Uncategorized

by drrapisarda
Dr. Robert Rapisarda has helped countless patients in and around Barre have the healthy, beautiful smiles that they have always wanted to have. This is thanks to his approach to general and preventative care as well as his advanced restorative dentistry treatments focused on total wellness.

There is plenty a patient can do on his or her own to help their smiles be the healthiest they can be. Let’s consider some bad habits that affect your dental heath and what you can do about them.

Smoking and the Use of Tobacco Products

Cigarettes, cigars, and smokeless tobacco are all harmful to your dental health as well as the aesthetics of your smile. The best way to ensure your smile looks its best and that you’re as healthy as you can be is to quit using tobacco products or simply avoid them entirely.

Not Brushing or Flossing Enough

You really shouldn’t skip brushing or flossing given how important both are to removing plaque and keeping your mouth clean. Be sure to brush your teeth at least twice a day and to floss at least once a night. Ideally you should consider brushing and flossing after every meal.

Improper Brushing and Flossing

Sometimes it’s not a matter of how much you brush and floss but your technique. Many people do not brush or floss properly, meaning they do so aggressively. Aggressive brushing and flossing can cause damage to the gums and lead to gum recession. Be sure to use a soft-bristled toothbrush and to be delicate when brushing and flossing.

Chewing on Hard or Inedible Objects

Many people nibble on drinking straws, bite their fingernails, chew on pen caps, or chomp down on ice cubes. Whether this is a nervous tick, a bad habit, or an unconscious gesture, it can lead to tooth damage if you aren’t careful. Kick this bad habit to keep your teeth strong and healthy.

Using Teeth to Open Packages

On the note of biting down on objects you shouldn’t, there are many people who have used their teeth to open packages, such as a new Blu-ray or a bag of chips. This can similarly lead to chips and cracks on your teeth. When a job calls for scissors, be sure to use scissors instead of your teeth.

Neglecting to Wear Mouth Protection and Head Protection

If you participate in contact sports or combat sports, or if you have a job in a dangerous line of work, you run the risk of serious damage to your teeth, jaw, and face. To protect yourself, it’s important that you wear a helmet or a mouth guard. This is a common sense way to avoid serious injury.

Not Visiting Your Dentist Enough

Twice a year doesn’t seem like much, but seeing your dentist every six months can help you prevent tooth decay, gum disease, and a host of other serious problems. General and preventative care is key for having the healthiest smile possible.

Speak with Dr. Robert Rapisarda About Good Dental Care

To learn more about the bad dental habits you should avoid and the advanced treatments that we offer, we encourage you to contact our cosmetic and restorative dentistry center today. Dr. Robert Rapisarda and his entire team look forward to your visit and giving you the info you need to have the healthiest smile possible.

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
Patients from the greater Boston have placed their trust in Dr. Robert Rapisarda because of his commitment to effective dental care. The cornerstone of this is general dentistry focused on prevention, education, and promoting total wellness, which also means making the most out of the regular dental exams with his patients.

What a Visit Every Six Months Means for Your Smile

While it may seem like a single visit to the dentist every six months is not that important, you’d be surprised what gets accomplished during a dental exam. These visits to your dentist twice a year can mean the difference between tooth pain and a mouth full of cavities and beautiful smile in which your teeth and gums are completely healthy.

Dental X-Rays and Advanced Diagnostics

During a dental exam, you’ll undergo dental x-rays to check various structures of your mouth. This allows your dentist to identify any issues below the surface that need to be treated, such as structural problems with the teeth and the jawbone/jaw joint. The x-rays will also become an important part of your treatment history and may aid in future dental care.

Professional Dental Cleanings

Brushing and flossing at home is key to a healthy smile, but it’s important that patients also come in for professional cleanings. This will involve a thorough polish with an electric toothbrush as well as careful flossing and scraping of all those hard to reach places.

Checking Your Teeth and Gums

Your dentist will check your teeth and gums carefully after they have been cleaned. This allows for identification of surface issues and flaws of the teeth, such as chips and cracks, as well as problems with the gum tissue, such as recession and lesions. Taken into account with the x-rays, your dentist can diagnose various health and wellness issues you may be facing.

Opening Communication to Improve Overall Wellness

Your dental exam also allows you time to discuss dental health topics that are on your mind. Use your visit to ask questions, voice concerns, and discuss the issues that may not be apparent from x-rays and a basic check of the teeth. This includes problems with bad breath and dry mouth, persistent tooth pain or gum pain, and any problems that involve the function of your jaw joint.

Planning Future Treatment Needs

Toward the end of your exam, your dentist will discuss your future treatment needs if anything is necessary. This includes determining when to fill a cavity or to initiate orthodontic care. If you do not have any pressing issues, you’ll simply be given an opportunity to schedule the next visit six months down the line.

Providing Tips to Enhance Your Dental Health

On top of all of the above, your dentist and the dental care tip will likely pass on some tips on how you can make the most of your smile. This might include items to purchase, bad habits to avoid, and other ways to make your teeth and gums as healthy as possible.

Schedule a Consultation with Dr. Robert Rapisarda

For more information about dental exams and how our team can help you enhance your overall dental health and wellness, be sure to contact our cosmetic and restorative dentistry center today. Dr. Rapisarda will carefully examine your teeth so that you can smile with absolute confidence.