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Richard E. Wolfert

Sugar-free doesn’t exactly mean cavity-free

Dr. Richard Wolfert, AKA “The Toothboss”

SOUTH WEYMOUTH, MA…

For those who drink diet soda and other diet drinks, one of your primary arguments for doing so is reducing your sugar intake. While there’s been some documentation that some of the chemicals in diet sodas can play a role in weight gain, there’s mounting evidence that diet drinks with artificial sweeteners can play a role in tooth decay.

“The common perception is that if there’s no sugar in a drink then it’s better for your teeth. In theory, that’s true. A regular soda with sugar is worse for your teeth than a diet soda, but that doesn’t tell the entire story,” said Dr. Richard E. Wolfert, DMD, a South Weymouth dentist known as The Toothboss with a practice located at 1121 Main Street. “The bacteria will not use artificial sweetener to form acid the way they do with regular sugars. But that doesn’t mean a diet soda can’t harm your teeth. The diet drinks are acidic on their own without the aid of the bacteria to help form the acid. Both can demineralize a tooth, causing erosion and cavities. So, although a soda with sugar may be slightly worse at causing cavities and erosion, diet drinks are not without consequences.”

So what should diet-conscious consumers drink if sugar and sugar sweeteners are both bad? Wolfert recommends good old fashioned water from the tap doesn’t cause any erosion of your teeth over any amount of exposure. It also has no calories. And, depending on your community, even offers fluoride.

Adds Wolfert. “Of course, it’s probably not realistic to think that people can drink only water and never have a soft drink. Moderation, as it is with everything, is the key. And if you want to have a diet soda, be sure to brush or at least rinse your mouth out with water shortly after to lessen the exposure to those acids found in diet drinks.”

Beyond drinking water and careful brushing, Wolfert also recommends selecting drinks that utilize sweeteners made from natural ingredients, like Stevia.

“I’m also encouraged about products that utilize sugar alcohols that can actually protect against dental cavities, like Xylitol,” said Wolfert. “Xylitol is a natural sweetener sourced from strawberries and other fruits. It’s not in drinks yet, but you can find Xylitol in chewing gums, syrups, candies and tooth pastes. Bacteria in your mouth are not able to breakdown Xylitol when you chew gum or eat candy containing the ingredients. Therefore, no bacterial acids are produced.  In the absence of bacterial acids, the process of cavity formation is nullified before it even begins. This makes Xylitol that rare thing – a sweetener that’s actually good for your teeth.”

Dr. Wolfert’s practice is located at 1121 Main Street in South Weymouth, Massachusetts, and accepts most insurance plans. They also accept payment from most PPO and indemnity plans, including Blue Cross/Blue Shield and Delta Dental.

For more information on The Toothboss, visit Dr. Wolfert’s website at www.toothboss.com or call 781-335-0604 to schedule a consultation.

About The Toothboss

The Toothboss offers: comprehensive examinations (written treatment and treatment plan provided); cosmetics; crowns, bridges and tooth-colored restorations; partial and full dentures; periodontics (early cases treated); oral surgery; restoration of conventional and small diameter implants; and emergency services (24-hour emergency phone number available).

The Toothboss accepts most insurance plans. They also accept payment from most PPO and indemnity plans, including Blue Cross/Blue Shield and Delta Dental. They also accept all major credit cards and have arranged payment plans through CareCredit.

To schedule an initial consultation, please call 781-335-0604. For more information, visit www.toothboss.com.

Sugar-free doesn’t exactly mean cavity-freeRead More

What’s missing in bottled water for kids? Plenty.

Dr., Richard E. Wolfert, DMD
“The Toothboss”, Dr., Richard E. Wolfert, DMD

SOUTH WEYMOUTH, MA

Give parents a choice between soda, a juice box or a bottle of water for their children and most would probably go for the bottle water. What many people don’t realize is that opting for bottled water, though better for their children than soda or sugar-loaded fruit juice, is missing a key ingredient their children need: fluoride.

“A lot of people prefer bottle water or filtered water over tap water because of the taste. But tap water in many communities, including Weymouth, provides a source of fluoride that’s critical for growing strong, healthy teeth,” said Dr. Richard E. Wolfert, DMD, also known as “The Toothboss”, has a dental practice located at 1121 Main Street in South Weymouth.

According to the American Dental Association, children should consume fluoride through drinking water or supplements in the following amounts:

  • Birth to six months – none
  • Six months to three years – .25 mg/day
  • Three to six years – .5 mg/day
  • Six years to 16 years – 1 mg/day

“Fluoride is incorporated into developing teeth and that hardens the tooth and makes it more cavity-resistant. That’s why many dentists have younger patients take fluoride supplements, whether they live in a community where the tap water has fluoride or not,” said Wolfert.

To find out whether or not your town is a fluoridated community, the Massachusetts Dental Society has a map on their website, www.massdental.org. You can also call your town’s Water Department.

“Fluoride and fluoridation are important for the prevention of cavities. If your child is under 10 and not taking fluoride supplements, you should consult your dentist,” said Wolfert.

Dr. Wolfert’s practice is located at 1121 Main Street in South Weymouth, Massachusetts, and accepts most insurance plans. They also accept payment from most PPO and indemnity plans, including Blue Cross/Blue Shield and Delta Dental.

For more information on The Toothboss, visit Dr. Wolfert’s website at www.toothboss.com or call 781-335-0604 to schedule a consultation.

About The Toothboss

The Toothboss offers: comprehensive examinations (written treatment and treatment plan provided); cosmetics; crowns, bridges and tooth-colored restorations; partial and full dentures; periodontics (early cases treated); oral surgery; restoration of conventional and small diameter implants; and emergency services (24-hour emergency phone number available).

The Toothboss accepts most insurance plans. They also accept payment from most PPO and indemnity plans, including Blue Cross/Blue Shield and Delta Dental. They also accept all major credit cards and have arranged payment plans through CareCredit.

To schedule an initial consultation, please call 781-335-0604. For more information, visit www.toothboss.com.

What’s missing in bottled water for kids? Plenty.Read More

Dental Insurance 101. What you don’t know could you hurt you and your wallet

Richard E. Wolfert, DMD
“The Toothboss”, Dr. Richard E. Wolfert, DMD

SOUTH WEYMOUTH, MA

Dental insurance is a fabulous benefit that makes it easier for people to get regular checkups and cleanings and, in a lot of cases, avoid major problems. What can sour people a little on their dental insurance is when it comes time for major work and the reality of what is covered and, more importantly, what is not, hits home.

“The average dental benefit offers about $1,500 worth of coverage. While that can cover your cleanings and a routine filling, what can be tricky is that not all treatments are covered 100% under that $1,500 benefit”, said Dr. Richard E. Wolfert, a dentist whose practice is located at 1121 in South Weymouth. “A good example of that are composite fillings versus amalgam fillings.”

Continues Wolfert, “Many patients prefer composite fillings, which are white, to the more traditional amalgam fillings, which have that silver, metallic look. Composite fillings are a little more expensive than amalgam fillings. Consequently, some dental plans make you pay more out of pocket for composite fillings than for the conventional silver fillings.”

To avoid surprises at bill time, many dentists, like Dr. Wolfert, offer what is called a pre-treatment estimate of services for work that goes beyond the standard treatments. This involves communicating with the patient’s insurance provider in advance to get an estimate of out of pocket expense prior to treatment. Typically, a pre-treatment estimate will take a few days up to a few weeks depending on the dental insurance provider, which can sometimes delay treatment.

Communicating with their insurance company is not something patients typically do—until bill time. That’s why Wolfert recommends patients have their dentist review their benefits prior to an appointment if they are unsure of their coverage.

Said Wolfert, “Our front desk staffers have a general understanding of insurance benefits, but each company is different. Most times it is necessary to review your insurance benefit by using our special software to decipher exactly what your benefits cover.”

Wolfert also recommends taking care of any dental work prior to the holidays and the end of the calendar year. Adds Wolfert, “It’s now November and if you need dental work and you haven’t used up your benefit, you should schedule that works as soon possible. The best idea is to maximize your benefit this year (2012) so that you preserve your next year’s benefit (2013) for treatments you may require then.”

“Most companies prefer you don’t use that philosophy, because if you don’t use your benefit, you lose it. It is not generally tacked on to the following years benefit. Although there are some companies now that do allow you to roll a percentage of the benefit over into the following year, most do not.” In other word “USE it or LOSE it!”

Dr. Wolfert’s practice is located at 1121 Main Street in South Weymouth, Massachusetts, and accepts most insurance plans. They also accept payment from most insurance companies, including Blue Cross/Blue Shield and Delta Dental.

For more information on the Toothboss, visit Dr. Wolfert’s website at www.toothboss.com or call 781-335-0604 to schedule a consultation.

About The Toothboss

The Toothboss offers: comprehensive examinations (written treatment and treatment plan provided); cosmetics; crowns, bridges and tooth-colored restorations; partial and full dentures; periodontics (early cases treated); oral surgery; restoration of conventional and small diameter implants; and emergency services (24-hour emergency phone number available).

The Toothboss accepts most insurance plans. They also accept payment from most indemnity plans, including Blue Cross/Blue Shield and Delta Dental. They also accept all major credit cards and have arranged payment plans through CareCredit.

To schedule an initial consultation, please call 781-335-0604. For more information, visit www.toothboss.com.

Dental Insurance 101. What you don’t know could you hurt you and your walletRead More