How dry I am. Dry mouth adds to senior oral health woes

There’s a perception that drooling becomes more common in your later years. From a dentist’s point of view, that’s actually a good thing as excessive saliva washes away food particles and bacteria and neutralizes acids that can lead to increased plaque accumulation, which causes cavities and gum disease. Truth be told, a much greater issue for seniors is dry mouth and how that relates to the oral health.

For most seniors, dry mouth is caused by medications for treatment of any number of issues. Those can include anti-anxiety agents, antidepressants, antihistamines, antipsychotics, diuretics, Parkinson’s Disease medications and urinary incontinence agents.

Another real issue with dry mouth is it makes the teeth less absorptive to minerals like calcium and fluoride that strengthen teeth. Consequently, you have weaker teeth that are more vulnerable to plaque and that leads to cavities and worse.

There are many things patients can do to alleviate dry mouth. That can include drinking more water (fluoridated tap water is the best), using over-the-counter saliva substitutes or moisturizer, chewing sugarless gum or sucking on sugarless mints. Seniors can also make some external adjustments to their living environment, like using a humidifier at night while they sleep.

When it comes to dry mouth, what you don’t do is probably more important. Specifically, you want to avoid tobacco products, sugary drinks, caffeine and alcohol (that includes mouthwashes and rinses with alcohol) and spicy and salty foods.

Of course, it’s always a concern with more elderly patients that they will stop taking a medication if it makes them feel worse. If you feel like you have dry mouth, it’s critical to ask your primary care doctor about it so that perhaps they can alter the medication. Of course, the key ingredient to dental health is brushing and flossing and regular checkups with your dentist. 

For more information, give us a call 781-335-0604 to schedule a consultation. 

The Toothboss in the Weymouth News

The Toothboss was recently featured in the Weymouth News for our Smiling Neighbor program. Of course, the recipient was The Toothboss himself, yours truly. Here's a link to the article.

The Toothboss caps military career with Smiling Neighbor Award

The Toothboss and his combat buddy Scott Sallaway

As part of our Smiling Neighbor Award program, The Toothboss recognizes local residents doing good deeds in the community. For this quarter’s Smiling Neighbor, staff at The Toothboss decided yours truly, Dr. Wolfert, was a worthy recipient of the honors. This was based on my recent retirement after 30 years of military service in the U.S. Navy and Army National Guard.

Now, when we first set up the Smiling Neighbor Award program, it was not to honor Toothboss staff. But the gesture is appreciated. And I suppose 30 years in the military does meet our criteria for the Smiling Neighbor.

To give you a little background on my military career, here’s a snippet from an article in the Weymouth Patch:

Dr. Wolfert joined the U.S. Navy while enrolled at Tufts School of Dental Medicine in 1978. It was during his tenure in the Navy that he earned the nickname that would become the name of his practice.

“I served on the U.S. Midway and the commander on the carrier called his department heads ‘boss’. For example, the guy who ran the flight deck was the ‘air boss’. As the dentist, I was the tooth boss,” said Wolfert. “By the time I left the Navy, joined the Guard and started my private practice, I’d grown used to the name and kept it for my business.”

Wolfert’s military career included a tour of duty in Iraq in 2004. Stationed a few miles from the front at a makeshift hospital, he compared the experience to being like the television show M*A*S*H, only in real life.

“There was that kind of camaraderie in our outfit, but I don’t think any of us ever forgot why we were there and how close we were to some really nasty stuff,” said Wolfert.
After his tour of Iraq, Wolfert chose to remain in the National Guard, where he has served as a mentor to young dentists and supervised care for the 7,000 soldiers in the Army National Guard Reserve in Massachusetts. At the end of February, Dr. Wolfert retired with the rank of Colonel.

“Many people have asked me over the years why did I join and why did I stay. The best explanation I have is that I come from a military family. My two older brothers served in Vietnam. I guess I felt it was my duty to serve. Once I got in, I found it agreed with me. It’s really as simple as that,” said Wolfert.

For being selected as the Smiling Neighbor, Dr. Wolfert opted to give his $50 gift card to Stockholders to a fellow veteran, battle buddy and Toothboss patient, Scott Sallaway. Scott served three tours of Iraq, including one with Wolfert in 2004.

“It may sound cliché, but the men and women who did not make it back from their tours of duty are the real heroes,” said Wolfert. “Me, I’m proud to have served in the company of such brave men and women.”

Thanks again to my kind staff for nominating me for this quarter’s Smiling Neighbor. I hope Scott enjoys his dinner at Stockholders.

The Smiling Neighbor award is given out on a quarterly basis to citizens of Weymouth going above and beyond the call of duty for their fellow citizens. People can nominate a Smiling Neighbor by sending an e-mail of 200 words or less to toothboss1@aol.com. Please remember to include your name and telephone number as well as the name and telephone number or e-mail of the person they are nominating. Nominations can also be sent to The Toothboss, 1121 Main Street, South Weymouth, MA  02190.

Reader’s Choice 2015

One of our proudest moments in 2014 was receiving the Gold Award as the #1 Dentist/Dental Office in Weymouth and the South Shore for WickedLocal’s Reader’s Choice Awards. It’s an honor The Toothboss does not take lightly, particularly with all the other outstanding dental practices in the area. Thank you for your support. 

We strive to offer the very best dental care possible. If you are happy with the care you are receiving, we would appreciate your consideration for this year’s 2015 WickedLocal Reader’s Choice. Voting runs from runs from January 11 to February 7.

If you do vote for our practice, please refer to us as “The Toothboss” or “Dr. Richard Wolfert” (there is another Dr. Wolfert in Weymouth and we would like to avoid any confusion).

Thank you once again for choosing The Toothboss for your dental care. We look forward to serving you in 2015.

The Toothboss honors Steve Joyce as a Smiling Neighbor.

(l-r) Steve Joyce and The Toothboss

For 18 years, Weymouth Resident Steve Joyce coached wrestling at Quincy High School. During that time, he taught his athletes never to smile during course of a match. So, it’s rather ironic that partially based on the merits of coaching wrestling, Joyce has been named the recipient of the Toothboss’ Smiling Neighbor award.

In addition to his efforts as a wrestling coach, Joyce also coached robotics at Quincy High School. He currently coaches robotics at Notre Dame Academy. Beyond his work with students, Joyce and his wife Wendy are active volunteers for the Old South Union Church in Weymouth since they began attending back in 1989. 

Steve and Wendy have resided in Weymouth for 36 years. The couple has two grown children, Patrick and Erin, and one granddaughter, Riley.
For being selected as the Smiling Neighbor, Joyce had the choice of receiving a $50 gift card to Stockholders or a Sonicare Easy Clean model (Steve chose Stockholders).

Said wife Wendy Joyce, “Whether it’s his wrestlers or robotic students or working with our church to rebuild homes for families going through some tough times, Steve just loves helping people. It’s nice of Dr. Wolfert to recognize Steve for his efforts.”

The Smiling Neighbor award is given out on a quarterly basis to citizens of Weymouth going above and beyond the call of duty for their fellow citizens. People can nominate a Smiling Neighbor by sending an e-mail of 200 words or less to toothboss1@aol.com. Please remember to include your name and telephone number as well as the name and telephone number or e-mail of the person they are nominating. Nominations can also be sent to The Toothboss, 1121 Main Street, South Weymouth, MA  02190.

For more information on The Toothboss, visit Dr. Wolfert’s website at www.toothboss.com or call 781-335-0604 to schedule a consultation. 

The Toothboss donates to Donated Dental Services; throws a dental lifeline to South Shore woman

Weymouth Dentist Dr. Richard Wolfert, AKA The Toothboss, 
with Dorothy VanLeesten of Plymouth. 

Like any dentist, there’s nothing we like here at The Toothboss more than a big smile. In my 20-plus years in practice, the biggest smiles we have received have come from patients referred to the us by Donated Dental Services(DDS). That includes a one of our most recent patients, Dorothy VanLeesten of Plymouth.

Donated Dental Services is a national non-profit organization comprised of nearly 20,000 dental professionals who donate dental services for people with disabilities or who are elderly or medically at-risk. We have been part of the DDS network.

The patients referred by DDS not only can’t afford help, but have other conditions that make their lives even more difficult beyond needing dental work. Fixing their teeth may not solve those problems, but it does give them one thing to smile about.

Ms. VanLeesten came to us missing two front teeth. Working with Dr. Lawrence Juvet, a South Weymouth oral surgeon, and Bob Achorn of Achorn Dental Lab, also in Weymouth, we were able to place removable partial dentures to replace her missing teeth. In the process, the dental team found her smile.

“I can’t stop smiling,” said VanLeesten. “I can’t thank Dr. Wolfert, Dr. Juvet and Mr. Achorn enough.”

DDS is the flagship program for the Dental Lifeline Network, a national nonprofit founded in 1974, that provides access to dental care and education for people who cannot afford it and: have a permanent disability; are elderly (age 65 or older); or are medically fragile. In fact, since 1985, when DDS launched, more than 120,000 vulnerable people have received more than $250 million worth of dental services for seriously neglected dental diseases. The Toothboss is the sole provider of DDS services on the South Shore.

If you or somebody you know is a vulnerable person in need of dental care, please visit DDS's Dental Lifeline at http://www.dentallifeline.org or by calling 888.471.6334.

A ‘Choice’ Sign

In June, The Tooth was recognized by WickedLocal as Weymouth and the South Shore’s #1 Dentist/Dental Office. This recognition is just as much a tribute to our patients as it is to me and the staff here at the Toothboss. So, we decided to put a sign up and let the world know.

Thank you again for voting us #1 in Weymouth and the South Shore. And if this sign helps you see us a little sooner on Route 18, even better.