Our Blog

At Central New England Endodontics and Implantology, we love to celebrate the holidays with vigor! Drs. Manzoli, Russo, Pauk, Desrosiers, Sahakyants would love to share some unique ways of celebrating Thanksgiving from beyond the Worcester area to the national level!

When Americans sit down to dinner on the last Thursday of November, the day that Abraham Lincoln designated as the day on which Thanksgiving would be celebrated, they do so thinking that the first Thanksgiving feast was held at Plymouth in 1621. According to National Geographic, the Spanish explorer Francisco Vásquez Coronado and his men celebrated a feast of Thanksgiving in Texas in 1541, giving Texas the distinction of being the first place where Thanksgiving was celebrated.

Different Types of Celebrations

Native Americans had rituals around which they celebrated in hopes of ensuring a bountiful harvest. The Cherokees had a Green Corn Dance that they did for this very purpose. The Pilgrims (not to be confused with the Puritans,) rejected any type of public religious display. They held a three-day long non-religious Thanksgiving feast. Although they said grace, the focus of their celebration was on feasting, drinking alcohol (they did have beer,) and playing games.

The Pilgrims at the Plymouth Plantation celebrated a different day of Thanksgiving in 1623. Plagued by a crop-destroying drought, the settlers prayed for relief. They even fasted. A few days later, they got the rain they so desperately needed. Soon thereafter, they received another blessing when Captain Miles Standish came with staples they couldn't otherwise get. He also told them that a Dutch supply ship was en route. In gratitude for the abundance of good fortune, the Plymouth settlers celebrated a day of prayer and Thanksgiving on June 30, 1623.

The Story of Squanto

No discussion of Thanksgiving is complete without a discussion of Squanto, or Tisquantum, as he was known among his people, the Patuxet Indians. It is believed that he was born sometime around 1580. As he returned to his village after a long journey, he and several other Native Americans were kidnapped by Jamestown colonist, Thomas Hunt. Hunt put them on a ship heading to Spain where they were to be sold into slavery.

As fate would have it, some local friars rescued him and many of the other kidnapped natives. Squanto was educated by the friars. Eventually, after asking for freedom so he could return to North America, he ended up in London where he spent time working as a ship builder. By 1619, he was finally able to get passage on a ship headed to New England with other Pilgrims.

Upon arriving at Plymouth Rock, he learned that his entire tribe was wiped out by diseases that accompanied earlier settlers from Europe. In gratitude for passage on their ship, he helped them set up a settlement on the very land where his people once lived. They called the settlement Plymouth. Since they knew nothing about how to survive, let alone how to find food, Squanto taught them everything, from how to plant corn and other crops, how to fertilize them, how and where to get fish and eels and much more.

After a devastating winter during which many settlers died, thanks to Squanto's teaching, they had an abundant harvest. After that harvest, they honored him with a feast. It is this feast of 1621 which was celebrated between the Pilgrims and Wampanoag Indians that is widely considered the first Thanksgiving celebration.

About the Meal of the Plymouth Settlers

Surviving journals of Edward Winslow that are housed at Plymouth Plantation indicate that the first Thanksgiving feast was nothing like what Americans eat today. The meal consisted of venison, various types of wild fowl (including wild turkey,) and Indian corn. There were no cranberries, stuffing, pumpkin pie, potatoes, or any of the other “traditional” foods that appear on modern menus.

Today, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November, the day that Abraham Lincoln designated as the holiday. It is still a day of feasting, and for some, a day of prayer and thanksgiving. For others, it is a celebration of gathering, especially for families. Still others may celebrate in entirely different ways, including watching college football bowl games, or by playing family games.

If you ever wonder why you're so tired after the Thanksgiving meal, it's because turkey contains an amino acid, tryptophan, and it sets off chemicals whose chain reaction combine to make people sleepy.

Our molars work hard to crush, grind, and chew our food. They withstand over 100 pounds of pressure per square inch when chewing—and let’s not even discuss stress clenching and grinding! Not surprising, then, that they are our largest and strongest teeth, anchored by multiple roots.

How does this biology work in our favor? Sometimes a tooth suffers decay or damage in the root, or in the bony area surrounding it. When a tooth has only one root, options can be fairly limited. But when a tooth has multiple roots, an endodontist might be able to save your molar with a surgical procedure called a “root resection.”

If the root is too damaged to be repaired by procedures such as a filling, a root canal, or an apicoectomy (removal of the root tip), Drs. Manzoli, Russo, Pauk, Desrosiers, Sahakyants can remove the damaged or infected root entirely. This resection procedure can save a tooth that might otherwise need to be extracted.

What conditions lead your endodontist to recommend a root resection?

• Decay: If serious decay is confined to a single root, a resection might be a good option.
• Damage to the root: A broken root, or one that has suffered a serious fracture or other injury that doesn’t extend too far into the tooth, can be removed to save the healthy part of the tooth.
• Recurring infection: If you have already undergone a root canal for a pulp infection, but the infection keeps reappearing in one root, root removal might be indicated.
• Bone loss caused by gum disease: When periodontitis isn’t promptly treated, the result can be a serious loss of bone around one root. A root resection can facilitate healing in the bone around the tooth, and save the tooth from extraction or loss.

Can all teeth benefit from a root resection?

The maxillary molars, located in the upper jaw, are often the best candidates for a root resection because they generally have three roots, but other multi-rooted teeth might also be considered for root resection treatment. Your endodontist will be able to tell you if the root structure and the overall condition of your molar make root resection an option for saving your tooth.

What’s involved in a root resection?

Because this surgery will necessarily involve the dental pulp, a root canal will be performed before the procedure to remove the nerves, blood vessels, and connective tissue inside the tooth. During the root resection, a small incision is made in the gum tissue to expose the roots. The affected root is then sectioned off and removed. The area is carefully cleaned, and the incision closed with a few stiches. Drs. Manzoli, Russo, Pauk, Desrosiers, Sahakyants will give you instructions for post-surgery care, and most likely a permanent crown will be needed to protect the remaining tooth structure.

Roots serve to anchor our teeth, but they aren’t indestructible. On the other hand, an injured or diseased root doesn’t necessarily mean an extraction is necessary or inevitable. If you have a problem in or near a molar root, an endodontic consultation at our Worcester office just might leave you smiling.

Dentine hypersensitivity can be described as a sharp and sudden pain caused by cold food and beverages. It’s present in more than half the population and result from receding gums that expose the root surfaces of your teeth.

That being said, hypersensitivity can be triggered by forceful tooth brushing, teeth whitening products, gum disease, and erosion from acid reflux, bulimia, or highly acidic foods. Symptoms can range from moderate to severe, depending on the cause and how quickly it’s treated.

Tooth sensitivity begins when the dentin develops some exposure. This layer that surrounds the nerve of the tooth is usually covered by gum tissue, but when recession takes place, the dentin can get exposed and the pain begins. The dentin contains numerous pores that run from the surface of the tooth inward. This direct connection to the nerve and blood supply of the tooth can be affected by external stimuli, such as the triggers cited above.

The good news is there are several different ways to treat dentinal hypersensitivity at Central New England Endodontics and Implantology.

Treatment of dentin tooth sensitivity begins by making an appointment with Drs. Manzoli, Russo, Pauk, Desrosiers, Sahakyants. We encourage you to begin treatment sooner rather than later in order to figure out the cause and to reduce the pain you’re experiencing. In most cases, quick treatment options will solve the problem, including the use of desensitizing toothpaste, switching to a soft-bristled toothbrush, starting a daily fluoride rinse treatment, or minimizing teeth grinding with the help of a custom mouthguard.

For more serious cases, we may recommend you get crowns put on problematic teeth, start a gel or varnish fluoride treatment, or even schedule a surgical gum graft or root canal, depending on the cause and severity of your pain.

If you’re concerned about any tooth sensitivity you’re experiencing, please give our Worcester office a call and schedule an appointment. Drs. Manzoli, Russo, Pauk, Desrosiers, Sahakyants and our team want to help you identify the cause of your pain, and give you the best possible treatment plan. We look forward to seeing you to help alleviate discomfort and solve your tooth sensitivity.

Did you know that Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) and oral cancer are linked? This information may prevent you or a loved one from suffering from oral cancer if a diagnosis is made early. Drs. Manzoli, Russo, Pauk, Desrosiers, Sahakyants and our team want you to understand how you can prevent the spread of oral cancer and protect yourself if you have HPV.

People don’t often speak up about this common virus, but we believe it’s important to educate yourself to prevent the potential spread of oral cancer. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, up to 80% of Americans will have HPV infections in their lifetime without even knowing it. Symptoms usually go unnoticed, though it’s one of the most common viruses in the U.S. The body’s immune system is generally able to kill the HPV infection without causing any noticeable issues. If you think you might have HPV, talk with primary care physician about getting the preventive vaccine or taking an HPV test.

According to the Oral Cancer Foundation, “HPV is the leading cause of oropharyngeal cancers (the very back of the mouth and throat), and a very small number of front of the mouth, oral cavity cancers. HPV16 is the version most responsible, and affects both males and females.”

Common signs of oral cancer may include:

• Ulcers or sores that don’t heal within a couple of weeks
• Swelling, lumps, and discoloration on the soft tissues in the mouth
• Difficult or painful swallowing
• Pain with chewing
• Persistent sore throat
• Numbness of the mouth or lips
• Lumps felt on the outside of the neck
• Constant coughing
• Earaches on one side of your head

If you experience any of these side effects, please contact Central New England Endodontics and Implantology as soon as possible.

We hope this information will help you understand the interactions between HPV and oral cancer. Please remember to take precautionary steps if you notice anything out of the ordinary with regard to your oral health. If you have any questions or concerns, contact our Worcester office.