Tips for a Sweet Smile

With the popularity of selfies and instant photo sharing on the rise, having a camera-ready smile doesn’t hurt. However, with all of the coffee, wine, smoking and other foods that have the ability to stain our teeth on a daily basis, keeping our teeth their whitest is a lot harder than it sounds. Fortunately, at the dental practice of Dr. Keith Rudolph, DDS we can provide our patients with teeth whitening and bleaching services to give you a glowing grin. We also thought it might be helpful to offer you some tips on how to flash your pearly whites once your dream smile is achieved!

• Be natural – when it’s picture time, smile gently. That way, your face looks relaxed. Your mouth opens slightly, and your lower lip matches the curve of your upper teeth.


• Check your teeth and gums – getting your smile camera-ready sometimes calls for a little behind the scenes prep work. If your pearly whites have yellowed with age, try an over-the-counter whitening product or pay us a visit! Also, don’t forget about taking care of your gums. They play a critical role in your nice smile. So keep them in good shape by brushing, flossing, and rinsing with a mouthwash every day.


• Practice – your perfect smile may not happen overnight, but if you have a big photo event like a wedding or a graduation coming up, it doesn’t hurt to try out your grin in front of the mirror!

If you desire a brighter smile, please give us a call to discuss your treatment options. To learn about the services we provide at our practice, visit www.drkeithrudolph.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Keith Rudolph, DDS in Fairfield, CT, call 203-254-9533. 

Teeth: Shapes and Functions

Have you ever spent time in front of the mirror wondering why all of your teeth are different shapes? That’s because they all have a different function. It’s no secret that our teeth help us eat and speak, but Dr. Keith Rudolph, DDS thought some of you may find it interesting to learn about the purpose each one of them serves. Read on to learn about the different types of teeth and the purpose they serve in your mouth!

• Incisors – located at the front of the mouth, these teeth have a sharp biting surface and are used for cutting or shearing food into small chewable pieces.

• Canines – located at the ‘corners’ of the dental arches, these teeth have a sharp pointed biting surface. Their function is to grip and tear food.

• Premolars – Unlike incisors and canines, these teeth have a flat biting surface. Their function is to tear and crush food.

• Molars – The molars are the largest teeth in the mouth and they too have a large flat biting surface. The function of these is perhaps the strongest of all as they chew, crush, and grind food.

If you have questions about your teeth, please give us a call. To learn about the services we provide at our practice, visit www.drkeithrudolph.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Keith Rudolph, DDS in Fairfield, CT, call 203-254-9533. 

Don't Forget to Clean Your Tongue

When you brush your teeth, do you clean your tongue? Keeping reading to find out why you should! Dr. Keith Rudolph, DDS wants his patients to know how to take great care of their oral health at home.

Cleaning your tongue should be a part of your oral care routine. You should clean your tongue each time you brush your teeth. You can purchase a tongue scraper or just use your toothbrush, so it is very easy to do since you probably already own a toothbrush! It is important to remove the layer of bacteria that builds up on your tongue. Not only does it add to plaque build-up, but it also creates bad breath. The tongue’s taste buds are tiny and hair-like so they collect bacteria like a sponge.

To scrap your tongue, take the tongue scraper or toothbrush and place it on the back of your tongue. Press firmly as you move down to the tip of your tongue. Do not press so hard that you will hurt your tongue. Rinse off the scraper or toothbrush after each stroke. Continue scraping the tongue until it looks clean.

A clean tongue is just one more step to take for a healthy mouth. To schedule your next cleaning and examination with Dr. Keith Rudolph, DDS in Fairfield, CT, call our office at (203) 254-9533 or visit our website, www.drkeithrudolph.com. 

Electric Hand Pieces for Smoother, Quicker Appointments

Using safe and effective technology is what allows us to create accurate and successful treatment plans for our patients. Accuracy creates the best patient outcomes. This is why Dr. Keith Rudolph, DDS chooses to use electric handpieces here at our Fairfield, CT dental practice.

As we mentioned, accurate devices mean accurate treatment and successful outcomes. Optimal health is always our goal for our patients. Using technology that allows us to perform procedures faster and more accurately saves our patients time and money. We keep this in mind, along with the safety of our patients when we choose to upgrade the technology in our dental practice.

One of the ways we have updated our technology is by using electric handpieces. Handpieces are what we use to drill out decay. In the past, air-driven handpieces were used. Air-driven handpieces were louder, they vibrated more, and they were slower. Electric handpieces allow us a smoother process for removing decay and allow us to perform the procedure quickly. The quieter sound is also better for patients who become nervous when they hear the drills.

Utilizing electric handpieces allows Dr. Keith Rudolph, DDS to offer his patient the best quality care. To learn more about Dr. Rudolph or the technology we use here in our Fairfield, CT dental practice, call our office at (203) 254-9533 or visit our website, www.drkeithrudolph.com. 

Oral Cancer Screenings for Cancer Awareness Month

Cancer is a scary word. No one wants to hear that they or a loved one has it. This is why it is so important to be proactive about cancer. Dr. Keith Rudolph, DDS of Fairfield, CT offers oral cancer screenings to our patients to catch it in its very beginning stages.

April is cancer awareness month. This coming month, take charge of your oral health by getting an oral cancer screening. Dr. Rudolph has the technology right here in our office so we can detect oral cancer at its very beginning stages. Early detection is the key to survival.

In our Fairfield, CT dental office, we perform oral cancer screenings for patients of all ages. We use an ultraviolet light that lets us see abnormalities within tissues that the human eye may miss. Factors that increase a patient’s risk of oral cancer include tobacco use, heavy alcohol consumption, significant sun exposure, or a previous oral cancer diagnosis.

If you are at an increased risk of developing oral cancer, or if you just want peace of mind, talk to Dr. Rudolph about scheduling an oral cancer screening. Also, talk with us about making the screenings regular parts of your dental visits.

To schedule an oral cancer screening with Dr. Keith Rudolph, DDS in our Fairfield, CT dental practice, call our office at (203) 254-9533 or visit our website, www.drkeithrudolph.com. Remember, early detection is the key to survival. 

Rotary Endodontics for More Comfortable and Quicker Root Canals

In the past, root canals had a reputation for being painful. These days, they are known for being no more uncomfortable than a dental filling. This is because Dr. Keith Rudolph, DDS uses rotary endodontics here in our Fairfield, CT dental practice.

Rotary endodontics is an updated way of performing root canal therapy. We now use an electrical handpiece with a nickel titanium alloy file instead of a manual file made of steel. The electrical handpiece allows us to perform the root canal therapy much quicker and quieter. This is great for patients who do not like spending a lot of time in the dental chair, as well as patients with dental anxiety.

The nickel titanium alloy file is much more flexible than the steel file of the past. This helps our patients’ comfort level by a great deal. The flexible file does not stretch the root canal or cause damage like the old files could sometimes do. They help us go deep into the root canal without causing discomfort. This creates less pain both during the procedure and afterwards.

If you are facing a root canal soon or are avoiding one, do not worry. New technology has allowed us to perform root canal therapy that is much more comfortable and quick. To schedule your appointment with Dr. Keith Rudolph, DDS here in Fairfield, CT, call our office at (203) 254-9533 or visit our website, www.drkeithrudolph.com. 

Lumineers for a Perfect Ten Smile

A perfect smile is hard to come by, but fortunately, a perfect smile can be made! At Dr. Keith Rudolph’s Fairfield, CT dental practice, he gives our patients perfect smiles with Lumineers! Lumineers are a great way to instantly transform a smile without any major dental work.

Lumineers are very thin ceramic shells that are custom made to fit over your existing teeth. Dr. Rudolph bonds them into place for a strong and durable hold that remains in good condition for over twenty years! They are stain-resistant, as well, so your bright and white smile will be around for a long time.

Lumineers are great for improving the look of dental imperfections like misaligned teeth, gaps, cracks, chips, stains, and more. Dr. Rudolph will take impressions of your teeth and send them to a dental laboratory. This dental lab will use the impressions and photos of your smile to create completely custom Lumineers. When the Lumineers are ready, Dr. Rudolph bonds them into place. Since there is no tooth preparation needed for Lumineers, they are completely reversible if that is desired later on.

If you are looking to achieve that perfect ten smile, look no further than Lumineers. To schedule your consultation with Dr. Keith Rudolph, DDS in Fairfield, CT, call our office at (203) 254-9533 or visit our website, www.drkeithrudolph.com.