Full Restorative Smile

Implants allow you to have a full restorative smile that looks and feels like real teeth.  However, if you do have implants you will need to continue with your regular brushing, and flossing routine. Bacteria can build up around the implant and affect the gums. There are two types of peri-implant disease.

The first one is called peri-implant mucositis. This is where bacteria builds up around the soft tissue on the gums and causes them to become inflamed. There is no bone loss yet, and the impact can usually be decreased with a good cleaning from your periodontist or her hygienist. You will also need to implement regular brushing and flossing routines in order to keep the implant in good clean health after the cleaning has occurred.

The second type of periodontal disease with implants is called, “peri-implantitis.” This type of periodontal disease is more serious and can lead to more severe damage if it is not taken care of.   In order to clean out the bacteria, periodontal surgery is usually required. The concern with peri-implantitis is that when the bacteria build-up this severe it results in bone loss. In order for the implant to stay in place it must have enough bone to correctly attach to and stay secure. 

If you have implants and you notice that your gums appear to be swollen, puffy and red. "Or if they bleed when you floss, contact your periodontist right away for a professional recommendation," says Dr. Denine Rice.

When Life Get’s Busy-Don’t Step Out Of Your Routine

It’s easy this time of year to let your busy schedule take you in different directions. The Holidays are over, but it doesn’t mean that life has stopped. However, now more than ever it is important to take care of your body. Yes, it’s 2015 and your New Year’s Resolution may have been broken a dozen times. But taking care of your body isn’t something that should take a backseat to your schedule. With each passing year, you are getting older and you only get one body to live in. "How healthy you are overall, impacts the health of your mouth,” says periodontist Dr. Denine Rice.

Our body is an interconnected set of systems that is impacted by how you treat it. If your gums are not taken care of, bacteria can float through the bloodstream and damage your liver, heart and other organs. Dr. Rice lets patients know, “Tt works both ways, if your body is run down, tired, and isn’t running at it’s best, it can negatively impact your gums and teeth.”

Brushing, flossing and eating healthy should be a part of your daily routine. It is as important as getting out of bed and getting ready for work. If you forget to floss in the morning or at night, don’t be afraid to write yourself a note on your bathroom mirror to remind yourself. Remember, it takes 21 days to make a habit. Day one should start today.

What Does Gum Grafting Surgery Entail?

Once Periodontist Dr. Denine Rice recommends that you have gum graft surgery she’ll have you schedule another appointment where you can come in and get the surgery completed. Gum grafting surgery may be recommended if your gums have receded to the point where the roots of your tooth are exposed or if your teeth are loose in your mouth. While this is not a cosmetic surgery, it may be recommended to enhance your original smile. This secondary benefit improves your smile by extending your gums back to where they should be.

There are three different types of gum graft surgeries and they depend on how much root you have that the periodontist can work with.   Connective tissue grafts use tissue from under the palette of the mouth. Once the flap has been cut and the correct amount of tissue has been removed, it will be placed in front of the area that needs tissue.  The tissue will then be stitched around the tooth in order to connect the tissue to the area in front of the tooth. Once the surgery is complete the dentist will reconnect the flap on the palate of the mouth to allow for healing. 

The second type of gum grafting surgery is called a Free Gingival graft. This procedure may be recommended if you need additional tissue to enlarge the gums. The tissue is taken from the palette of the mouth instead of underneath the palette. If you have thin gums, this procedure will allow the tissue around the gum to be built up.

The third kind of gum graft surgery is a pedicle graft. Dr. Denine Rice, one of Inland Empire’s top rated dentists, recommends this type of surgery to patients when patients have enough tissue by the tooth but it just needs to be pulled up to cover the tooth.  This surgery allows for tissue to be taken from around the tooth instead of taken from the palette. Once the tissue is placed in the correct spot it will be grafted on.  And the healing process will begin.

For more information contact Dr. Denine Rice & her team today.

Is Gum Grafting Something I need?

Have you recently visited your periodontist and they’ve recommended gum graft surgery? Don’t panic, it’s not as bad or as scary as it sounds. Gum grafting surgery is used to elongate the gums if you gum recession or your gums are pulling back and roots are exposed. Bone recession happens slowly over time and may not be noticed right away. Dr. Rice suggests, “Once your gums begin to recede, you may not have the beautiful smile you aim to have. You may also begin to feel your teeth become loose and more of each tooth exposed.”

If you choose not to have gum graft surgery, once your gums recede to a certain point, your teeth will no longer have a comfortable pocket to sit in. Without your gums and the bone beneath them the teeth may begin to loosen and will eventually fall out.  “Our gums are designed to fit our teeth like a snug pocket, holding them in place,” says Dr. Rice. Over time, and with periodontal disease, the damage to your gums may cause your teeth to be hanging on by a thread.

Gum graft surgery in a few short appointments can fix this problem quickly and efficiently. Surgery is designed to restore your smile to one that is beautiful, not only that, but it will also cut down on tooth sensitivity, because the roots of your teeth will no longer be exposed.

The Con’s Of Smoking For Your Mouth

   Once you have periodontal disease Dr. Rice will recommend a type of treatment in order to treat the bacteria that is destroying your healthy smile. However, when you smoke your gums and teeth are continually exposed to detrimental chemicals that damage your tissues.

While you’ve heard the risk factors of smoking before, current research supports that along with causing cancer and other health problems it also can decrease your chance of successful periodontal treatment.

While you and your periodontist are working hard to treat your gum disease, if you continue to smoke you’re also continuing to re-expose your gums to the chemicals that are contributing to the problem in the first place.  A risk of periodontal disease is five to twenty times more likely if you smoke.  Cigarettes contain nicotine and carbon monoxide and both chemicals, according to Dr. Denine Rice, “Cause a problem for wound care.”  Unfortunately, the negatives don’t stop there. Smoking increases the severity of your periodontal disease. With an increased chance of loosing more teeth then if you didn’t smoke.

Periodontal disease impacts your body, smile and your overall quality of life because you are constantly fighting inflammation in the body. The New Year is here and it’s time for a new You! Start today with periodontal treatment and a smoking cessation program.

What You Need To Know From Your Periodontist Now That It’s 2015!

 

1.     Periodontal Disease is still detrimental to you. Okay, well this isn’t new news, but we want to keep this at the forefront of your brain. Periodontal disease causes inflammation in the gum tissue.

2.     Your dental insurance benefits have started over. Usually your insurance company allocates a certain amount of money to dental work. If you ran out or are not sure if you have money available contact your insurance company and get the treatment scheduled to get your smile back on track.

3.     Dr. Rice and her team are well rested and ready to help you. We enjoyed the holidays and hope you did as well. Now that we’ve all enjoyed some extra sugar it’s important to take care of making sure you rid your mouth of any bacteria left over from the holidays.

4.     Take time to rest. If you were busy this holiday season take time to rest in the dental chair of the periodontal office. We would be happy to allow you a short nap while we work on getting your gums healthy again.

5.     Don’t worry about shedding those pounds. After your appointment it may take awhile before you can eat again. Just kidding – we pride ourselves on providing some numbing agents to help facilitate a more comfortable treatment. 

Happy New Year!

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.

A Periodontist Does More Than Keep Your Gums Healthy

While you may think the only job a periodontist has is to improve the overall health of your gums, there is more they can do for you. Do you have missing teeth due to gum disease? Dr. Denine Rice can help to repair your smile. Today’s technology allows for multiple options. For example, Dr. Rice can provide bone grafting. Bone grafts are where synthetic bone is used in order to build up the jawbone. This is done if you have missing teeth or if the bone in the jaw is not up as high or strong as what you need in order to place implants

 

Periodontists can also complete oral health exams. If you smoke or use tobacco-less products you might discover lesions inside your mouth. Periodontist, Denine Rice suggests, “Get these lesions evaluated immediately. It is critical in order to determine the next steps.”

Periodontists can also help remove diseased tissue from the gums. They do this by scaling away debris from the root surface of your teeth.  This procedure is used if you have had severe periodontal disease that is impacting your smile.

Your Periodontist can also complete an exam to determine the overall health of your gums and teeth to determine if more complex surgery is needed in order to get your gums back to a healthy state. For example, they’ll check to see if you have any loose teeth, gum recession or more severe periodontal disease.  

Finally your periodontist will also be examining your mouth for any other signs of ill health – your mouth is the window into your overall health, not just your oral health.

When thinking this New Year about resolutions to make, include one that improves your overall health – visiting your periodontist for an exam.