Is a Bone Graft Procedure After Extraction Normal?

A bone graft procedure helps to build up bone that may have been damaged or become unhealthy due to infection. You may have heard your periodontist suggest a bone graft procedure after your extraction and felt it was unnecessary. Or your last dentist may have suggested it was unnecessary and just removing the tooth was fine to get your smile back on track. Dr. DenineRice and her team feel differently and here’s why:

An extraction of a tooth can remove healthy tissue as well as unhealthy tissue. Dental tools and procedures have changed, and are more effective and efficient then in the past but this procedure is not always a clean-cut procedure depending on the tooth and the gum tissue around the tooth. Some dentists and periodontists may not be familiar with bone grafting procedures or be comfortable completing this procedure. Dr. Rice, performs this procedure often and knows the outcome for her patients is better when they have the healthy tissue they will need in order to place an implant after the tooth is extracted.

The bone is a necessary component for keeping your teeth in place. Without enough healthy tissue to accomplish this goal, the implant cannot hold.

For more information on Bone Graft procedures, contact Dr. Rice and her team!

Skip The Candy This Halloween Season and Keep Your Gums Healthy

With Halloween and the holidays right around the corner you may be tempted to reach into those candy bags, but stop yourself. The more candy you consume the more damage you could potentially be causing to your healthy smile. Sugar mixes with bacteria that is in your mouth, which then causes decay and cavities. Decay and cavities that are not taken care of can eventually cause problems for your gums as well.

When food stays on your teeth for two or more days the plaque hardens and becomes tartar. This tartar sits on the gum and is a hard substance that is difficult to get off of your teeth with normal brushing and flossing. You may scrub and scrub but it will not come off. Tartar on your teeth can then lead to gingivitis. Once your gums are impacted with gingivitis, if it is not taken care of, it can lead to periodontal disease. Dr.Denine Rice and her team, can help put together a plan that will get your smile back on track.

For more information on the impact of sugar on your gums, contact Dr. Rice and her team today.

Recommit To Change Your Smile Today!

Your smile is your finest asset or your greatest liability. With a positive, white smile you can share with the world, opportunities may pop up that you didn’t believe you had a chance at. Promotions may be possible when you are able to smile and enjoy life. While it may seem impossible to get your smile back to a healthy state, you can achieve it by implementing these three easy steps. 
 
Visit the periodontist if you have bleeding, swollen gums or have missing teeth due to periodontal disease. This will be the best decision you make. When you have periodontal disease, while brushing and flossing is critical, you’ll need to first get the periodontal disease under control. Once you have visited the periodontist the two of you can come up with a game plan for not only treating the disease, but also how you may be able to cosmetically enhance your smile. 
 Brush 2x a day. This is not a negotiable. Brushing is the critical step to removing food from your teeth. Periodontist, Dr. Rice states, “The longer food is on the surface of your teeth the more opportunity there is for the food to turn into bacteria that begins to damage the enamel of your teeth.”  
As the enamel is worn down, this can lead to cavities, decay and a need for more expensive dental procedures to fix. The bacteria then have the opportunity to go below the gum tissue creating havoc on the bone supporting your teeth.
Floss at least one time a day. Flossing removes the food from between the teeth and below the gum-line. Periodontal disease occurs when you do not floss. Bleeding, swollen and red gums are signs of gum disease. “If you have gingivitis,” Dr. Denine Rice says, “it can be taken care of by regular flossing.”   

I changed it to three as I only found three steps.  

Gum Disease & You

Women’s bodies are different at different points throughout their life, and some of these very important points in their life can create different gum problems. For example, young teens going through puberty are more susceptible to gum disease as hormones increase blood to the gums, which increases the gum’s sensitivity.

 

Menstruation can also be another time when your gums are susceptible to problems with gum disease. You may experience red, swollen gums during this time of the month. If you are feeling an increase in sensitivity, and have swollen gums, you may want to brush and floss more often than normal. If you experience sensitivity beyond menstruation then it’s probably time to visit the dentist. There are also mouthwashes that may help with increasing the health of your gums. 

Pregnancy is another joyous occasion where you look forward to the beauty of having a child, but it can come with an increased opportunity for gum disease and gingivitis due to increased hormones.  “If you are a women experiencing problems with your gums during this time make sure to discuss the issue with your dentist,” suggests Dr. Denine Rice.

Menopause and post-menopause cause changes in the body and in the mouth as well. These chances can lead to increased sensitivity in the mouth, bleeding and swollen gums. You may also experience dry mouth, which increases the risk of bacteria staying in the mouth and attacking the teeth.

If you’re experiencing any of these, increased mouth sensitivity or trouble, contact Dr. Rice and her team today.

4 Problems You Face With Implants If You Don't Floss

Flossing is critical to the health of your gums, whether you have implants or your real teeth. Failure to floss can create multiple problems for your smile. Here are four problems you may face if you fail to take care of your implants.  

1. Flossing removes food particles that bacteria live on.

      The space between your teeth, while it seems small, is actually a trap which entices food particles to visit and stay. The particles quickly become the necessary component bacteria need in order to survive. As the bacteria and food continue to stay, because of lack of flossing, eventually build up occurs to the point of damaging the gums and areas around the implant. 

2. Increased bacteria counts mean that infection lies below the gum tissue

                "As bacteria build up, it imbeds itself below the gum line and causes inflammation and    

                bleeding," says Dr. Rice. 

 3. Increased inflammation occurs and then bone loss begins

                Unfortunately, inflammation causes bone loss. As the jawbone strength decreases, it becomes increasingly difficult to maintain the stability of your implant.  Periodontist Denine Rice, states, "bone loss can eventually cause you to have to replace your implants or require bone grafting in order to rebuild up the area for your implants to stay firm in your mouth."

4. Bone loss due to infection and inflammation of the gum tissue does not discriminate between implant and natural tooth. 

            The same detrimental effects that are caused by not flossing your natural teeth are the identical problems you can face when you have implants. Bacteria, bone loss and periodontal disease do not discriminate between natural teeth and implants. 

Do You Experience Teeth Sensitivity When Brushing?

"Tooth sensitivity is unfortunate and can be a nuisance", states Periodontist Dr. Denine Rice. When you want to go and enjoy an ice tea with a friend or drink coffee on a Saturday you may think twice before reaching for that drink due to the fear of sensitivity. Here are some things you can do to help:

Ask your DDS for a recommendation for toothpaste. There are specially designed toothpastes for individuals who have sensitivity. You’ll want to check with your dentist first if you are unsure which type to use, as there are multiple brands with different flavors. You’ll want to find toothpaste that is going to work specifically for you. 

See your dentist regularly for cleanings - many times that's the cause.  If you have not had a cleaning in awhile it is important to get this taken care of. As decay builds up on the enamel of the teeth, or when periodontal disease gets worse, your teeth become even more sensitive.

If you have recently whitened your teeth, try using fluoride after your whitening session. There are two layers on your teeth. One is enamel, the hard outer shell, and the other is dentin. "Dentin is softer and can become exposed when you whiten your teeth," Dr. Rice. After you initially whiten you are more susceptible. Make sure to follow the directions on when to eat and drink after whitening. If you wait to consume something it can lesson the impact of the sensitivity.

Dental Insurance & What That Means For You

Have you recently started a new job where they offer dental insurance, or do you have a flex spending account? Now that the New Year has rolled around you may be asked if you want to make changes to your dental plan.  But the amount of information that insurance plans throw at you can make it very difficult to navigate your way through. "While each plan is a little different, here are some in’s and out’s of dental insurance," Dr. Denine Rice.

You are usually given an amount of money that you will need to spend out of pocket for certain services. They may also limit the amount of times you can have a particular procedure conducted. For example, routine cleanings are usually done twice a year. If your dentist recommends you come in a third time for a more extensive hygiene, it may not be covered. “Dental plans also typically reimburse your dentist based on a class of service,” says Periodontist Dr. Denine Rice.

For example, Class one is typically your diagnostic and preventative procedures. These cover your hygiene visits and x-rays. While class two services are typically your restorative procedures such as fillings. Class three is more extensive restorative work and usually is crowns, bridges and dentures. Class four is reserved for orthodontics and procedures such as this. It may allow for an amount to be used to cover long-term treatments. This class is not a guarantee on insurance plans, and therefore, when determining which insurance is right for you, this may be something to consider.

Dental insurance companies have an overall amount that they set aside to pay for dental procedures. At the beginning of the year your new insurance amount should be ready for you to use. If you have further questions about your specific dental insurance plan or a procedure that has been recommended by Dr. Rice and her team please contact them for further specific information.

Smoking Addiction

Smoking can be a difficult addiction to break, however with the New Year here, now is your time. While E-cigarettes seem like a healthier alternative to picking up and smoking a regular cigarette, it is not a better alternative for your teeth. E-cigarette companies are making the argument that the vapor you are inhaling is a real life healthy alternative that does not cause cancer, but e-cigarettes still contain nicotine.

Nicotine reduces saliva in the mouth. Reduced saliva causes food to stay on the teeth longer. The more time that food is stuck to the surface of your teeth the longer opportunity there is for it to attack the enamel, causing decay, periodontal disease and cavities.  The negative affects of nicotine doesn’t stop there, it also inhibits the body from regenerating healthy cells and fighting off disease.

While companies are marketing that e-cigarettes do not contain poisonous chemicals in them and are therefore healthy for everyone, the exact opposite is true. In a study completed by France’s National Consumer’s institute they found that there were in-fact other chemicals in the cigarette that are very dangerous such as formaldehyde and diethylene glycol.  

While research is still on the fence about the risks of this type of cigarette, the FDA has not approved it. Dentist, Dr. Denine Rice, suggests that these are not a healthy alternative for smoking and should be avoided. If you need help quitting smoking there are safer and healthier choices. Contact her office today for support.

Implant Supported Dentures

Once a patient begins to lose teeth due to damage, disease, decay or trauma the bone that once supported the teeth also begins to be lost. “This means that someone who initially was able to wear dentures pretty effectively, might find that years later there is just not enough ridge left to provide support,” says Dr. Denine Rice from her Riverside Periodontal and Implant Surgery practice.

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For patients who are finding it difficult to keep their dentures in place an implant supported denture is a great option.  “Many time with as few as four implants per arch a denture can effectively be placed,” adds Dr. Rice.

Implants have a great track record. According to the American Dental Association, with regular care between 98.1 and 99.2 percent of all implants are successful after five years. That’s why Dr. Rice feels comfortable standing behind the implants that she places. “I know that with regular hygiene visits, implants can be highly successful.”

And they change people’s lives. Having a smile you can count on builds confidence. If you are suffering with an ill-fitting denture, isn’t it time you consider implants? 

Denine Rice, DDS