EXPERT
Dr. Robert Lunka, DDS
Dentist (Pediatric)
Dr. Robert Lunka is a trusted Pediatric Dentist specializing in treating and preventing oral diseases and conditions in infants, children and teenagers. He completed residency at the Department of Pediatric Dentistry at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Hospital in Richmond, Virginia. During residency, Dr. Lunka also earned a Master’s Degree and focused his research on using technology to improve the dental experience for children with autism.
The vision of Pediatric Dentistry is unique - it focuses on the oral health of the growing and developing child and how oral health impacts the overall health of the individual. Many of the nationally recognized faculty have subspecialty interests such as early childhood caries, pulpal therapy, clinical care delivery, behavior management, sedation, education and treating children with special health care needs and craniofacial abnormalities.
In 2008, Dr. Lunka obtained his Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree from Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry. After graduating dental school, Dr. Lunka completed a General Practice Residency at the University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville, Va. Later, he received an additional two years of training in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery as an intern in New York and West Virginia before primarily focusing on Pediatric Dentistry.
In his spare time Robert enjoys kitesurfing, hiking the beautiful mountains of Virginia with his wife and pet beagle, cooking, winemaking, and volunteering in his community.
The vision of Pediatric Dentistry is unique - it focuses on the oral health of the growing and developing child and how oral health impacts the overall health of the individual. Many of the nationally recognized faculty have subspecialty interests such as early childhood caries, pulpal therapy, clinical care delivery, behavior management, sedation, education and treating children with special health care needs and craniofacial abnormalities.
In 2008, Dr. Lunka obtained his Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree from Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry. After graduating dental school, Dr. Lunka completed a General Practice Residency at the University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville, Va. Later, he received an additional two years of training in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery as an intern in New York and West Virginia before primarily focusing on Pediatric Dentistry.
In his spare time Robert enjoys kitesurfing, hiking the beautiful mountains of Virginia with his wife and pet beagle, cooking, winemaking, and volunteering in his community.
16 years
Experience
Dr. Robert Lunka, DDS
- Charlottesville, VA
- MCV/VCU School of Dentistry
- Accepting new patients
No results found
At what age do children's teeth fall out?
Children typically start losing their primary lower central incisors (lower front baby teeth) when they are 6-7 years old. This may vary from child to child and they may start READ MORE
Children typically start losing their primary lower central incisors (lower front baby teeth) when they are 6-7 years old. This may vary from child to child and they may start losing teeth earlier or later than this.
Does leaving toothpaste on your teeth help?
After brushing for 2 minutes with fluoride toothpaste, you can spit without rinsing. This helps keep the fluoride on the teeth longer. I would not leave the actual paste on, as READ MORE
After brushing for 2 minutes with fluoride toothpaste, you can spit without rinsing. This helps keep the fluoride on the teeth longer. I would not leave the actual paste on, as the ingredients may irritate your gums.
How long can you leave a cavity untreated?
Once the decay gets into the soft dentin (the layer below the harder enamel), the cavity will spread much faster. What determines how fast a cavity grows depends on the persons READ MORE
Once the decay gets into the soft dentin (the layer below the harder enamel), the cavity will spread much faster. What determines how fast a cavity grows depends on the persons diet (acidic and/or sugary foods/drinks will cause the cavity to spread faster) and oral hygiene (not brushing at least 2x/day and flossing every day will cause the cavity to spread faster). Either way, if the cavity is left untreated, your tooth will get infected and/or the decay will grow to a point where you cannot save the tooth anymore because there won't be enough solid tooth structure left to restore it.
Can you sleep with rubber bands on your braces?
This is a question for your orthodontist. Depending on your individual circumstance, they may or may not recommend you sleeping with the rubber bands on.
Are braces stains permanent?
Braces alone usually do not cause staining. The "demineralized" or weak spot areas around the brackets typically result from consuming acidic or sugary foods/drinks while braces READ MORE
Braces alone usually do not cause staining. The "demineralized" or weak spot areas around the brackets typically result from consuming acidic or sugary foods/drinks while braces are on or from plaque accumulation around braces (there are also other reasons that may be specific to your individual situation). After braces are taken off, the best ways to improve staining are to eliminate sugary/acidic drinks/foods from your diet to prevent the weak spots from getting worse, brushing at least 2x/day for 2 minutes a session and flossing every day. This will remove plaque all around your teeth and reduce the acid-producing bacteria from contacting your teeth for long periods of time. Your dentist may be able to prescribe you a special toothpaste to re-harden or "re-mineralize" those areas. After those weak spots are re-hardened, you can talk to your dentist about bleaching or different cosmetic dentistry procedures that may work for you. However, these should not be attempted until there is a change in diet/ hygiene and the weak-spots are re-hardened....otherwise the condition can be made worse.
Can you use floss picks with braces?
Great question! Yes, floss picks such as the “platypus“ are designed to get behind orthodontic wires and between the teeth, but sometimes that won’t work in really tight spots READ MORE
Great question! Yes, floss picks such as the “platypus“ are designed to get behind orthodontic wires and between the teeth, but sometimes that won’t work in really tight spots and you might have to use floss threaders in those areas (“Gum-eez” or “Superfloss”).
