2015

by drrapisarda
Many essential habits for adulthood are formed during the teenage years, and that includes dental habits. If you have a teenager, then you know very well how difficult it can be to motivate your child to care about oral hygiene, even if he or she cares a lot about his or her appearance. But if you want your teenager to avoid extensive and costly restorative dentistry treatments down the road, it is important that he or she develop a healthy relationship with a dentist right now. This includes visiting the dentist at least twice a year for professional cleanings and thorough oral exams as recommended by the American Dental Association.

At the dental practice of Dr. Robert Rapisarda, we offer a comprehensive range of cosmetic, restorative, and general dentistry treatments for patients of all needs, including teenagers. We are pleased to cater to the special needs of your teenaged child by offering dental care for teens at our Barre, MA practice. By entrusting your child’s oral health to our care now, you are taking a proactive step toward ensuring that they will have healthy teeth and gums for a lifetime. He or she may not appreciate that now, but the day will come when you see the lessons you impart now passed on to your grandchildren, and you will know that you did precisely the right thing.

We can’t promise that we’ll make dentistry cool, but we can promise that we’ll provide your teenager with the best possible dental care – and that’s something that he or she will smile about. We urge you and your child to visit our practice at your earliest convenience and find out more about how we can serve your teenager’s special needs.

Popular Dental Treatments for Teens

We offer numerous treatments that are appropriate for patients of all ages, including dental crowns, tooth-colored fillings, and state-of-the-art diagnostics. However, there are certain treatments that are available at our practice that are particularly popular among teens. These include:

• Invisalign®: The revolutionary Invisalign® system uses a series of clear, custom-crafted aligners to gradually guide the teeth into their proper positions in the mouth, providing a comfortable and cosmetically appealing alternative to cumbersome, conspicuous metal braces. Best of all, the aligners can be removed for eating, brushing, and flossing.
• Cavity treatment: We can treat cavities before they have a chance to spread and threaten the tooth. Thanks to our tooth-colored fillings, we can restore the tooth without compromising its appearance.
• Athletic mouthguards: If your child is participating in football, basketball, or another team sport, we can provide him or her with a custom mouthguard that will protect his or her teeth and gums from damage in the event of trauma to the mouth.
• Periodontal care: Regular periodontal treatments will help to guard your teenager’s mouth against gum disease, the most common disease among American adults.

Learn More about Dental Care for Teens

To learn more about our exemplary dental care for teens, please contact our dental practice today.

by Robert Rapisarda

Patients throughout the greater Boston area can count on Dr. Robert Rapisarda to provide exceptional dental care, with a focus on advanced general dentistry for total wellness. This means treating all problems great and small, because as you’re about to read, your dental health can have a major impact on your general health.

Your General Wellness and Dental Health Are Interlinked

It seems like a truism, but it’s worth repeating: your dental health can affect your general health and vice versa. The whole body is a system, and it’s important that you’re fully healthy and that everything is in proper working order. Issues with the health of your teeth or gums can lead to a number of health issues or might be the sign of a serious health issue.

This is why it’s always worthwhile to visit your dentist and your general practitioner for regular checkups. Any health issues you are facing can be addressed in a timely manner to prevent major problems down the road.

A Correlation Between Gum Disease and Heart Disease

Studies have found that there is a link between gum disease and cardiovascular issues, including increased risks of heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure, and blood clots.

This isn’t to say that your gum disease means you’ll be suffering from a heart attack or a serious cardiovascular issue, but it does mean there is a greater potential for your heart health to be negatively impacted in some way.

Why are periodontal and cardiovascular health linked?

There are many reasons why this may be true, though researchers have yet to identify a single prevailing cause of this link.

For one, many people who smoke and use tobacco products have a tendency to suffer from gum disease as well as cardiovascular disease, which is why smoking is such a bad thing for your overall wellness.

Another possibility has to do with the oral bacteria that cause gum disease and how it leads to serious inflammation, which may increase a person’s risk of suffering from heart disease.

As more research is done and better info becomes available, we will be sure to share these matters on our blog.

Oral Hygiene Tips to Have the Healthiest Smile Possible

In order to prevent gum disease and keep your smile stay its healthiest, we recommend the following:

• Stop using tobacco products or don’t start in the first place
• Brush your teeth at least twice a day
• Floss your teeth at least once a night
• Drink water to stay well hydrated
• Visit your dentist twice a year for checkups

General Wellness Tips to Stay Fit Well Into the Future

If you want to stay healthy for the years ahead, keep these tips in mind:

• Stop using tobacco products or don’t start in the first place (it’s so important it’s worth repeating)
• Exercise regularly
• Eat a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables
• Visit your doctor for your annual checkup

Learn More About Your Options for Advanced Dental Care

If you would like to find out how you can improve your dental health and enhance your general wellness in the process, we encourage you to contact our cosmetic and restorative dentistry center today. Dr. Rapisarda and the entire dental care team looks forward to your visit and discussing these matters with you in much greater detail.

by Robert Rapisarda
Dr. Robert Rapisarda is a leader when it comes to good dental care in the greater Boston area. He offers comprehensive general dentistry services aimed at total wellness. As it turns out, dental health and general wellness are more linked than many people think. It’s an especially important concern for patients who are having children.

How does dental health affect my general wellness during pregnancy?

It can affect general wellness a surprising amount.

A number of studies have been conducted that note a link between general wellness and the health of people’s gums. In general, women who are pregnant and suffer from gum disease run a higher risk of problems occurring during pregnancy or childbirth than women who have good dental health. The exact link between poor dental health and issues with general wellness are still being studied, though one thing is obvious: being in good overall health includes good dental health, and having good dental health can have some impact on your general wellness.

Dental Care Leading Into Pregnancy

If you are actively trying to become pregnant, it’s a good idea to meet with you physician and your dentist for checkups. This will allow you to have any major health issues or dental health issues treated before the pregnancy begins.

Dental Care Treatments During Pregnancy

During a woman’s pregnancy, regular dental checkups should be attended as scheduled. This will allow the patient to get her teeth cleaned and to ensure that are no potential dental health problems that ought to be treated.

During these visits, patients should discuss any medications or supplements that they are taking in conjunction with their pregnancy in case these have a bearing on overall dental health. Patients are also encouraged to voice any concerns that they may have related to pregnancy and wellness.

Avoiding X-rays and Major Dental Treatments

When a woman is pregnant, it is of the utmost importance that x-rays and major dental therapies are avoided. While the radiation exposure related to x-rays is minimal, this is just a common sense safety precaution to ensure that the developing child remains as healthy as possible.

The only time that major dental treatments or any dental x-rays will be taken is if a pregnant woman is facing a serious dental emergency. In such cases, all efforts will be taken in order to protect the wellness of the child.

Dental Care Treatments After Childbirth

After a woman has given birth, it’s back to business as usual during dental visits. X-rays can be taken again, and any treatments that were postponed can now be performed without any concern of serious harm to the child.

When to Bring Your Baby to the Dentist for the First Time

It’s ideal to bring your baby to the dentist for the first time within six months of the emergence of the first baby tooth. This will allow a dentist to determine the basic development of the child’s teeth and provide some helpful pointers to parents so they can ensure their baby’s smile is healthy and beautiful for years to come.

Learn More About Your General Dentistry Treatment Options

For more information about dental care treatments during pregnancy and leading into childbirth, it’s important that you contact our cosmetic and restorative dentistry center today. Dr. Rapisarda and his team look forward to your visit and helping you look and feel your very best.

by Robert Rapisarda

Given that you are reading this blog post right now, the chances are good that you are searching for information about general and restorative dentistry care for an elderly member of your family or another beloved senior in your life. As you probably know, many senior dental patients have special needs that go beyond the availability of treatments such as bridges and dentures. Many seniors find it difficult to brush and floss properly, if at all; even those who are able to tend to their oral hygiene are at higher risk of a variety of dental health issues ranging from gum disease to oral cancer. Regardless of their issues, senior dental patients deserve to be treated with patience, dignity, and respect at all times. They should never feel as though they are being patronized or treated like children.

At the dental practice of Dr. Robert Rapisarda, our entire team is trained to provide exceptional care to patients of all ages and needs, including senior patients. Your senior loved one will be made to feel comfortable and cared for at every stage of treatment; we will strive to create an environment in which he or she will be eager to return for the dental care he or she needs. When it comes to providing superior dental care to seniors, our Boston dental team is unsurpassed. We would welcome the opportunity to demonstrate why you should entrust your elderly loved one’s oral health to our care during a confidential consultation at our office at your earliest convenience.

Elderly Special Needs Patients

Not all senior dental patients have the same needs; some patients remain independent well into their senior years while others require a great deal of assistance with their oral hygiene. Nevertheless, all senior patients will face at least some shared issues that are unique to their age group. For example, all seniors are at heightened risk of dry mouth, gum disease, and oral cancer, regardless of how well they take care of their mouths. This does not mean that they will necessarily develop these conditions; however, it does reinforce the importance of their visiting the dentist at least twice a year as recommended by the American Dental Association – and possibly more often, if recommended by our dental team.

Of course, there are senior patients with more advanced special needs. Many senior patients have lost the manual dexterity required to effectively brush and floss their teeth, increasing the likelihood that plaque and tartar will build upon their teeth between dental visits. This puts their teeth and gums at risk of serious damage. Once again, the best way to avoid this damage is to visit our office routinely for professional cleanings and oral exams. For many seniors, trips to our office represent their best opportunity – if not their only opportunity – to care for their teeth and gums.

Learn More about Dental Care for Seniors

If you would like to schedule an appointment for you and your elderly loved one to meet with Dr. Rapisarda, please contact our general and restorative dentistry practice today.