Drs. Marengi & Marengi are pleased to offer children's, cosmetic, emergency, family, general, preventive and restorative dentistry services in Sudbury, MA.
Saliva has an important job to do in your mouth. For starters, it helps to remove food particles. But it also helps prevent tooth decay and infection by washing away plaque and keeping disease-causing bacteria from building up on your teeth and gums. But saliva can’t do all that work by itself. So it’s important to remove plaque yourself by practicing good oral hygiene, which means proper flossing each day, and twice-daily tooth brushing. Most of us don’t think about the moisture in our mouths until our mouths become dry. A variety of conditions can cause dry mouth, also known as xerostomia, including the following:
Cancer treatments. If you have any type of cancer of the head or neck and you receive radiation therapy, dry mouth is a common side effect because the radiation damages the salivary glands in addition to destroying the cancer. Some medications used to treat cancer in any part of the body can also cause dry mouth.
Prescription medications. Hundreds of common medications, including many antidepressants and medications for high blood pressure, can contribute to a dry mouth. If you take medications that seem to make your mouth feel dry, be especially vigilant about tooth brushing and proper flossing.
Nerve damage. Some types of injuries to the head or neck can damage the specific nerves that tell the salivary glands to produce saliva.
Chronic illness. Diabetes, HIV/AIDS, and Parkinson’s disease are among the diseases that can contribute to a chronic dry mouth.
Drug use. Methamphetamines have been associated with dry mouth.
To read the entire article please visit: OralB.com
Even careful brushing may miss hard-to-reach areas in the back teeth. As bacteria, acid, and plaque form, decay will set in. Any amount of care is permanent damage requiring a restoration.
One application of a dental sealant will greatly help to reduce the start of cavities. Here is how it works:
All teeth are first clean and then sanitized.
One thin application of the sealant is applied to the biting surfaces of the teeth. The clear or white sealant is invisible.
With a curing light, our dentist bonds the sealant to the tooth.
And that is the whole treatment that takes just a few minutes! No shots or drilling or tooth removal is necessary. This is the best preventive treatment that can help a child or adolescent keep his or her natural teeth for a lifetime! Marengi Dental 15 Concord Road Sudbury, MA 01776 (978) 424-4038 MarengiDental.com
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
Your Children's Dentist is an Important Part of Their Healthcare
We take the best care of your children's teeth during their visits, but it is equally important that they maintain good dental hygiene at home. Children's teeth are very susceptible to dental caries for a variety of reasons:
Children do not always do a thorough job of brushing. We encourage parents to supervise their brushing and flossing.
Children eat frequently throughout the day, and every time they eat, acid is produced in the mouth. Acid can add to the formation of bacteria and plaque on teeth, which leads to decay.
If teeth are not as clean as they should be, that produces additional acid that can increase the rate at which cavities develop.
With better, healthier food choices and consistent daily dental care, the development of cavities can be minimized. The best treatment for the prevention of cavities is an application of a dental sealant, which mineralizes the teeth to fortify them against cavities.
Saliva has an important job to do in your mouth. For starters, it helps to remove food particles. But it also helps prevent tooth decay and infection by washing away plaque and keeping disease-causing bacteria from building up on your teeth and gums. But saliva can’t do all that work by itself. So it’s important to remove plaque yourself by practicing good oral hygiene, which means proper flossing each day, and twice-daily tooth brushing.
