How to Reuse and Recycle your Toothbrush

Posted May 14, 2012

Next time you replace your toothbrush, think before you trash it. About 50 million pounds of toothbrushes are tossed into landfills each year. Just because your old toothbrush can’t be used to effectively clean your teeth doesn’t mean it’s not still handy around the house. To help protect the environment, Dr. Villani offers these tips on how to recycle and reuse your toothbrush.

Cleaning

Your toothbrush is designed to clean your teeth, but it can also be used for a variety of cleaning purposes around the house. Toothbrushes can reach between small crevices and spaces, making it useful for any of the following:

Clean between the bristles of your hairbrush
Clean between the tongs of your forks or cheese grater
Wash the blade of your chainsaw and other sharp tools that could injure your fingers or a rag
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Smile and Say “Cheese!”

Posted April 13, 2012

Macaroni and cheese, quesadillas, pizza, and grilled cheese sandwiches would not be the same without, of course, cheese! Did you know cheese is also a vital ingredient in keeping your smile healthy? Dr. Villani encourages you to indulge in your favorite cheese this month to celebrate Grilled Cheese Month. Let’s see how much you know about the tooth benefits of cheese.

1. Cheese is a great source of which nutrient?

a. Vitamin C
b. Calcium
c. Vitamin D

2. Cheese is:

a. Alkaline
b. Acidic

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Healthy Smiles for Life in Brighton

Posted April 6, 2012

Tomorrow, April 7, is World Health Day. This year’s theme focuses on active aging and expresses the idea that good health adds years to your life. Dr. Villani wants to show you that good dental care also adds years of lasting health and beauty to your smile. Let’s take a look at how you can prevent your smile from showing signs of age.

Surface Imperfections: Your teeth may lose their natural shine due to a lifetime of dark-colored foods and beverages, tobacco use, medications, and other behaviors. Tooth discoloration can make your teeth look dark, dull, and old. Furthermore, chips and cracks make your smile look rough and worn out. Fortunately, Dr. Villani offers porcelain veneers to hide your tooth imperfections and brighten your smile.
Gum Problems: As you age, your gums may begin to recede, exposing the roots of your teeth to decay and infection. Furthermore, plaque buildup along your gum line can lead to periodontal disease. When your gums are weak, your oral bacteria can enter your bloodstream and infect other areas of your body. Gum disease is linked to heart disease, stroke, lung disease, dementia, diabetes complications, and preterm births. Dr. Villani will examine your mouth for signs of gum disease and perform a deep cleaning, if needed.
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Do You Cram Before Your Dentist Appointment?

Posted March 30, 2012

It’s very important to brush and floss every single day. Some people, however, improve their dental hygiene just a few days before their dentist appointment. If you “cram” right before your Brighton dental appointment, Dr. Villani can still tell whether or not you practice good oral hygiene behaviors.

Quicker Dentist Appointments

Cleaning your teeth beforehand can help make your professional cleaning quicker and simpler. Tran and Mihara, your Brighton dental hygienists, will help clean the areas of your mouth that you can’t reach. They will remove tartar and polish the surface of your teeth, but if you haven’t brushed or flossed lately, they will have to take extra time removing food particles first.

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Five Facts About Porcelain Veneers

Posted March 23, 2012

If your teeth are stained, chipped, misaligned, uneven, gapped, or flawed in any way, Dr. Villani can hide your imperfections with a beautiful set of porcelain veneers. This cosmetic dental treatment can brighten, straighten, and beautify your smile in just two short visits to our Brighton dentist office. Here’s a handy fact sheet and explanations to the commonly asked questions about veneers.

What are veneers? Veneers are thin, hand-crafted pieces of porcelain or ceramic material. Dr. Villani will bond the material to the front of your teeth to instantly enhance your smile.
What is the process for receiving veneers? At your initial visit, Dr. Villani will buff and shape the surface of your teeth. He will take impressions of your teeth to determine the correct color, shape, and size of your veneers. After you leave, a dental ceramist will sculpt your veneers to fit your specifications. You will then come in to our Brighton dentist office for placement. Dr. Villani will apply a durable bonding cement and use a light beam to harden the material to your teeth.
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Healthy Smiles for Spring Break

Posted March 16, 2012

What are your plans for Spring Break? No matter what you choose to do or where you choose to go, don’t let your springtime activities “break” your smile. Visit Dr. Villani so you can enjoy your time off with a healthy smile.

Vacations

If you’re planning a vacation, be sure to include your travel dental kit. You still need all your oral hygiene tools, even when you’re traveling. Your portable kit should include toothpaste, a toothbrush, dental floss, a tongue scraper, mouthwash, first aid supplies, and breath fresheners to keep your mouth clean and fresh when you’re on the run. Furthermore, if you’re planning a special trip to the beach or ski resort, be sure to wear a protective lip balm to avoid dry lips. Additionally, be sure to schedule your dentist appointment with Dr. Villani before you leave for your trip. A professional checkup beforehand will help prevent any serious dental issues while you’re gone.

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Gum Disease in Brighton, MA

Posted March 9, 2012

Estimates show that gum disease affects up to 80% of the American population. Gum disease inolves the inflammation and infection of gum tissue. This disease can range in severity. In advanced forms it is an aggressive illness that erodes teeth, bone, and gum tissue. Once a patient develops severe gum disease (periodontitis) it is not curable; it is only treatable. Below, our team at Brighton Family Dental has compiled helpful information about gum disease.

Symptoms

Sometimes gum disease doesn’t present noticeable symptoms in its early stages. However, some common symptoms include:

Gums that are red or deep purple in appearance
Swollen gums
Gums that bleed easily during flossing and brushing
Teeth that have noticeable spacing
Gums that are painful to the touch

Prevention

The best way to prevent gum disease involves practicing thorough oral hygiene and visiting Dr. Thomas Villani regularly for cleanings and checkups. You should brush your teeth twice a day for at least two minutes each time. Make sure to brush your gums and tongue too. In addition, flossing regularly is very important. Flossing your teeth daily disrupts the colonies of bacteria that form along the gum line. Flossing also cleans your teeth in the crevices that your toothbrush cannot reach. Dental cleanings remove tartar buildup and examinations reveal if gum disease is present and how severe it is. (more…)

When to Visit the Dentist About Your Toothache

Posted February 24, 2012

Do your teeth hurt? Many people ignore tooth pain and hope that it will go away, but a toothache causes more than just discomfort. In many cases, a toothache is a cause for concern because it could signify a dental problem. These tips will help you determine whether you should visit Dr. Villani to address your toothache.

Length of Pain

You may experience temporary tooth pain if you have food particles stuck between your teeth. If the pain doesn’t cease after brushing, flossing, and rinsing your mouth, then you should visit Dr. Villani. A toothache is usually the first symptom of a cavity. You usually can’t feel tooth decay in its early stages, so by the time it begins to cause pain, the decay is spreading, deepening, and worsening the condition of your oral health. If you ignore the pain and don’t visit the dentist, the problem will only worsen.

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Do You Need Dental Implants in Brighton?

Posted February 17, 2012

Missing teeth can make your mouth look unattractive and feel uncomfortable. If you’re missing teeth in Brighton, Dr. Villani can restore your smile with dental implants. Wondering if you would benefit from implants? Take this short quiz to determine why you would need them.

1. How many teeth are you missing?

a. Just one
b. A few
c. Many

2. Do you currently have any replacement teeth?

a. Dentures
b. Bridges
c. Implants

3. What is your biggest problem with missing teeth?

a. Difficulty eating and speaking
b. Other teeth shifting
c. It looks bad

4. What’s wrong with your current tooth replacement method?

a. Dentures are ill-fitting, uncomfortable, and irritating
b. Dentures are not stable
c. Surrounding teeth cannot support a bridge

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How Flexible is Your Tongue?

Posted February 3, 2012

Your tongue has about 10,000 taste buds that help you experience different foods and flavors. But it also has another essential role in everyday functioning—it helps you speak! Dr. Villani can make sure your whole mouth is healthy so you can taste and speak properly.

How Does Your Tongue Move?

About 85 percent of people can curl their tongue into a tube. Your tongue is the most flexible muscle in your body, and the only one that’s attached at only one end. However, almost half of the bacteria in your mouth live on the surface of your tongue. When these bacteria build up, they could cause bad breath and dry mouth that make your mouth uncomfortable and slow down your tongue’s movement. The flap under your tongue, called the frenulum linguae, is the flap of tissue under your tongue when you lift it up. This flap helps your tongue move freely.

Our Blog

How to Reuse and Recycle your Toothbrush

Cleaning

Smile and Say “Cheese!”

Healthy Smiles for Life in Brighton

Do You Cram Before Your Dentist Appointment?

Quicker Dentist Appointments

Five Facts About Porcelain Veneers

Healthy Smiles for Spring Break

Vacations

(more…)

Gum Disease in Brighton, MA

Symptoms

Prevention

When to Visit the Dentist About Your Toothache

Length of Pain

(more…)

Do You Need Dental Implants in Brighton?

How Flexible is Your Tongue?

How Does Your Tongue Move?

(more…)

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