Hewlett Family Dental Blog

If it’s been a while since you last had a filling done, you may be surprised at the new options available. Read on to see how fillings used to be, as well as what’s available today. Mercury Fillings The original standard of dental fillings involved squeezing a mold of a metal alloy called dental amalgam. This amalgam contains predominantly silver, hence the common name of silver fillings, but also up to 50 percent mercury. This led to many health concerns, as mercury is toxic even in small quantities. Despite the mercury in a cured filling not being available as free mercury, and thus having a small risk of entering the patient’s general system, the other concern is that amalgam fillings require undercutting. This is the removal of extra tooth matter to create a better position for the filling to stay within. However, some dentists note that amalgam fillings are stronger than the more popular composite and are still a worthwhile choice for back teeth. Tooth-Colored...

WHY IS FLUORIDE IMPORTANT? Did you know dental cavities are the most common disease in children and adults worldwide? Fluoride is one of the best and safest ways we can prevent cavities for children and adults alike. Here’s how fluoride works. Your mouth contains bacteria that feed on the sugars in the foods we eat and the beverages we drink. This produces acid that can wear away the hard, outer shell of your tooth (enamel). This can lead to cavities. Fluoride protects teeth by making the your teeth stronger and more resistant to acid. It not only reduces the risk of cavities, it can even help reverse early signs of decay. Due to its success in preventing cavities, fluoride in water was named a top public health achievement in the 20th century. WHY IS FLUORIDE ADDED TO TOOTHPASTE? Fluoride in the mouth (in the saliva and dental plaque) is an effective way to prevent tooth decay. The health benefits of fluoride are: •Fewer cavities and less severe cavities. •Less need ...

SENTINEL NEWS By Abby Walker Friday, July 20, 2018 Shelbyville, KY Millions of Americans do not have access to dental insurance, but one Shelby dentist is helping offset costs with his new dental membership plan. According to the U.S. Surgeon General, more than 108 million Americans did not have dental insurance in 2012. Children from families that lack dental insurance are three times more likely to have dental needs than children with public or private insurance. Lack of dental insurance among children is even more common than lack of medical insurance – for each child without medical insurance there are at least 2.6 children without dental insurance. Dental visits are much more difficult to afford for those without dental insurance –costs can easily add up to hundreds of dollars. Because of this, people without dental insurance often fail to get dental care. But Dr. Mark Hewlett of Hewlett Family Dental is trying to make dental services more accessible to e...

Some people think that flossing is only necessary if there is food stuck in their teeth, but damage will happen just from the tarter and bacteria that live between your teeth. 5 Reasons Why You Need To Floss A toothbrush will never be able to properly reach between your teeth or the base of the teeth   where it meets the gums.  Even if your teeth look good on the surface because you brush regularly, having plaque build-up between the teeth can cause cavities and discoloration. These parts of the tooth that cannot be reached by a toothbrush are closer to the root, so cavities that form there may affect the health of the whole tooth more adversely than surface cavities. If you don’t floss regularly, your gums are more likely to bleed.  Bleeding gums allow bacteria into your blood stream. The human mouth is full of bacteria, which is why if a human is bit by another human, the wound will never be stitched up. That same type of bacteria lives in your own mouth, ...

Bruxism is the technical name for teeth grinding, clenching the jaw, that sometimes happens to people as they sleep or concentrate.   It can happen while sleeping or while awake; consciously or without knowing it; to adults as well as to children. It’s more common than many imagine… and, thankfully, it’s also easy to treat. Grinding your teeth or clenching your jaw is more than nervous habits to be ignored; such acts can mean serious problems for oral health, including excessive tooth wear and/or the development of Temporomandibular joint – or TMJ – syndrome. One of the simplest and best solutions is to see a dental professional about wearing a custom-made mouthguard specifically designed to reduce teeth grinding. Causes and Effects of Bruxism The primary causes of bruxism are stress and anxiety. At first, a person may be conscious of doing this (if they’re awake), but over time, the physical activity itself becomes a habit. Once the clenching and grinding are automatic,...

The toothbrush is an essential tool that is used for the care of our teeth. Have you ever missed brushing your teeth for one day? Have you ever considered what it would be like without the toothbrush? Like many common household items, we give little thought about the origins or the trials and tribulations these products went through to arrive at their modern form. The toothbrush is no exception. Simple Sticks All the way back to around 3500 BC, Egyptians and Babylonians chewed on sticks.  What else did they have to do all day, back before the Internet?  But it turns out that these sticks actually served a purpose.  By chewing on one end until the fibers formed a small make-shift brush, people could clean the surfaces of their teeth. Then people discovered Miswak, an herbal chewing stick with healing and antiseptic qualities.  In fact, studies prove that Miswak is superior to the present day toothbrush, and many people prefer it even today!  Curiou...

Most people hear the word root canal and panic.  With today’s state of the art equipment and improved local anesthetic devices, and some knowledge, a root canal does not have to cause panic. Root canals are a very common procedure.  Why do I need a root canal? There are several reasons why your dentist may suggest a root canal: •An infection in your tooth that has reached the nerves •A deep cavity that cannot be filled because the pulp and nerves are also effected •Injury to the tooth •A deep cracked tooth •Broken tooth •Repeated fillings of the effective tooth What is a root canal? A root canal is a dental procedure that is used to prevent the loss of a tooth and relieve pain. Inside your teeth is pulp which consists of soft tissue blood, connective tissue, blood vessels, and nerves. When the pulp becomes infected, swollen or diseased a root canal is necessary to save your tooth. During a root canal, your dentist will remove the infected pulp. The tooth...

The best way to take full advantage of your dental coverage is to understand its features. As an in-network provider for major insurance carriers, Hewlett Family Dental is happy to work with you and your insurance company to determine your coverage. The following outline is an overview of how dental coverage works. Hewlett Family Dental understands that plan booklets are not easy reads, so we help patients get to straight to what matters most: what’s covered and what are my out-of-pocket costs. You authorize us to make a call to the insurance company on your behalf, we’ll do the rest. You then decide what you want to do. If you have questions about any of the following aspects of your dental coverage, just ask us to help. Benefit Period Dental benefits are calculated within a “benefit period”, which is typically for one year but not always a calendar year. Plan benefits which are not used within the benefit period do not carry over. Fall is a good time to review ...

Perhaps you are a label-reader, trying to sort out the ingredient lists on every toothpaste tube. Maybe you still use the same toothpaste you used in childhood. Perhaps you simply grab the least expensive tube you can find. No matter what your current toothpaste shopping habits are, understanding the facts behind the toothpaste hype can make you a more informed consumer who knows how to choose toothpaste just right for you and your family. 1. Fluoride is considered important by many dentists. Virtually all toothpaste sold in the United States contains fluoride. According to the American Dental Association’s website, brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste is a basic of oral hygiene and health, due to fluoride toothpaste’s proven cavity fighting properties. Several different fluoride formulations are available, all of which appear to be similar in cavity-fighting ability and safety. However, many natural toothpaste formulations do not contain fluoride, citing studies in B...

You may have heard of the mind-body connection, but what about the mouth-body connection? To many people, a dental visit is about getting their teeth cleaned, having a tooth pulled, or getting a filling. However, a dental visit is not just about teeth. It is also about your overall health. What goes on in your mouth can affect the rest of your body. What goes on in your body also can have an effect on your mouth. Many diseases and conditions can affect your oral health. For example, people may get more infections in the mouth if their immune system is weak. The immune system protects your body from illness and infection. It can be weakened by disease, by drugs taken to prevent the rejection of transplanted organs, or as a side effect of cancer chemotherapy drugs. Medicine for other conditions also can affect the health of your mouth. For example, many drugs cause dry mouth. This can increase your risk of dental decay and yeast infections. It also can affect taste. Whil...

You’ve probably heard the expression that, “you’re never fully dressed without a smile.” Or perhaps you’ve heard “Smile, it’s free therapy!” Both of these smiley sentiments hold more truth than you may realize! Smiling improves your emotional and physical health. The benefits of an authentic, genuine smile are profound and contagious. Here are just a few ways smiling can benefit you, and your health: Reasons #1: It Helps to Lower Stress For You Dopamine, endorphins, and serotonin are all released when we smile, causing our blood pressure to lower, and helping us to relax, even when we’re in a tense situation. These effects can be immediate and go a long way to easing tension. Reason #2: It Helps to Lower Stress For Others Around You Smiling isn’t just beneficial for your stress level—it can help the people around you to relax as well. An article published by the  Huffington Post  suggests that people perceive an authentic smile as a sign of trustworthiness and app...