May 6, 2022
You might think that dental implants aren’t that noteworthy a treatment. They just replace natural teeth with artificial ones, right? That doesn’t seem like too big a deal. After all, dentures and dental bridges can do that too.
On the contrary, though, implants have great features that help set them apart. Look at these five facts to see for yourself! (more…)
May 2, 2022
This past weekend, my brother sent me a text with a picture of my 15-year-old nephew all bloodied-up with broken upper and lower teeth. He is a mountain bike daredevil…..and the mountain won the battle. Protection of for the teeth is not just for certain sports.
Mouthguards are nothing new, but there are still far too many sports related injuries. Although most youth sport organizations have cracked down on making kids wear mouth protection, there are still injuries occurring. Taking the appropriate protective measures while on the court, field, rink, or ring can save mouths from serious injury and costly dental repairs.
Any sport that presents the chance of contact or collision with another person,… (Read More)
April 25, 2022
Let’s use this hypothetical situation: You have not been to a dentist in a while (pick a time frame), you are well aware you need some dental work, you were given the recommendation of a dentist by a friend…..and, you decide to visit that dentist and four other dentists to compare and make a decision who is the best fit for you. (I realize that most people don’t want to and/or don’t have the time to visit five dentists….but play along).
You already have an idea of what you are looking for. It might be the dentist who says you need the least. It might be the dentist who is the cheapest. It might be… (Read More)
April 19, 2022
A while back, The Boston Globe ran an article entitled “Advice for all ages: Don’t skip the dentist.” It started with, “A team of researchers from London and the University of Connecticut announced that aggressive treatment of gum disease can improve the function of blood vessel walls in the body, potentially reducing the risk of heart attacks.”
The concept is nothing new. We have known for years of the mouth-body connection with health. However, the key to the statement above is “aggressive treatment of gum disease”.
What does aggressive treatment of gum disease mean? Basically, it means that instead of watching and waiting for resolution of gum problems on their own, whatever treatment is needed… (Read More)
April 11, 2022
I’m sure that at one point in your life you heard a parent or grandparent say, “eat your fruits and vegetables.” It’s one of those things that always made sense to me – how could you go wrong eating things that nature has provided for us growing in the ground? As with most things, as time goes on, we learn more about why things are good or bad for us.
Over the past 30 years or so, research has been conducted to better understand why fruits and vegetables are so important to good health. Here are some highlights of that research:
#1 – Better able to maintain the normal, healthy elasticity of arteries, even after… (Read More)
April 4, 2022
There are very few dental practices that still use analog film and chemicals to produce dental x-rays. With digital technology around for decades, and improving along the way, there really is no excuse not to be digital.
However, patients still often express concern with overexposure from radiation from dental x-rays. While I could bore you with statistics, to put it into perspective, it would take almost 400 dental x-rays in one year to equal the amount of radiation a person picks up from background sources each year.
Here are a few questions answered about dental x-rays:
I had a dental x ray while I was pregnant. I am worried that my unborn child might have… (Read More)
March 28, 2022
I was at a continuing education seminar last week and one of the topics being discussed was mouthguards. Although it seems basic, and you would think that everyone who should be wearing one does, this is far from the case. I still see far too many sports related dental injuries in every season which could have been prevented.
Any sport that presents the chance of contact or collision with another person, object, or surface can potentially cause injury to teeth, jaws, and oral soft tissue. These sports include, but are not limited to, football, baseball, basketball, soccer, hockey, field hockey, pond hockey, boxing, lacrosse, biking, inline skating, and skateboarding.
Teeth get in the way. Other… (Read More)
March 21, 2022
It is not uncommon for me to get a strange look when I ask a patient about snoring in the dental office. After an explanation about some of the reasons I include this on my medical history form, the patient will often say, “Well, I don’t snore but my spouse (usually husband) does. In fact, we sleep in separate bedrooms.”
A better way to ask someone about snoring is to ask, “Have you been told you snore?” Snoring can be a huge nuisance to the bed partner and is actually very detrimental to both people. For those without a bed partner, snoring can be assessed with apps such as Snore Lab, which measures snoring levels… (Read More)
March 7, 2022
I understand that periodontal disease is a major cause of tooth loss in adults, but is there anything I can do about it?
Gum disease—periodontal disease—often progresses slowly, without pain, over a long period of time. This is one reason why it is common among older adults. The longer the disease goes undetected and uncontrolled, the more damage it causes to gums and other supporting tissues. Although periodontal disease is caused by bacteria, other factors can increase the risk or severity of the condition. These include food left between the teeth, tobacco use, badly aligned teeth, ill-fitting bridges or partial dentures, poor diets and some systemic diseases such as diabetes.
Although periodontal disease is common,… (Read More)
February 28, 2022
Liz H: I was recently told by a dentist that I need a root canal, a post, periodontal crown lengthening surgery and a crown. The total cost of treatment is $3500! Do I have any alternatives?
That is a difficult question to answer without seeing the specific case, but here are some thoughts. There are quite a few things to consider. The first is the general condition of the teeth. If you have numerous other dental problems that need to be addressed, you must prioritize these and decide if the cost of doing them all is something you can afford, or if treatment needs to be spread out over time. The last thing you want… (Read More)
We accept 15 new patients per month into our dental office near Newbury . This limit allows us to maintain the level of service we feel best serves our patients. We look forward to meeting you, establishing a lasting professional relationship, and providing quality dental care – from preventive to sedation dentistry – to improve and maintain your health.
