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Technically, there is no such thing as a cosmetic dentist. Cosmetic dentistry is not one of the nine specialties recognized by the American Dental Association. Yet, there are many dentists who claim to be cosmetic dentists and the public seems to generally accept that term as well.    So what’s the deal? Who is a cosmetic dentist and who is just a...

Periodically, we have the pleasure of taking on a charity case for a patient otherwise unable to afford their dental treatment. Recently, Center for Progressive Dentistry teamed up with Dental Lifeline Network to find an armed forces veteran in need of some dental care. We matched with a worthy patient named Bob, who served in the Army in the Vietnam...

What Is Cosmetic Dentistry? Cosmetic dentistry is a general term for the branch of dental work that helps improve the appearance and aesthetics of a smile. Cosmetic dentistry differs from other dental specialties such as restorative dentistry, and there are many different types of cosmetic dental treatments available. At the Center for Progressive Dentistry in Duxbury, MA, Dr. David Scardella and our...

Dental emergencies are inconvenient and can feel scary, especially if there is blood or a knocked out tooth involved. Your first instinct may be to panic, but you can rest assured that, with the right team on your side, dental emergencies in Duxbury, MA will be handled promptly with your comfort in mind. When you know what to do in an...

Dental sedation offers patients options for helping them feel more relaxed during treatment procedures so they can get the dentistry they need in a timely and comfortable manner. Here are three reasons patients might choose sedation dentistry. Fear or Anxiety Dental fear or anxiety keeps many patients from visiting the dentist on a regular basis. The good news is that options such...

Our patient, Mr. S, was in need of some new dentures. His old dentures were severely worn down. They also did not fit properly, especially the lower denture. They both needed loads of denture adhesive to stay in place. Mr. S has also heard about dental implants to help secure his dentures. Here are steps he went through to get...

Dentures are an excellent solution for replacing an entire arch of missing teeth. You might be surprised to find that they date back to around 700BC when Etruscans crafted them out of human or animal teeth. Dentures were on the rise as sugar entered into our diets causing tooth decay and loss. In the 1700's dentures were made of ivory, and...

                  This week I delivered two dental implant crowns to one of our patients and it made me think how great it is to have an option like dental implants available today. It truly is a life-altering procedure. This is especially the case with our patient, who I'll call Emily to protect her anonymity.  Here is Emily when she first came to...

          Recently, our office purchased a fantastic new laboratory machine with the capability of producing custom fabricated athletic mouthguards, nightguards to prevent tooth grinding, and clear orthodontic retainers. It's called: the MiniSTAR. With the ability to fabricate these dental appliances in our office, we can deliver them to our patients faster and at a lower cost than sending them to a commercial...

On Friday, July 21, 2017, Dr. Joe Santelli hosted the 7th Annual Golf Outing at Indian Pond Country Club in Kingston. It's a free golf event for friends of Dr. Santelli and open to patients of our practice. We had a record 60 golfers this year due to increased demand. The weather was perfect once again, 90 degrees and sunny. The...

As 2016 comes to close, I wanted to take a moment to reflect back on our year at Center for Progressive Dentistry. First, I would be remiss if I did not thank all of our patients, both new and old, for putting your trust in our office to take care of your dental needs. We do not take this lightly...

This afternoon, my chairside dental assistant Stevie and I (Dr. Scardella) will fly to Raleigh, North Carolina to learn more about obstructive sleep apnea. During the 2-day long course, we will learn about the causes, symptoms, complications, and treatment of sleep apnea using dental appliances. Sleep apnea is a growing area of concern as many connections have been discovered between...

It was a great pleasure to see my very first article published in the online dental magazine Dentistry IQ (Click here to read the article). The article talks about the importance of using 3-D x-rays in our practice, Center for Progressive Dentistry. It was a costly investment in technology, but it provides our patients with the very best dentistry has to offer.

There have been so many important advancements in dentistry in recent history, from fluoride toothpaste to minimally invasive bonded fillings, from braces to digital x-rays. As a profession, we have expanded awareness of best oral hygiene practices and the power of prevention when it comes to tooth decay and gum disease. But one persistent problem dentists and patients are facing is...

If you have ever thought you cannot afford to go to the dentist, maybe you didn’t have all the information available about how you can pay for it. Most Americans realize the importance of oral health and the potential consequences of avoiding dental care. Yet, for many, money is the barrier between them and getting the treatment they need and...

  If you’ve ever been to the dentist, you probably have had dental radiographs, known better as x-rays. There’s that little sensor attached to a stick, which gets placed in your mouth as you bite down to hold it in place. Sometimes a little uncomfortable, these x-rays provide important information about your oral health.   While the benefits of dental x-rays are many,...

--- Today's blog post comes from a colleague of mine, Dr. Greg DeVries. Dr. DeVries owns and operates Life Smile Dentistry, a family dental practice in Wayne, NJ. Enjoy! --- As a family dentist, I get the chance to see many different people throughout my day. A good portion of them report brushing twice a day as directed but still struggle...

Do I really need to floss? Every day? I never get cavities, so why floss?   Every dentist hears these questions on a regular basis. In fact, last week I was having a conversation outside of the office with a young man in his 30s. Once I told him I was a dentist he immediately asked about flossing. “Is it a myth?

It's finally here! 3D X-rays are more accurately known as Cone Beam Computed Tomography, or CBCT. We recently added this new machine for our office and have already begun using it on a daily basis. This unit is going to change the way we practice dentistry and greatly improve the quality of care for our patients. Very few general dentistry...

In this Case of the Week, Evelyn was in desperate need of a smile improvement. She had old metal-porcelain crowns on her two front teeth which were too white and unnatural looking. Her adjacent teeth had cavities needing repair. I completed a full exam on Evelyn and we came up with a treatment plan to be completed over 6 months...

Here’s something all dentists hear on a regular basis, “No offense, but I really hate the dentist.” Or some version of this statement where the patient proclaims their fear and anxiety for our profession. Sometimes, it’s the first thing a patient says upon meeting the dentist. It’s safe to say that if you have anxiety about seeing the dentist, you are...

Case of the Week: Meet our patient, Alice (name changed for confidentiality). After many years of being unable to smile due to the condition of her teeth, she was finally ready to make a change. After a treatment planning consultation, Dr. Scardella came up with a plan to bring back Alice’s smile. Also included in the treatment plan was the restoration...

After dental school, I completed my residency at a Veterans Affairs Hospital. During that time, I did not see one pregnant woman during my residency. For a while, I forgot pregnant women existed in the dental practice. After moving on to private practice, I quickly realized I had pregnant patients, and they had a lot of questions and held misconceptions.

Today is a Saturday, a day off at Center for Progressive Dentistry and I have a few moments to reflect on my first 4 months as the new owner of the practice. My experience has been overwhelmingly positive. I cannot help but be exceedingly thankful that I came across this opportunity. What has made this so special? Well, let me...

If you're like most people who have a prosthetic joint, artificial heart valve, heart murmur, cardiac stent, or any one of numerous medical conditions, you have probably been told at some point to "premedicate" with antibiotics before your dental appointments. Later, depending on the condition, your physician or dentist may have told you it was no longer necessary. Or maybe...

I’m excited to announce that I have purchased Center for Progressive Dentistry from Dr. Santelli and look forward to a great partnership between us. This place is amazing! I cannot wait to to fully invest all my passion and energy into this dental practice. I hope to provide our patients with the consistent quality dental care that they have become...

Julie is absolutely amazing!!!!!!! She truly took the time to explain everything as she went along, she was great!  This was my first visit her and the woman at the front desk was nothing but nice!

Felt really good leaving there and knowing one again, Dr. Santelli comes to the rescue! Thanks to him I’m still smiling with my own teeth! As usual everyone there is soooo friendly and nice, I always feel at home there!

Dear Joe, Bertha, & Joanne, Everyday I look in the mirror and look at my smile, I am so grateful for your persistence and patience and commitment to excellence! I know it’s not perfect yet, but I have no doubt it will be as we move through the work yet to be done. It all means the world to me. Thank...

Just got off the phone with a patient of ours who is looking to relocate to Naples Florida. They recently found a dentist down there, as they start to set up their professionals prior to moving there permanently. The dentist was trained at Tufts and remarked how beautiful BOTH of their restorations were. He could not believe Kevin’s immediate implant...

Dr. Santelli just received his Diplomat status in the International Academy of Mini Dental Implants (IAMDI). This is the highest level that a dentist can attain in the Academy. The award was presented during a seminar that Dr. Santelli lectured at in Buffalo, NY. During that same weekend they had the grand opening of the largest Mini Dental Implant training...

Hello All, After some additional training, we are about to launch a new and improved mini dental implant for the secure stabilization of a person’s LOWER denture. ONLY 2 implants are required, which then cuts the usual cost in half and makes the entire procedure even simpler than it was. Also, IF your existing denture can be used and does not...

Just received this very kind note from one of our new patients. Mr. G.W. said, "Very happy with my friends at Dr. Santelli’s office. Dr. Joe found my issue that has been ongoing and getting worse. Thank you for a GREAT experience at your office. I finally was able to get some relief.”

My dental assistant of 37 years, Joanne Bray, recently needed some long overdue dentistry. Years ago Joanne fractured her lower jaw and lost a few of her lower front teeth in an accident. I had made her a permanently fixed porcelain bridge about 30 years ago to replace what she had and it has served her well all of these...

Hello out there, I just have to do a little bragging on my dental assistant of 37 years, Joanne Bray. This past Tuesday we decided to do some dentistry on Joanne that we had been putting off for way too long. It involved the lower front teeth (6 in all) where Joanne had a very old fixed porcelain bridge that had...

As most of you know I have been treating a Vietnam veteran gratis for the past few months. So far everything is turning out quite well. I will post before/after pictures when we are through. His name is Ennio, and he was born and raised in Parma, Italy. Ennio recently told me about his boss in 2008 having to let go...

As many of you are aware, this year we decided to do a complete SMILE MAKEOVER for a war veteran GRATIS. The winner of our little contest served in Vietnam and then almost lost his life in a snow mobile accident in 1999 in N.H. At the time, he lost most of his teeth and broke most of the bones in...

By Jonathan Elias, WBZ-TV May 12, 2011 7:07 PM DUXBURY (CBS) – There’s a dentist in Duxbury worth knowing. His name is Joseph Santelli. He served our country as a Navy captain during Vietnam. And for the last 30 years, he has been a dentist. Recently he offered a deal: full dental reconstruction for a veteran, but they would have to write why...

Mrs. M.K. just let us know that we have saved her from more serious dental concerns by seeing her as soon as she called our office and in a matter of minutes resolving her concerns. Her treatment involved placing 4 mini implants in her lower jaw. Her new denture now SNAPS into place for her. She wears it 24/7 and only...

On May 1 I celebrated my 40th year in this wonderful profession. Also on the 23rd of May my wife and secretary and myself will celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary. On that same day I turn 66 years old. Never thought I’d be applying for Social Security benefits. So we have lots going on in our lives and even more to...

Just finished Mrs. M.D., and she rated her overall visit at our dental office EXCELLENT. She was very impressed that she did not have to wait to be seen and we respected her time. She said she was greeted properly and would refer all her friends and relatives to us for their dental care also. Lastly, she stated in a...

Just finished up a Snap-On lower denture for one of our patients in ONE hour. She was very apprehensive so we used nitrous oxide gas, which made her very relaxed (no charge for this service) and then gave her plenty of novocaine, which she never felt because we use the WAND which is all computerized and you don’t even feel...

Many local people may have heard WPLM’s contest for a Disabled American Veteran. We have teamed up to create a perfect SMILE for a veteran so he or she can get back into society and the job market more easily. WPLM received hundreds of responses of which they were able to verify 50 service people. After a grueling two weeks they...

Just completed a palateless upper denture on Mrs. D.P .this afternoon. We used 6 mini implants, and when I called her tonight to see how she was doing, she claims she did not even take any of the pain meds I gave her. She absolutely LOVES tasting her food again and she will NEVER, EVER have to use those gooey...