J. Peter St. Clair, DMD, PC

Recent questions from readers answered.

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… (Read More)

There was an article written in the The Boston Globe a while back entitled “The Mistakes Doctors Make”…………..and right below that was a column called “Advice for all ages: Don’t skip the dentist.” They were both interesting perspectives.

The dental article starts with, “Earlier this month, 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… (Read More)

It’s November, which means the holiday season is officially here. Before you know it, your calendar will fill up with holiday parties, work events, and get-togethers with family and friends. At all of these events, there will undoubtedly be lots of sweet treats to indulge in. If you have obstructive sleep apnea, all of this food can actually help alleviate or even exacerbate your disorder. That being said, which foods should you avoid? Which ones should you let yourself enjoy? Below you’ll find a quick guide on foods that affect your sleep apnea.

Diagnosis is the key to success in any area of medicine, including dentistry. Proper diagnosis leads to success in treatment. In dentistry, there are different exams used at different times of a patient’s “career” at the dentist. I would like to clarify some of these in this column.

The Comprehensive Oral Evaluation is the term used to describe the initial exam with a new dentist. For insurance purposes, it is usually paid once in the lifetime of a patient with a single dentist. If a patient does not see the dentist on a regular basis it may be paid for once every 5 years. This evaluation usually is a more detailed exam performed… (Read More)

It is not uncommon to get a second opinion, or a second or third quote for things like car repairs and home improvements. When it comes to our health, it usually depends on the nature of the issue. More complex issues in medicine, such as a diagnosis of cancer, an unknown diagnosis, or other major medical issues in which we have to make decisions about significant treatment, tend to stimulate people to get more than one opinion. In dentistry, it seems that the incidence of second opinions is not as great.

Routine dental care is generally not that complicated. There are many different ways to do the simplest things in dentistry. The method… (Read More)

Over the past few weeks I have had numerous new and existing patients who have had the need to replace single and multiple teeth. Based on the conversations I have had with these patients, there seems to be some common misconceptions about replacing teeth. I would like to share my thought process that I communicate with patients when they are forced to decide between different treatment options.

Let me start by using an example of a new patient I had in yesterday. The patient presented with the chief complaint of pain. The diagnosis was an infection of a previously root canal treated tooth which was deemed non-restorable. The only treatment was extraction. The… (Read More)

We all know that Halloween is known for the consumption of loads and loads of candy. While this may be a child’s dream come true, there are consequences of overindulging in sweet treats. One of them is the development of cavities. So does that mean that your child has to skip all the festivities? Your dentist says, “No.” As you continue reading, you’ll learn about 5 Halloween candy tips that will protect your little one’s oral health while allowing for a joyous evening.

Patients often ask about whether there are any new technologies on the horizon, or currently in use, to help with different dental problems. There are many concepts being developed that could revolutionize the way care is delivered. My favorites are those that help prevent things, such as root canals. 

Many people have felt the jolting sensation of a sharp pain in a tooth after drinking cold beverages. A tooth is made up of tubules, microscopic channels that extend from the inner layer of tooth called dentin, all the way to the center of the tooth containing the nerve. The sensation comes from the temperature travelling through open tubules, either from damaged dentin caused… (Read More)

Do you pay much attention to those cards in a hotel room asking you to reuse your towels? Many people don’t. But one researcher, Robert Cialdini, a University of Phoenix professor and the author of Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, found a way to get guests to cooperate. He created a card saying that most guests who stayed “in this room” reused their towels. The response beat the typical compliance rate by 33 percent.

Cialdini calls this the “Social Proof Effect,” and it is a powerful force in our increasingly connected culture. It’s not about peer pressure. It’s about peer information, and how we behave and make decisions based on the standards, expectations,… (Read More)

October is here!!  It’s crunch time to get everything done that we haven’t gotten done during the rest of the year. For those with remaining dental benefits, it’s also the time of year to consider utilizing those so you don’t lose them.

Unused dental benefits go directly back to the insurance company, which generates hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars for the insurance companies each year. Dental insurance companies count on the fact that many people will not claim their $1000 or so in benefits by the end of the calendar year. Those with dental benefits should look for legitimate means to use these benefits before they are lost.

For example,… (Read More)