How Does The Pinhole Grafting Procedure Work?

You may have been one of the lucky ones who heard that Dr. Rice & her team are trained in the Pinhole Grafting Technique. Dr. DenineRice and her team can help you build up healthy gum tissue and change your smile. So, how does this procedure work?

Once Dr. Rice and her team have determined you are a candidate for this procedure. You will schedule an appointment. At your first visit, Dr. Rice will utilize a special tool that creates tiny pinholes in the gums around the tooth that has recession. Then Dr. Rice will move surrounding tissue into place. This will cover the root of the tooth. After this is completed the healing will begin.

 

Most patients say there is little discomfort or pain during the procedure. They are not put under and do not usually require even light sedation during surgery. This means you can get back to the things that are important in your life without waiting for your gum graft procedure to heal.  A very small amount of patients do experience swelling, infection or tenderness, but the risk of this is reduced because this procedure allows for the area to heal faster.

For more information on this procedure, contact Dr. Denine Rice & her team today!

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!

Floss Or Loss

A recent article came out suggesting that flossing is not a necessary part of your dental routine and while research in this study suggested that the results were inconclusive, 8,000 periodontists, including Dr. Denine Rice and her team, say that keeping the space between your gums clean is the only way to reduce your risk of periodontal disease.

Adults across the nation can see that going just 1 or 2 days without flossing can cause pain, problems with bleeding gums, and years of not flossing give bacteria free rain to cause damage to your overall gum health. “Flossing is the key to a healthy smile and to keeping your teeth,” says Dr.Rice.

When bacteria is left on the surface or below your gums, they begin to swell and/or bleed. This is due to your body attempting to fight off the bacteria by using an inflammatory response. When your body is unable to get rid of the bacteria, your body will stay in this mode for long periods of time which can lead to other problems.

 Once, the bacteria have attacked your gums and regular flossing routines are not in place, your teeth can become loose, your gums may recede, and eventually this can lead to you losing your teeth.

Take time to floss. For more information on the importance of flossing contact Dr. Rice and her team.

1 Missing Tooth Is Too Many

When you look in the mirror is there a hole in the back where your tooth used to be? Did you have a dentist extract it thinking one day you would get it fixed? If time has passed and you have still not taken the time to replace your missing tooth, now is the time. Periodontist Dr. Denine Rice, recommends getting your missing tooth fixed immediately in order to get your smile back on track. 

One missing tooth can cause major problems that you did not plan for. One missing tooth can allow an opportunity for your other teeth to shift into place. Once this shift begins to happen, your bite can be off. As your bite shifts, your jaw alignment becomes a problem. This can eventually lead to pain, and extreme problems with your bite. It can also cause gum disease.

The gums are exposed in that area allowing food to stick in between the teeth for a longer period of time. The longer that food is stuck between your teeth, the more opportunity that decay and other problems can set in.

For more information on missing teeth and options for you to fix your smile, contact Dr. Rice and her team today.

Don’t Leave Your Gums Behind!

If it’s a race to achieving a healthy smile, your gums are the backbone to a healthy smile. Without them your smile cannot live up to its finest potential. If your gums are bleeding, puffy and swollen, then your teeth and your smile are going to be unhealthy, which can add years to your face. Dr. Rice says, “Now days you read all about healthy living. How to cut out gluten from your diet to help reduce swelling, how you should exercise for you heart, well, it's time to brush for your teeth.” Your gums need love to, so don’t leave them behind. Increase your flossing regime to 1x a day and we promise your gums will thank you.

Gums are the soft forgotten tissue that helps protect your teeth. Without your gums there is nothing to hold your teeth in place. Your gums protect roots from being exposed, which can lead to sensitivity. Without your gums, your teeth will look uneven and unhealthy. Your gums are providing the sturdy mountain that holds your teeth together.

Millions of Americans every year lie to their dentist and periodontist about flossing. But there is no single action that protects your gums better and keeps them healthy then picking up that floss 1x a day. If you struggle to floss your teeth with regular floss, periodontist Dr. Denine Rice recommends finding a water pic or waxed floss to keep your gums healthy for a lifetime.

For more tips on flossing 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.

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.

It’s Not Too Late

While the holidays are fast approaching it is not too late to visit periodontist Dr. Denine Rice and her team to get the right periodontal care you need. Do you have missing? Research shows that once you lose one tooth it is likely you are going to lose another. Don’t let your smile be hidden, in another holiday family photo, because you are embarrassed.

When the holidays end, many times so do your insurance benefits for the year, but there are procedures that can be completed to give you the smile you’ve always wanted.

 

Implants look and act like real teeth. They are placed into the jawbone in order to provide stability to the tooth. It is important, if you receive implants, to brush and floss daily in order to keep from developing problems again in the future.

A fixed bridge is an alternative option as long as the teeth, jawbone and gum tissue on either side of the missing tooth are strong enough to hold the bridge. Since this does require that the gums are healthy – you wouldn’t want to build a house on a poor foundaton – it is in your best interest to visit your periodontist and determine if your gums are healthy and the bone strong enough to support your bridge..

It is important to have a consultation in order to determine which option is the best option for you to replace your missing teeth, and either way, it’s a good idea to speak to a specialist. While there are several options available due to the health of your gums and other teeth, one option may work better than other.

Contact Dr. DenineRice & her team today for options.