Do You Have Great Oral Health?

Research has found that good oral health habits contribute to overall health. Periodontal disease is linked to heart disease, problems with liver, depression and overall decreased health and vitality.  “The health of your smile can open up opportunities and keep you moving forward in your career,” says Dr. Rice. Employers report they assess the look of a person’s smile in seven seconds or less to determine if the person is the right person for the job.

Take this short quiz to determine if you have good oral health.

1.    Do you brush 2x a day?
2.    Do you floss at least one time a day?
3.    Do your gums bleed when you floss?
4.    Do you drink 64 oz. of water a day?
5.    Are your gums pink?

If you answered yes to all but number three, Dr. Denine Rice says, “You are in good shape.” While a comprehensive oral exam can ensure that there are no underlining problems with your gums or smile, these five habits can keep you moving in the right direction with a healthy smile that lasts a lifetime.

Pick Your Gums This Year For Your New Year’s Resolution

People talk about New Year’s resolutions and how they want to eat healthier, make new friends or regularly complete a hobby. These are all important, but this year make a commitment to restoring the health of your gums and your by smile by making a New Year’s resolution to floss your teeth daily.

Dr. Rice says, “There is no other single activity that removes plaque and decay from between your teeth.” While brushing is awesome and needed as well, food can easily get stuck between the teeth, where it stays and mixes with bacteria already in the mouth. The bacteria can eventually lead to decay, periodontal disease and other problems. Flossing helps to decrease these problems.

With the New Year right around the corner flossing is a great way to recommit to the health of your gums and put healthy habits in place. Not only will your teeth be happy but a healthy mouth equals a healthy body as well.  Periodontal disease has been linked to problems with a person’s heart, liver, and overall feelings of fatigue.

When the ball drops, and you are wondering what you should accomplish this year, give back to your gums. For more information on the impact of gum disease, contact Periodontist Dr. Denine Rice & her team today.

Holiday Restorative Procedures To Cosmetically Improve Your Smile

People think of the holidays as a time to take care of other people. To give loved ones a gift they have been wanting or to enjoy a meal with family. This year, give yourself the gift of restoring your smile back to its natural and beautiful self. While the holidays are happening it is a great time to take a little time away from it all and ensure your smile is holiday photo ready. Some cosmetic procedures that restore your smile can drastically change the look of your smile in a day.

“Periodontal laser surgery helps to decrease the visible signs of gum disease by eliminating the bacteria that may be causing your gums to be swollen and bleed,” says Dr. Denine Rice.  The fine laser goes beneath the gum line but does not require the gums be cut away from the teeth, as with traditional periodontal surgery. Most patients are in and back to their lives in a day.

When you smile if gums cover your teeth causing them to look short and uneven, a procedure can be completed that helps even out the length of your gums. This procedure may take a little more time to heal, but Dr. Rice, says it’s a great way to improve the cosmetic look of your smile, and to restore your self-confidence.

     For more information on how to improve your smile contact Dr. Rice & her team today.

Is Laser Surgery Safe For Women Who Are Pregnant?

Periodontal disease is an infection that is prevalent in the body. Research suggests that women who are pregnant and have periodontal disease are more likely to have smaller babies and babies who are premature. Dr. Rice states, "anyone who is expecting and has an infection should have a checkup by a periodontist in order to create a plan on how to best support gum health during pregnancy." The great news is, that if you are a candidate for laser surgery, it is safe for women who are pregnant. 

Some individuals may not recommend periodontal surgery for women who are pregnant due to the necessity of local anesthetic. There is good news; most of the time laser periodontal surgery can be done without the need for any anesthetic. 

The laser goes below the gum line, in order to remove bacteria that is below the gum line and causing periodontal disease. This means it can be done without having to cut the gums away from the teeth. This revolutionary breakthrough provides patients with an opportunity to have less pain, less healing time and less of a need for pain medication afterwards. 

Prior to getting laser surgery, talk to your doctor and Dr. Denine Rice to determine if you are a candidate for laser periodontal surgery prior to delivering your baby.  

Love Your Gums with Cosmetic Procedures

Cosmetic dentistry may be something you have been considering for a long time. Are you unsure how your cosmetic periodontist can help? Here are three tips that Dr. Rice recommends for patients who are unhappy with their smile. 

1. Evaluate the overall health of your gums. Do they bleed when you floss or brush? Are there signs of decay? Are gums uneven when you smile? Do they appear puffy, swollen and/or have lost their healthy pink color? These are all signs that you may have periodontal disease. Prior to any other cosmetic procedures, it is important to get your gum health back to normal.
2. Are you missing any teeth? This can be embarrassing when you go for a job interview. You may have become accustomed to lip smiling, however employers report that a smile is one of the first things they evaluate when interviewing a new employee. If you have missing or broken teeth, there are a variety of options to replace the missing teeth.
3. A gum graft procedure is a fantastic cosmetic procedure that can even out the appearance of your gums. If they are uneven in the front due to trauma or periodontal disease, using the skin from the roof of your mouth can allow your smile to be beautiful again.

Your smile is important, don’t wait for cosmetic dentistry to regain the health and beauty of your smile. 

3 Reasons To Get A Periodontal Cosmetic Procedure

There is still time for you to get the healthy gums you want. While the countdown to the Holidays is occurring, and you may be in the full swing of shopping, don't forget to give yourself the gift of a healthy smile. Dr. Denine Rice says, "it can be easy when you're shopping for everyone around you to forget to take care of you." Don't put off your dental needs any longer. As the year comes to a close you could lose out on dental insurance benefits you have already paid for. This is the perfect time to get the smile you have always wanted. 

During this season, you can take advantage of laser surgery to decrease symptoms of periodontal disease. The longer you put off this necessary procedure the worse the long-term impact can be. While disease starts in your gums, left on its own it can enter your blood stream and impact your heart, liver and overall health.
 

Current research suggests that only 13.5% of people get help with their periodontal disease, (Perio.org). Now there is no reason to wait because once the new year begins dental insurance benefits you've already paid for are gone. Today you can take charge and make the choice to love your gums & achieve a lifetime of smiles. Millions of Americans are negatively impacted by gingivitis and periodontal disease. You don't have to be one of the millions.  

Contact Dr. Rice & her team today for more information.

3 Reasons To Get A Periodontal Cosmetic Procedure

The health and length of your gums can be impacted by a variety of things. How well you brush and floss, the amount of dental decay you are impacted by, or an accident where you have had damage to your mouth. This procedure, while it may sound scary, is completed often and can allow for an individual to have a cosmetically, beautiful smile.  Here are three common reasons why you may want to consider gum graft surgery:

1.     Periodontal disease can impact the length of your gums and cause your teeth to become loose as the disease becomes worse. Once you have healthier gums, gum graft surgery can provide a more even look when you smile.

2.     Reduce tooth sensitivity. Root exposure can cause increased sensitivity when eating hot and cold items or when air touches the root. Gum graft surgery can cover up the roots by utilizing tissue from the roof of your mouth to allow you to enjoy eating without worrying about pain.

3.     Can reduce further bone loss and recession of gums. Once healthy tissue is in place and is healing, it can help to decrease gum loss.

For more information on how gum graft surgery works contact Dr. Rice & her team today.

National Flossing Day

Did you miss National flossing day? Well don’t worry, your gums don’t mind when you make the commitment to them, just that you make the commitment to floss. Flossing may have once been seen as something extra you do to keep your smile healthy. Now days we know better. Periodontal disease can lead to heart and liver problems. If you are pregnant, research shows that you are more likely to be exposed to negative consequences of periodontal disease.

You and your gums are together for a lifetime treat them right. It is important to remove any food left over from meals. Flossing is the only way to take care of this. The longer food is stuck on your teeth the more likely it is that decay sets in. As food continues to be on the teeth, plaque and decay can move below the gum line, causing your gums to separate from your teeth.

Your gums are soft tissue that will soften and bleed when not taken care of. “There should never be a time.” says, Dr. Rice, “that your gums bleed when you are flossing.” If you are faced with bleeding, puffy or swollen gums you may want to schedule an appointment with your periodontist in order to get your gum health back on track.

Contact Dr. DenineRice & her team today.

What Would You Rather Do?

Periodontal research found that more than a third of Americans would rather do a chore they hate, than brush their teeth, (Perio.org).  But it doesn’t have to be that way. Here are 3 Tips from Dr. Rice on how to increase the fun of flossing and decrease your risk of periodontal problems.

1.     Floss with vigor and pizazz.  Don’t just let your floss do the work, have fun with it. Put on music and dance while you floss or put your favorite movie on. Do whatever you have to do to lighten up the mood and remove the stress you feel surrounding flossing.

2.     Floss everyday at the same time. “If you floss at the same time says,” Dr. Denine Rice, “it will help it become less of a problem and more of a routine.” The more routine the more likely you are to miss the opportunity to floss your teeth and keep your smile healthy.

3.     Change your mantra. We love to do things we find fun and that we love. But if you begin the negative talk as soon as you pick up the floss, it can make two minutes of flossing seem like forever.

For more information on flossing techniques contact Dr. Rice & her team today.