Every once in a while someone will say, “There must be a lot less cavities today than there were years ago because of improved home care, fluoride, etc., right?” There are. However, there are still way too many people that present with decay and most of them could use some major improvement in home care and diet.

Yesterday, I went into one of my hygienist’s rooms to check her patient, a 13-year-old boy, and asked the hygienist as I always do how his home care was. She said to me, “Jack, why don’t you tell the doctor how often you told me you brush your teeth.” The boy answered, “About once a week.” ONCE A… (Read More)

Dental hygienists love it when they make suggestions to patients about home care and their dreams are answered when the patient returns 6 months later with noticeable improvement. It might be as simple as adding a good electric toothbrush or waterpik to the patient’s regimen. I would like to say that we are amazed daily by the fruits of our counseling, but that isn’t the case. For whatever reasons there are, changing routines is often difficult.

Nearly 10 years ago I wrote a column aboutan article I saw in a magazine, which is apparently also a book, entitled “Change or Die”. What if you were given that choice? What if the doctor said you had… (Read More)

In the last couple of columns I discussed how dental insurance works. If you missed them you can read them at www.thetowncommon.com. In this column, I will discuss the best strategies to get the dental care you need.

I hope the message was clear – you are not missing much if you don’t have dental insurance. Because of the way dental “insurance” is set up, having it is equivalent to a discount on certain items at a store. Just because you don’t have it, doesn’t mean you can’t choose something that fulfills a need or desire. While there may be a few reasons to consider purchasing an “insurance” policy on your own, it usually does… (Read More)

Last week I explained how dental insurance works. This week I will break down the general differences between dental insurances, some things to consider when using your dental insurance, and when it makes sense to consider purchasing insurance if you don’t have it.

I get asked daily by patients who are either self-employed or are not offered insurance through their employer, “Should I consider getting dental insurance?” In most cases, in my opinion, it does not make sense to purchase dental insurance on your own. This goes back to last week’s column as to how dental “insurance” is set up to begin with.

(more…)

Most dental offices are bombarded daily with questions about dental insurance. “Do you take my plan? How much is covered? Why is dental insurance coverage so bad?” These are just a few of the questions we hear daily. So, why is dental insurance the way it is?

Dental insurance was first offered back in the early 1970’s. Back then, the first insurance companies offered a yearly maximum benefit level of $1000 per year per patient. In 2016, those insurance companies, and now many others, offer an average yearly benefit of $1000-1500 per year. Yes, you read that correctly; it has not changed much. However, back in the 70’s you could have gotten a lot more… (Read More)

I have written before on the benefits of Xylitol, the sugar substitute that possesses 40 percent fewer calories than sugar and has been shown to decrease the amount of cavities that people get. It can be found in specifically formulated things like gum and mints. However, it is important to know that xylitol, even in small quantities, is toxic to dogs.

The dental benefits of xylitol have been known since the 1970’s. Xylitol is not metabolized by the decay-causing bacteria Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans), making it nonacidogenic and thus noncariogenic (not decay causing). Studies have also indicated xylitol decreases the levels of S. mutans in both plaque and saliva. As a result, patients who use… (Read More)

A quality run can do so much good for a person, not just physically, but mentally as well. You can feel accomplished even after the most relaxed of days, or blow off steam from a stressful one. Time seems to stand still and all is right with the world for those few miles. Running has helped you stay fit for years, and you wish fixing your smile could be as simple and long-lasting. There so many different things wrong with your teeth, you don’t know how you could fix everything. Dr. J. Peter St. Clair and Dr. Leonard Strauss can give you that perfect, enduring smile with porcelain veneers in Rowley. (Read More)