Dr. J. Peter St. Clair

People often ask me how I have time to write columns, and how I’ve come up with topics for as long as The Town Common has been around. If you have read my columns over the years, you’ll remember I have discussed that time was one of the barriers keeping people from...

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 does. In...

Last week I discussed some of the content that was presented in a recent U.S. News & World Report which featured seven pages of information on dentistry. This is a continuation of that. One of the columns in this section of the report entitled, “Guarding Kids’ First...

A recent U.S. News & World Report featured seven pages of information on dentistry. Although I was surprised that most of the information was accurate, as the media often skews the facts to make a point, there were a few things that I felt needed clarification. The...

Dentistry is one of those things in life….as with most things…. that people view in different ways. Some are interested in their appearance, some are interested in their health, some both, and others none of the above. A major role of health care providers is to make...

I’m sure we all agree that keeping up with technology is not easy. From computers to cell phones to cars, and everything in between, changes take place at lightning speed. No matter what we buy, there is always something right around the corner, or already there, that...

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...

When we ask for a Kleenex® or a Ziploc® we may not necessarily get that brand, but we know we will get a tissue or a sealable plastic bag. It is always interesting to me hearing the different things people say in the dental office that seem to be “standard” among the...

There have been lots of changes over time in the materials used to restore teeth. Many of the materials I use today were not in existence when I started practice in the 1990’s. The most significant changes have been to materials that are tooth-colored. There are very...

There are five major reasons that people do not get the necessary dental care they need. They are money, time, lack of concern, fear and trust. Let’s take a quick look at each one and see if any of them fit you and what dentists often try to do to overcome these...