The Toothboss’ New New Patient Special

New patients are special at the Toothboss. That’s why we provide a thorough, comprehensive exam during your first visit. That includes:

• X-Rays
• Blood Pressure Screening
• Oral Cancer Screen
• A complete evaluations and written report of findings and options for treatment

A follow up cleaning appointment will be made on completion of the exam. New patients will receive a complimentary Sonicare toothbrush, a $25 value, at the conclusion of your follow-up appointment.

Now isn’t that special?

And if you were referred by a current Toothboss patient, just mention them when you check in and they will receive a $50 gift card to Stockholders in Weymouth.

To schedule your initial visit, call 781-335-0604.

Have a heart, keep brushing your teeth!

Parents have been telling their children to brush their teeth since the beginning of time (perhaps a slight exaggeration). Based on recent evidence linking excellent gum tissue health to a reduction in atherosclerosis—a major contributor to coronary disease--a new trend may be children reminding their parents to brush better and more frequently.

Artherosclerosis is the thickening of arteries through the accretion of calcium, cholesterol and other substances found in the bloodstream. This condition has been linked to fatal cardiovascular complications like coronary heart disease and peripheral arterial disease. According to the findings from researchers from the Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, flossing, brushing and regular trips to the dentist can slow the rate of atherosclerosis.

When people are trying to live a healthier lifestyle, the first things they talk about are eating right and exercise. This report makes a strong case that improving your oral hygiene should be part of the healthier living package. Considering what’s a stake, you can’t argue.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, killing about 600,000 people each year. That accounts for one-fourth of all recorded fatalities. On average, deaths and illnesses associated with coronary heart disease cost the U.S $109 billion annually.

Part of what makes the results of this study so important is that it shows people a way to improve their heart health that’s really affordable. For merely the cost of brushing your teeth twice a day for a minimum of two minutes, flossing daily, and visiting your dentist at his recommended interval (which can vary depending on each patient needs) can protect you from the devastating results of heart disease.

For complete results of the survey, you can see the entire report on the American Heart Association’s website at http://jaha.ahajournals.org/content/2/6/e000254.abstract

To take your first step to better oral hygiene and a healthier heart, call  781-335-0604 to schedule an appointment. 

December is oral cancer screening month

According to the Oral Cancer Foundation, 42,000 people in the United States will be newly diagnosed with oral cancer in 2013. To raise awareness among current patients and new patients, we have has declared December "Oral Cancer Awareness Month".

Sure, the national Oral Cancer Foundation has an awareness month that takes place in April but heading into the holidays where people partake in many of the habits that can lead to oral cancers-smoking and drinking-we thought it important to create some additional awareness.

As part of Oral Cancer Awareness month, we will be speaking to patients about the behaviors that can lead to oral cancers, which includes, tongue, tonsillar, and throat cancer. Oral cancers can be genetic, but primarily people who smoke or use other tobacco products, drink alcohol or are exposed to the HPV-16 virus (human papilloma virus version 16), are at increased risk for developing the disease.

Just as we have done for the past 25 years, we will continue to provide an oral cancer screening exams as part of each comprehensive exam that includes examination of the inside part of the cheeks, roof of the mouth the back side and underneath the tongue. As part of their exam, our hygienists, as a result of current research findings, will palpate the lymph nodes located in your neck and underneath your jaw to make sure the usually soft nodes are not hard which can be sign of a problem.

As it is with any cancer, the earlier you detect it the faster you can treat it. And as the numbers indicate, oral cancers are treatable if detected soon enough and that's why we are taking these extra steps to make our patients aware of this risk and be proactive by checking our patients annually.

According to the Oral Cancer Foundation website, "When found at early stages of development, oral cancers have an 80 to 90 % survival rate. Unfortunately, the majority are found as late stage cancers, and this accounts for the very high death rate of about 43% at five years from diagnosis, and high treatment related morbidity in survivors."

For more information, you can visit the Oral Cancer Foundation's website at http://oralcancerfoundation.org/.  you due for your next check-up? Please call 781-335-0604 to schedule an appointment.

The Toothboss: A Veteran’s Story

Colonel Richard Wolfert, AKA The Toothboss

Like a lot of veterans, I don’t often talk about my experience in the military. Yet for those who ask where did you come up with a name like “The Toothboss”, you have heard the story about some of my military service. Specifically, the Commander who gave everybody a title and if you were in charge of something, you were the boss. If you ran the mess or cafeteria, you were the mess boss. I took care of teeth, so I was the Toothboss.

What can I say, the name stuck.

For this Veteran’s Day, I thought I would share my story of military service.

I joined the military since 1981 and have served 32 years total. I took a one-year sabbatical in 1988 when I made the transition from the Active Navy and Reserves to the Army National Guard Reserve.

I guess the main reason I joined was I come from a military family. My Dad was involved with making munitions at National Fireworks in Hanover. My two older brothers are Vietnam vets (Marines and Army). Coming from a patriotic family, I felt I should serve.

I think my most significant achievement (other than coming home from Iraq in one piece, physically and mentally) was achieving the rank of a full-bird Colonel about 15 years ago.

I suspected that was going to be my pinnacle and that I'd get out when I got my "20 year letter". When I got to the 20-year point, I realized that duty was somewhat easier at this rank and time in life. With the kids being older (no more missed soccer games, etc. with weekend duty and summer camp) and me enjoying the break it gave me from a solo private practice, remaining in the service enabled me to continue the camaraderie, the testosterone, and the general feeling that I was providing a service to our soldiers with my special training. It gives me a good feeling. 

I can't say the military has made me a better dentist, but it certainly made me realize how important a pain-free mouth was for soldiers to be better decision makers. You don't want the guy with his fingers on an M-16 or a nuclear weapon having a toothache!

The military certainly gave me confidence in myself and in my craft--enough to begin and maintain a private practice for 25 years. It's a good training ground for learning to be a leader and a manager of people. Although I have to admit, managing soldiers (mostly men) is a lot easier than managing a bunch of woman in private practice!

When I go to Veterans Day services, I mostly think about my brothers and those whom served in the Vietnam War. I came home to a United States that was positive about what we were doing in Iraq. I can't imagine what it must have been like for those poor guys getting off the plane from their tour in Vietnam and being lambasted for missions that were not so popular and a military that was not held in the highest esteem. When I came off the plane we were met with people holding flags and handing out paid phone cards so we could immediately call our loved ones. And when I got home the Veteran Service Agent handed me a check for a thousand bucks for duty served.

I’m proud to be a veteran and proud of my family’s history of service. I guess what I think about most on Veteran’s Day is how lucky we are to live in a country where so many of its citizens have been willing and are still willing to serve.

The Toothboss adds blood pressure screening to comprehensive exam services

For more than a few people, a trip to the dentist can raise their blood pressure. If that fear/anxiety raises your blood pressure to pre-hypertension levels—120-139 Systolic and greater than 80 Diastolic—then it might be risky treating that patient. That’s why we have added blood pressure screening as part of the comprehensive annual exam for patients.

Besides normal anxiety, some of the procedures we do utilize pharmacologies that can impact blood pressure. So having an accurate read prior to the start of treatment is extremely important, particularly if the patient has high blood pressure or is on medication for it.

Another reason is that many people are unaware that they have high blood pressure, largely because they don’t get an annual check-up with their physician. A visit to the dentist should not replace that, but checking BP as part of the exam can alert patients to a potential problem.

Hypertension or high blood pressure affects more than one in three adults in the United States. It’s also estimated that another 30 percent of the population has pre-hypertension. That’s blood pressure higher than what’s considered acceptable for an adult, 120 systolic/80 diastolic.

Prior to 2007, 135/85 had been considered an acceptable pressure. That now is considered pre-hypertension. So there’s a real need to stay on top of your blood pressure.

That’s something we do not take lightly at The Toothboss. As a dental student, one of my professors assigned us the task of practicing taking blood pressure readings on friends and family. I practiced on my father. The first reading was shocking so I took it again and again. Each came back with the same conclusion. My father had high blood pressure.

My practicing on him probably saved his life because I’m not sure he would have gone to the doctor on his own. It’s for people like my father that we are taking this extra step. First, I will do the BP screenings as part of the comprehensive exams. Once we upgrade our machinery, everybody who visits the Toothboss will have their blood pressure checked, by me and our hygienists.

Watch your mouth! The Toothboss adds valuable procedures to hygiene services

One of the biggest challenges dentists and hygienists face with patients is not only getting them to brush but addressing the problem areas that normal brushing might not take care of. As part of our hygiene services, we are now using a disclosing solution and a camera so patients can see those trouble spots so they can adjust brushing accordingly.

How it works is simple. The disclosing solution, when applied to the patient’s mouth, adheres to areas of plaque build-up. When we examine your teeth, those notable areas are identified with a pink marker. We can then show you the trouble areas so you know where to focus more attention.

In addition to use of disclosing solution to determine trouble spots, we have added a more complete charting of the gum pockets that surround the teeth, a review of the patient’s health history, a blood pressure screening, and other procedures to complement the normal services his hygienists provide.

The health history is particularly important, particularly if you are on a medication that gives you dry mouth. You see, saliva washes away plaque. If you are on a medication that gives you dry mouth, that means that plaque is not being washed away and potentially doing damage to your teeth and or gums. By making a health history review part of our re-care services, we can address the side effects of medication so it doesn’t harm your teeth.

Are you due for your next check-up? Please call 781-335-0604 to schedule an appointment.

The Toothboss adds full mouth periodontal probing once a year to hygiene services

Years ago, periodontitis was the number one cause of adults losing their teeth. While detection and treatment of periodontitis have dramatically improved over the years, those treatments can be quite expensive. That’s why we recently included periodontal probing as an annual part of our hygiene services.

Periodontitis is essentially plaque and tartar buildup under your gums. When the tartar buildup occurs under the gums, the bacteria within the tartar have a byproduct of acid that causes degeneration of the supporting structures of the tooth. Unfortunately, many dentists don’t include full mouth periodontal probing as part of their hygiene services. So, many cases go undetected until the condition becomes serious.

One out of every two American adults aged 30 and over has periodontal disease, according to recent findings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). A study titled “Prevalence of Periodontitis in Adults in the United States: 2009 and 2010” estimates that 47.2 percent, or 64.7 million American adults, have mild, moderate or severe periodontitis, the more advanced form of periodontal disease. In adults 65 and older, prevalence rates increase to 70.1 percent.

As a preventative step, we recommend periodontal probing once a year. Periodontal probing involves the dentist or dental hygienist examining six sites on each tooth. This enables the dentist to detect a problem in its earliest stages when it’s treatable with better brushing and flossing and other non-intrusive procedures.

If it’s been a while since your last exam or if you are unsure if you’ve ever had a check for periodontitis, please give us a call at 781-335-0604 to set up an appointment.