Jacksonville Dentist

We want to send out a huge THANK YOU to all of our patients who brought in their left over Halloween candy to our office for the Project Halloween Candy Buy Back.  We collected over 250 pounds of candy to send to the troops!  What a great morale booster that will be for our brave men and women overseas. 

Daniel and Josiah were a big help with weighing the candy - $1 per pound - can't beat that!

Cheryl Creel of Jacksonville, FL was not happy with her smile and the fact that she had large gaps in her teeth.  She heard about the Snap-On Smile, and visited Dr. Rittenberg's dental office for a complimentary consultation.  Dr. Rittenberg evaluated Ms. Creel's situation and discovered that she was a perfect candidate for the Snap-On Smile. 

Ms. Creel loves her beautiful new smile and says she had a wonderful experience with Dr. Rittenberg and his "cheerful, attentive" staff.  "Everyone is professional and very friendly.  The best dental office I have ever been in." 

If you are looking for an easy, temporary solution to a not-so-perfect smile, give us a call - you'll be happy you did!

Recently, Dr. Rittenberg and our office team travelled from Jacksonville, Florida to San Antonio, Texas to attend a two day Dental Conference.

Dr. Rittenberg received additional training on treating complex dental implant cases.  Other fantastic courses were on cosmetic dentistry and crown lengthening, which is a procedure which helps save teeth when there is not a lot of tooth structure left.

The staff at the same time were taking various courses from infection control to new techniques on whitening and stain removal.  One of the favorite parts for everyone was the time we had reserved to walk through the exhibit hall to look and learn about the latest techniques and products that dentistry has to offer.

After a busy day of classes and learning, the entire group would get together in the evening and share our various experiences of the day over dinner.

“I can think of no greater investment in the practice than all of us getting away together for continuing education.  The knowledge, enthusiasm, and team camaraderie is all brought back to the office and makes immediate and long lasting positive effect in the way we are able to provide services to our patients.  We have an awesome team and I’m proud of their commitment to be the best at what they do.”

In this video, Dr. Oz and Dr. Mike take a look inside your mouth and offer tips on keeping your teeth and gums healthy.

At Dr. Harris Rittenberg and Associates of Jacksonville, FL we believe preventive dentistry is very important to your overall health. From cleanings and check-ups to sealants and fluoride, our goal is to help you keep your teeth healthy for a lifetime.

If you respond quickly, a tooth that is knocked out can actually be re-implanted and retained for life. Studies show a success rate if the time outside the mouth is limited to only five minutes up to an hour. Call your Jacksonville Dentist as soon as the accident occurs. Dental implants or mini implants are also an alternative if tooth replacement is not possible.

Here are some do’s and don’ts:
1) Do not touch the root part of the tooth ( grasp the crown or enamel part of the tooth)
2) If the tooth is dirty, rinse with milk or water
3) If the tooth cannot be inserted right away, store the tooth in milk, saline, or saliva en route to the dentist
4) Note: Do not try to place a “baby tooth” back into the socket

Dr. Harris Rittenberg feels very fortunate that he is able to be in a profession and do the type of work he loves to do.  His philosophy has always been to treat people fairly, do good work, and stand behind it.

Over the 25 plus years of practice, he has developed a keen sense of balance when diagnosing patients.  Although he is very conservative when recommending treatment, he is proactive enough to help patients avoid future problems which is in keeping with the mission statement of the practice.

Making a change in your smile can be exciting but can create some apprehension. What will I look like? Will I still look like me? Will it look natural? , etc….

We have been creating beautiful smiles through Cosmetic Dentistry in Jacksonville by using a fool-proof way of getting you the exact smile you are looking for with cosmetic veneers. Here are the steps to ensure there are no surprises.
1) We begin by taking a photo and models of your current smile.
2) We discuss it together, look at other smiles and get an idea of what will look best.
3) We then create from your original picture a virtual picture of what your smile should look like, based on our discussion.
4) We discuss this new smile picture together and make sure we’re on track
5) We then create a 3-dimensional “ wax-up” of this smile to look at to better get a feel for it
6) Once approved, we create temporaries to actually wear on your teeth to see how you like it
7) We can alter any changes at this time. Usually, because of all the previous steps, there is very little tweaking.
8 ) Once you wear them for a while and approve of them, we create your permanent smile designed from an exact impression of the approved temporaries
9) And finally, we have the laboratory technician chairside at delivery for any final tweaking of shading or other minor changes so everything is exact!
10) No Surprises!.. Just a beautiful smile!

Call or visit our website today to schedule your complimentary cosmetic consultation.

To me, it’s more important how you brush your teeth than the type of toothbrush or toothpaste you happen to use. You want to especially concentrate brushing on the junction where the tooth meets the gum and all chewing surfaces. Two full minutes of not brushing too hard is the goal.

I recommend soft toothbrushes to my patients. Some people do like hard brushes because they feel like they’re getting their teeth cleaner, but in my opinion you can do just as well with a soft brush without the risk of damaging your gums and teeth.

Electric toothbrushes are designed to be more efficient and effective than manual toothbrushes. It’s the same analogy as waxing your car. You can still get the job done by hand, but using a power buffer takes less effort, less time, and probably does a better job. Another advantage of the electric toothbrush is that it helps control the force that is applied to the tooth. This is especially valuable for the person who naturally tends to brush too hard manually.

The two main features, in my opinion, to look for when choosing a toothpaste are that it contains fluoride and that has the “Approved by ADA” logo. Fluoride strengthens teeth which helps prevent cavities and helps somewhat with tooth sensitivity. Approval by the ADA ensures safety. Besides these two features, personal preference is the best guide. It has been said “The best toothpaste is the one you like.”

Today there are also many choices for toothbrushes. Much research over the past several years has gone into design. Toothbrush bristles used to be flat across and handles were straight. We know the surfaces of teeth are not flat. The manufacturers in turn have designed the bristles to adapt better to the natural curves and valleys of tooth surfaces. The angled handle evolved to make it easier to reach the back teeth. Each company has a slightly different design that their researchers believe is the best. At the end of the day, its what seems to work best for you and what you like using.

I have had a laser for a while and have found it very useful for gently doing minor gum procedures without cutting or sutures.

I had a patient come in last week who had been up all night with pain. Her lower back tooth had chipped and left a sharp edge. It wasn’t the tooth that was hurting her, it was the tongue! She had a large ulcer and every time she swallowed, the pain was intense.

I wanted to help her. Ointment would only help for minutes. Numbing her would only give her a few hours of relief. She and I were both desperate for an answer.

It was then that I remembered reading an article by a dentist from Arizona who had success using a laser at a very low setting to desensitize an ulcer. The technique was to wave it near the ulcer in circles like a wand, but not touching it.

I tried it. Magic! Her pain went from a “10” to a “3”! I did it one more time and it went to a 0. I couldn’t believe it! It works by dulling the surface nerve endings. The ulcer will still run its course, but without pain and all feeling is restored.

There’s now one more doctor and one more patient that believe in the magic of laser desensitization.

One American dies every hour from oral cancer. Each year in the US, approximately 34,000 individuals are newly diagnosed with oral cancer. About half of those diagnosed will not survive for more than five years.

In order to receive optimal treatment, it is best to detect cancer of the mouth at the earliest possible stage. If discovered later, oral cancer spreads to other areas of the body, which leads to a much poorer prognosis.

The good news is with early detection the five year survival is as high as 82%.

A quick cancer examination will allow a serious condition to be caught at the earliest possible time, when treatments are most effective.

We are here to help keep you healthy. Feel free to ask us further about this important topic.

Harris L. Rittenberg, DMD

Many of our patients have enjoyed the benefit of a beautiful smile without having to wear braces. Invisalign is a program that moves teeth using a series of clear comfortable trays that are virtually preprogrammed to move the teeth toward a beautiful smile. Visit to see before and after photos and read what our patients are saying about their new smile.

Our office includes whitening in this process at no additional charge. It’s wonderful. We offer a no charge consultation to discuss how Invisalign may help you achieve the smile you’ve always wanted. So call us today at (904) 384-4391 to set up your consultation!