Health

In a recent study published by the American Dental Association (ADA), visits to the emergency room (ER) for dental related issues have doubled nationwide over the last decade. Last year, over 2.1 million people visited the ER for a dental “emergency”, most of which...

Dental caries (cavities, decay) is still very prevalent in today’s society. There are many factors that contribute to dental decay. In addition, there are some people who are more susceptible to decay than others. In a recent article in the Journal of the American...

Last week I introduced a couple who had been seeing the same dentist for 30 years and were finally forced to make a change due to the dentist’s retirement. They visited a “new” dentist and were turned off because the dentist recommended significant treatment. Then...

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 common sense that infected teeth, whether they hurt or not, or are broken down beyond repair, should be removed. We also all know by now that there are mouth-body connections and that the mouth is the “gateway” to the rest of the body. There is no disputing that...

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...

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....

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...

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...

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...