7 Ways To Recommit To Your Gums

If you take advantage of your gums, they will eventually begin to break down. Your gums are sensitive and require you to take special care of them in order to keep them in tip-top shape. Here are seven tips to keep your gums healthy.

1.     Brush 2x a day

           While this is not new advice, this is certainly the most critical. "If you’re not brushing, you’re inviting bacteria to attack the enamel of your teeth, says Dr. Denine Rice.

2.     Floss daily

           Flossing allows you to remove any bacteria or food left over between your teeth. While brushing is your first line of defense, in order to get between the teeth you have to floss. Find floss you love to make this an easier process.

 3. Drink water

            Water isn’t only for your body, it’s super important to your teeth as well. Water helps keep your mouth moist to remove food particles stuck on your teeth between brushing.

4. Eat veggies containing water – like celery

            Veggies high in water help provide a clean white look to your teeth. “Veggies not only help keep your body healthy, but they ensure your smile is staying as healthy as you want it as well,” says Dr. Rice.

 5. Eat fruit

            Fruit, like the vegetables, help rinse food away from the teeth and gums.

6. Avoid tobacco products

            Tobacco creates multiple problems for your gums. Not only does it carry dangerous carcinogens that cause cancer, it also dries out your mouth. The dryer your mouth is the more opportunity for bacteria to grow, attacking your gums.

 7. See your dentist as recommended.

            Visiting your dentist on a regular basis allows any problems to be detected early and allows for any problems to be taken care of.  

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.

Is Laser Surgery A Good Option For Me

            Laser surgery is a viable option for most individuals who have periodontal disease. While some periodontists may use traditional methods for treating periodontal disease, laser treatment is the newest technology that can ensure the health of your mouth. Laser surgery is no cut and no sew - this is an advantage for those who fear the knife. Dr. Denine Rice says, “If you want fast healing then laser surgery is the way to go.”

            Laser surgery allows you can get back to your life quickly. When using a laser instead of traditional surgery, the laser penetrates the gums without doing damage to the soft tissue. This also means that patients do not typically experience swelling and pain after laser surgery. 

            Periodontal disease leads to bone loss, which leads to tooth loss. Laser surgery can treat the disease and get you back to being healthy quickly.  The worse part of periodontal disease is that it can impact your overall health, as the disease spreads to your other organs. By cleaning the debris from under your gums and taking care of the disease you can get back to your lifestyle.

            There are a variety of options for getting your gums back to a healthy state. Talk to Dr. Denine Rice and her team today to make sure you have all the facts. Laser surgery can be the option you’ve been waiting for.

Oral Cancer - What You Should Know

 

 Oral cancer is a serious situation that can impact your life quickly. The sooner you get diagnosed the sooner you are on your way to treatment. Your periodontist is able to assess your gums and complete an extensive oral cancer exam to ensure you do not have any suspicious spots. In the event you have been diagnosed, here are four tips from periodontist Dr. Denine Rice.

1.     Stop smoking or using tobacco

           Smoking increases your chances of having oral cancer but once you have been diagnosed it is just as important you quit.  The tobacco and other chemicals in cigarettes decrease your chance of successfully healing after cancer surgery.  

 

2.     Add veggies and fruits to your diet

           Vegetables and fruits help keep your body strong while you are fighting this disease. You want to be as healthy as possible. Fruits and vegetables can give your body the nutrients depleted during chemotherapy and other cancer fighting treatments.

3.     Drink plenty of fluids

           Water is essential to keeping you as healthy as possible. There are multiple negative effects of dehydration, and during a time when your body is being depleted, you want to make sure you stay hydrated.

4.     Continue to see your dentist annually for an oral cancer exam - even if you have no teeth

           Visiting your dentist on a regular basis can make sure the cancer is not spreading to other parts of your mouth.

If you have any spots you are not sure about, or if you haven’t had an exam in the last six months contact Dr. Denine Rice today for an appointment.

3 Ways A Periodontist Can Improve The Cosmetic Look Of Your Smile

Some individuals may think the only person that can help improve the look of their smile is a cosmetic dentist. That is not true. Denine Rice, a periodontist in Riverside can provide treatment that can enhance your smile too! 

1. Improve the smile line

Your gums usually reveal the same amount of tooth. After time, you might have experienced your gums receding. As they pull away from your teeth, more surfaces are exposed. This look can make your teeth look bigger than they are. You periodontist can help by providing gum grafting surgery to replace the missing tissue. 

2. Replace missing teeth with implants

Missing teeth not only decrease the beauty of your smile, it overall impacts the health of your smile. When your teeth chew food, it causes bone to be stimulated. Without a tooth being located in that spot on the jawbone, you can negatively impact the strength of your jaw. Over time other teeth may move toward the spot where teeth are missing, or worse yet the jaw can errode causing an increase in wrinkles that means premature aging. 

3. Reduce gum inflammation 

Gum inflammation is never a sexy look. Red, swollen gums reduce the overall health of your smile. Dr. Rice suggests, "By visiting your periodontist you can be provided with options to reduce the swelling." An in depth cleaning may be all you need to get you back to a vibrant white smile that wows them.  

 

5 Ways Periodontal Treatment Can Enhance Your Smile!

A healthy white smile can enhance your life and fill it with opportunities. You want to have the best smile you can, and treating periodontal concerns can improve your odds of landing the job of your dreams, but that’s not the only benefit. Here are 5 tips from Periodontist Denine Rice on how your smile can improve with periodontal treatment.  

1. Improved gum tissue color and health

If your gums are red and inflamed, periodontal treatment can reduce the puffiness and improve the look to a more natural-looking color.  

2. Gum shaping can even out a smile

Laser treatment for periodontal disease can do more than just clean out the bacteria impacting your gums, it can also be used to reshape your tissue so that it is more even. This creates a cosmetically improved smile. 

3. Gum grafting can even out a smile that has receded. 

Have your gums receded due to periodontal disease or excessive brushing? "Gum grafting is a great option that can restore the look of your smile," states Dr. Rice. 

4. Dental Implants can replace missing teeth 

Missing and cracked teeth take away from your intended message when you are talking to people. Employers report you only have seven seconds to make a first impression. You don’t want your lasting impression to be one of a missing tooth. 

5. Remove stubborn stains 

Stains can be caused by the foods we eat and the drinks we enjoy. Some stains are hard to remove with brushing and flossing. Periodontal treatments are designed to remove the deep plaque that is stuck on our teeth. A residual benefit, when all of that other stuff is removed from the surface of your teeth, it can also eliminate some of the staining.  

6 Ways To Improve Gum Health

Your gum health is critical to the health of your mouth and your body. Both can spiral out of control if you do not get help with your periodontal disease. Don’t wait to improve the health of your smile. 

1. Brush and floss daily. Brushing helps remove the plaque that sticks to your teeth after you have consumed something. The longer bacteria stays on your teeth, the more opportunity there is for the damage to occur. Flossing helps remove any food between the teeth.
2. Visit your dentist regularly and your periodontist if you have periodontal disease. Regular dental cleanings help remove the plaque that sticks to the teeth that routine brushing and flossing are not able to get. Your dentist can also take routine x-rays in order to identify any problems that may be brewing.
3. Fix broken or missing teeth as soon as possible. The jawbone is stimulated by the grinding motion made when eating foods. If you have teeth that are missing, the bone is not regenerated and eventually your jawbone can begin to weaken. This can cause more problems for your smile.
4. Eat healthy foods that improve the look of your smile. The more water a food has in it, the better for your smile.
5. Drink water. Without water to rinse,  bacteria can grow. Bacteria impact the gums and then can cause them to recede.
6. Use mouthwash. Mouthwash can improve not only your breath, but also it can help to rinse away any bacteria that you have on your teeth. And some mouthwash contains products specifically to help with gingivitis, if this is something impacting you. 

Get going today and improve your gum health.

4 Signs You May Have Periodontal Disease

 Bright red is not the cool-looking color you want to add to your teeth. And why would your mouth be bright red? Periodontal disease is very detrimental and can cause long lasting damage not only to your gums but to your whole body. “If you experience any of the four symptoms below call your periodontist right away,” says, Dr. Denine Rice: 

1. Bleeding when you brush and floss. Gums bleed because there is irritation and infection in the gum tissue. The plaque, which is a biofilm of bacteria, causes continued irritation, which then causes them to bleed.

2. Red or swollen gums. As the bacteria impact your teeth, it can cause pain in your mouth. Your gums become inflamed, which then causes sensitivity and increase possibility of pain.

3. Persistent bad breath is unfortunately another sign you may have periodontal disease. If you suffer and find your loved ones backing away, now is the time for a check up.

4. Loose teeth is a negative impact of periodontal disease. Your gums should fit around your teeth like a pocket. Dr. Rice, states, "bacteria can cause the teeth to pull back from the gums, and cause bone loss leading to your teeth become loose."

How Can I Have An Impeccable Smile

 

A perfect smile is an option for almost everyone. Here are a few tips from Periodontist, Dr. Denine Rice, to get your teeth picture perfect. 
1. Whiten your teeth: this allows you to remove the brownish, yellow stains that may be impacting your smile. 
2. Restore teeth impacted by decay as soon as possible. 
 3. Replace missing teeth. There are a variety of options available to replace any missing teeth and even if a few years ago you were not considered a candidate for implants, that may have changed as technology has advanced. 
4. Look at the frame around each tooth – your gum tissue. Tissue re-contouring might be exactly what is needed to enhance your smile. Dr. Rice can reshape your gums in order to make them more even. Or if there is significant recession, a tissue graft could possibly give you back what you have lost due to injury or aggressive brushing. 
5. Remove frenectomies that might be pulling tissue away from your teeth. Dr. Rice suggests “Frenectomies can be removed by using a laser in order to allow your lips to cover your teeth in the proper way.” While your frenectomy may not be influencing your ability to eat or drink, it can affect the way your smile looks. 
6. Brush, floss and see your dentist regularly. These are none negotiable to keep your smile healthy and bright.  

Don’t Dry Out Your Gums-They Love Water!

Are you drinking enough water? Why does it matter you ask? Dehydration is caused by medications, disease and lack of water. As you go about your day, you may forget to drink anything at all because you are busy working, taking care of the kids, and juggling that new client. Nevertheless, you don’t want to miss opportunities to drink a little water. “It's detrimental to your gums to be dehydrated,” says Periodontist Dr. Denine Rice. 
Dry mouth means saliva isn't produced and cannot cleanse the mouth of bacteria that live below the gum tissue. While you're moving through your day, dry mouth is allowing all kinds of nasty bacteria to live and breed. This increased level of decay can cause recession, swollen and bleeding gums. If you have less saliva it can also compromise your mouth’s ability to naturally wash away any food you have consumed throughout the day. The longer food is on your teeth and gums the better opportunity it has to cause cavities.  
Your gums are sensitive and can be damaged easily. Without a natural moisturizer to keep them healthy, your gums can lose their pretty pink color. Dr. Rice suggests, “Drink water today for a healthier smile tomorrow.”