Greetings! 
   

Start the school year with a healthy and beautiful smile! As summer slowly winds down, it's time to fall back in step with preventative care. September is a great time to schedule a thorough cleaning and check-up and also get back on track with routine orthodontic care. For those of you planning to use insurance benefits before the close of the year, please make your appointments today. While we do our best to accommodate the growing need of our patients, the schedule here at Maple Avenue Family Dentistry fills up quickly!  Don't let this interfere with your ability to maximize your insurance benefits, which typically expire December 31st. Avoid the holiday rush and speak with our friendly and knowledgeable front desk personnel. Let them assist you so you can get the most out of your coverage.

No Time?   We're here to help! Maple Avenue Family Dentistry is the one-stop location to suit all your family's needs (both children and adults). We continue to do all we can to have appointments run timely and efficiently, offering convenient evening and Saturday hours to accommodate our patients' demanding schedules. A dentist is always on call for emergencies, and most dental insurances are accepted. Let us coordinate the right treatment to get you looking and feeling your best!

A premier family, cosmetic, and specialty care practice, Maple Avenue Family Dentistry is committed to making that smile a reality. Utilizing state-of-the-art equipment and techniques, we provide comprehensive solutions to whiten, re-contour, repair, strengthen, and restore symmetry to your smiling face! We are proud to offer care from ten of Rhode Island's top dentists, many of which are highlighted in the current issue of Rhode Island Monthly as this year's Top Dentists.  Congratulations! Among them, Dr. Brad Turchetta and Dr. Michael Kacewicz have our orthodontics program flourishing. If you or a family member think you may need orthodontic care and want a consultation, call today for an appointment.  

As always, Dr. Andrea Barone works tirelessly to integrate new programs, ensuring that Maple Avenue Family Dentistry provides you with the optimal care you deserve. Currently, our hygiene department is undergoing new training to help maximize knowledge and understanding of evidence-based treatment. This training will better serve our patients, helping you make the most out of your hygiene appointments and reinforcing our unified approach to patient care. 

Dr. Jon Ruel, specializing in advanced reconstructive dentistry, still sees patients by private appointment. We are thrilled to offer his 40 years of expertise here in our office when he's not out mentoring and lecturing to other dentists across the country. Book a consultation today!

Periodontist and implantologist, Dr. Robert Bouffard, continues to provide outstanding care to his Rhode Island patients.  If you think you may be a candidate for implants or are interested in the preventative removal of wisdom teeth book a consultation today. 

In an effort to increase efficiency, Maple Avenue Family Dentistry switched over to an automated confirmation system called Demand Force. We are now able to utilize text messaging and email as a way to confirm scheduled appointments. Please call or stop by the front desk to ensure your contact information is correct and up-to-date. If at times this system asks you to rate us, we thank you for your support!

Approximately 5 million teeth will be knocked out this year due to sports-related injuries.

Don't want to come in for an emergency treatment? Consider protectingour child's teeth proactively by custom fitting themy

for a mouthguard.  Visit with your hygienist or dentist at your next appointment to discuss the options and learn how mouthguards can help your athlete avoid dental traumas!

We are all aware of the construction taking place on Maple Avenue, Barrington Avenue and South Street by the Bristol County Water Authority.  Traffic is restricted to a single lane in the construction areas, so we are asking all patients to please allow enough time to arrive at your appointment on time.  You may want to find an alternate route during high traffic hours.

For our patients traveling from Wampanoag Trail, Route 114S:                 For our patients traveling on from Route 114N:

1.  Turn right onto Sullivan Terrace                                          1.  Turn left onto Waseca Avenue

2.  Turn left onto Princes Hill Avenue                                          2.  Turn right onto West Street

3.  Take the first right onto Foote Street                                  3.  Turn left onto Anoka Avenue

4.  Take the second left onto South Street                                  4.  Turn right onto Princes Hill Avenue

5.  Turn right onto Maple Avenue                                        5.  Then turn left onto Maple Avenue

For additional information, you may check the BCWA website at www.bcwari.com or contact their main office at 401-245-2022. Thank you for your courtesy and patronage to Maple Avenue Family Dentistry.

CHECK US OUT!

Have you visited our website recently? Our state-of-the-art dental facility has an equally comprehensive website, offering an abundance of information for our patients and visitors. Want to know more about what we offer?  Have you heard about teeth whitening and dental implants, but aren't really sure what they entail?  

Visit www.mapleavenuefamilydentistry.com and find everything you're looking for!

• 2-3 Minute Videos: dental implants, teeth whitening, clear orthodontic aligners, porcelain veneers, dental sealants, crowns & bridges, cosmetic dentistry, removable dentures
• Hundreds of Informative Articles: How and Why Teeth Wear, The Impact of a Smile Makeover, Oral Hygiene, Flossing, The Hidden Consequences of Losing Teeth, Top 10 Oral health Tips for Children, The Field-Side Guide to Dental Injuries, Pregnancy and Oral Health, Diabetes and Periodontal Disease, Wisdom Teeth, and much, much more!
• Patient and Doctor Blogs: countless topics including Dental Erosion and the Effects of Soda and Sports Drinks, 
• I Just Had My Teeth Whitened! What Can and Can't I eat or drink?
• Treating Sleep Disorders with Dental Devices
• Why Dental Implants are Bette Than Birdges To Replace Missing Teeth
• On our website, you can fill out medical forms, request and appointment, and make payments.
• Also find Testimonials, Patient Reviews, Services, Awards, Meet the Doctors, and more.
• Be sure to check us out on FACEBOOK too!

Toothy Tidbits:         "SLEEP APNEA ADDED TO THE BIG 3"

(From Dr. James Goff's recent publication in the Rhode Island Women's Journal)

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) should be added to obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease as a current major chronic disease catastrophe. OSA has been independently linked with hypertension, atrial fibrillation, cardiac disease, worsening of diabetes, insulin resistance, post-operative complications and coronary vascular disease, according to Dr. Salim Suriani in the World Journal of Diabetes, June 2014.  While OSA increases with obesity, it is experienced by normal and underweight individuals as well.

Because of severity of the condition, there is a bill before Congress that would add screening for obstructive sleep apnea to the "Welcome to Medicare" physical exam.  The 5 warning signs are snoring, gasping or choking during sleep, fatigue and daytime sleepiness, obesity and high blood pressure.  These symptoms MUST be discussed with your physician. Diagnosis occurs after  an overnight in-lab sleep test (polysomnogram - PSG) or more commonly, a home sleep test (HST) conducted in your own bed. In 2006, the Academy of Sleep Medicine determined that for patients with mild to moderate OSA, an oral appliance should be the first treatment. This custom-made mouth guard holds a patient's lower jaw forward, pulling the tongue forward and mechanically opening the airway. For more severe cases, a CPAP may be used. This face mask machine provides "continuous positive air pressure" to blow the airway open. The CPAP works very well when used regularly. Because compliance after a year drops to 50%, the device is best reserved for severe cases and patients who prefer it.

Dr. James Goff is available to discuss your sleep-disordered breathing and coordinate treatment with your physicians. His office, Southeast Dental Sleep Therapy, is open and fully operational next to Maple Avenue Family Dentistry in Suite 106A. He can arrange for a sleep test, diagnose your condition and prescribe the right appliance, which is covered by most medical insurances.  OSA is a serious medical disease with a dental treatment option. Call for a consultation today!

Holidays are right around the corner...start thinking about stocking stuffers that will really make your friends and family smile! Consider electric toothbrushes, Zoom Bleaching treatment, even those porcelain veneers they've always wanted.