Happy New Year Everyone! Let’s start the new year out talking about how your teeth/jaws can influence your posture. If your bite is in the wrong position – meaning over closed, off to one side, not level side to side, this will cause extra pressure on the muscles of the head and neck. Each time we eat, drink, talk, swallow or chew, we need our teeth to touch together. To do this, our muscles need to work to close our jaw. If they have to work extra to do this, the extra force or pressure needed starts to get spread over different areas. The fist area is obviously the head and neck, causing all of these muscles to have to work harder. As this occurs, our head will start coming forward to help the muscles. Forward head posture, as this is known, then starts to put pressure on the back to help hold the head forward of where it should be. As this continues, the back (spine) begins to change shape, changing our posture. This can cause slouching, shoulder slump, uneven hips, etc. leading to back and leg problems. By re-aligning the jaw with a retainer-type device, we can correct the bite, putting the bite back in a balanced position. Once the bite is corrected, there is no need for the head to be forward to help the muscles any longer, so the forward head position begins to correct itself. As the forward head posture corrects, the back/spine again begins to change back to a healthier position, alleviating the slouching, shoulder slump, issues with hips, etc. So in conclusion, if you have any issues with your posture and you’re not sure of the cause, give us a call for an evaluation to see if we can help. Call Bettina at 978-343-4031 to schedule you consult. Make today the day you start working on a better you! Sincerely, Brian C. McDowell, D.D.S., L.V.I.F. Dr. McDowell is located at 558 Electric Avenue in Fitchburg, MA. Dr. McDowell has attained his fellowship from The Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies after completing the Core curriculum.

Spa dentistry, to our office, means providing you with as many amenities as we can to make your visit with us as comfortable as possible. We are always working to create a relaxing, welcoming atmosphere in our office.

To accomplish this, we provide many amenities for you to choose from. We have heated neck pillows, blankets to keep you warm and music of your choice during your visit. All of our computers have Pandora Radio and we encourage you to choose the music of your choice. In addition, we have lip balm to keep those lips healthy and happy while we get your work done.

We realize that most don’t care for that “dental office smell”, so we have candles going during our time in the office for additional relaxation. We offer complimentary bottled water, a selection of teas and coffees, as well as fresh baked goods each week. Dr. McDowell’s wife, Diane, enjoys baking and we get to enjoy the fruit of her labor each week.

After your visit, we provide bathroom luxuries- makeup for the ladies, cologne samples for the gentlemen, to freshen up before you leave.

As you can see, we try to create that “Spa” feeling throughout the office! We want you to be as relaxed and comfortable as possible during your visit.

Feel free to give Bettina a call at 978-343-4031 to schedule your visit to see what sets us apart! Looking forward to seeing you!

Sincerely,
Dr. Brian McDowell

As we approach the middle of summer, we all hopefully are able to begin to relax a little more, slow down to enjoy the longer, warmer days. Daily routines have a tendency to slip a little during these times, which is fantastic as our daily, hectic lives slow somewhat. But, your daily oral hygiene is more important, especially during these slower days! We all enjoy the summer treats- ice cream, sweets, sodas and milkshakes, which is one of the main reasons to not let your brushing and flossing to slip. These tasty, sugary treats are the perfect ingredients to allow cavities to begin to develop. Keeping and maintaining a regular schedule is important in minimizing the likelihood that problems will arise.

We recommend brushing at least twice a day for at least two minutes each time. If you can work a third brushing into your schedule, that is fantastic, but brushing after breakfast in the morning and definitely before bed in the evening would be the minimum. This will clean the debris and allow your body to repair any early damage that has started. Flossing at least once a day also helps to clean any food that may have become lodged between your teeth. As always, keeping your regularly scheduled dental visits will help ensure that we are able to keep your teeth healthy for the long-term. We are always available to answer any questions you may have and to address any issues that arise.

For those traveling during the summer- be it to the beach or the mountains, make sure to pack your toothbrush, toothpaste and floss! Even on vacation, we need to continue our routine, we may be on vacation, but cavities never take a break! They will continue to form if we do not stay diligent in our cleaning.

In closing, we hope everyone is enjoying and continues to enjoy the summer. Have fun, relax a little, slow the daily pace down, but please remember to maintain your oral hygiene! We do enjoy seeing and hearing about your trips, but prefer to talk about these at your regular visits, not because you are having a problem. We are always available, if we are away, we always have someone covering the office in case of emergencies.

If you have any questions, or would like additional information about your oral hygiene, feel free to give Bettina a call at 978-343-4031. Have a wonderful summer and looking forward to hearing about your summer adventures!

Dr. Brian McDowell

REGULAR CHECK-UPS

Do you know that along with cleaning your teeth and checking for cavities, there are a number of other things that we check? These include:

• Oral Cancer
• Gum Health
• Bite Changes
• Dry Mouth
• Signs of Other Diseases
• Diabetes
• Autoimmune Diseases
• Sleep Apnea/Snoring
• Whitening

As we approach the summer and wedding season, we are pleased to announce that beginning in mid-May, we will be offering the ZOOM Whitening System! We have been searching for a replacement for our Britesmile system and have found that the Zoom system gives as good, if not better results!! Zoom is a one hour in-office whitening system that produces from 4-6 shade changes in that time. This system allows even people with sensitive teeth to have the whitening they desire, as there is a procedure to prevent most of the sensitivity. Give us a call at 978-343-4031 for more information and to schedule your Zoom whitening session!

Office Amenities

Dentistry has come a long way in recent years. We have many amenities that help to make your visit more comfortable. Ask us about our music of your choice to relax you, our heated neck pillows, blankets to keep you comfortable during your visit. Along with these, we also offer coffee and tea of your choice, freshly prepared baked goods, and gourmet chocolates – all to help you relax before and during your visit! As dentistry has advanced in recent years, we have expanded our range of services as well.

Sleep Matters!

Sleep. Our body’s way of healing, repairing and renewing. How many of us don’t get the amount of sleep we need? How many of us don’t get the quality of sleep each night? How many have sleep issues- Snoring? Restless Sleep? Sleep Apnea? Frequent awakening to use the bathroom? We may have your solution- A Sleep Appliance!! A sleep appliance is a device you wear over both the top and bottom teeth that helps to hold the lower jaw forward. By holding the jaw forward, your airway is allowed to stay open producing better sleep. We use an appliance called MicrO2. Our appliance is a physiologic based appliance. We use your muscles as the guide to find a relaxed position for your jaw. By doing this we are able to minimize most of the problems people experience with other sleep appliances-difficulty getting the teeth together in the morning, pain in the joints, etc. Our appliance addresses all the sleep issues with a minimal amount of problems. Give us a call for a consultation at 978-343-4031.

Always wanted that whiter, brighter smile? Tried the over-the- counter products and didn’t get the results you were hoping for, or worse, ended up with sensitive teeth because of these products? Well, we have the solution for you- Zoom Whitening! Zoom is our new in-office system that will get you 6 or more shades lighter in about an hour. We have been looking for a system to replace our Britesmile system, and after trying some, and being disappointed in the results, we found the Zoom system gives as good, if not better results, than the Britesmile system did!

The Zoom system uses a gel that is applied to the teeth that is then activated by a LED light. We usually do 3-15 minute cycles and we are seeing fantastic results! So, in about an hour, you can have that whiter brighter smile you have been dreaming of! There is a take home system if you don’t want to do the in-office treatment. The gel used is a longer acting gel, meant to stay on the teeth longer, but still provides excellent whitening over the course of 3-5 days. In fact, you will whiten the same amount regardless of which way you choose to do. The advantage of the in-office is it is a 1 visit, 1 hour procedure, no follow-ups. The advantage of the take home is you can do as much or as little as you want- this system works great for people who have whitened in the past, but didn’t maintain the upkeep. We will provide touch-up for you take after your session to help you maintain the whiteness and brightness for many years. The touch up is used every 6-8 weeks to maintain the outcome for you.

Now, for those who are concerned, or know you have sensitive teeth, we have you covered also! We now have a way to desensitize you prior to your Zoom session so we can minimize your discomfort during and immediately after the procedure. We have a toothpaste that we will have you use for 2 weeks prior to your whitening session. This will desensitize the teeth, allowing us and you to complete the procedure with minimal sensitivity! We have found that this works very well and allows us to be able to whiten people that we wouldn’t have been able to before.

Zoom Whitening is new to our office, so we are running introductory specials. The in-office system is regularly $350, we are offering for $250, the take home system, regularly $275, is now $200. This is a limited time offer, so don’t delay. Call our office at 978-343-4031 to schedule a consultation and your Zoom Whitening session!

Dr. McDowell

Let’s start by talking about dental insurance. Dental insurance is unlike medical insurance. Dental insurance is a benefits plan that is agreed to by your employer and the insurance company. The insurance company sets forth these plans that dictate what will be covered based on what an employer decides to purchase. The insurance company also decides how much they will reimburse for each procedure and how much of each of those procedures they will cover. Dental insurance began back in the 1970’s as an extra benefit to encourage people to visit the dentist. In the early days, insurance covered up to $1,000 per person per year and there were no restrictions on how that money could be used. This made dentistry more affordable to more people. As time has passed, the insurance companies have steadily raised your premiums, but still, even today, most plans have a maximum of $1,000. Now, there are also restrictions and limitations on how you can use your dental benefits. Some plans have a “restricted network” of dentists, dentists that have agreed to accept lower fees for this plan. Most insurances still allow you to see an “out of network” dentist, but w=your benefit is lower than by seeing an “in network” dentist. Limitations can take a number of forms, most common is not replacing missing teeth that were missing before coverage began. Some also limit the frequency of certain procedures, regardless of actual need for these. Add to this that insurance is always looking to cover the least expensive option, and you ca see why we do not participate in these plans. As stated above, we do not participate in any of the insurance plans, meaning we do not sign contracts to agree to accept lower benefits. We do accept all insurance, but we strongly believe the decision for your care should be a decision made between yourself and Dr. McDowell. We customize our treatment options to your needs, we do not want an insurance company, who has never examined you, deciding what they feel is “best” (insurance talk for least expensive) for you. There a few exceptions, but most insurances will cover your visits here in our office. If you have any questions about your insurance, or would like to find out more about our office, please give our team a call at 978-343-4031.