E. Charles Beliveau DDS Blog

Your toothbrush and floss are crucial to keeping your teeth and gums healthy, but did you know routine dental care is equally important? The American Dental Association recommends everyone has a cleaning and checkup at least twice a year; however, only 1 in 5 adults have visited their dentist since the pandemic. Although you’re spending more time at home, skipping a dental cleaning in North Andover can leave a lasting mark on your smile. Here are 4 reasons you don’t want to put off your routine visit.
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Have you ever been so excited to get healthy in the new year but then given up on your resolution because it was too hard? You’re not alone. In fact, an estimated 80% of New Year’s resolutions don’t make it past February. If you’re looking to make 2021 the year you get healthy, why not start with an attainable goal, like your oral health? Try these four simple New Year’s resolutions for a healthy smile!

A surefire way to ruin an otherwise nice day is for a dental emergency to suddenly emerge. In addition to disrupting your normal way of life, it can also cause some other serious problems. How can you recognize the symptoms of the developing issue, soon, so you can get the help you need and prevent any unnecessary suffering? Continue reading to get some helpful tips from a local dentist.

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If you have dental insurance, you’re at a much greater advantage than people who don’t. That’s because insurance provides you with a way to keep your smile clean and healthy. There’s a caveat, though; dental insurance is only beneficial if you actually utilize it. With the end of the year rapidly approaching, it’s of the utmost importance that you get an appointment to see your cosmetic dentist before 2020. As you continue reading, you’ll learn why!

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If there’s one thing that all kids love (and most adults if we’re being honest), it’s free candy. In fact, you’ve probably already bought yourself a big bag in preparation for all the kids who are going to be knocking on your front door and showing off their spooky costumes. If there’s one nightmare you should avoid though, it’s chronic tooth decay and cavities. If you want your child to avoid chronic tooth decay and cavities by the time the next holiday rolls around, consider these essential tips from a children’s dentist.

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You and your child have just come back from your amazing vacation to the beach. Summer has seemed to fly by so quickly this year, and you realize that school is just around the corner. It’s time to get your child ready for another academic year. Although you certainly should gather the necessary supplies and new clothing or shoes that your child needs, have you thought about preparing their smile? In this blog post from your dentist in North Andover, you’ll learn five reasons why you should bring your child for a checkup before the new school year begins. (more…)

Last week I spent three wonderful days at the Spear Institute in Scottsdale, Arizona, for some intense continuing education. While some would think Scottsdale would be an ideal place to sit by the pool or play some golf( well it is), I spent most of my time in the hands on lab perfecting techniques that we use every day. Our day began at 7:30 am and ended at 5:30 for three days with a little time for lunch but not much else. I wouldn’t change a thing.
The atmosphere and excitement by the staff and students is electric. Everyone there wants to learn, share and renew our excitement for excellent dentistry. While exhausting and at times overwhelming, the Spear Center is a place to learn from the best in the world. It is an environment that stimulates learning and fosters excitement about what you can bring home to share with our patients. So if I seem fired up, I am. I can’t wait to share with you what excellent dentistry can do to improve your life.

It is with great concern that tonight I read of a dental office in Oklahoma that might have not been sterilyzing instruments properly creating possible disease transmission.
While I am usually very skeptical concerning anything reported by the media, it appears some serious violations of normal operating practices were violated in Oklahoma.
We realize patients have enough anxiety about visiting us without needing to worry about the prospect of cross contamination and the spread of disease. Let me assure all of our patients that all infectious disease protocols are followed to the letter at our offices. Anything that comes in contact with a patients mouth is either sterilyzed or thrown away. The dental chair and surrounding areas are thoroughly sprayed and wiped with a disinfectant spray.
In our sterilyzation area, there are compartments that are clearly segregated to keep any pre autoclaved instruments from coming in contact with those already sterile. Our dental assistants and staff routinely take continuing education on infection control to provide our patients with a safe dental office.
All of us here take infection control very seriously. I have spent many thousands of dollars to create a state of the art infection control area. If you have any concerns, please ask one of us about our infection control protocols. We will happily talk with you or show you the procedures we take to keep our patients safe.

I think that there are times when patients are not sure what we are trying to do. I will try to clarify what we as the dental team are trying to accomplish.
When we examine a patient, either for the first time,at recare visits or during an emergency visit, there are several things that should be considered. First, an easy one, pain. One of our priorities is to determine the causes of pain that a patient reports. Frequently we will question the patient to help identify the source. Is pain constant? Temperature related? What is the duration? How long have you noticed the discomfort. These questions along with other diagnostic aids such as visual examination and dental xrays will aid us in determining ways to eliminate pain.
A second area we must address is the elimination of disease. There are several types that we see frequently. Caries, or more commonly dental decay. Periodontal disease, or gum disease is also common. Occlusal disease is the loss of tooth structure through excessive wear, chemical(ie acid) attack or trauma. And certainly we must be on the lookout for any soft tissue changes that could be cancerous.
And finally, we must check the health of the jaw joint or TMJ’s.
So with this information, what are the goals of treatment. For me, there are three. 1. Eliminate disease. 2. Restore form and function. 3.Create stability. In upcoming posts, I will break down these three goals and relate them to what we see during our examinations.

Hopefully, people are regaining their power and internet service so that you can read this. You will remember that last month I began a discussion on some of the realities regarding silver amalgam.  I finished last months blog stating that silver amalgam fillings are held in the tooth by the shape of the cavity preparation created by the dentist.

Unfortunately, the “undercuts” created by cavity preparations for silver amalgam create what I feel is one of the biggest drawbacks. The cavity preparations for silver amalgam often will remove more solid tooth structure than a preparation for composite, or tooth colored fillings.  Often these preparations, combined with the different expansion contraction properties between tooth and silver amalgam often create cracks in teeth that can lead to a fractured tooth. It has been my experience over the past 22 years to see many more teeth that fracture with silver fillings as opposed to composite fillings. I will not say that teeth with composites never break but it seems much less frequent. Why is this?

As I said, cavity preparations for silver amalgam usually require more tooth removal than for composite. Composite fillings are bonded restorations meaning the tooth is treated to allow a microscopic bond to keep the filling in place. This allow the dentist to simply remover the decay or stain and bond the new filling in place. No undercuts are necessary and along with the bonding process, the tooth actually becomes stronger.

That should be enough to think about until next time where we will discuss the big winner. Asthetics!