Woburn Dental Associates dental office in Woburn MA is pleased to offer a full range of dental care services and dental treatments. Our dentistry services include: children's. cosmetic, family, general, implant, preventive, restorative and sedation dentistry.
When you have a cavity, the dentist removes it and puts in a filling. These fillings can last for many years, but some people get silver fillings removed because they don’t like the color. However, the process of removing a filling can weaken the tooth. Additionally, insurance may not cover the removal. To read the entire article visit MouthHealthy.org.
Dentist Woburn MA Woburn Dental Associates 26 Warren Avenue Woburn, MA 01801 (781) 241-4288
Use toothpaste with fluoride for infants and children
For children younger than 3 years, you should begin brushing a child’s teeth with fluoride toothpaste in an amount no larger than a grain of rice. For children 3 to 6 years of age, use a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste. Consider sealants to prevent decay or treat beginning cavities on the back teeth
Dental sealants act as a barrier to prevent cavities. They are a plastic material applied by a dentist to the chewing surfaces of the back teeth where decay occurs most often. To read the entire article visit MouthHealthy.org.
Dentist Woburn MA Woburn Dental Associates 26 Warren Avenue Woburn, MA 01801 (781) 241-4288
Lately, there has been a lot of talk about flossing and if it is good or not! Kind of reminds me of coffee, some studies say is good for you and others say it isn't. Our dental office believes that flossing is beneficial to a person's general oral health. Our staff is trained to address the issues of proper flossing to our patients on an individual need basis. We promote many different tools used to effectively and safely clean between the teeth. If you are concerned with the recent news reports, please give our office a call to schedule an appointment. We will be happy to review your concerns and make sure you are properly caring for your teeth.
Dentist Woburn MA Woburn Dental Associates 26 Warren Avenue Woburn, MA 01801 (781) 241-4288
Below is an excerpt from an article found on Colgate.com that was written by Sher Warkentin Maintaining good oral care during the holidays can be tough with the bombardment of sugary sweets all season. Counting down to Christmas with an advent calendar is a fun activity for your kids, but if they are filled with chocolate and sweets, it won't be so great for their teeth. Check out these simple sugar-free ideas to fill your countdown instead. Holiday Activity Fun Fill your child's countdown with special moments that they will cherish all year round. For each day of the month come up with a fun holiday activity that you can do together as a family. Some ideas include: watching a holiday movie, going ice skating, building a snowman and looking at Christmas lights. Write down the activity on a slip of paper and tuck one note into each day of your advent calendar. A Puzzling Treat Give your child a fun challenge with a customized puzzle. Draw a picture or write a special message on a blank puzzle. Break the pieces apart and place one puzzle piece in each day of your advent calendar. Every day your child can add the pieces together until they have a completed puzzle revealing a special holiday message or fun activity to do together. To read the entire article visit Colgate.com. The remainder of the article details the following:
Sugar-Free Trinkets
Story-A-Day
Dentist Woburn MA Woburn Dental Associates 26 Warren Avenue Woburn, MA 01801 (781) 241-4288
Below is an excerpt from an article found on MouthHealthy.org Dentist Dr. Thomas Long has seen firsthand what can happen when “the puck stops here.” In addition to seeing everyday athletes in his private practice, Dr. Long (a former college hockey player himself) is the team dentist for the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes. No matter what sport or skill level, Dr. Long says athletes need to take care of their teeth both on and off the field. “Most athletes are careful about what they eat and their workout routine. Part of that routine should include taking care of your mouth and teeth every single day,” he says. "It would be a shame to miss practice or a game because you are in the dentist's office receiving treatment or recovering from a dental surgical procedure.” Here, Dr. Long shares his playbook for a healthy mouth.
Make a Mouthguard Part of Your Uniform
Sideline Sugary Sports Drinks
Brush, Floss, Rinse, Repeat
To read the entire article, including more detailed information on the three steps listed in Dr. Long's playbook for a health mouth, please visit MouthHealthy.org.
Dentist Woburn MA Woburn Dental Associates 26 Warren Avenue Woburn, MA 01801 (781) 241-4288
Diabetes puts you at risk for dental problems. It impairs the ability to fight bacteria in your mouth. Having high blood sugar encourages bacteria to grow and contributes to gum disease. You may have gum disease if you have:
Gums that are red, sore, bleeding, or swollen, or that pull away from your teeth
Perhaps you’ve been neglecting a good oral health routine. Or, you’ve done your best, but you’ve developed plaque and tartar buildup. A regular routine of twice-daily tooth brushing and daily flossing is an important part of regular plaque removal for everyone. But if you have risk factors that have caused a buildup of plaque on your teeth and gums to harden into tartar, your dentist or dental hygienist may suggest scaling or root planing your teeth to remove the buildup. If left untreated, severe tartar buildup along and under the gum line can cause the gums to pull away from the teeth, which may increase the risk of gum disease. Scaling and root planing are common nonsurgical techniques that may prevent the need for more serious procedures, such as periodontal surgery or a root canal. Here’s what to expect if your dentist or dental hygienist recommends these techniques:
You won’t feel it. You’ll receive a local anesthetic to numb the area.
Scaling: Your dentist or dental hygienist removes plaque and tartar from the areas both above and below the gum line.
Root Planing: Your dentist or dental hygienist uses special tools to smooth rough spots on the tooth roots. This process not only removes bacteria and helps reduce plaque buildup, but it provides a smooth surface for gums to reattach to the teeth.
After a scaling and root planing procedure, be sure to follow your dentist’s instructions and maintain an oral care routine of twice-daily tooth brushing and daily flossing. If your gums are sensitive after the procedure, try a spongy floss, such as Oral-BÆ Ultra FlossÆ, to help prevent painful flossing. The above article is from: OralB.com
Dentist Woburn MA Woburn Dental Associates 26 Warren Avenue Woburn, MA 01801 (781) 241-4288
Water Rules Water, especially fluoridated water, is the best beverage for maintaining your oral health. That's because fluoride helps to make teeth more resistant to the acid attacks that can cause cavities. As of 2012, nearly 75 percent of the U.S. population had access to fluoridated water, so drinking water from your own kitchen sink can help prevent dental problems. Above article from: MouthHealthy.org
Dentist Woburn MA Woburn Dental Associates 26 Warren Avenue Woburn, MA 01801 (781) 241-4288
What is Gum Disease? Gum disease is an inflammation of the gums that can progress to affect the bone that surrounds and supports your teeth. It is caused by the bacteria in plaque, a sticky, colorless film that constantly forms on your teeth. If not removed through daily brushing and flossing, plaque can build up and the bacteria infect not only your gums and teeth, but eventually the gum tissue and bone that support the teeth. This can cause them to become loose, fall out or have to be removed by a dentist. There are three stages of gum disease:
Gingivitis: this is the earliest stage of gum disease, an inflammation of the gums caused by plaque buildup at the gumline. If daily brushing and flossing do not remove the plaque, it produces toxins (poisons) that can irritate the gum tissue, causing gingivitis. You may notice some bleeding during brushing and flossing. At this early stage in gum disease, damage can be reversed, since the bone and connective tissue that hold the teeth in place are not yet affected.
Periodontitis: at this stage, the supporting bone and fibers that hold your teeth in place are irreversibly damaged. Your gums may begin to form a pocket below the gumline, which traps food and plaque. Proper dental treatment and improved home care can usually help prevent further damage.
Advanced Periodontitis: in this final stage of gum disease, the fibers and bone supporting your teeth are destroyed, which can cause your teeth to shift or loosen. This can affect your bite and, if aggressive treatment can't save them, teeth may need to be removed.
Read the rest of the article at Colgate.com to learn more about how to know if you have gum disease and how gum disease is treated.
Regular dental exams not only help to decrease a
patient's risk of oral diseases, such as cavities and periodontal (gum)
disease, but they may also help to diagnose other, sometimes life-threatening,
medical conditions.
Dentists are able to assess a patient's overall
oral health and may recognize symptoms of serious diseases, including diabetes,
cancer, and eating disorders, which often manifest as signs and symptoms inside
of the mouth. Click hereto
learn more.
Halloween is around the corner,
which for most children means bags of free candy and a chance to build up the
stockpile of sweets for the winter. Being one of the most fun times of the year
for families, Halloween can also present parents with a variety of health and
safety challenges. The American Dental
Association, America's premier source of oral health information, has prepared
a list of 10 suggestions to help parents maintain good oral health for their
children around the Halloween holiday and throughout the year.
Consume Halloween
candy and other sugary foods with meals. Saliva production increases during meals and helps neutralize acids produced by
bacteria in your mouth and helps rinse away food particles.
Avoid hard candy and
other sweets that stay in your mouth for a long time. Besides
how often you snack, the length of time food is in your mouth plays a role in
tooth decay. Unless it is a sugar-free product, candies that stay in the mouth
for a long period of time subject teeth to prolonged acid attack, increasing
the risk for tooth decay.
Avoid sticky candies
that cling to your teeth. The
stickier candies, like taffy and gummy bears, take longer to get washed away by
saliva, increasing the risk for tooth decay.
Your oral health routine
should always include brushing your tongue with your toothbrush or using a
tongue scraper, which you can find in the dental products aisle at the
drugstore. That’s important because foods can get stuck in the grooves of your
tongue, causing bacteria to grow. Other oral health problems
that can develop if you don't clean your tongue are a bad taste in your mouth,
staining on your tongue, and bad breath, Abayon says.
