Health

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Isn’t tooth loss inevitable in later years? Today, older adults are keeping their natural teeth longer because of scientific developments and the preventive emphasis in dentistry. This improvement was seen in the results of a survey released by the National Institute...