marconews.com Stories: Fred Eck

Letter to the Editor: Emergency responders save a life on Marco

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 16:13:00 -0000

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Marco Island Emergency Response Team.

Toothtalk: Implant doctor — choose wisely

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 18:16:00 -0000

Q: Doc, I recently lost a tooth and my husband says I should get an implant. Shouldn’t I see a “specialist” for this?

Tooth Talk: Are silver fillings dangerous to my health?

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 16:56:00 -0000

Q: Hey doc, I’ve heard that silver fillings can cause all kinds of health problems. I’m thinking of having mine replaced. What do you think?

Tooth Talk: Gum disease and lasers

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 20:02:00 -0000

Q: I’ve heard some things about treating my gum disease with a laser, is this possible

Tooth Talk: End-of-year dentist visits require planning

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 16:58:00 -0000

Get a first look at Dr. Eck’s Tooth Talk column online — even before it’s printed. You can also select from a library of previous columns on a wide variety of tooth topics.

Tooth Talk: Keeping stains away from dentures

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:18:00 -0000

Q: What is the best way to clean my denture and prevent it from getting stained?

Tooth Talk: The flu, your dentist and you

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 00:44:00 -0000

Q: I know I’m probably being silly, but I’m really concerned about going to the dentist with all this flu stuff going on. Can you give me some more information to make me more comfortable?

Tooth Talk: Discount plans offer alternative

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 01:40:00 -0000

Hello again. This is a further continuation on the ins and outs of dental insurance. This week, I’m going to expand the topic further by talking about something that is not dental insurance, per se.

Tooth Talk: The more you know ...

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 00:37:00 -0000

As promised, I’m continuing to expand on one readers question about dental insurance. This week I’ve chosen to focus on traditional dental insurance which is the most common type available.

Tooth Talk: What to look for in dental insurance

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 16:52:00 -0000

Hey Doc, I have a question. I’m looking at different plans for dental coverage and I’m confused. Can you give me some information about different dental plans and which ones are best? Wow, that’s a tall order, but I will try to help. There are so many different options and so much information is out there that it’s going to take more than one column to answer. Before I can answer your question, there are some things you need to think about, such as how much you want to spend, whether you go to the dentist regularly, your dental needs, whether you want to make co-payments or receive discounted dental treatment, if you are concerned about cosmetics, if you need extensive treatment and whether are you considering treatment for just yourself or your whole family. Like I said, it’s a lot of information to weigh before making your decision.

Tooth Talk: Mixing blood thinners with dental work

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 23:19:00 -0000

Q: I need to have some pretty major dental work done and I’m worried because I take a blood thinner. I don’t want to stop taking it but if I don’t I’m not sure if I can have my teeth fixed. Can you please help?

Tooth Talk: Straight to the point on crooked front teeth

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 00:39:00 -0000

Q: I want to get my lower front teeth straightened because I hate the way they are all overlapped. I was told that to straighten them I would need to wear braces on all my teeth. Why do I have to do all that just to straighten my lower front teeth?

Tooth Talk: Thumb sucking: When is it a problem?

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 23:59:00 -0000

Q: I need some help! My daughter sucks her thumbs and also three of her fingers. I’m worried that this is causing a problem with her teeth. How do I get her to stop?

Tooth Talk: Keeping your crown

Fri, 06 Mar 2009 00:36:00 -0000

Q: I have a cavity under my cap and my dentist says he’ll need to make me a new cap. Why can’t he just use the old one?

Tooth Talk: Overcoming fear

Fri, 06 Feb 2009 02:07:00 -0000

Q: Hey Doc, my husband just took our 3-year old to the dentist and she freaked out. She came home terrified. I don’t want to scar her for life, what can I do?

Tooth Talks: X marks the spot

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 18:14:00 -0000

Q: Why do I need x-rays if nothing hurts? A: Great question! This question gets asked in probably every dental office

Tooth Talk: Toothache: Don’t delay

Wed, 21 Jan 2009 00:37:00 -0000

Q: Hey Doc, I’ve got a tooth that has been bothering me for a while. When it starts up I just take a couple of antibiotics and it goes away. Recently, I noticed a bad taste and bad breath. My insurance doesn’t kick in for another month. Can I wait until then?

Tooth Talk: New year, new smile

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 01:07:00 -0000

Happy New Year Everyone! I’d like to thank The Marco Eagle, it’s readers and all of my patients for their continued support of me and this column.

Tooth Talk: Better safe than sorry

Wed, 31 Dec 2008 22:42:00 -0000

Q: There is an area inside of my mouth that my dentist checks every time I come in for a check up. He told me the last time I was in that he feels it should be biopsied. I don’t notice anything different and I don’t want the inside of my mouth all cut up. He assures me it won’t hurt. I want to do the right thing but I hate needles and don’t want to be healing over the holidays. What should I do?

Tooth Talk: Clarifying antibiotic needs

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 22:40:00 -0000

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about certain people needing to take antibiotics prior to having dental treatment. There have been many changes and much confusion about who needs and who doesn’t need pre-medication with antibiotics.