basic-home-careAfter years in the dental office, I can tell you that it’s very rare to find a patient who goes more than 3 years without a cavity. Knowing that home care is one of the most important aspects of maintaining a healthy mouth, my partners and I set out on creating a home care regimen that’s relatively easy and will provide the results we are hoping to achieve, a decrease in cavities and improvement in overall oral health. The final breakthrough of my home care routine recommendations came while reading Dr. Ellie Phillips book Kiss Your Dentist Goodbye. During our daily care routine, we are mainly focusing on removing and repairing the damage we’ve already done during the day. Removing plaque mostly and strengthening enamel. However, Dr. Ellie’s book brings up a great point, we aren’t focusing on improving the overall environment of the mouth, more specifically saliva makeup. Combining both rationales, ours which focuses on mechanics and repair, and Dr. Ellie’s which focuses on reducing the saliva’s acidity and creating a healthier environment in the mouth, we created Frangella Dental’s basic home care regimen:

Part 1: Prepare & Clean

This portion of your home care focuses on the mechanical aspect of cleaning your mouth.  The first step is to prepare the right oral environment.  You can do this by using an oral rinse that creates a less acidic pH in your mouth. The product we recommend is CloSYS. We also recommend investing in a good electric tooth brush. Our favorite is the Sonicare tooth brush.  Find floss that works best for you. I generally recommend unwaxed tape varieties of floss as opposed to the rope type. The brand I recommend the most is Glide.

Part 2: Sanitize & Disinfect

Directly after brushing and flossing your teeth, the next step is to rinse with an antibacterial rinse. Our favorite product on the market is Listerine. After brushing your teeth, be sure to sanitize your tooth brush, you can do this by rinsing your brush in Listerine, then rinsing with water and allowing to air dry. Also, always store your toothbrush away from open toilets as well.

Part 3: Strengthen & Repair

This portion of home care helps keep your enamel strong and healthy. At night, as the last step of your home care, you should rinse with a fluoride rinse. We recommend ACT Total Care fluoride rinse. After you have rinsed with the fluoride rinse, do not rinse with water. Also, throughout the day, to give added protection, you can chew xylitol gum or use other 100% xylitol products.  You want to aim for about 6-10 grams a day of xylitol to get the best anticavity effects of this sugar substitute. To see all of Frangella Dental’s recommeded home care products, click here.]]>

Fotolia_2983595_XS-resized-600 Being in the dental field, I’ve noticed that about a month before the wedding, patients begin to panic and realize that the smile they’ve loved all their lives just isn’t wedding picture perfect. Unfortunately, the smile of most people’s dreams cannot be acheived in less than 3-4 weeks. If you’re recently engaged and not exactly sure where to start, here is Frangella Dental’s Wedding Countdown Guide:

  • If you want to straighten your teeth, visit your dentist ASAP for an evaluation. Ortho or Invisalign cases typically take between 8 months and 1.5 years, so you’ll want to get started early in order to have your teeth perfect or at least almost perfect come wedding day.
  • Crowns, bridges or veneers: These types of restorations usually require multiple visits, and the length of time between visits can be up to 2 weeks per visit. It’s best to have this treatment started as soon as possible but don’t wait any longer than 3-4 months before your wedding.
  • No one wants a toothache on their wedding day so be sure to keep up with your 6-month check-ups to take care of any cavities.
  • If you plan to whiten your teeth, we recommend one month before your wedding date. Whitening is the last dental procedure you should have done before big day.
For general maintenance, here are Frangella Dental’s favorite dental products. Congratulations and best wishes!]]>

fotolia_28128322_xsConscious sedation is a procedure that allows you to get the dental care you need while remaining stress free and comfortable. Conscious sedation is defined as a minimally depressed state of consciousness that allows the retention of the ability to respond and react to physical stimulation and verbal command. During the sedated state most patients experience an amnesic effect that can erase any memory of the procedure. It is a great tool that can help you achieve the smile you’ve always wanted but were kept from getting due to your fear of the dentist. If you are afraid to go to the dentist, or just anxious about certain aspects of your dental treatment, sedation may be a solution to your anxiety. Unlike general anesthesia where the patient is unconscious or asleep, conscious sedation allows you to be awake but in a very relaxed state. Our certified IV conscious sedation dentist, Dr. Tina Frangella, can give you the ability to have your dental treatment completed while you are in a sedated and relaxed state. Sedation Dentistry can give you the peace of mind you need in order to undergo dental work with no memory of the treatment that was done. It will allow you to receive the care necessary for you to enjoy better overall health, an improved self-image, and better quality of life with a healthy, beautiful smile.]]>