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Posts for: August, 2016

By Nashua Smile Makers
August 16, 2016
Category: Dental Procedures
Tags: fluoride   tooth decay  
TopicalFluorideAddsExtraProtectionagainstToothDecay

Protecting a child's primary (“baby”) teeth from tooth decay should be a top priority. If one is lost prematurely due to decay, it could cause the permanent tooth to misalign when it comes in.

The basic prevention strategy for every child is daily brushing and flossing and regular dental visits. But children at higher risk for decay may need more:  additional fluoride applied to teeth enamel during office visits.

This natural mineral has been shown to strengthen enamel, teeth's protective layer against decay, especially during its early development. Enamel is composed of calcium and phosphate minerals interwoven to form a crystalline structure called hydroxyapatite. Fluoride joins with this structure and changes it to fluorapatite, which is more resistant to mouth acid than the original structure.

We mostly receive fluoride through fluoridated drinking water and dental care products like toothpaste. Topical fluoride takes it a step further with a stronger dose than found in either of these sources. It can be applied with a foam, varnish or gel using an isolation tray (foam or gel) or painted onto the enamel (varnish or gel).

But does topical fluoride effectively reduce the occurrence of decay? Research indicates yes: a recent review of 28 studies involving over 9,000 children found an average 28% reduction in decayed teeth in children who underwent topical fluoride treatments.

There is, though, one potential side effect: children who swallow the fluoride substance can become sick and experience headache, stomach pain or vomiting. This can be avoided with proper precautions when applying it; the American Dental Association also recommends using only varnish for children younger than 6 years. It's also recommended that children receiving gel or foam not eat or drink at least thirty minutes after the treatment (those who receive the varnish aren't restricted in this way).

Topical fluoride is most effective as part of an overall prevention strategy. Besides daily hygiene and regular dental visits, you can also help reduce your child's decay risk by limiting the amount of sugar in their diet. Sealants, which are applied to the nooks and grooves of teeth where plaque can build up, may also help.

If you would like more information on fluoride gels and other clinical treatments to prevent tooth decay, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation.


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By Nashua Smile Makers
August 10, 2016
Category: Dental Procedures

Tooth loss doesn’t have to be forever. Find out how dental implants can help.

Even though we understand how tooth loss can be discouraging, before you give up the search and accept living with gaps in your smiledental implant find out how getting dental implants from our Nashua dentists Dr. Salvatore Guerriero and Dr. Salvatore Colletta could finally give you back your beautiful smile.

Dental implants are the best option if you are looking for a long-term solution to replacing one or more missing teeth. Implants are highly successful, are designed to last many decades and are as close as you can get to a natural tooth.

How Dental Implants Work

So, what makes dental implants different from other tooth replacement options? Well, the answer lies in this pretty cool phenomenon known as osseointegration. When our Nashua dental implant expert places the small metal implant into the jawbone, over the course of a couple months the bone and tissue that surround the implant will heal and fuse together with the biocompatible implant. After a few months the implant will become a fixed part of your jawbone.

Placing the Dental Restoration

Now that the implant is a permanent part of your smile the next step is to give you the restoration that will actually be visible when you smile. But first, an attachment is placed over top of the implant to connect it to the restoration. This attachment is called an abutment and it looks similar to a prepped tooth that is about to receive a dental crown.

If you are only getting a single implant then a dental crown will be custom-made to fit over your implant to restore your smile. As with all dental crowns, the porcelain used will be matched to your smile beforehand to give you a seamless look so no one will be able to tell that you are sporting a dental implant.

Dental implants are an amazing way to restore your smile and we know you’ll be happy with the results. To find out if dental implants are right for you consult with Nashua Smile Makers to learn more.


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By Nashua Smile Makers
August 01, 2016
Category: Dental Procedures
DrTravisStorkIfOnlyIdWornAMouthguard

If we could go back in time, we all probably have a few things we wish we could change. Recently, Dr. Travis Stork, emergency room physician and host of the syndicated TV show The Doctors, shared one of his do-over dreams with Dear Doctor magazine: “If I [could have] gone back and told myself as a teenager what to do, I would have worn a mouthguard, not only to protect my teeth but also to help potentially reduce risk of concussion.”

What prompted this wish? The fact that as a teenage basketball player, Stork received an elbow to the mouth that caused his two front teeth to be knocked out of place. The teeth were put back in position, but they soon became darker and began to hurt. Eventually, both were successfully restored with dental crowns. Still, it was a painful (and costly) injury — and one that could have been avoided.

You might not realize it, but when it comes to dental injuries, basketball ranks among the riskier sports. Yet it’s far from the only one. In fact, according to the American Dental Association (ADA), there are some two dozen others — including baseball, hockey, surfing and bicycling — that carry a heightened risk of dental injury. Whenever you’re playing those sports, the ADA recommends you wear a high-quality mouth guard.

Mouthguards have come a long way since they were introduced as protective equipment for boxers in the early 1900’s. Today, three different types are widely available: stock “off-the-shelf” types that come in just a few sizes; mouth-formed “boil-and-bite” types that you adapt to the general contours of your mouth; and custom-made high-quality mouthguards that are made just for you at the dental office.

Of all three types, the dentist-made mouthguards are consistently found to be the most comfortable and best-fitting, and the ones that offer your teeth the greatest protection. What’s more, recent studies suggest that custom-fabricated mouthguards can provide an additional defense against concussion — in fact, they are twice as effective as the other types. That’s why you’ll see more and more professional athletes (and plenty of amateurs as well) sporting custom-made mouthguards at games and practices.

“I would have saved myself a lot of dental heartache if I had worn a mouthguard,” noted Dr. Stork. So take his advice: Wear a mouthguard whenever you play sports — unless you’d like to meet him (or one of his medical colleagues) in a professional capacity…

If you would like more information about mouthguards, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can read more in the Dear Doctor magazine article “Athletic Mouthguards.”


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