WHEN SHOULD YOUR CHILD FIRST VISIT THE DENTIST?

WHEN SHOULD YOUR CHILD FIRST VISIT THE DENTIST?

For many years it has been our philosophy that a child’s first dental visit should be around age 3.  Based on recommendations of the American Dental Association and mounting research, our recommendation is age 1 or within 6 months of the eruption of the first tooth.

Newly erupted teeth are hypomineralized (not fully hardened) and vulnerable to poor oral hygiene and nutrition.  In-office fluoride treatments are both safe and essential.  The fluoride, which is easily applied to your child’s teeth with minimal patient cooperation using a fluoride varnish, strengthens the tooth enamel making it more decay resistant.  It’s important to identify if your child is at an increased risk for dental disease, and if so, work with you the parent or caregiver to decrease this risk.  A key component in caries prevention is beginning fluoride treatments at an early age. 

Establishing good dental habits at an early age is important.  Dental caries is the single most common chronic disease of childhood, and it is also almost 100% preventable.  We will discuss oral and dental development, homecare, fluoride, oral habits, and nutrition with you the parent or caregiver.  This part of the appointment is just as important as and will most likely take longer than the actual examination and treatment.

Reference: Fall 2012 Journal of the Massachusetts Dental Society

Toothbrushes Delivered to Guatemalan Students

Lund Dental is proud to have donated over 200 dental supplies to our patient, Betsy R.,  to bring on her mission trip to Guatemala.  She was so excited to share her experience with us:

"Hello All!

I have returned from an amazing week in Guatemala with my church group, New England Bible Church in Andover, Ma.  Thank you again for your generous donation of toothbrushes and toothpaste for the 225 children who attend the Fountain of Hope School in Matochos, Guatemala. School was just coming back in action when we were visiting, so there were a small number of students in attendance. We were able to interact with the older students, and I had a group photo taken of those students showing off their new gift from Lund Dental Associates!"

Check out the picture of the students with their Lund Dental toothbrushes!

Make Teeth A Priority In 2015!

We hope everyone stayed safe during Winter Storm Juno! Once the snow is shoveled and starts to melt, make a trip to our office for your regular visit. We serve Stoneham, Reading, Wakefield, North Reading, Melrose and Lynnfield, Massachusetts.

Take charge and make your smile a priority this year. Your smile is one of the first things people notice about you. A healthy smile helps to:

• Reduce the look of aging
• Generate confidence
• Creates aesthetic facial symmetry

Be sure you are maintaining your beautiful smile and are taking a preventative approach versus a reactive approach. Don’t wait until a problem arises to get it checked out – prevent it from happening in the first place!

New Year's Resolutions for 2015

1. Brush twice a day
2. Floss once a day
3. Replace your toothbrush
4. Keep your new toothbrush at least 6 feet away from your toilet
5. Visit our office every 6 months for a regular visit

If you or your child is a new patient, please take a look at what you can expect at your first visit with us. If you are visiting our website and/or blog looking for a pediatric dentist, we also offer pediatric dentistry! Conveniently schedule to get you and your child examined at the same time.

Contact Lund Dental Associates

If you have any questions, please give us a call at (781) 438-2700 during our business hours and we would be more than happy to assist you. Get a jump on your resolution list! Make your appointment today!

        At Lund Dental, the entire team takes great pride in getting involved in our community. Throughout the year, our team strives to participate in various programs that benefit many.
        Beginning in February, National Children’s Dental Health Month, Dr. Cara with her assistants visit several schools where she instructs the children in good dental hygiene. The children, usually from grades one through three, are taught the difference between good snacks and unhealthy snacks and how to care for their teeth. They are also given the opportunity to ask questions about visiting the dentist.

        In April, Stoneham hosted a Health and Wellness Fair. Lund Dental had a booth where local residents could learn about the various services that we are able to provide. All visitors to our booth received a dental care bag, complete with brush and floss. In addition, a KoR whitening was raffled and a lucky recipient now has a beautiful new smile.

       Lund Dental is a member of the Chamber of Commerce and in June happily sponsored and volunteered at the Chamber of Commerce Golf Tournament.
September brought Town Day and in a similar way to the Health and Wellness Fair, residents could visit our booth and receive complimentary dental care items and learn more about us.

       In the fall, we collected non-perishable food items for a local church food pantry. Our patients were very generous in their contributions, and we were able to provide for needy families for the Thanksgiving holiday.
       In the Spirit of Christmas, we are a designated drop off center for Toys for Tots. For several years now, with the help of our patients, we have collected numerous toys to help bring happy smiles to children in need.
       We at Lund Dental are excited to be so involved in the community and hope to be able to do so with many programs in the future.
       We are also proud to announce that Lund Dental was elected as the Stoneham Chamber of Commerce New Member of the Year!

It just isn't for kids!

WHY ADULTS NEED FLUORIDE TREATMENTS

The American Dental Association recommends the use of fluoride varnish for children and adults at moderate or high risk for dental decay.

How Does Fluoride Work?

Fluoride safely inhibits or even reverses the progression of dental decay.

How is Fluoride Varnish Different from Fluoride Toothpaste or Rinse?

Fluoride varnish, which has higher concentrations of fluoride than toothpastes or rinses, adheres onto your teeth which helps prolong the contact time between fluoride and your teeth.

Once adhered to your teeth, the fluoride varnish 1) incorporates into the outer layer of your tooth (the enamel) making it stronger and 2) interacts with your saliva forming a calcium fluoride deposit on your teeth which releases fluoride when the pH of plaque drops

Who Should Have a Fluoride Treatment?

Fluoride varnishes are recommended for patients with a high or moderate risk of dental decay.

Risk indicators are 1) history of tooth decay 2) extensive dental work (fillings, crowns, bridges) 3) inadequate previous or current exposure to fluoride 4) any physical or mental impairment that compromises the maintenance of optimal oral health 5) high and frequent sugar consumption 6) lower salivary flow, associated with certain medical conditions and therapies 7) gum recession leading to root exposure (decay prone area of the tooth), especially in elderly populations

How Often Do You Need a Fluoride Treatment?

Studies have shown that fluoride varnish has a residual effect for 26 weeks. Therefore, we recommend having a fluoride treatment coinciding with your 6 month continuing care hygiene visit. Using a high fluoride toothpaste such as Clinpro 5000 between in-office fluoride treatments is highly recommended.

Another Star Found in the Lund Galaxy

            We are excited to introduce our latest addition to the Lund Dental Team, Gabrielle.  Gabrielle joins us after completing dental assistant school and has rapidly become a vibrant member of our already fantastic team. Gabrielle is a licensed esthetician but decided to change careers. She is happy that she made this choice as she loves dentistry.

            Originally from North Reading, she is one of four sisters.  Gabrielle is the proud mother of five year old daughter, Brooklyn.  Brooklyn keeps mom busy as she loves to swim and takes gymnastics.  In addition, Gab, as we like to call her, owns a dog, a cat and two chickens.  Being the daughter of a local Italian restaurant owner, Aldo’s Café in Stoneham, Gab loves to cook.  She also enjoys going to the park with Brooklyn and the movies.

            Gabrielle recently became engaged to Rich and is planning on tying the knot in October of 2015.   We love to hear her excitedly plan her wedding.  Our team is delighted that Gabrielle has joined Lund Dental.

But Something Came Up!

At Lund Dental, we can appreciate that sometimes unforeseen and unavoidable circumstances can throw a curve into one’s day. However, day to day, our job is take exceptional care of our patients, both those who have reserved appointments and those who have unexpected dental emergencies. This has necessitated our 48 hour cancellation request.
We strive to reserve for you our patient a convenient appointment time. If that appointment does need to be rescheduled, by giving us 48 hours, you are allowing us to accommodate another patient who is waiting to be seen. When you cancel your appointment last minute, there is now a void in our schedule that another patient may have needed. Just imagine if you needed to be seen right away and we were not able to give you an appointment.
When you reschedule your appointment at the last minute, it is more challenging for our front desk to find another convenient appointment for you that is not weeks or months away. We worry that by postponing your treatment, by even just a few weeks, a small dental issue can turn into a large dental problem.
Therefore, if you are able to keep your reserved appointment, it is in your best interest and the best interest of all our other patients. If you do need to reschedule, please give us the courtesy of 48 hours. We want to ensure that when you need to see us, for both regular reserved appointments and emergencies, we are able to see you.

Protect Those Pearly Whites!

Many teeth can be lost or broken while playing in athletic events.  This can be prevented by wearing an acceptable mouthguard.    Unfortunately, many have the tendency to purchase a “over the counter”stock mouthguard called a boil-and- bite.  These mouthguards are not effective as they have no retention and can easily fall out. They are not recommended by dental professionals.

            Other offices make mouthguards that are better than the stock but are only a single layer.  Although they are custom fit, they may not protect the teeth because they cannot absorb the trauma as well.

            At Lund Dental, we are now excited to announce that we are making custom mouthguards using our new state-of-the-art vacuum machine.  The method we use is the most recommended and produces a mouthguard consisting of several layers of strong laminated material. Our mouthguards are the most effective because they are made specifically for each individual patient, fitting the mouth perfectly.

            Lund Dental is sponsoring the Stoneham Football team by making complimentary mouthguards for any member of the team.  We also hope to offer this service to other sports teams in the future.   We care about protecting your children’s teeth from sports related injuries!  To make an appointment to have a custom mouthguard fabricated for your child, please call Lund Dental!

Can't We Just Fill It?



Before Crown

After Crown

This question is often asked after a patient is told that he or she needs a crown to restore a tooth, thinking that a simple filling will be sufficient. One may think that the filling is enough but there are several common reasons why this is not so:

• When a tooth fractures or loses a large part or wall, it becomes weakened. If there is more than one-half of the tooth missing, it is more susceptible to further breakage. A crown is able to take that tooth and brace it, preventing fracture.
• When a tooth has a large old filling with decay underneath, the old filling must be removed along with the decay, leaving very little tooth structure to build upon. In this case, the crown would replace all missing tooth structure.
• When a patient presents with a sharp, fleeting pain when biting or chewing, he or she may have what is called cracked tooth syndrome. In this case, the crown braces the tooth and the fracture, resulting in the elimination of the pain.
• When a tooth has had a root canal, the tooth becomes brittle over time and prone to fracture. The crown will stabilize the tooth, preventing fracture and future reinfection. The crowns at Lund Dental are made by premier dental laboratories in the United States using the finest, high quality materials. A computerized instrument, ShadeVision is used to match and blend the crown with the patient’s existing teeth. A digital scanner is used to take a digital impression of the tooth eliminating the need for messy impression material and resulting in a perfectly fitting crown.

At Lund Dental, our mission is to deliver the highest quality of dental care and provide the best long-term solutions for each and every patient.

Author: Mary DeMaina, Dental Assistant at Lund Dental Associates

Making your life easier

            In our busy lives, convenience is of the utmost importance.  In the past, if you our patient needed to be seen by a Periodontist, we would have referred  you to an outside office.  Six years ago this all changed when we welcomed Dr. Marc Pearlstein to the practice.  Dr. Pearlstein is an exceptional Periodontist working at our practice two days a month. Dr. Pearlstein received his dental degree in 1992 and his masters in Periodontics in 1996, both from the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine.  He has been practicing in the Boston area since 1996.   He specializes in all types of gum surgeries: implants, tissue grafts, extractions with bone grafts to name a few.  When you our patient need this type of treatment, Dr. Pearlstein is able to perform any necessary surgery here.

            This is advantageous to you on many levels:

·        Dr. William Lund and Dr. Cara Lund can consult with Dr. Pearlstein on the best course of treatment during your consultation.

·        All necessary radiographs (x-rays) and charting are available.

·        If an implant is placed, there is collaboration between the three doctors to manage your care to completion.

·        Dianne, our office manager, is able to maximize your dental benefits.

·        It eliminates the need for you to go elsewhere.

·        You are able to have your treatment in our familiar and friendly office with the same team members with whom you are comfortable

Our resident Periodontist is able to make the care of our patients more convenient and consistent with our mission for excellent dental care