Every year on March 6th, we celebrate National Dentist’s Day. At Cakmes Dental Studio, we celebrate every day because we know how lucky we are to have the two best dentists in Knoxville. As a family-owned dental office, we have an incredible father-son duo with Dr. Nick and Dr. Steven Cakmes. 

Dr. Nick graduated from the University of Tennessee with a Bachelor of Arts degree in microbiology and then received his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the University of Tennessee College of Dentistry in Memphis, TN. Dr. Steven earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Tennessee in Chattanooga and received his Doctor of Dental Surgery from Meharry Medical College in Nashville, TN. 

As a way to honor their hard work, dedication, and fantastic work ethic, we have come up with a few ways to celebrate National Dentist’s Day. 

• Give a shout-out on social. Tag Dr. Nick and Dr. Steven in a thank you post or use #NationalDentistDay as a way to show your appreciation. A few kind words can go a long way in making their day even better.
• Send an email or make a quick call. Another way to make your dentist’s day is by reaching out personally. While they may be busy during business hours, when they check their voicemail or email during lunch or at the end of the day, seeing or hearing a thoughtful message is a great way to put a smile on their face. 
• Make your next appointment. A great way to applaud the hard work that Dr. Nick and Dr. Steven have put in is to put it to the test! So schedule your next cleaning or dental work appointment and come in and see them. 
• Spread the word. Another great way to celebrate the day is by letting your friends and family know that you have found the best dentist in town. We trust what our friends and family say most, and we’d be honored if you put your trust in us.

We encourage you to celebrate National Dentist’s Day with us this March 6th. Whether you give Dr. Nick or Dr. Steven a call, tag them on Facebook, or schedule your next appointment, know that you are honoring the best dentists in Knoxville. We are lucky to have such incredible patients, and we are honored that you trust us with your dentistry needs.

Properly brushing your teeth at least twice a day is the foundation for good dental hygiene. But, what’s the best way to do so, and what are the proper techniques? Should you invest in an electric toothbrush or continue brushing with a manual one? Let’s take a look. 

Electric Toothbrushes

In the past decade or so, electric toothbrushes have grown significantly in popularity. More people realize the importance of proper oral hygiene and recognize that an electric toothbrush can make that easier. 

Electric toothbrushes have been proven to decrease the amount of plaque in your mouth and the chances of gingivitis. They’re also ‘easier’ to use, as the brush, itself, does most of the work for you. Furthermore, electric toothbrushes have timers for two minutes so that you know that you’ve spent enough time working on those pearly whites. Many electric toothbrushes today also vibrate every 30 seconds, allowing you to move from one-quarter of your mouth to another, and so on, until your two minutes are finished. 

It’s no secret that kids don’t like to brush their teeth. Electric toothbrushes make it fun for them and encourage healthier oral habits. Many children’s toothbrushes even play a song or tune for two minutes, making it seem more like a fun playtime activity than a healthy chore, as many children see it. 

While there are many benefits to electric toothbrushes, the main negative attribute is the cost. Electric toothbrushes range in price but are oftentimes much more expensive than manual toothbrushes. On top of the base price, you also have to pay for brush heads, which you should replace every three months. 

Manual Toothbrushes

We are all familiar with manual toothbrushes; it’s what we grew up with and many people still use them today. Manual toothbrushes are inexpensive, can be found anywhere, and can be used anywhere. They even come in travel sizes, to keep in your purse, work bag, or desk – you never know when you might need a quick brush. 

When done correctly, manual toothbrushes are quite effective at removing plaque. The proper technique for manual brushing is simple, although many people tend to apply more pressure and brush harder when using a manual toothbrush, oftentimes resulting in damaged teeth or gums. If you are committed to your manual toothbrush, first make sure you are using the right-sized brush for your mouth. Also, ensure that you use a soft-bristled brush, as hard bristles can irritate your gums.

Manual toothbrushes do not come with a timer, causing many people to brush for less than the recommended two minutes. Setting a timer on your phone, however, can counteract this. 

While electric toothbrushes can be ‘fun’ for kids, starting them with a manual toothbrush may be better. When babies get their first teeth, there is no need to use an electric toothbrush; a gentle, manual toothbrush meant for young children is preferable. This continues for the next few years. After that, whatever they are most comfortable with is the best option. Some children may find the vibrations strange, which could turn them off even more from brushing their teeth. To find out what’s best for your child, talk to them! They’ll let you know which they prefer and you can help them from there. 

The Bottom Line

Depending on your lifestyle choices, age, and price point, there are pros and cons to electric and manual toothbrushes. While electric toothbrushes are easier to use and help your teeth receive a better clean, they are not for everyone.

At Cakmes Dental Studio, we treat each patient with the individual care and attention that they deserve. We are always happy to help our patients in their oral care journey, so give us a call if you have any questions or want to know if an electric toothbrush or manual toothbrush is right for you.

The best time to start new habits? The beginning of a new year! It’s easy to lose focus at the end of the year, whether that’s with your diet, fitness goals, or even flossing. So, with the new year before us, use this time to set your resolutions and find the motivation to stick with them. We suggest adding better dental hygiene to your list.

There are many ways to benefit your mind, body, and soul, and proper dental hygiene plays a role in most of them. Poor dental hygiene can cause cavities or gum disease, but it can also cause heart disease and diabetes. So what does proper dental hygiene involve, exactly? Let’s take a look.

Brushing. We all know that you should brush your teeth in the morning and the evening. When you wake up in the morning, brushing your teeth removes microbes from your teeth and gums, which contributes to that icky morning breath. Brushing at night helps remove the plaque, bacteria, and food particles you’ve ingested throughout the day. If you brush your teeth more than twice daily, ensure that you use a soft-bristled toothbrush to avoid damaging your teeth, enamel, or gums. 

Flossing. Floss reaches areas that your toothbrush can’t. This helps remove plaque and bacteria, leading to cavities and gum disease. You should floss (at least) once a day; if you floss only once, you should do so at the end of the day, after dinner (and dessert), to ensure you get the most out of it. If you prefer to floss after each meal, make sure that you use a gentle technique and are extremely careful to avoid irritating your gums. 

Mouthwash. Much like floss, mouthwash can reach places that your toothbrush can’t. The ingredients in mouthwash work together to kill lingering bacteria in your mouth, strengthen teeth, and prevent gum disease. The great taste is just an added benefit. 

Visit your dentist. At Cakmes Dental Studio, we have the best patients! We’d love to see you all of the time, but we hope to see you twice a year for preventative maintenance. This includes x-rays (once each year), plaque removal, a thorough cleaning, and extra attention to anywhere that needs it or that you have questions about. When you routinely visit the dentist, we can help you take care of your teeth and gums and stop any problems before they become too serious. 

Watch what you eat. Sugary foods and drinks increase the risk of cavities and bacteria and can even cause your enamel to erode. Caffeine and alcohol can cause dry mouth, leading to bacteria and even oral cancer. Try to limit these whenever possible to help keep your mouth as healthy as possible. 

We have some of the best patients, and we know you do everything in your power to keep your teeth, gums, and mouth healthy. So here is your annual reminder to brush, floss, and use mouthwash. Then, give us a call and schedule your next appointment. We hope this year is your best yet! 

Have you recently been thinking about whitening your teeth? If so, you should consider getting your teeth professionally whitened instead of using at-home whitening products. Many people often feel unsatisfied with the results you get from at-home whitening kits because at-home products cannot provide the benefits that professional whitening can. At Cakmes Dental Studio, we can provide you with all of the following benefits of professional teeth whitening, so you are guaranteed to be satisfied with your results. 

Guaranteed Results in a Timely and Thorough Manner

Oftentimes, at-home whitening products take weeks or months for patients to see a difference in their smile; with professional whitening, this will never be the case. When someone gets a professional teeth whitening treatment, the whitening agent is pharmaceutical grade and works at a much greater intensity than over-the-counter whitening products have the ability to. Also, professional teeth whitening requires less upkeep because the whitening is always completed in a thorough manner. At Cakmes Dental Studio, we use the most effective teeth-whitening products on the market, and we have the ability to make your teeth up to eight shades whiter in about 45 minutes. 

Guaranteed Safety 

When using over-the-counter whitening products, there is always a safety risk involved. There is a chance your gums or teeth react poorly to the product or that you could have an allergic reaction. Professional whitening treatment is a safer option than an at-home whitening treatment because the dentist doing the whitening procedure has years of experience performing the procedure and will be able to intently monitor your teeth while the whitening is being completed. If an allergic reaction were to occur, the dentist would know exactly what to do in that situation, whereas if you had an allergic reaction at home, you would have to call your dentist or the emergency room for assistance. 

A Customizable Experience 

When you get your teeth whitened professionally, dentists are able to give you a customized experience regarding your teeth sensitivity and mouth size. All teeth have different sensitivity levels, and at-home kits don’t take that into consideration as all are the same strength and size. When someone gets their teeth professionally whitened, doctors are able to change the strength of the whitening agent in order to avoid irritating the patient’s teeth and gums. Further, all at-home whitening kits are the same size, which could work for you, or not – you don’t know until you test it out. When you receive a professional whitening, dentists are able to accommodate different mouth sizes, unlike at-home products. 

If these benefits aren’t enough to encourage you, we bet this last one will. We are running a “White Christmas” special on our Philips Zoom whitening for the month of December. It is $199 for one Philips Zoom whitening or $299 for a Philips Zoom whitening and take-home trays. If you decide to purchase one of our whitening specials, as long as you pay for it in the month of December, you will be able to use it at any time! You can even leave a voicemail or text us when our office is closed to ensure you get the deal. To learn more or schedule an appointment, click here! 

It’s hard to believe, but there are just a few weeks of the year left! With that comes last-minute gift shopping, spending time with family, and making sure that you’ve used your medical, dental, and vision benefits.

Most people know, but many forget that you pay for your dental insurance whether you use it or not – so you might as well use it! Dental health is a big factor in overall health, and it can even play a role in your mental health and social life. 

Depending on your insurance, you’ll see varying levels of coverage, but most plans will allow for at least two cleanings and one x-ray exam each year. If you need or want work beyond that, many dental insurance benefits cover a large majority of the cost of preventative dental care treatments, if not the entire cost. 

Preventative care treatments typically include:

• Routine cleanings
• Examinations
• Sealants
• Fluoride treatments
• Periodontal care
• X-rays
• Oral cancer screenings
• Mouthguards
• Patient education

When it comes to general dental care, insurance typically covers around 50 to 80% of the cost of treatment. 

General dental care treatments typically include: 

• Tooth-colored fillings
• Porcelain inlays onlays
• Porcelain crowns and bridges 
• Dental implants 
• Removable partials
• Dentures
• Root canals 
• Minor tooth extractions
• Cerec restoration 

Regardless of the type of treatment you need, it is important to remember that although you pay for dental insurance that does not mean that your insurance benefits roll over from year to year. If you don’t use your benefits before the year ends, you will likely miss out on the services your insurance can help cover. 

At Cakmes Dental Studio we provide all of the services listed above and more, and would love nothing more than to help you take care of your dental needs and help you end every year feeling confident in your smile! 

The end of one year and the beginning of a new one are always the perfect time to evaluate your progress; whether that be your progress at work, your physical health, your mental health, or even the relationships you’ve built, evaluating what you have done in the past year and what you hope to achieve in the future are healthy ways to establish goals and keep yourself accountable. 

Take care of yourself, focus on your goals, and take advantage of your dental benefits before the year ends! Book an appointment at Cakmes Dental Studio by calling us at (865) 584-6163 or by filling out this form! There’s still time to end the year on the right note, with a healthy and beautiful smile at the center of it all. 

Do you find yourself constantly reaching for mints or gum throughout the day? As a dental studio, we are well versed in how embarrassing, uncomfortable, and difficult bad breath can be. Luckily, at Cakmes Dental Studio, we also know the cures for it. 

Good Oral Hygiene

Pretty much everything comes back to having good oral hygiene, so much so that we’ve detailed it in previous blogs! As a refresher, you should brush your teeth at least twice a day (don’t forget your tongue!) and floss at least once for the healthiest mouth. If you’re finding that this isn’t enough to fight off that halitosis, try brushing your teeth after every meal or strong drink, such as coffee; try to limit the amount of coffee, alcohol, and soft drinks you consume.

Also, ensure that you drink plenty of water throughout the day, as this can help prevent bacteria build-up. Water is the number one stimulator of saliva, which also helps to fight off bacteria. You may notice that your breath smells and tastes worse when your mouth is dry, and these are the reasons why! 

Home Remedies

If these daily routines still aren’t cutting it, there are more things that you can do at home to help reduce your halitosis. The first is to get a new (and possibly better) toothbrush. In 2021, we recommend using an electric toothbrush and tossing the manual brush to the side. The electric toothbrush helps reach more places than a manual toothbrush; it can remove more plaque buildup from your teeth and gums and ensures that you brush for a full two minutes each time. 

Ensure that you replace your toothbrush head every three to four months; new brushes remove more plaque than a heavily used one and firm bristles are more effective against preventing bacterial growth. Using an older toothbrush or toothbrush head could easily contribute to your bad breath, as you are essentially brushing your teeth with extra bacteria and fungal particles. 

Visit Your Dentist

You should schedule routine cleanings twice a year to ensure that your teeth and gums are in the best health possible. If all of the above remedies don’t work, let your dentist know! Our tools can provide a deeper cleaning and more plaque and bacterial removal. In addition, we know other tricks of the trade for fighting bad breath, such as discontinuing the use of specific medicines (as mentioned in a recent Ted Lasso episode!).

No one wants bad breath, and luckily, there are many ways to fight against it. If you or someone you know is suffering from halitosis, give these at-home remedies a shot! If you’re still not happy, head to our Knoxville, TN studio for a deeper look and a more personalized diagnosis. We’re here to help your oral hygiene be the best it can be, and minty fresh breath goes right along with that. Give us a call to schedule your next appointment or ask any questions you may have about fighting halitosis or any other ailments your mouth may present to you.