Why You May Need A Bone Graft After An Extraction

Bone graft surgery can help improve the health of your smile and if you recently had an extraction you may want to consider a bone graft procedure. It can be stressful to have a tooth extracted and you may be wondering, when you meet with Dr. Denine Rice and her team, now what? When you extract the tooth what is going to happen with my smile?

A bone graft procedure is usually completed immediately after an extraction to make sure you have healthy and enough bone where the tooth was extracted. Many times the reason for a lost tooth in infection which is in the bone. A bone graft cleans out infected tissue and replaces it with health bone. A bone graft procedure at the time of extraction can decrease the overall surgical procedures you need to have, and so can mean financial savings for you. If you have an extraction done and do not have the bone graft procedure, you may end up having to have a procedure later if you are moving forward with an implant or a denture, or you may notice that as the area heals shrinkage of bone that becomes that much more difficult to correct.

A bone graft procedure at the time of an extraction can also help hold your implant if you are doing an immediate placement. This procedure allows Dr. Rice and her team to have a wider ridge to work with when completing your implant procedure and will help ensure your implant will hold for years to come. 

For more information about bone graft procedures, contact Dr. Rice and her team today!

5 Tips To Flossing

Flossing is the key dental habit you need in order to prevent periodontal disease. There is no other alternative or option for removing food from between the teeth.  While you can brush the front and back of your teeth, bristles of a toothbrush do not effectively remove food.   Here are five tips from Dr. Rice on how to floss.

1.     Utilize floss you like. Don’t waste time and money on floss that is not comfortable for you to use or you do not like. Find one that works for you and try different kinds until you find one that motivates you to floss.

2.     Set a particular time everyday when you are going to floss. Setting up the routine is the key to creating a habit.

3.     Dr.Denine Rice, suggests, “Listen to music or sports while flossing.”  Pairing flossing with something you do like can shift your brain to think positively about an experience you don’t necessarily enjoy.

4.     Put the floss in multiple locations in your house. If you have floss in a bathroom downstairs, put it upstairs as well. Or place floss in the kitchen drawer if helps to remind you to brush.

5.     Floss everyday. The more consistently you floss the less likely you are to have problems from not flossing. Non-flossing can cause bleeding gums, swollen or puffy gums. Once you have those early signs of disease, flossing can cause pain or uncomfortable feelings. This can decrease your desire to floss resulting in more damage and potential tooth loss.

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

End of Year

The end of the insurance year is fast approaching, so Dr. DenineRice suggests taking advantage. Has Dr. Rice recommended a treatment that you haven't taken care of yet? Or have you been dragging your feet on laser periodontal surgery? Now is the perfect time to get these things done, now before your dental insurance benefits are lost.

 

Insurance companies award you a certain amount of money each year. If you do not use the money you loose the amount.  Once the year is over any money not used for dental treatment goes back to the insurance company. However, you already paid for this money by paying your monthly premium.  And while you may believe that your dental insurance will cover you when you get around to that appointment, putting treatment off not only decreases the overall health of your smile, but you may be lose money and options if your dental insurance benefits change the following year for some reason out of your control.

Waiting to complete recommended procedures can cause more damage. If you have a periodontal infection the only way to treat is to remove the bacteria in the mouth. Otherwise, the infection can spread not only to other teeth but around your body, causing damage to other body parts.  In the end,  waiting for a treatment can end up costing you a significant amount of money, time and your overall health.

Every month you and perhaps your employer pay for these benefits. Dr. Rice suggests you take advantage of this special opportunity to increase the health of your gums. 

LBR – hand in hand with perio therapy

Laser Bacterial Reduction goes hand-in-hand with your periodontal therapy. At the office of Dr. Denine Rice in RiversideCalifornia, patients will soon discover that technology is in use.

“We’ve found great results from using lasers in all aspects of periodontal therapy. Patients love that it is painless and that there is no need for sutures or cutting,” says Dr. Rice.

Not only have patients found that can experience periodontal surgery without cutting and sewing, but also that the simple routine visit can be enhanced by the use of Laser Bacterial Reduction.

“Our hygienist every visit uses a laser in the mouth before beginning any treatment. This means that we can reduce the amount of bacteria in the mouth and obtain better results even during a routine perio maintenance appointment,” adds Dr. Rice.

And the results are improved. To learn more visit our website at: RicePeriodontics.com

What to Look for When Getting a 2nd opinion

“For many patients the road to dental health is confusing,” says Dr. Denine Rice, “there may be several options for treatment that all seem the same, but usually are not.”

In any second opinion there should be a few things you are looking for and ask about.

“When you arrive at your appointment for your second opinion, make sure that you have a detailed report of what your 1^st opinion is recommending – that way you will be sure to compare the two plans equally if the recommendation is the same,” adds Dr. Rice of Rice Periodontics. But many times, your 2^nd opinion will also give you a 2^nd option.

“Discuss thoroughly with your dentist your desires and fears regarding the recommended treatment,” says Dr. Rice, “including the types of materials and technology that will be used and why.”

For example: many dentists place implants, be sure to find one that is also recommending an ICAT and not just a regular x-ray to determine if there is sufficient bone. “Implants are an investment that can last and be highly successful, or not. When determining if you wish to proceed, make sure you are doing what you can to improve the outcome.”

Also when discussing treatment with your dentist, ask about the number of procedures that have been completed successfully. “This should always be part of the discussion,” adds Dr. Rice.

Use your second opinion to find someone you feel comfortable with, someone who is knowledgeable, uses proven technology and has completed the procedures a number of times before. Call Rice Periodontics today to schedule your 2^nd opinion.

How does taste work?

Your sense of smell and taste work together to enhance your enjoyment of food.

The four basic tastes that you will recognize are:

Sour    Bitter    Sweet   Salty

 

The nerve receptors in your nose will be the first to signal the brain about what you are about to eat, but it is the sense of taste that most of us focus on.

The majority of the taste buds in your mouth are located on the edges and tip of the tongue, although there are a few on the roof of your mouth and throat. When you eat, the nerve receptors in your mouth send the message to your brain about the taste while at the same time your nose reports on the smell.

When you are a denture wearer, the taste buds located on the roof of your mouth are covered by the plastic palate of your upper denture. This can reduce the amount of pleasure you experience with meals. If you have discovered a decrease in taste with your new denture, contact your dentist. It may be possible to modify your denture to reduce the amount of plastic on the palate of your mouth.

For some, the only choice to regain their sense of taste may be a palate-less denture affixed to implants. 

Halitosis – How Do I Get Rid Of Bad Breath?

“Bad breath, or halitosis can be caused by a number of factors: poor dental health, food choices, tobacco and/or it can be a sign of other health problems,” says Dr. Denine Rice from her Periodontal Surgery Practice in Riverside, California.

Brushing and flossing daily promotes good dental health. Not only does it reduce the bacteria that are found in the mouth, but it also removes food debris from the teeth and tongue which many times are the cause of bad breath. Also, patients who brush, floss and see their dentist regularly are many times less likely to have extensive decay that also contributes to halitosis.

What you eat plays a role as well. All food eaten is broken down in your mouth, digested and absorbed into your bloodstream. Once in your bloodstream it will eventually find itself carried to your lungs where it is released into your breath. “Foods such as garlic and onions will not go away even with brushing and flossing until the foods have passed through your body,” Dr. Rice adds.

Smoking and/or chewing tobacco-based products also can cause bad breath. 

Finally, persistent bad breath may be an indicator of something else going on:

1.     Gum disease is caused by bacteria found in the mouth and when left untreated it can result in persistent bad breath.

2.     A condition called xerostomia (dry mouth) can result in halitosis. Saliva is needed to clean and cleanse the mouth and when enough saliva cannot be produced the result may be bad breath.

3.     When dental prosthetics or appliances are not well maintained they can also cause a bad odor.

4.     Infections like pneumonia or bronchitis, sinus infections, postnasal drip, diabetes and acid reflux can all also contribute to bad breath.

Dentist routinely treat halitosis.They will quickly determine if the odor is related to oral health and make recommendations based on what they see. If you are suffering from bad breath, don’t wait, see your dentist and set a course to better health.

 Rice Periodontics