Brighton Dentists Explain the Role of Dental Hygienists

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LearningVisiting your dentist can mean meeting new people. As soon as you enter the door, you will meet a member of the administrative staff. Then, you will talk with a dental assistant, and, depending on your condition, receive care from a dental hygienist. What exactly does a dental hygienist do? In this article, Brighton dentists explain the function of the hygiene team.

What Does a Dental Hygienist Do?

Hygienists perform a multitude of duties in the dentist office. You may find a dental hygienist processing patient documentation or taking dental x-rays. You will most likely meet a hygienist when you require periodontal therapy to recover from gum disease. While hygienists remove plaque and tartar from teeth, during a regular cleaning, they also provide deep cleaning when gingivitis or advanced periodontal disease develops. During a deep cleaning, your hygienist will clean teeth down to their roots with root planing and scaling. This process removes bacteria and plaque that forms beneath the gumline in periodontal pockets. Although you will typically find hygienists performing similar tasks across the country, some states allow hygienists to fulfill certain duties usually reserved exclusively for dentists. (more…)

filed under: Patient Education, Preventive Dentistry

Brighton Dentists on Children’s Oral Health

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Smiling ChildThroughout our lives, we experience different stages of dental care. As children, we attempt to prevent cavities and anticipate losing our primary teeth. In our adolescence, orthodontic braces surround us. As adults, we work towards maintaining a healthy mouth and avoiding tooth loss. Some people don’t consider what they can do for infants’ oral health because their teeth haven’t erupted yet. You can take precautions to help ensure children’s dental well-being. In this article, your Brighton family dentists explain how to tend to oral care for infants and young children.

Cavities from a Bottle

You can start thinking about oral care for your baby a few days after birth. To prevent early childhood caries, or baby bottle tooth decay, wipe away plaque from your baby’s gums with a clean piece of gauze. Although plaque does not yet settle on teeth, it can damage them when they erupt. Once your child begins teething, you can use water to gently brush their teeth. Only allow children to drink formula or milk from bottles instead of soda or juice to avoid cavities. (more…)

filed under: Family Dentistry, Preventive Dentistry

Living with Gum Recession in Brighton

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Relaxed Older WomanIn our later years, we expect our way of life to change. Our eating habits may change, or mobility could slow. Many of us may foresee tooth problems in our later years. One inevitable challenge that comes from aging is gum recession. If ignored, gum recession could cause serious dental problems. Tending to your mouth before gums recede can reduce complications later. But, if you already experience gum recession, dentists can work with you to better deal with its effects. Living with gum recession may come easy to those who practice good oral health earlier in life. Your Brighton dentists explain gum recession and ways to treat it. (more…)

filed under: Gum DIsease, Oral Health

Brighton Dentist: Moms Influence Kids’ Oral Health

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Mother and DaughterTaking kids to the dentist is important, but can be difficult. When wrestling with getting children to their regular checkup, parents must consider what matters more in the long run for their kids’ oral health. For some, ensuring their children receive proper dental care comes naturally. A recent study has shown mothers with stronger maternal instincts have kids with better oral health.  Brighton family dentist, Dr. Thomas Villani, explains how mothers provide for their children’s oral health.

Children’s Developmental Needs

Even before birth, a mother can tend to the development of children’s teeth. By keeping her nutrition balanced, a mother allows healthy development for her child. Regular checkups with doctors during teething and tooth growth helps teeth grow in naturally straight. Mothers who encourage their kids to brush and floss regularly lower their risk of tooth decay and gum disease. Providing for positive, non-threatening experiences at the dentist office helps keep kids mindful of their own oral health. The less apprehensive kids are about visiting the dentist, the more likely they are to prevent dental problems. Keeping a child’s mouth healthy during heavy growing periods can aid in keeping more serious dental issues from happening later in life. As studies suggest, being active in children’s development results in their oral well-being. (more…)

filed under: Family Dentistry, Oral Health

Brighton Dentist Asks: Gum Recession and Sensitive Teeth?

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All sorts of factors can lead to a person developing sensitive teeth. Naturally-low levels of tooth enamel can certainly cause tooth sensitivity. Store-bought toothpaste can aid in reducing sensitivity in teeth for some of these patients. However, some people experience tooth sensitivity due to gum recession. For these patients, store-bought toothpastes usually will not make an impact or treat the problem. Your Brighton dentists discuss tooth sensitivity and gum recession.

Types of Tooth Sensitivity

Many people don’t realize they suffer from sensitive teeth until they feel a shot of pain rush through their body like a lightning bolt. In many cases, cavities or tooth decay can result in patients experiencing sensitivity to hot or cold foods. However, treating sensitivity caused by cavities usually involves placing a filling in the cavity-ridden tooth. For patients experience tooth sensitivity due to gum recession, the treatment involves a change in oral hygiene and possibly dietary choices. For patients with severe gum recession, advanced gum graft treatment could potentially reduce sensitivity.

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filed under: Tooth Sensitivity

Brighton Dentist: Diabetes and Oral Health

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The holiday season rapidly approaches and food choices quickly rush to the forefront of people’s thought process. With alarming diabetes and obesity rates throughout America, the focus might need to shift back to the giving thanks aspect of the holidays more than the multiple trips to the serving table. Each November, the American Diabetes Association launches a month-long campaign to raise awareness about diabetes. Your Brighton implant dentists, Drs. Villani and Kondrat, discuss the link between diabetes and gum disease.

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filed under: Dental Implants, Gum DIsease

Top 5 Causes of Tooth Pain Explained by Your Brighton Dentist

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A toothache can ruin your day, whether you’re an adult or a child. This isn’t a blind statement; it’s fact. A study by Ostrow School of Dentistry at USC found that kids with toothaches, overall, have lower grades. The researchers also determined that toothaches are responsible for students missing school an average of 2 days per year, which leads to parents missing work to care for their kids. Adults experience similar problems. According to Delta Dental, workers take off over 64 million hours per year because of dental  pain and dentist visits.

So what causes toothaches? How can you and your children avoid them? Brighton family dentists, Drs. Villani and Kondrat, want you to understand how to prevent dental problems, so you and your kids can enjoy every day, toothache-free!

These 5 issues are common causes of toothaches and oral pain.

  1. Dental cavities
    Cavities, dental caries, and tooth decay are all the same thing. In short, a cavity is a decayed portion of a tooth. When bacteria decay through the enamel of a tooth, into the underlying dentin, you can experience pain and will need a filling or crown. Left untreated, a cavity can extend to the innermost canal of a tooth and infect the nerve. When this happens, a root canal may be necessary to save the tooth from extraction. To reduce your risk for cavities, brush twice a day, floss once a day, use fluoridated mouthwash, limit sugars and starches in your diet, drink plenty of water throughout the day, and attend six-month dental checkups and cleanings. (more…)

filed under: Toothaches

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What You Didn’t Know about Dental Implants

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Dental implants are a popular choice for tooth replacement because of their outstanding benefits. They are convenient to maintain, offer secure tooth function, and look like your natural teeth. However, these are not the only reasons why Dr. Thomas Villani, our Brighton family dentist, recommends dental implants. Learn about the hidden benefit of dental implants from our Brighton dental office.

The Consequences of Ignoring Missing Teeth

First, your implant dentist will explain the consequences of untreated tooth loss. A missing tooth not only makes chewing and speaking more difficult, but can also have harmful effects for the rest of your teeth. Teeth drifting, malocclusion, and excessive tooth wear are common side effects of untreated tooth loss. One little known, yet devastating, consequence of tooth loss is jawbone deterioration.

Keeping Your Jawbone Healthy

Your tooth roots provide stimulation to your jawbone as you chew. This stimulation sends signals to your brain to tell your body your jawbone needs nutrients. The cycle keeps your jawbone healthy and strong. If you have a missing tooth, your jawbone no longer receives the chewing stimulation it needs to stay healthy and your jaw will begin to deteriorate.

Dental Implants Help You Avoid Jawbone Shrinkage (more…)

filed under: Dental Implants, Patient Education

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Brighton Dentist Explores the Teeth of Our Animal Neighbors

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Your teeth are among the most interesting parts of your body. Although small, they make some everyday functions possible, such as eating and pronouncing words correctly. Taking care of them is important, too; when your permanent teeth are lost, they do not grow back. Luckily, there are myriad options for correcting, restoring, and replacing lost or damaged teeth. Since our animal friends, however, do not have the luxury of advanced dentistry to care for their teeth, Brighton dentist Dr. Thomas Villani explores the diverse teeth of the animal kingdom.

Fun Animal Teeth Facts

  • Humans aren’t the only ones who lose teeth. Sharks, for instance, lose teeth every week. They, however, grow their own replacement teeth after each one is lost. In its lifetime, a shark can grow over 20,000 teeth.
  • A healthy human mouth contains 32 teeth. Sometimes, the last four (wisdom teeth) need to be extracted to treat or prevent dental issues such as crowding and impacted wisdom teeth. Crocodiles, however, have up to 60 teeth that fit comfortably in their mouths. (more…)

filed under: Family Dentistry, Just for Fun

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Brighton Dentist Explores the Interesting History of Dentistry

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Throughout human history, we have endeavored to solve the mysterious maladies that affect our teeth and gums. As early as 7000 BC, the practice of removing decay and infection from teeth was in full swing, according to remains found in an ancient graveyard in Pakistan. The altered teeth had nearly perfect holes carved out of their centers, and since the teeth in question were molars (situated at the back of the mouth), experts believe they can rule out cosmetic reasons as motivation for the dental work. Since then, dentistry has taken leaps and strides, mirroring the advancement of the human race as a whole. In honor of our ancient profession, Brighton dentistDr. Thomas Villani lists some interesting highlights of the dental profession’s history.

Did You Know?

  • The earliest known reference to someone as a dentist is on the tomb of the ancient Egyptian scribe, Hesi-Re. The inscription reads “the greatest of physicians, and of those who work on teeth.”
  • Also in Egypt, mummies have been discovered with tooth fillings made from resin and malachite.
  • The earliest form of the toothbrush was fairly simple; a tree twig referred to as a “chewing stick,” which the Babylonians first gnawed and chewed to keep their teeth clean. (more…)

filed under: Family Dentistry, Just for Fun

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