Donato Dental - Donato Napoletano, DMD

08/02/2026

Floss like your life depends on it!

A study presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2025 found that people who flossed at least once a week had:

• 22% lower risk of ischemic stroke
• 44% lower risk of cardioembolic stroke (a stroke caused by a blood clot originating in the heart)
• 12% lower risk of atrial fibrillation (AFib), a common irregular heart rhythm that increases stroke risk.

Interestingly, these associations remained even after accounting for toothbrushing habits and regular dental visits, suggesting that flossing may provide unique oral health benefits beyond brushing alone.

Researchers believe the connection may involve gum inflammation. When plaque and bacteria accumulate between teeth, they can trigger chronic inflammation in the gums. This inflammation may contribute to processes involved in cardiovascular disease and stroke. Flossing helps remove plaque from areas a toothbrush cannot reach, supporting healthier gums and potentially reducing the body's inflammatory burden.

A simple habit that takes less than a minute could have benefits extending far beyond the mouth.

Reference:
American Stroke Association. International Stroke Conference 2025. Presentation: Regular dental flossing associated with lower risk of ischemic stroke and atrial fibrillation.

07/19/2026

Cavities that appear small can sometimes be deeper than anticipated. Once the cavity penetrates the pulp (nerve) of the tooth, pain is not immediate and often takes months before the patient begins to experience symptoms. Unfortunately, by that time, it's too late. What could have been treated with a simple filling now needs a root canal or extraction. So don't wait till it hurts.

This is why even a small cavity should never be ignored.

A cavity may look small on the surface, but that doesn't always reflect the amount of damage hidden inside the tooth.

Unlike enamel, the dentin beneath it is softer and less mineralized, allowing tooth decay to spread more quickly once bacteria break through the outer protective layer. Because this process often occurs silently, many cavities continue to grow without causing pain or obvious symptoms.

By the time a tooth starts to hurt, the decay may have already reached the pulp—the living tissue that contains nerves and blood vessels. At that stage, treatment is often more complex and may require root canal treatment or, in severe cases, tooth extraction.

The good news is that most cavities are highly treatable when detected early. Regular dental checkups and timely treatment can preserve more of the natural tooth, reduce treatment costs, and help prevent avoidable complications.

07/16/2026

My dad was a painter, and all I wanted to do was paint. But he told me that before I could paint, I first needed to learn how to scrape.

In dental school, I encountered a similar situation. On our first day in class, a classmate asked the professor when we would be doing our first fillings. He chuckled and then answered that before we could do a filling, we first needed to learn how to scale (aka scrape). Story of my life! 🤓

07/02/2026

FYI

06/11/2026

Our office line is now live again. My apologies for any inconvenience this month-long fiasco has caused. Onward and forward!

06/08/2026

Our office phone line is down again and may not be restored until June 12, when the Frontier landline is fully ported to an AT&T cell.

Calls are coming through if you have AT&T as your cell carrier, however.

If you do not have AT&T and need to contact us, please visit our website and email us from there.

Donato Dental, located in Middletown, NY, Orange County New York, our number one goal is prevention of dental problems.

05/12/2026

Most cavities don’t start with pain.
That’s what makes them dangerous.

A cavity can quietly grow inside a tooth for months while you feel completely normal. In the early stage, decay only affects enamel — the outer layer of the tooth that has no nerves. So even while acid is slowly damaging the tooth, there may be no warning signs at all.

Pain usually starts much later, when the cavity reaches deeper layers closer to the nerve. That’s why many people suddenly develop severe toothaches “out of nowhere.” In reality, the decay was already advanced long before the pain appeared.

Some cavities are especially hard to notice because they form between teeth, under old fillings, or in areas you can’t easily see. Even without pain, signs like sensitivity, food getting stuck repeatedly, dark spots, bad breath, or a rough feeling on a tooth may signal hidden decay.

One of the biggest myths in dentistry is that “if it doesn’t hurt, it’s fine.” Unfortunately, by the time a cavity becomes painful, treatment is often more complicated. Early checkups and X-rays can detect cavities before they turn into infections, root canals, or tooth loss.

05/08/2026

A dental or gum infection, in addition to pain and swelling, can literally destroy jaw bone, among other things.

This skull from ancient Egypt shows the damage a severe untreated tooth infection can cause. The large holes in the jaw were created by chronic dental abscesses that spread deep into the bone and slowly destroyed the surrounding structure.

Without antibiotics or modern dental treatment, this person likely lived with constant pain, swelling, and difficulty eating. In the ancient world, infections like this could become life-threatening if the bacteria spread into the bloodstream.

This remarkable discovery shows that serious dental disease existed thousands of years before modern sugar and processed food. Today, early dental care can stop tooth infections before they destroy bone and affect overall health.

04/23/2026

https://www.baytoday.ca/local-news/health-experts-say-brushing-and-flossing-can-help-cut-diabetes-complications-risk-12086942

Regular brushing and flossing may do more than prevent cavities. New clinical data highlighted in early 2026 is sharpening the focus on a “two-way street” between gum disease and diabetes—one that experts say can influence blood sugar control and long-term complications.

03/13/2026

https://www.realsimple.com/how-flossing-affects-your-health-11900820

Dental experts share the effects of flossing on your overall health—and why you should be practicing this habit daily.