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2233 North Hamline Ave.
Suite 320
Roseville, MN 55113 (651) 636-0655

  • An Update On COVID-19 From Personal Care Dentistry

    These past weeks have been challenging ones. We know like all of us, you are focused on keeping your families safe while balancing your daily life. COVID-19 has every one of us in protective mode.

    We have suspended all hygiene services and all non-emergency dental procedures until some time in May. We are taking these measures as part of our efforts to protect your health and the health of our employees, and based on advice from the Minnesota Board of Dentistry. We have been contacting patients who had hygiene dental visits scheduled before then to reschedule their appointments.

    However, we will be accepting dental emergencies. We will have a small dental care team available to help you if you’ve cracked or lost a tooth, if you have an infection, or a sudden onset of pain in your gums or mouth. We are seeing emergency patients on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, we are seeing emergency patients from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. To schedule an emergency appointment, please call our office between 7:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at (651) 636-0655 and we will work to get you scheduled for an appointment. We WILL NOT be accepting walk-in dental emergencies – you MUST CALL and make an appointment. In addition, one of our staff members will be monitoring a cell phone until 9 p.m. on weekdays and on the weekend for dental emergency calls after hours.

    Wishing you the best in the weeks ahead,

    Dr. Walter Hunt, Dr. Kyle Hunt, Dr. Andrew Heinisch and the team at Personal Care Dentistry

  • Swollen Gums in Roseville, Minnesota

    People will often overlook their gums when they are thinking about their dental health. It can be easy to assume that this part of your mouth will look after itself, though this isn’t always the case.

    Living with swollen gums can be very uncomfortable, and a lot of people never search for the treatments they need to fix this sort of issue, leaving them to suffer with discomfort for a very long time. Thankfully, here at Personal Care Dentistry, we have everything you need to start working towards fixing issues like this.

    What Causes Swollen Gums?

    There are a lot of different things that can cause your gums to swell. It can be hard to tell what you’re up against without seeing a dentist, as recognizing the signs can often be an impossible process with an expert eye.

    • The Way You Brush: Brushing your teeth is crucial, as it ensures that your teeth are able to stay clean, making it harder for things like cavities to form. If you are too rough with your brushing, though, you can cause your gums to swell and bleed, resulting in a lot of discomfort. Choosing a brush with soft bristles can help with this.
    • Gum Disease: Alongside the way you brush, gum disease is also a major player when it comes to swollen gums. Conditions like gingivitis aren’t too hard to treat and aren’t considered severe, but they can still result in swollen gums. Periodontitis is a lot more serious and can be harder to treat. Gum disease often becomes a problem when people don’t practice proper dental hygiene.

    How To Solve Swollen Gums

    It’s well worth visiting your dentist when you notice that your gums are swollen. Our expert team can assess your mouth, ensuring that your gums are in the best possible shape, while also helping you to figure out what might be causing the swelling.

    Whether you have gum disease or are simply using the wrong brushing techniques, the solution to solving your swollen gums will usually involve simply improving your oral hygiene. Working hard to brush your teeth twice a day, using mouthwash, and flossing after meals can all contribute to a cleaner mouth.

    Alongside the work you do to keep your mouth clean, you can also look at a range of different dental procedures to help you out. A scale and polish will remove plaque and tartar, while also removing bacteria from your mouth. In more extreme cases of gum disease, root planing may need to be done, and this involves cleaning under the gums to keep them healthy.

    Our team of expert dentists have a lot of experience working with gum disease and gum swelling. This sort of condition doesn’t have to rule your life, and the solutions can be much easier than you might expect, but it’s always worth talking to your dentist to make sure that you’re doing the right thing. Our friendly team will always be happy to offer advice and push you in the right direction.

  • Tooth Extraction Aftercare in Roseville, Minnesota

    Having a tooth extracted can be a scary procedure. A lot of people don’t know what to expect, and will have ideas in their mind of an agonizing process.

    Thankfully, the reality of a treatment like this is much kinder, and most people don’t suffer too much when they’ve had a tooth removed. Of course, though, for the next few days after a procedure like this, you’re going to need to be very careful. Recovering properly will involve some time and patience, along with taking the right actions.

    We’re going to explore the tooth extraction aftercare you will have to go through, but, first, it makes sense to look into the reasons for having a tooth extracted in the first place.

    Why Have A Tooth Extracted?

    As teeth can’t heal themselves, damage which they receive in day to day life is usually permanent. A dentist can work to correct this, but this will involve adding to your teeth with synthetic materials, rather than encouraging them to heal by themselves.

    In extreme cases of conditions like gum disease, the roots and other important parts of your teeth can rot and deteriorate. Alongside several other conditions, this is one of the major reasons people will need to have their teeth extracted, and this is something your dentist will need to assess.

    Tooth Extraction Aftercare

    The work which goes into aftercare for a tooth extraction is often a lot more than the procedure itself. You need to make sure you heal properly, while also managing the pain and avoiding infections. You can find some examples of the tools your dentist will use to work towards this below.

    • Painkillers: While the procedure itself isn’t too uncomfortable, the lasting impact of a tooth extraction can be quite painful. Your dentist will supply you with some strong painkillers to help with this, and it’s well worth taking all of them, as this will make the healing process a lot more comfortable.
    • The First 24 Hours: The first 24 hours after the extraction are the most crucial to the recovery you experience. It’s worth leaving the gauze your dentist puts in place for at least 3 to 4 hours, as this will help to form the initial clot which will stop the wound from bleeding. Along with this, you should also avoid using straws or moving around too much, all the while working hard to keep your clot in place.
    • After 24 Hours: It won’t take long for bacteria to form in your mouth after this procedure. This makes it worth making a salt solution to rinse your mouth after the first 24 hours, as this will help to keep your wound clean without having to use foul tasting chemicals.

    It won’t take too long for your mouth to heal, but it’s well worth taking all of your dentist’s advice during this time. You should also work hard to see them as often as possible after the procedure, ensuring that the healing is going according to plan, while also giving them the chance to look for any other issues which may have formed.

  • Tips for Dealing with a Dental Emergency

    If you lose or crack a tooth, do you know what to do to increase your chances of saving the tooth? We have some useful tips to help your odds of success.

    Tooth Knocked Out?

    If one (or more) of your teeth are knocked out, follow these five tips to help you cope with the situation successfully.

    1. Be sure to pick up the lost tooth from the top, which is the crown. Avoid touching the bottom of the tooth, which is the root area.

    2. Gently rinse off the tooth. You want it to be as clean as possible, but don’t scrub it or take away any tissue attached to the tooth.

    3. If possible, place the tooth gently back in its socket. Bite down slowly while holding it in place.

    4. If you are unable to put the tooth back in its socket, place it in a small container filled with milk.

    5. As soon as possible, get in touch with your dentist and get an appointment that day. The longer you wait for your dentist to re-implant the tooth, the lower the chances of it being successful.

    What If A Tooth Becomes Loose?

    The first step is to call your dentist immediately to make an appointment as soon as possible. Before your appointment, gently try to move the tooth back to its original position. Don’t force it! Bite down to keep the tooth from moving further.

    Have A Chipped or Cracked Tooth?

    If you chip a tooth, it isn’t as severe of a dental emergency as if you lose a tooth. But be careful when eating so that you don’t damage the tooth further. And make an appointment in the next week or so to have your dentist fix the problem before it becomes more severe.

    But if you happen to crack a tooth, consider it a dental emergency. The problem is that the fracture may go to the inside of the tooth and do major damage. Here’s what you should do if you fracture a tooth:

    1. Clean your mouth out by gently rinsing thoroughly with warm water.

    2. If the fracture is caused by facial trauma, apply a cold compress to the area to minimize any swelling.

    3. Take acetaminophen (not aspirin) according to the packaging directions to alleviate pain.

    4. Never apply a painkiller to the gum because it can burn the gum tissue. This includes Orajel, which often is marketed for these types of procedures.

    An X-ray will be needed in order for your dentist to properly diagnose the condition of your tooth. If the pulp is not damaged, the tooth might only need a crown. If the soft tissue inside of the tooth (the tooth pulp) is damaged, your tooth may need a root canal. If the tooth cannot be saved, your dentist will inform you of the various alternatives for replacing missing teeth, such as implant-supported restorations and bridges.

    Sources: MouthHealthy.org (ADA), YourDentistryGuide.com

  • Personal Care Dentistry in Roseville, Minnesota

    Personal Care Dentistry was founded back in 1977 by Dr Walter Hunt, with a vision to create a different kind of dentist. Focusing on providing the same level of care he would want his own family to receive, Dr Hunt and his first three employees worked tirelessly to build the practice into what it is today.

    Things have changed a lot since the 70’s; our team has grown, technology has improved, and the world of dentistry has come a long way, but we’re proud to have held onto our roots. Personal Care Dentistry is operated like a family business, and all of our patients feel the difference compared to other practices.

    What Do We Do?

    Our expert team of dentists can provide a wide variety of different dental services. We can offer regular checkups to ensure that your teeth stay healthy, along with providing you with a range of cosmetic and hygiene-based services which don’t fall into your regular appointments. You can find some of the different services we offer below.

    • Teeth Whitening: It can be hard to feel confident when you aren’t happy with the color of your teeth. Teeth whitening can solve this, and our Roseville, Minnesota clinic has all of the tools required for this sort of treatment.
    • Dental Crowns: Crowns involve adding a small amount of filling material to the tops of your teeth, filling up gaps created by damage to your teeth, while also helping to protect against further damage in the future.
    • Veneers: In some cases, teeth won’t be in bad enough shape to warrant having them removed, but will still need work done to make them look better. Veneers sit on top of your teeth, covering them in a material which looks exactly like normal teeth.
    • White Fillings: In the past, fillings used to be extremely obvious, and a lot of people didn’t like to have them. White fillings can solve this problem, matching the color of your teeth while filling the gaps and cavities in them.
    • Periodontal Care: Scaling & polishing and Root Planing are both excellent ways to clean your teeth and prevent gum disease. We can offer both of these treatments, while also giving you help advice to keep your gums healthy in the future.
    • Dental Bridges: Dental Bridges are designed to replace missing teeth, using the adjacent teeth to support a false tooth. Not only will this repair your smile, but it will also help to prevent further tooth loss.

    Getting the dental help you need can be a challenging process. Our Roseville, Minnesota clinic is filled with expert dentists, all with a passion for keeping their patients healthy. Not all of the procedures we offer are designed to fix health problems, with some being purely cosmetic. Having the option to choose from both sides of the dental market in one place can be a huge benefit, though, especially when you’re unsure about the health implications of the treatments you choose. We’ll never do anything to your teeth which will damage or leave them unhealthy.

  • Tips to A Fresher Morning Breath

    Do you often wake up with breath that can clear a room? If you’re tired of bad breath in the morning – technically known as “halitosis” – we have six tips that can help you nip the problem in the (taste) buds!

    Reduce the caffeine.

    Caffeine inhibits the production of saliva, and saliva is the body’s natural method of cleaning your mouth. That means that caffeine-laden coffee, black teas, and energy drinks can dry out your mouth and allow oral bacteria to flourish. That leads to halitosis, since oral bacteria are the main culprit of bad breath. If you do need that jolt of caffeine in the morning, be sure to keep your mouth moist with lots of glasses of water to counteract the effects of the caffeine. 

    Quit the habit.

    Cigarettes are double trouble for your oral health. Not only do they stain your teeth, but they are purveyors of bad breath. The combination of chemical additives in the cigarette, along with the particles of smoke that stick to your throat and lungs, leaves your breath stale (and puts you at risk for lung cancer). Chewing tobacco is even worse for your breath. 

    Eat breakfast.

    Skip the cigarettes and caffeine – but be sure to sit down for a nutritious breakfast every morning. It doesn’t have to be complicated. An apple is great because of its water content and crunchiness. The combination helps eliminate bacteria that cause odors. Eggs or yogurt are also good choices because they boost the production of saliva and provide you with calcium and Vitamin D.

    Be more effective when you floss and brush.

    Even if time is tight in the morning, don’t rush your dental routine. Particles of food stuck in your mouth, gingivitis and oral bacteria can all contribute to bad breath and even more serious oral health issues. If you want to give yourself an even deeper cleaning than just brushing and flossing, you might add a tongue scraper to your morning routine along with gargling with a non-alcoholic mouthwash (alcohol dries out your mouth). And if you are really tight on time, be sure you have a travel toothbrush, tube of toothpaste, and floss at your workplace or in your car. 

    Pay attention to your sleeping habits.

    How you breath when you sleep could be a contributor to your bad breath in the morning. If you breathe through your mouth when you sleep, you’ll dry out your mouth and the lack of saliva will give halitosis-causing oral bacteria a boost. If your situation is severe, your dentist my recommend surgery. If it isn’t that severe, try having a glass of water, a throat lozenge, or a humidifier handy when you go to bed to keep your mouth moist and your breath fresh. 

    See your dentist.

    If you try the first five tips on our list and you’re still waking up with bad breath, then be sure to make an appointment to see your dentist. Your persistent morning halitosis may indicate that something more serious is going on with your oral health. It could be a cavity, an infection in a tooth, or gum issues. Or it could be something even more severe, such as liver or kidney issues or diabetes. Your dentist can see if the issue with your bad breath is due to a mouth issue or if it’s a more systemic problem. If it’s an oral health issue, they will be able to give you a personalized action plan to permanently get rid of the problem.

    SOURCES: American Dental Association, WebMD, Mayo Clinic

  • 10 Tips to Enhance Your Smile in 2020

    Improve Your Oral Health This Year with These Resolutions

    You might not be a fan of making New Year’s resolutions, but if you want a brighter smile and better oral health in 2020, we have 10 tips that are worth committing to in the next 12 months.

    Switch to a white-teeth diet.

    Woman smiling with a bright smile.

    A good rule to follow is if the food you are consuming is dark in color, then your goal of whiter teeth will suffer. Cigarettes and cigars are also culprits in staining teeth. If you can’t give up those dark foods and beverages, you can reduce their impact by brushing immediately after eating or drinking them. Also, consider an apple as a quick and convenient tooth cleaner. You can also try a tooth whitening program – either from the store or from your dentist’s office (which is the better choice since the results are superior).

    Toss your toothbrush

    Your toothbrush is a great collector of bacteria, so be sure to change it every 2-3 months. If you use an electric toothbrush, change the head on the same schedule.

    Use the right angle

    Your twice-a-day brushing routine will be much more effective if you hold your toothbrush at 45-degree-angle and gently move it in a circular motion against your gums. Avoid using a back-and-forth motion.

    Scrape your tongue

    Remove plaque on your tongue and freshen your breath by using a tongue scraper in the morning. Bacteria is a major culprit of foul breath, so using a tongue scraper will help you reduce or eliminate that problem. You can use your toothbrush to brush your tongue, but it isn’t as effective as a tongue scraper (which are available at most drug stores).

    Use foods to help clean your mouth

    Crisp and firm foods are wonderful natural teeth and gum cleaners. Apples, celery, raw carrots, and popcorn are super ways to clean your teeth. Try to eat them last, especially if you know you won’t be able to brush right after your meal.

    Try apple cider vinegar to gargle with

    Start your morning oral health routine by gargling with apple cider vinegar. Brush after you gargle. The apple cider vinegar is effective at killing bacteria and removing stains from your teeth.

    Use baking soda weekly

    A good way to remove stains on your teeth is to brush with baking soda once a week. Use it in place of toothpaste.

    Keep your breath fresh the right way

    If you use mouthwash to freshen your breath, make sure it’s alcohol free. Alcohol dries out the tissues in your mouth, which gives bacteria a better opportunity to damage your teeth. Wondering if your breath smells bad? Lick your palm and smell it to tell. It’s an effective (and a bit unusual) way to check. Just be sure to wash your hand afterwards!

    Close your eyes…and floss

    You know your flossing technique is good if you can floss effectively without looking in a mirror. That can be important to master because it will allow you to floss just about anywhere – your car (not while you’re driving, though), at the office, or sitting watching your favorite TV show.

    Develop an in-and-out of bed ritual

    Be sure to brush when you first get up and just before you go to bed. That’s because saliva (which keeps cavity-causing plaque off teeth) dries up at night, so it’s best to have all plaque cleaned off the teeth before sleep. It’s also important to brush first thing in the morning to brush off plaque and bacteria (morning breath!) that may have built up as you slept.

    SOURCE: WebMD and Stealth Health/Reader’s Digest

  • 10 Tips for Dealing with Treats at Halloween

    The deluge of sugar-filled candy treats at Halloween can be overwhelming for both kids and their parents. Loads of sugar is definitely not good for a child’s oral health, and getting that message across without making candy seem even more irresistible can be tough. But if you follow the tips we have below, your child should be able to enjoy the fun of Halloween in all its sticky wonderfulness without their smiles ending up looking like the Jack-O-Lanterns on your front steps!

    Before your child goes trick-or-treating, be sure they eat a well-balanced meal. This will help reduce the likelihood that your child will want to fill up on candy on Halloween night.

    Beware of certain candy options. Chewy candies are tough on your child’s teeth because they get stuck in the spaces between their teeth and they can loosen or dislodge crowns, fillings, orthodontic appliances and space maintainer. Plus sour candies can break down the enamel on your child’s teeth because they are highly acidic.

    Be aware of starches and sugars that are hidden. While alternatives to candy such as cereal bars, flavored yogurts, fruit bars, pureed fruit pouches and juices can seem to be more friendly to your child’s teeth, they can actually be just as destructive on children’s teeth as traditional Halloween candy. Read the labels to see how much sugar is actually in the alternative.

    Set a regular time for treats. Constant snacking on candy can be very harmful to your child’s teeth. Set a specific time each day (right after dinner or when they get home from school) when it’s “candy time” for your child. This ritual treat time can last long after Halloween and help promote healthy thinking about treats and moderation.

    Pick a set number of treats. When your child returns from trick-or-treating or a Halloween party, sit down and go through their back of treats together. Have them choose a set number of treats that they want the most.  Letting children help decide what is a reasonable amount of candy to keep has benefits beyond good oral health.

    Put away the extra treats.  Donate them to a food bank, save them for future treat times or freeze them if you can’t bear to throw them out.

    Pick the best candy options for oral health. Good ideas include dark chocolate and sugar-free gum. Dark chocolate is loaded with good stuff for your child’s oral health, including antioxidants that can inhibit bacteria from sticking to the teeth, preventing infections in gums and battling tooth decay. Sugar-free gum made with xylitol promotes the growth of “good” bacteria that can make it touch for “bad” bacteria.

    Get swishy. Okay, we know that most kids aren’t looking forward to Halloween so they can eat dark chocolate and sugar-free gum. So if they are going to consume more traditional Halloween treats, be sure they drink lots of water during and after they eat their treats. Have them swish the water around before swallowing – it will help to dislodge particles of candy from between their teeth. Consider decorating a Halloween-themed reusable water bottle to encourage your child to drink lots of water.

    Double down on your child’s brushing and flossing habits. Let’s face it, the #1 way to protect your kid’s oral health from sugary sweets is to brush and floss regularly. Especially after their “treat times”!

    Figure out a healthy balance. You don’t have to deny your children some Halloween fun. Just be sure to balance those sugar-laden foods with healthy foods and talk about the difference between the two in their overall health.

    Sources: AAPD (American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry), WebMD

  • Healthy Halloween Snacks for Goblins and Ghouls

    Get rid of the empty calories and heavy doses of sugar this Halloween when you give out treats to the little ghouls and goblins who knock on your door. There are a wealth of sensible snacks and healthy alternatives available, ranging from sugarless chewing gum to string cheese to Goldfish crackers.  Or if you want to offer treats that more closely resemble traditional Halloween candy – but without the heavy doses of sugar – we have five options available for you. We’ve included the company websites in case you want to order directly from them to stock your Halloween treats bowl.

    UNREAL Candy

    Go-to Flavors: Dark Chocolate Coconut Bars, Dark Chocolate Crispy Peanut Butter Cups

    If you’re a sucker for the major players on Halloween (we’re talking Mounds bars, M&Ms, and Reese’s) but aren’t thrilled about artificial ingredients, UNREAL has got you covered. The company’s mission to reinvent our favorite candies with “only the good stuff” led to the creation of varieties identical in taste to their processed counterparts, but with only all-natural ingredients. With no GMOs, preservatives, or hydrogenated oils, these treats allow you to indulge your sweet tooth guilt-free.

    SkinnyPop Popcorn

    Go-to Flavors: Original, Sweet & Salty Kettle

    Are you a popcorn-ball lover? The holiday treat may be delicious, but it’s packed with salt and artificial flavorings that can give cholesterol levels a scare. Get your popcorn fix and hand out a unique Halloween treat – the healthy way by digging into a 100-calorie bag of SkinnyPop made with just three ingredients. The perfectly-portioned bags make for a convenient treat to pass out on Halloween night. Flavors range from Aged White Cheddar to Cinnamon and Sugar.

    KIND Bars

    Go-to Flavors: Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew, Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate

    Many people reserve granola bars for on-the-go breakfasts or an afternoon pick-me-up, but with KIND’s assortment of decadent, dessert-flavored bars, they can be a smart way to satisfy a sweet tooth as well. At below 200 calories each, they easily have fewer calories than a candy bar, not to mention a dose of antioxidants and filling fiber. The combo of all-natural nuts, fruits, and whole grains, plus delicious chocolate, makes for a healthy treat that tastes guilt-worthy.

    Snack Well’s 100-Calorie Packs

    Go-to Flavors: Mini Fudge Dipped Pretzels, Chocolate Crème Sandwich Cookies

    The salty-sweet combo of chocolate-covered pretzels is hard to resist on a normal day, let alone on Halloween when chocolate treats are calling your name from every direction. These 100-calorie packs are perfectly portion controlled, allowing you to indulge your cravings but keep you from going overboard.

    Square Bar

    Go-to Flavors: Chocolate Coated Crunch, Chocolate Coated Mint, Chocolate Coated Coconut

    If candy bars are your go-to sweet treat, then the Square Bar is a perfect treat to hand out at Halloween. Made with all organic ingredients and no added flavors, each bar boasts an impressive amount of protein that makes for a more satisfying bite. The chocolate-coated crunch flavor rivals a Nestle Crunch bar in taste, while saving you 10 grams of sugar per serving and providing 12 grams of filling protein that will power you through Halloween night! If you have lovers of Andes Chocolate Mints in the house, reach for the chocolate-coated mint variety, and the chocolate-coated coconut flavor will appease a Mounds craving!

  • Personal Care Dentistry – Your General Dentist in Roseville, MN

    When it comes to finding a dentist that ticks all of the boxes, it can be extremely challenging. Dentists can draw fear into the hearts of many and anxiety into the minds of pretty much all, so finding the best dentist to meet your needs is always going to be imperative.

    Personal Care Dentistry may just be what you are looking for; Personal Care Dentistry is a dentist in Roseville that offer an array of services for everybody. The best thing about them is the level of patient understanding; they take extra care in making the patient feel comfortable from the moment they walk in the door.

    Services Offered

    Personal Care Dentistry offers a plethora of services and treatments to make sure the experience offered is as comfortable as possible. Below are just some of the services offered by Personal Care Dentistry:

    As you can see Personal Care Dentistry offer services to cover just about every one of the needs you could require from a dentist in Roseville.

    Why Choose Personal Care Dentistry?

    Personal Care Dentistry offers more than just a dentist service; they offer an all-around package. When it comes to dentists, finding one that understands the nerves and anxiety of the patient can be difficult. Personal Care Dentistry get to know the patient and create a personal care plan in order to suit your needs. Personal Care Dentistry also offers sedation dentistry for the most nervous of patients, so as you can see, if you require a dentist in Roseville, Personal Care is the answer.

Personal Care Dentistry

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