Welcome to the Dental Office of Kenneth A. Murphy D.D.S.

Conveniently, our dentist office can be found on Peachtree Dunwoody Road, situated near Northside, St. Joseph’s, and Scottish Rite Children’s Hospitals in the Atlanta/Sandy Springs area. Our dental office, located in an area easily accessible from all major roads, makes it easy to find and reach us from anywhere in Atlanta. Our dental office is fully equipped and utilizes only the ultra-modern dental devices and the most recent in dental expertise. This ensures that all our dental procedures and treatments are safe, effective, gentle and accomplished in record time with accuracy by our dentist and his well-trained staff.

Our devoted, kind and talented dental staff treat patients enjoy delivering to patients the top-quality dental care they are looking for. We offer cutting-edge and present-day dental technology and dental treatment alternatives. In our community, good family-related dental care is readily made available to both adults and children. Furthermore, we make practical and effective use of the most excellent dental equipment sterilization methods accessible to dentists anywhere.

While the most popular treatments in our office tend to be those related Cosmetic and General Dentistry we enjoy being able to treat patients in need of treatments that require an expertise and extra training in dentistry pertaining to implants, root canal treatments (also known as Endodontics), and gum disease (otherwise known in the dental field as Periodontics). We understand that going to the dentist is not on your list of the Top 5 things you enjoy doing… However, going to the dentist regularly does help avoid other treatments or dental situations that can be avoided with proper care. If you find that you are in need of more than just a regular dental check-up or cleaning, or if you are searching for the best dentist in the area, please do not hesitate to contact our dental office. Our dentist is an expert in:

Our dentist, Kenneth A. Murphy D.D.S., and his professional dental staff look forward to welcoming you to our beautiful dental office!

Dental Health and Your Diet

There are so many factors that can impact ones’ dental health. While genetics and frequency of brushing can impact one’s teeth, their structure, color, enamel surface and appearance, what you eat, and how frequently you eat those things can have a great impact as well. In the presence of bacteria, sugar is the primary source of dental decay. On the other hand, we have noticed that more emphasis should be placed on the frequency of sugar consumption vs. the amount of sugar you take in one sitting.

Possibly the most awful thing that can be done to your teeth, or on the whole for your dental health, is to have a sugary drink that you sip every couple of minutes over a very extensive period of time; the same also applies for snacking. It is strongly advised that when you intend to snack, have soda or juice, that you have it after meals, as a treat, alternatively have it in a single sitting. Tooth rot, as well as some other dental issues, result from germs supplied with sugar from consuming and having something sweet over an extensive period.

For your teeth the ideal situation would be; eating a balanced meal, then brushing your teeth to get the remanence of that meal off of your teeth’s enamel. This would ideally be done three times a day. Now take for example someone who drinks coffee after that meal (which has cream and sugar). Some people can drink a cup of coffee all morning without thinking twice about the effect that will have dentally in your mouth. The sugar, staining and whatnot, sitting on your teeth’s surface for hours on end until lunch are all working at eating away at your dental health. Not intentionally… but that’s just what acidic and sugary foods do. The best thing would be to have breakfast, drink your coffee/tea, then brush and floss your teeth, then have water as your drink after until your next meal, where that same cycle would be followed all over again i.e. eating, then brushing and flossing, then just having water. This would be ideal.

Can there be any food that helps prevent tooth rot?

Well, the honest answer is, probably not. A lot of people think that chewing foods such as apples and carrots could have some plaque treatment benefits; however, they still consist of some sugar; therefore, any specific benefit is uncertain.

There are some foods that are more harmful to teeth than others. Fruits that are high in sugar while healthy, can do damage if you do not properly care for your teeth after. Sugary sodas in addition to having negative effects health wise, they are super bad for you dentally.

Acidic foods and meals (spaghetti sauce, oranges, coffees, wines, and the like) are another list of food which causes substantial harm to teeth structure not to mention one’s dental well-being. In addition to most of these affecting the color of your teeth, then can also eat away at the enamel if left sitting there for hours without being properly cleaned of your tooth’s surface. If in regular contact with teeth, such things as limes, lemons, and grapefruits can also lead to severe irreversible dental problems (or erosion) to the teeth.

Having proper knowledge of all the likely sources of sugar out there is highly significant. It is not only about sweet things but also anything that can lead to sugar, such as pieces of bread that can also be an issue. For your overall health as well as cavity prevention, it is recommended that you cut down the amount of sugar you take in.

What should you do if you can’t brush after each meal? Preventing the sugar from being close to your teeth is the most effective method to steer clear of cavities and dental problems. Brushing after having sugar is ideal, second would be cleaning your mouth with a fluoride mouth wash or chewing sugarless gum can assist. Having said that, nothing offers the impact of staying away from sugar entirely. Limiting the amount of food that you eat in between meals, and sugary or flavored drinks will help as well.

Our dentist cannot stress enough about the harmful effects of sugar on one’s teeth if left there for hours. Brushing and flossing after enjoying these would benefit your oral health greatly. All that being said, your dental health is dependent on the food you eat and the timing of how much you are brushing and flossing, and what you are drinking and snacking on, in between your brushing and flossing sessions. For more information on how we can help your dental health, please contact our dentist office by clicking above!

Suffering from Bad Breath?

If you or someone you know is concerned about bad breath, the first step in isolating the reason why, is a dental check-up. Our dentist will be able to confirm or rule out the source of the bad breath. Bad breath can be caused by a number of various reasons. These can vary from stomach issues to eating habits and dental/teeth problems. An example of some other causes are:

• Bacteria on the tongue
• Cavities in teeth that have gone unchecked too long
• Diseases of the gums
• Healing sites where a tooth/teeth were pulled
• Improper care of dentures
• Tobacco use or alcohol

In all actuality, the root cause of bad breath isn’t always bad or poor oral hygiene habits. There are some non-dental reasons one may be experiencing this embarrassing problem.These could be:

• Some form of an infection in the air passages, sinuses or back of the throat.
• Sore throat or illness.
• Some foods wreak havoc on one’s breath for days after having eaten it. This can be easily avoided by avoiding those foods if one is having a particular issue personally with this.
• Tonsillitis or some other similar infection.

If you are suffering from bad breath and generally have good oral hygiene please feel free to contact our dentist office and come in for a consultation. We understand that this particular problem can be embarrassing and have in impact on your social and personal life. Don’t feel uncomfortable coming in and mentioning this as your chief concern, if that’s the case. The cause of halitosis will be confirmed by our dentist. The treatment method will be set determined and simplified by the dentist once the cause is established. Again, if this is something you or someone you love is suffering from, please to not hesitate to call us. We are happy to help.

Insurance & Payment Options

Our office accepts nearly all of the major dental insurance plans which allows you to see the best dentist in the area. We are well versed in the latest coverage trends and are more than happy to discuss the particulars of your plan with you prior to any treatments you may undergo. Due to his commitment to provide the best care possible, Dr. Murphy chooses not to participate in HMO/PPO/DMO insurance plans. While we understand that most patients may prefer to use a dental insurance provider, some choose to utilize the cash route, or simply choose to not have dental insurance. For those patients that wish to or need to receive their care through cash/ credit or ATM cards etc. we have other options. We are able to accept payment by the use of an ATM card, credit card, personal check or cash. We have also arranged a payment plan that can be taken advantage of through a trusted and reliable third party for those who would rather not use the prior mentioned options.  This further helps our patients receive desired treatments.

We do not want money or insurance problems to be a reason that you don’t get excellent dental care by a quality dentist in your area. Please, do not hesitate to contact our office to ensure you get the care you and your family need.

Did You Know?

We offer on-time dentist appointments and provide warm scented facial towels and fleece blankets for our patients, so everyone can feel comfortable.
Dr. Murphy believes that oral health care is a team effort… between everything you do at home to care for your teeth, and everything we do here in our dentist office. Please do not hesitate to call us if there is anything that we can do to help you achieve your oral health goals.