We hear this often when we find a tooth that has become infected. Sometimes, people will say the tooth was sensitive, but now doesn’t bother them anymore. And, there are times where the tooth has never bothered the person. An infection at the base of the tooth is called an apical periodontitis. We diagnose this by X-Ray, one of the reasons we update X-Rays. The tooth can be sensitive, may be broken down, may be cracked, etc., but the tooth can also not be sensitive.

So, back to the question I posed in the heading… If no pain, then why do you need the root canal? The reason is once the tooth is infected, the bacteria have caused damage to the nerve and are now invading the space around the outside of your tooth. Once the bacteria start causing damage to the surrounding bone and ligament that holds the tooth, this needs to be treated to remove the infection before it spreads and becomes worse. Antibiotics will help, short-term, if there is pain sensitivity. The antibiotics will begin to allow your body to fight the infection, but, if the tooth isn’t treated to remove the infected nerve and get the bacteria out of the tooth, the infection will come back once the antibiotics are done. The treatment can be a root canal, where the remaining infected nerve is removed, the area is disinfected and cleaned, and a sterile filling is placed. This procedure removes the infected nerve, cleanses the inside of the tooth to remove the bacteria. By doing this, your body can usually remove the bacteria that has started affecting the bone and surrounding areas, enabling you to keep your tooth. The other treatment option is to extract the tooth and allow the space to heal. But, this leaves a “hole” where the tooth used to be.

So, a root canal is a great procedure we are able to offer to rid the tooth of the infection while keeping the tooth. Now, once the root canal is completed, we do recommend a crown for that tooth. The tooth, without a nerve, will become more brittle over time, so, for long-term strength and stability, we always recommend a crown. As always, if you have any questions, feel free to contact Bettina to schedule a consultation so we can discuss what is happening and what needs to be done.

Call 978-343-4031 to find out more information!

Brian C McDowell D.D.S. LVIF

On a recent episode of Dr. Oz that I know was watched by many, Dr. Oz sent people out to check on how dentists go about diagnosing and presenting treatment. I am upset and disappointed in Dr. Oz for producing this kind of segment. We all went through this a few years ago when Reader’s Digest did the exact same thing. Yes, there are plenty of variations within the field and many opinions on when to treat and not to treat… I do believe that there are some unscrupulous dentists that are trying to take advantage of people, but I feel the majority of dentist are trying to do what they feel is in the best interest of the patients! I would like to clarify our office’s views on this.

We always include you, the patient in all decisions as to treatment needed. We encourage you to ask as many questions as you need to to get the information you need to make the best decision for yourself! Even during a procedure, if something changes, we will stop and discuss what happened, what would need to be done now and make sure you are okay with all before continuing. We want your care to be a partnership between us, we feel the more educated you are, the decisions become easier to make.

Our office does treatment plan, but we also can provide options as needed. This is why we start everyone with a comprehensive exam- we need to collect all of the information so we can make the correct diagnosis as to your issues. Once we collect the information, we will discuss what was found, what we need to do to repair/restore the teeth. Our exams also include a physiologic TMJ screening, this will enable us to let you know if there are issues, or potential issues, with the alignment of the jaws. Again, we will discuss what we found and what we are recommending.

We want our patients to be part of the process and provide as much information as we can to allow you to make an educated decision regarding your care. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact our team at 978-343-4031 and we will answer all your questions!

Brian C McDowell D.D.S. LVIF

September brings another change in seasons. We are moving from the relaxed summer to the cooler weather of fall and the beginning of a new school year as well as most getting back into a routine. Routines for your dental health are important! We recommend brushing at least twice, if not three times a day for at least 2 minutes each time along with flossing once per day. Getting back in to have your Recare visit is important as well. Changing seasons is a great time to change those habits. To develop a new habit, it takes about 3 weeks once started for a new habit to become routine. Now is the perfect time to work on those new habits! Also, fall is a wonderful time to re-assess where you are and where you would like to be. If you feel your smile is holding you back from achieving all that you could, we can help change that as well! Fall, a change in the season, a time to change your habits, a time to re-assess where you are, and a time to change your outlook! If you would like to know more, please feel free to contact our office at 978-343-4031 with any questions or to schedule your consult.

Summer is a time to slow down and reflect on what has been going on… The longer days, the beautiful weather, I begin to think how thankful I am. First, a little more about me, I graduated from dental school 26 years ago. Immediately after graduation, I moved back to my hometown. Over the past 26 years, my dental practice has evolved into a physiologic-based practice. We help relieve a myriad of issues- TMJ-related, headaches, sore neck/shoulders, dizziness, ringing in the ears, and more. I truly enjoy helping alleviate issues that people have been unable to resolve for years! I couldn’t do this type of treatment without my highly-educated and devoted team! Bettina, my office coordinator, Chris and Marylisa, my hygienists, have been working by my side for a combined 60 years! I have been fortunate to have a team that is open to advances, enjoys what we do, and enjoy working together. I have been fortunate to be able to bring them to most of the advanced continuing education classes that I have attended. These 3 are the backbone of the office and help to ensure that everything runs smoothly. Without my team’s dedication and willingness to embrace new challenges, there isn’t any way we could have done what we are doing! I want to thank these ladies for all of their hard work! If you would like to know more about what we do, please feel free to contact our office at 978-343-4031 with any questions or to schedule your consult.

Blue Ocean Publishing Group has selected Dr. Brian McDowell, DDS, who’s dental practice is in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, to be a contributing author of the upcoming book, “A Reason to Smile.” The book will include contributions from a number of prominent experts in the field of dentistry, and provide information on different restorative and cosmetic dental treatments, such as teeth whitening, dental implants, and veneers. The purpose of “A Reason to Smile – Fixing Broken Confidence with Cosmetic Dentistry”, scheduled for release later in 2017, is to assist patients who want to learn more about dental treatment options. Anna Foster, Purchasing Agent for Blue Ocean Publishing Group, states that the book will serve to connect dental patients with expert dentists in virtually every dental treatment specialty. “We’ve selected experts who are particularly knowledgeable about, and skilled in, the very latest dental treatment procedures,” she said. “These dentists are passionate about serving patients with state of the art treatments, and will provide answers to a number of commonly asked questions about restorative and cosmetic dentistry.” The book’s content is addressed to patients thinking about having dental work done. It’s not a textbook for dentists. It will be easy for ordinary, everyday persons to read the book and learn about the latest restorative and cosmetic dental treatment options. Because of the expert panel of actively practicing dentists selected to author the book’s chapters, readers can rely on the information presented in “A Reason to Smile.” Blue Ocean Publishing has been assisted in putting the book together by collaborating with Barak Granot, co-founder of DentoMetrix, a leading dental marketing agency. Dr. McDowell, who’s emphasis is in sleep dentistry and physiologic dentistry, including treatment of TMJ, is the most recently selected dentist chosen to take part in the project. Dr. McDowell believes that, “This book can be a valuable help for dental patients looking for explanations of specific dental procedures and for information about treatment options. It’s important for patients to be able to make informed choices, and there are so many new treatment options out there. This book will help patients in finding a dentist who’s experienced in treating a patient’s particular dental problem.” In “A Reason to Smile,” Dr. McDowell’s contribution will be primarily in regard to his area of concentration in physiologic dentistry, treating problems such as TMJ (temporomandibular joint) disorders. Dr. McDowell focuses on fixing bite issues which can cause headaches, sleep deprivation, and other problems for patients. Dr. McDowell offers a complete range of both general and cosmetic dental care services. His practice takes a holistic approach to treatment, and includes employing things such as sensory relaxation techniques and comfortable, heated neck pillows for patients. Dr. McDowell is a graduate of the Ohio State University College of Dentistry, and has earned the distinction of being named a Las Vegas Institute Fellow (LVIF) by completing advanced education courses at the Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies. He and his team also continue their education by attending several dental conferences each year. Dr. McDowell also serves as an advisor to the Montachusett Regional Vocation Technical High School Dental Assisting Program and to the Mount Wachusett Community College Dental Hygiene and Dental Assisting Program.

Let’s talk today about dentures. Dentures can have different meanings.Complete dentures are when an entire arch of teeth is being replaced. A partial denture is where one or more teeth are being replaced, but there are still teeth in that arch to help support it. Some of the issues with dentures are support, stability, and retention. Support refers to the gums, bone, and teeth (if a partial denture) that hold the denture in place. Stability is the ability of the denture to stay in place and retention is how well the denture stays in place. We create dentures that address all three of these concerns to minimize any issues you will have after we place the denture. One of the frequent concerns we hear is that with dentures, the person complains that they look ‘old’. Most people have some loss of support leading to this look. We create our dentures to rebuild the facial support, the cheeks and the lips to minimize this look. We work with you to create the look deserve. Just because you have dentures doesn’t mean you need to look like you have them! Please feel free to contact our office at 978-343-4031 with any questions or to schedule a consult to see what we can do for you.