5 Signs You May Have a Periodontal Abscess

If you are impacted by periodontal disease you may also have an abscess, or a pocket of infection from the infected tooth. If left untreated this can lead to loss of tooth and bone structure. An abscess is an infection that requires treatment, and you may want to consider laser periodontal treatment. Here are 5 signs that you may have a periodontal abscess.

1.     Tooth elevation, if your tooth looks higher up then other ones you may be impacted by an abscess. When pus forms below the tooth and bone is lost, the tooth may lift and look elevated in the mirror.

2.     Swelling of the lymph nodes can occur in some people due to the infection spreading to other parts of the body. This is never a good thing.

3.     Pain and irritation in the area of the mouth, which can impact your ability to eat.

4.     If left untreated for too long, you may begin to have a fever as your body fights the infection.

5.     Sensitivity when you consume hot or cold items on the tooth that is impacted.

Don’t wait until it is too late. If you have a periodontal abscess, contact Dr. Denine Rice today for options.  The sooner you take care of the problem, the quicker you can be on your way to enjoying your life. For more information on periodontal concerns contact Dr. Rice and her team today. 

Create A Flawless Smile

If you think achieving a cosmetically beautiful smile is out of your reach, periodontist Dr. Denine Rice and her team are here to help. There are lots of ways you can achieve the smile of your dreams. Here are 4 Tips from Dr. Rice on how to create a flawless smile.

1.     Floss. There is no other way to say it and no single piece of dental activity that helps you achieve the smile you were born to have. While millions of individuals say they floss, they in fact don’t. If you are struggling to floss regularly, Dr. Rice recommends you do some research to find floss that suits your needs and helps you create this necessary regime to your dental routine.

2.     Drink water. Drinking water helps to reduce bacteria in the mouth. A dry mouth is a breeding ground for dental problems. The more water you consume the less opportunity bacteria has to reek havoc. Water can also reduce the food left on your teeth from high carbohydrate foods.

3.     Consume healthy fruits and vegetables. This advice has as much to do with improving your overall health as it does in creating a healthy and flawless smile. The more fruits and vegetables you consume with a high water concentration the more food that is stuck to the teeth is removed. It also decreases bacteria that causes decay. Fruits and vegetables do not tend to stick to the teeth.

4.     Check out if you are a candidate for a laser periodontal procedure to reduce your risk of periodontal disease. Periodontal disease not only impacts the look of your smile, but your overall health as well.

Don’t live with a smile you don’t love, implement these 4 tips and create the smile you want for a lifetime.

Being Healthy Is Awesome

Bacteria in periodontal disease can impact your smile and your health. You could wake up every day, brush, floss, visit the dentist, eat healthy and exercise, but if you do not floss and take care of your gums some of these efforts will be wasted energy. Being healthy and having healthy gums is the new sexy. Get your sexy on today by loving your gums.

You spend time completing all kinds of activities throughout your day. Make sure you are completing the right ones. "Once you have periodontal disease," says Dr. Rice, "you, unfortunately, are never able to get rid of it.” Laser treatment can help manage the health of your gums and drastically decrease your symptoms of bleeding, swollen gums and other problems you may encounter.

          Controlling inflammation in the mouth is the key to decreasing the negative impact of

periodontal disease. Do this by having laser procedure and you can reclaim your

healthy smile. Stroke, heart disease and diabetes are a few diseases that are higher in individuals who are impacted by periodontal disease.

For more information on how to, “Love your Gums,” contact Dr. Rice and here team

today!

7 Habits That Improve Your Oral Health

There is no denying that some things are great for your gums while other habits can damage them. Your gums are sensitive and brushing too hard can cause erosion, while flossing helps to keep them firm and healthy. “Here are seven daily habits you can immediately implement to improve your overall oral health,” says Dr. Denine Rice.

1.     Brush. There is no other better habit you can institute that removes food from the teeth and gums.

2.     Floss 1x a day. Food gets trapped between the teeth and will mix with the bacteria. Eventually this causes periodontal disease.

3.     Consume yogurt 1x a day. The bacteria in yogurt is good for the gums.

4.     Drink water. Consuming 64 OZ a day of water helps decrease the bacteria growth in your mouth.

5.     Visit the periodontist regularly if you have gingivitis or periodontal disease. A laser procedure can help to remove plaque and bacteria below the gum line.

6.     Limit or avoid bread. Bread sticks to the teeth causing more problems for your smile.

7.     Limit the amount of acidic food you eat. While lemon and lime can help decrease your appetite and help you lose weight, over consuming these types of foods can decrease the enamel on your teeth. Enamel is a hard substance that protects against sensitivity.

For more information on ways to improve your gum health, contact Dr. Rice & her team today.

3 Foods That Can Damage Your Gums

The food we eat can impact or help your gums. The more damage you cause to your gums over time, the less likely they are to remain healthy and supportive of your teeth. Our gums hold our teeth in place. Periodontal disease can cause bacteria to go below the gum line causing the gums to pull away from the teeth.  Dr. Rice recommends you avoid or limit these three foods to reduce your chances of losing your teeth to periodontal disease.

Popcorn can damage your gums, but also get stuck underneath the gums causing more problems for your smile. Once you consume popcorn you’ll want to floss right away and limit the opportunity for popcorn to damage your smile.

High sugar candy is another problem for your gums. The longer that sugar sits on the gums, the greater the  opportunity that the sugar has to mix with bacteria that is already in your mouth. The bacteria and sugar becomes acidic. The more acidic your mouth is, the higher level of damage that can occur.

High carbohydrate foods can also be damaging to your gums. Carbohydrates are more likely to stick to your gums and not wash off with saliva. The higher concentration of carbohydrates you consume in one meal, the more food that is sticking to your gums in between brushing.

For more information on how to keep your gums healthy, contact Dr. Rice & her team today.

Flossing Is Not Optional

Millions of people everyday skip the floss. They may even lie to their dentist about how often they are flossing. But flossing is not and should not be optional if you want optimal health. It can be difficult to remember to floss if it is not a regular part of your day, but dentists and periodontists, especially Dr. Rice, encourage you to make this important action a habit not an option. Here are three reasons why you should floss everyday.

When you smile and your gums are puffy, bleeding, and you are missing teeth, opportunities may leave you. Dr. Rice says, “Potential employers look at potential candidate’s smiles in order to determine whether they should hire. While it may seem that this tiny detail should not stop you from having your dream job, sometimes it does.

There is no other single action you can take that keeps your gums healthy. Brushing is only 50% of the job. It will remove food from the surface of the teeth, but not in between the teeth. Once food stays in between the teeth for a long period of time, sugar mixes with the bacteria that is already in your mouth and cause further problems for your gums and your overall health.

Once you lose teeth, or your periodontal disease becomes bad enough, it can cause you to lose more of your teeth. At this point, your periodontal disease can impact your overall health. Periodontal disease has been linked to heart and liver disease, as well as a number of other systemic illnesses..

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

5 Dental Tips To Avoiding Periodontal Disease This Year

The New Year is finally here and now is the time to appreciate and take care of your gums. While millions of Americans are impacted by periodontal disease you do not have to be one of them. Take time to heal and improve your overall smile starting with your gum health. Here are five tips to healthy gums.

1.     Floss your teeth. There is no other way to avoid periodontal disease. You have heard this information before and it is not new, but if you want healthy gums you have to floss. Dr. Denine Rice says, “Flossing removes food from between the gums.”

2.     Eat fruits and vegetables with every meal. Fruits and vegetables have extra water that can remove food from the gums and food stuck in between the teeth.

3.     Brush at least two times a day. In order to remove food from the surface of the teeth you have to brush. Brushing allows your gums to not have food on them that increases opportunities for bacteria and decay to spread throughout your mouth.

4.     Visit the periodontist. If you have periodontal disease you cannot get rid of it by wishing it to be gone. Dr. Rice, encourages patients to get a really good cleaning and oral evaluation if they are struggling with periodontal disease.

5.     Use mouthwash. Any food particles left behind with brushing and flossing can be removed when you swish with mouthwash.

Periodontal disease is not a good look on anybody and can wreak havoc on your body. Take care of your gums today.  For more information contact Dr. Rice & her team today.

3 Ways To Improve Your Smile & Your Gum Health

Some people may look in the mirror and think it is impossible to improve their smile. They may brush and floss regularly, but still may find their gums bleed or that they are swollen and puffy. Unless the underlining problem is corrected, they will continue to be plagued with an unhealthy smile.

By brushing 2x a day you can automatically improve your gum health. You need to remove food from the surface of the teeth in order to reduce bacteria in the mouth. Brushing is the only way to accomplish this task.

Floss one time a day at least. Food gets stuck between the teeth and stays there. The bristles of the toothbrush can do a fantastic job, but they cannot do the entire job. Flossing will remove any food particles that are hanging on and creating a problem for the health of your gums.

Take care of the underlining problem of periodontal disease or gingivitis is critical to making sure you have a healthy smile. Without getting rid of the bacteria, through periodontal laser surgery, your gums will continue to bleed or be swollen. And the constant bacteria running through your body can cause problems for your oral health, as well as your general health.

For more information contact Dr. Rice & her team!

4 Heart Related Problems That Can Occur If You Don’t Floss

While periodontal disease can go unnoticed for years and may not have a noticeable impact, periodontal disease can actually be deadly. “If you floss and your gums bleed,” Dr. Rice says, “you have a problem that needs to be addressed.” Healthy gums do not bleed.

Research now shows that patients who have suffered a heart attack are more likely to have periodontal disease then individuals who do not have periodontal disease. The bacteria from the disease, enters the blood stream and can travel throughout your body. Bacteria then travels to the heart and can potentially cause damage to the muscle causing a heart attack.

 

Strokes and periodontal disease are also linked. Strokes are also sometimes called a brain stroke, because they are caused when the blood vessels to the brain are clogged. As bacteria from periodontal disease builds up and freely travels around your body, it can easily travel to the blood vessels that need to be open in order for the brain to get oxygen. Without oxygen to the brain, the body begins to shut down.

Further research suggests that patients can further be impacted by, atherosclerosis, which is a vascular disease.  Periodontal disease creates a system where your body is attempting to the fight the infection that is impacting all parts of the body. While this infection rages on, your blood vessels and circulatory system can only take so much before it is not able to continue fighting the infections.

Periodontal disease is not something to be ignored, if your gums bleed, contact Dr. Rice and her team for a consultation to determine which treatment is right for you.

6 Ways To Improve Your Oral Health

While there are millions of bacteria that live in your mouth on any given day, you don’t have to stand by and allow them to take your beautiful healthy smile away. It’s time to begin a strategic attack in order to battle decay and disease to get your smile back to a natural and healthy state. Optimal oral health is about more than cosmetic dentistry or seeing your periodontist, it’s about replacing old habits with new ones that will allow you to have a beautiful smile.

1.     Drink water. Drinking water is the easiest way to help decrease disease and decay and get your smile back to healthy. Water helps remove food from the teeth and keeps your mouth from getting dry.

2.     Eat fruit. Not only does fruit have a high concentration of water already in it, it’s low in sugar,“ says One of Inland Empire’s Top Dentists, Dr. Denine Rice. Foods with a high concentration of water increase the chance of sugar causing cavities and decay and increase bacteria counts in the mouth.

3.     Decrease the consumption of all other foods with sugar in them. The summer time provides an increased opportunity for spending time with loved ones enjoying cakes and other treats. Avoid large quantities of the goodies and make sure to brush as soon as you can.

4.     Avoid soda. Soda has a large amount of sugar and acid that attacks the enamel on your teeth. 

5.     Floss your teeth at least once a day. There is no reason to lie to your dentist because if you are not brushing it will show up during your routine cleaning. Floss is critical to keeping your smile healthy; it is the only option for removing food between the teeth.

     Visit your periodontist and have any procedures completed that need to be done to help keep your smile at its brightest and healthiest.

Talk to Dr. Rice & her team for more options.

5 Pieces Of Advice Your Gums Would Give You

If your gums could talk they may be saying all kinds of things to you. They may begin to sound like a broken record of nagging and advice.

Here are five pieces of advice we are sure your gums would give you.

1.     Brush regularly.

                  Food easily sticks to the surface of your teeth and gums allowing bacteria to cause trouble for the health of your gums.

2.     Floss on a regular basis.

                  Your gums should be a nice pink color without puffiness or swelling. Periodontist Dr. Denine Rice states, “Your gums should be firm to the touch and cover the tooth about a quarter of the way up.” Without flossing bacteria can lie below the surface of your gums causing bleeding, gingivitis and periodontal disease. If left untreated for long periods of time, your gums may eventually lose their ability to do their job effectively and bone may be lost.

3.     Visit the dentist regularly.

                  “The dentist can find any problems you may have brewing before they become a problem for your mouth,” says Dr. Rice. 

4.     Eat Healthy Foods.

                  Fruits and vegetables help wash any food away from the gums. While chips, and other foods high in starch, can cause food to stay stuck to your teeth and gums which then turns into sugar.

5.     Don’t let problems go.

                  If you notice bleeding, lesions or other problems in your mouth or with your gums don’t wait until the pain becomes unbearable. Visit the dentist and solve the problem before things get worse and cost more.

Healthy gums leads to a smile that lasts a lifetime. For further questions contact Dr. Rice & her team.

3 Secrets From Your Periodontist

           

Do you spend time chatting with your periodontist? Well, we did. We sat down with periodontist Dr. Rice in order to see what advice she gives to patients.

Your gums are a precious commodity that can help keep your smile looking fantastic. Don’t take for granted you’ll always have healthy gums.  

1. "Brush in circles - not back and forth", says periodontist Dr. Denine Rice. It is critical in taking care of your gums. Back and forth may cause recession. You have to be gentle with the tissue, they are not made of hard enamel like your teeth. 

2. Bacteria is normal in the mouth - but bacteria can grow out of control if not held in check. There are more bacteria in your mouth than there are people in the entire world. If you don’t keep brushing, flossing and visiting the dentist, this bacteria can take over in your mouth, causing you major problems down the line. 

3. Flossing can add years to your life. While flossing not only ensures the health of your gums, it allows you to keep your teeth. Flossing ensures you keep your gums healthy and in the best shape of your life. Bacteria and food can build up between your teeth causing periodontal disease.   

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.