Dental Services & Information Blog Category

Chipping a tooth can be surprising and even a little scary—whether it happens while eating something hard, playing sports, or from an accidental fall. Even if it doesn’t hurt at first, it’s important not to ignore a chipped tooth. Acting quickly can help you avoid pain, infection, or further damage. At Manduzzi Family Dentistry, we help Michigan patients throughout Utica, Sterling Heights, Shelby Township, and Rochester Hills to get fast and comfortable care when unexpected dental issues strike. Here’s what to do next if you chip a tooth. Step 1: Stay Calm and Assess the Situation First and foremost, don’t panic. Many chipped teeth can be repaired with little discomfort if treated promptly. Gently rinse your mouth with warm water to clean the area. If there’s any swelling, apply a cold compress to your cheek to reduce inflammation. Try to avoid eating on the side of your mouth with the Read the full article…

As you may already know, frequently consuming foods and drinks that are high in sugar, such as soft drinks and sweets like candy and desserts can lead to tooth decay. So, which ones are the worst, you ask? Before we get to that, it is important to understand the decay process. What are the worst foods and drinks for my teeth? It may come as a surprise that it is not the sugar itself that directly causes cavities. The sugar we consume is metabolized by the bacteria in our mouths, and whereas we as humans metabolize sugar into energy, bacteria metabolize sugar into acid. It is the acid produced by the bacteria that eats away the mineralized structure of the tooth, leading to a cavity. The amount of time the acid is in contact with the teeth is also a major factor. Every time we eat or drink something with sugar, the bacteria in our Read the full article…

Even in spite of one’s best efforts to maintain proper oral hygiene, the loss of a tooth or multiple teeth is a very common problem that many people deal with in today’s society. According to the American College of Prosthodontics (ACP), it is estimated that 120 million Americans are missing at least one tooth and more than 36 million Americans are missing all of their teeth. Tooth loss results most often from extensive tooth decay or gum disease and can lead to health issues such as poor nutrition, obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. These issues generally stem from the fact that it is simply more difficult to chew and maintain a properly balanced diet without all of your natural teeth. Even when one single tooth is lost, it is a major compromise to how the system of one’s teeth and jaws, known as the stomatognathic system, is designed to function. Further, those Read the full article…

In response to the COVID-19 crisis, Governor Gretchen Whitmer issued Executive Order 2020-17 on March 20, 2020, restricting dental practices in the Michigan to performing only emergency dental care. This order is in place until the “state of emergency” declaration has ended, which at this time is still in effect with no end date yet announced. As a result, routine dental care such as dental cleanings and an array of other procedures deemed to be non-urgent are to be postponed until further notice. In order to comply with this order, our office will be contacting patients currently scheduled for non-urgent appointments and rescheduling them to a later date when we anticipate the order will be lifted. The following is a list of conditions that qualify for “emergency” or “essential” dental treatment Please call our office if you are in pain or if any of the above conditions arises during our Read the full article…

Dental radiographs (x-rays) are the only way to see in between your teeth to check for tooth decay (cavities) as well as to evaluate the jaw bone around the teeth, which is important in diagnosing periodontal disease (bone loss around teeth). Without dental x-rays, we cannot properly make these diagnoses. If x-rays are taken regularly, issues can be caught and treated before they become bigger (and generally more painful) problems.