to minimize hand-to-hand contact. We assure you it’s equally genuine and we are just as happy to see you!

All of us at Holy City Dentistry have always thoroughly washed our hands with antibacterial soap and water or hand sanitizer between every patient, before every exam, and any time we come into contact with a high-touch surface in the office. We will continue to be diligent about this. We will also be changing our personal protective equipment (gloves, masks, barriers, etc.) between every patient, as we always have to reduce any chances of cross-contamination.

We are asking all who enter to wash their hands in the restroom or use hand sanitizer in the office. We will also be asking patients to rinse with mouthwash before their treatment begins to reduce the number of microorganisms that might be released in the form of aerosols and splatter.

Office Sterilization

Office sterilization has always been one of our top priorities, and we have used the most stringent guidelines and current technology available to keep our exam rooms and equipment clean. We have purchased brand-new, state-of-the-art sterilization equipment that we regularly monitor according to CDC regulations.

In addition to our regular procedures, we are now disinfecting the following on a regular schedule throughout the day:

Reception area
Front desk
Door knobs and light switches
Counters
Keyboards, phones, other office equipment

Our goal is to provide quality dentistry in a safe, relaxing environment. We feel these additional precautions will accomplish this goal. As we receive new information from the various agencies, we will continue to update our processes to keep everyone involved in our practice healthy.

We look forward to meeting or welcoming back our patients, neighbors and friends. We are happy to answer any questions you may have about the steps we take to keep you, and every patient, safe in our practice. To make an appointment, please call our office at (843) 278-6989.

If you have any further questions or concerns, please feel free to email Dr. Castles personally at drcastles@holycitydentistry.com.

Welcome to Holy City Dentistry!

Posted on April 3, 2020 by mhall@unimediasolutions.com

Welcome to Holy City Dentistry, a different kind of dentist office. Our dental practice is dedicated to giving our patients the highest quality care and treatment without the stress, apprehension, and discomfort that’s often endured. Our focus is on you, the patient, which is why you’ll find there’s plenty about our practice that stands out when you walk through our doors.

Spa-Like Comfort at a Dentist Office

We don’t blame you if you think you may have entered the wrong office when you come for your first visit. Our dental office is designed to immerse each patient in comfort as soon as they walk through the door. Each patient is offered a complimentary beverage, neck pillow, and a hot towel at every appointment. Thanks to our sleek, modern decor, comfortable dental chairs with a built-in massage feature, and friendly staff, you’ll enjoy a dentist appointment unlike any other.

Uncompromising Quality and Dental Care

Here at Holy City Dentistry, we choose only the most qualified staff and ensure everyone is always up to date with the latest best practices and treatment methods. Our dentist, Dr. Greenfield, meets with each patient during every appointment to build personal relationships and ensure treatment is top-notch.

But beyond providing dental care with excellence, we also believe in personalized care. Not only do we carefully assess your individual needs, but we also take the time to get to know you and to keep you informed about your oral health. We’ll be happy to sit with you and answer any of your questions or concerns during any visit.

Latest Dental Technology

Our practice makes use of modern technology to add comfort and convenience to your dental visits. Our intraoral cameras and digital radiographs help us capture detailed images of your teeth so we are always on top of every aspect of your oral health. We also use technology to make our environment more relaxing from the moment you walk through the door. We include sleek flat-screen TVs in our lobby and in our exam rooms to help you take your mind off the dental procedures.

Affordable Payment Options for Dental Work

In addition to providing premium dental treatment in a stress-free environment, we also make all of our treatments surprisingly affordable. We accept a wide range of dental insurance plans to help make your regular visits and any procedures low-cost.

If you don’t have dental insurance, we offer an annual membership plan at a reasonable cost. In fact, many patients who have dental insurance still prefer our plan over their conventional coverage. At Holy City Dentistry, premium care doesn’t have to come at a premium price.

We would love to get to know you and see how we can keep your smile bright and beautiful. Contact our James Island dentist office today to schedule an appointment and experience the difference for yourself!