Our Dental Blog

Dr. Drews, Dr. Lake, Dr. Patel and the whole team of dental health care professionals at Drews Dental provide latest news, helpful tips, hot topics, and fun facts about oral health and dentistry.

woman in a bathrobe holding a toothbrush worried about brushing her teeth

Are Bleeding Gums Normal?

Hello again! This is Dr. Hena with another post to inform you about more misconceptions in dentistry. But first I would like to start with an update about my time working at this incredible office. I love working with the Lewiston community and feel very much at home working at

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woman aggressively brushing her teeth

Does Brushing Harder Clean Your Teeth Better?

Hello! This is Dr. Hena reporting with my first blog post article. First I’d like to thank everyone for welcoming me into the Drews Dental family and into the Lewiston community at large. Being new to a big practice like Drews has been a huge change, but in such a

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Dr. Hena Patel ready to ski down a mountain with the words happy new year and a smiley face written across the background

Welcome to 2022 and to Dr. Hena Patel, D.M.D.

Happy New Year to all of our patients, friends, family, and neighbors! We want to wish you much positive health and happiness (and only negative COVID tests) for 2022. We would also like to make an official introduction (and give a warm, Drews Dental welcome) to the newest addition to

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woman pointing downward with both hands

Top 5 Reasons People Avoid the Dentist

I have a secret ambition to host the gameshow ‘Family Feud,’ except I’d make all the questions dental related. I’ve done this before when we asked 2 dentists to name something you wish everyone would put on their New Year’s resolution list and then talked about the top 7 answers

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It’s Time to Show Off Your Smile (again)

Thanks to modern science and the availability of COVID-19 vaccines, mask restrictions are easing off a bit, though it’s still important to keep up with mask mandates and recommendations (here’s Maine’s Face Covering FAQs). I’m a dentist, so I’m pretty comfortable with the idea of wearing protective gear. However, I’m

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cartoon illustration of a dead tooth with a sad toothbrush, toothpaste, and dental floss mourning

Why Do I Need A Root Canal If My Tooth Is Dead?

According to the grief and loss experts, there are several phases people navigate when they go through the bereavement process; Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression and Acceptance. I can attest that a dental patient who’s been told that their tooth has “passed away” also experiences a combination of these when they’re

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essential syllables defined above a star wars looking title to return to the dentist

Dentistry: Why It’s An “Essential” Service

We know it’s been a long twelve months, and there is no denying that March 2020 marked the start of an unprecedented, unbelievably tough time that presented us all with some pretty rough hardships including unpredictable work hours and volatile incomes. Businesses and schools were shut down which meant many

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front desk reception area featuring new plexiglass

Practicing Dentistry During A Pandemic

There is no question that how we practice dentistry has changed (as it should) to adapt to the times. Much like airline travel, the safety and health information can sound rather tedious and boring compared to the final destination, whether it happens to be bottomless umbrella drinks on the beach

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baby in a jumpy toy nibbling on a teething toy

Is Your Baby “Just Teething”

Hi, Tooth Fans! I hope you’re all doing okay and staying safe in this crazy time of quarantine! People are starting to go a little stir crazy. In fact, some of you may have never read our blog before, but since you’re stuck at home with nothing better to do, why

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baby dentures sppof

Baby Dentistry – Part Two

When I was on maternity leave I was busy taking care of my baby. I wasn’t seeing patients at the office and I wasn’t taking calls on the weekends, but I was still a dentist. There are some things you just can’t shut off (sometimes no matter how hard you try).

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woman in a pink shirt holding a notebook that has a quote printed on it

Resolutions & Decisions

Happy New Year, Tooth Fans! My favorite part of the new year is how you can start everything over from scratch, symbolically at least. You get brand new calendars and make resolutions on how this year will be different from the one before. And while time is really an artificial construct

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baby riddle as super mario

Baby Dentistry – Part One

Greetings Tooth Fans! It’s Dr. Lake here, writing to you from the joyous (sometimes frustrating) land of maternity leave. I’m fortunate enough to be able to take a good amount of time to bond with my little one. (Read: Dr. Drews is a saint for running a 2-doctor practice on his own

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photo of a man picking food from his teeth

The Importance of Flossing & Flossing Alternatives

Happy National Flossing Day! What? You didn’t know there was a national flossing day? Well, evidently there is. It turns out it was first celebrated in 2000 and is always celebrated on black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. What better day to celebrate flossing than after a day of national

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photo of a prescription pill bottle tipped over with pills falling out

A Note About Opioids

Opioids are narcotic pain relievers that require a prescription from a medical professional. When taken as prescribed for short periods of time under the care of a medical professional, opioids can be a safe and effective pain management tool. Unfortunately, opioid abuse is a growing and dangerous problem in America.

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woman holding a photo of a smile over her face

Are You Smiling Enough?

A smile (and teeth) are often one of the first things we notice when we meet someone for the first time. After all, they are part of the most prominent facial features just staring us in the face. In fact, a famous scientist (Doctor of Biological Sciences) named Yarbus (Al’fred

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X-Rayted Conversation

Hello Tooth Fans! A very pregnant Dr. Kristie Lake here. 9 months in fact. I’m due in September, but he’s welcome to come any time because I am seriously in need of regaining my inner personal space. You wouldn’t believe how hard it is to sleep with a foot lodged

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Getting Surgical Clearance From Your Dentist

Hello Tooth Fans! You know, sometimes as dentists we take the information we know for granted and we forget that there are little “life of a dentist” tidbits that you may not be aware of. For example, did you know that sometimes patients come to us because they need dental

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Read Before Vaping

Hello Tooth Fans! One of the questions we routinely ask at a new patient visit is whether or not a patient has a tobacco habit. This isn’t because we’re nosy or because we want to judge you in some way, but because there are very important health consequences, including dental

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