Protect Your Teeth

As we age not only do our body’s needs change, but our mouth changes as well. You may need to take care of your teeth differently as you get older. Here are three tips to create a healthy smile that lasts a lifetime and keeps you looking younger.

1.     Take care of any dental problems early on. While bleeding gums or one cracked tooth may not seem like a big deal, it can cause a bigger problem for you later on. Depending on your overall health, decay in the mouth can spread and impact you differently than when you were younger. Keeping up on any problems can stop them from getting worse. Minor problems not taken care of create larger more expensive problems eventually.

2.     Decrease the carbs and sugar. “Sugar causes the enamel on the teeth to erode,” says periodontist Dr. Denine Rice. By cutting down on carbs and sugar you decrease the availability of these foods sticking to your teeth and causing major dental problems.

3.     Increase water consumption. Not only is water great for your overall health, it also is better for your smile. It can increase saliva production and wash excess food from on and in between your teeth.

6 Tips That Can Prevent A Dental Nightmare

Dental decay can occur very quickly if food and sugar is left to sit on the enamel of the teeth. These six tips can help prevent decay or correct any problems before they become a major dental headache.

1.     You’ve heard it time and time again, but this tried and true practice never gets old for your teeth: brush twice a day to remove any bacteria or food from your teeth. Food that sticks to the surface of your enamel can turn to sugar, which then eats away at the enamel of your teeth causing cavities.

2.     Floss at least once a day. Dr. Denine Rice says, "there are hard to reach spaces in your mouth." By flossing you can make sure there is not food debris stuck between the teeth.  Cavities and decay can occur between your back molars and in between teeth that are close together.

3.     Increase your water consumption. Water helps rinse away any leftover food particles and helps rinse your mouth between brushing. It also prevents you from getting a dry mouth. When your mouth is dry it is easier for bacteria to spread.

4.     Increase your consumption of fruits and vegetables high in water concentration and low in starch. "Foods that have carbs and starch in them stick to your teeth and turn to sugar," states Dr. Rice. The sugar then turns to decay.

5.     Visit the dentist on a regular basis. Not only can they prevent some cavities and other major dental problems from occurring. They can catch any small problems before they become major dental repairs.

6.     Take care of periodontal disease right away. If your gums are bleeding even a little bit, take care of the problem and don’t let it get worse.

10 Things You Should Know About Your Gums

Your gums are an important part of your mouth and require you to take extra special care of them. Here are ten things you should know to protect your gums.

1.     Gums are soft tissue that can be impacted by bacteria from food and certain drinks.

2.     Your gums can last a lifetime if you take care of them. As long as your brush, floss and visit the dentist on a regular basis you can avoid most major dental problems.

3.     Brushing and flossing removes bacteria from the mouth that can damage the gums. Bacteria is found in the mouth in mass quantities. By brushing and flossing regularly you are not going to remove all of the bacteria, but you will be able to manage it.

4.     Fruits and vegetables with a high concentration of water can remove leftover food from your gums.

5.     Gums help protect your teeth from damage.

6.     Decay can go beneath the gum line to cause additional damage.

7.     If your gums begin to recede due to bacteria, it can cause problems with your teeth, as most likely the bone is being lost as well.

8.     Unhealthy gums can cause sensitivity for teeth.

9.     Healthy gums do not bleed and are not red or swollen.

10.  When unhealthy bacteria taken care of, your gum health can improve.

Healthy Smile From The Past

Do you have periodontal disease that has attacked the bone? Have you given up and believe your mouth can never have the healthy, white smile of your past? We have good news for you. Technology, being utilized in periodontal offices, can regenerate bone and  restore your smile. This procedure may sound complicated, but in a few short visits, you can be on your way to a smile where the bone is restored.
 

“In order to determine the best route for you, your periodontist,” says Dr. DenineRice, “will need to evaluate your periodontal health.” Depending on how much damage has been done, and where there is bone loss, will determine which procedure and where the bone is placed.  

The bone is usually artificially created and then implanted into the jawbone once bacteria have been removed. It is important for the bad bacteria to be removed from the gum tissue and for any periodontal disease to be under control prior to this procedure being conducted, otherwise, it will be difficult for healthy bacteria to grow.  

 Once the procedure is completed it is important to give your mouth the time to heal. You'll want to adjust some of the foods you eat. "Double check with your periodontist after the procedure is completed for any post-surgery requirements," suggests Periodontist Dr. Rice.  

Your Smile Is Worth It!

You only have one set of gums and teeth, and while you may believe you can replace them, it comes with a cost. Take care of the ones you have is the best advice you can receive.

Dr. Rice states, "periodontal disease is the leading cause of gum recession and missing teeth." It attacks your gums first until they bleed and are swollen. As the disease continues to attack your healthy gums, they pull away from your teeth, which eventually leads to bone loss.  Traditional surgery usually takes several sessions each lasting potentially several hours with recovery time needed after.

LANAP laser surgery can stop periodontal disease in its tracks and help restore your beautiful smile much more easily. This new innovative choice can allow you to return to work usually the same day with minimal damage to your gums. The thin laser goes beneath the gumline in order to get rid of any bacteria, and instead of cleaning one quadrant of your mouth at a time, the LANAP procedure allows the periodontist the option of treating multiple areas in the mouth at one time.  “This procedure usually takes two, two hour sessions,” says periodontist Dr. Denine Rice, “and results in a faster healing time!”

If you have a referral to the periodontist, sit down and listen to the options presented and remember, while keeping your teeth is an investment, it’s an investment into your health.

Don’t wait for your beautiful smile!

3 Ways to Ward Off Gum Disease During Menopause

During menopause there is sometimes an increase of gum disease due to the hormonal changes in the body. This increase in hormones can bring a host of trouble including inflamed gums, gum recession, swollen and bleeding gums. How do you protect your gums during this time? Dr. Denine Rice suggests three simple rules to live by:

 

1.     Brush and floss on a regular basis. Brushing and flossing is important all the time, but it is even more critical during menopause. Simply by brushing 2x a day and flossing 1x a day you drastically decrease your risk of dental disease.

2.     Visit the dentist on a regular basis. Not only can a cleaning help protect your teeth and remove any hard plaque that may be below the gum line, your dental professional can also detect any major problems that may be brewing. Dr. Denine Rice recommends, “Discuss any problems you may be experiencing immediately with your dentist.”

3.      Treat hormonal imbalance. The imbalance of hormones in your body can contribute to the increase in risk of periodontal disease. “Brushing, flossing and visiting your dentist can help decrease the risk of periodontal disease, but unless you treat the imbalance you’re at a greater risk for developing long term periodontal problems,” says Dr. Rice.

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.

My Gums Are Bleeding-Now What?

Have you noticed some red in the sink when you finish brushing or flossing? This is not a good sign. This is the beginning stage of periodontal disease. Depending on how long this has been going on will depend on what you need to do next. Periodontal disease if left untreated can be a very negative instrument in reeking havoc in your body.

If you have only begun to see the bleeding and it is minor, begin flossing and brushing on a regular basis immediately. It is recommended by Periodontist Dr. Denine Rice to schedule an appointment with your dentist right away to determine if damage has occurred. Your dentist may recommend some mouthwash that could also help clean bacteria out of the mouth. This is especially helpful if this is the beginning of gingivitis.

 

If you have had bleeding for a while and it does not stop with brushing, flossing and mouthwash, then the next step would be to visit a periodontist.  Share with them that your gums are bleeding. At this visit your dentist may recommend non-surgical treatment to remove plaque and calculus that has built up over time and may be causing the problem.

For any other questions contact Dr. Denine 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.