One Stop Shop

A periodontist is not just a periodontist, they are a one-stop shop to restoring your gums back to their healthy state. Periodontal disease can impact your smile in dramatic ways. It can increase bleeding, tooth loss, and gum recession. But with a little help from your periodontist, all of that can be changed.

“Gum graft surgery allows for the gums to be evened out if needed,” says Dr. Denine Rice. Sometimes due to trauma, accidents or dental neglect, the gums in the front begin to recede. In order to apply the amount of gums to properly cover the teeth, a smooth piece of skin may be removed from the roof of the mouth, and placed at the gum area.

Missing teeth can be restored by dental implants. This procedure may take a few months to complete, due to the importance of getting a good fit, and the help that the jawbone may need, in order to support the new tooth. A periodontist is a great choice for this procedure, because of their expertise on the jawbone and gum tissue.  

Your smile deserves the love and care you provide to the rest of your body. Take time and find out your possible solutions for a restored smile.

Visit or call Dr.Rice today!

It’s Never Too Late

Don’t give up on your smile and your gums! It is never too late to restore your smile back to its mint and youthful condition. Brushing and flossing regularly can decrease the negative effects of food, decay and bleeding gums. You do not have to wait until your teeth fall out to make positive changes.

If you have gingivitis and your gums bleed when you floss, or you have pockets that are 3 or 4’s, flossing two times a day can stop the long lasting impact of your old flossing habits. Dr. Rice says, “Your gums do not hold a grudge so put down the excuses and pick up the floss.”

If you have periodontal disease, you may need to visit a periodontist to get your smile back on track, but once laser surgery has occurred and the decay is under control, it can increase your overall health and that of your smile, while reducing your swelling, bleeding, and receding gums. You will still need to be seen on a regular basis, for maintenance, as deeper pockets need additional help to be kept clean.

Dr. Denine Rice states, “Flossing regularly can stop any future tooth loss.” One hundred and seventy-eight million people are missing a tooth.  Once you loose one tooth, typically other ones will also fall out because of the lack of stimulation to the jawbone. Flossing removes food from between the teeth that causes decay to seep into the gum line producing problems with the health of your smile.

Don’t wait. Make changes today!

4 Heart Related Problems That Can Occur If You Don’t Floss

While periodontal disease can go unnoticed for years and may not have a noticeable impact, periodontal disease can actually be deadly. “If you floss and your gums bleed,” Dr. Rice says, “you have a problem that needs to be addressed.” Healthy gums do not bleed.

Research now shows that patients who have suffered a heart attack are more likely to have periodontal disease then individuals who do not have periodontal disease. The bacteria from the disease, enters the blood stream and can travel throughout your body. Bacteria then travels to the heart and can potentially cause damage to the muscle causing a heart attack.

 

Strokes and periodontal disease are also linked. Strokes are also sometimes called a brain stroke, because they are caused when the blood vessels to the brain are clogged. As bacteria from periodontal disease builds up and freely travels around your body, it can easily travel to the blood vessels that need to be open in order for the brain to get oxygen. Without oxygen to the brain, the body begins to shut down.

Further research suggests that patients can further be impacted by, atherosclerosis, which is a vascular disease.  Periodontal disease creates a system where your body is attempting to the fight the infection that is impacting all parts of the body. While this infection rages on, your blood vessels and circulatory system can only take so much before it is not able to continue fighting the infections.

Periodontal disease is not something to be ignored, if your gums bleed, contact Dr. Rice and her team for a consultation to determine which treatment is right for you.

Digital X-rays & Why We Take Them

Digital x-rays are a great way for Dr. Rice and her team to determine if there are problems with your smile below the gum line. There are multiple problems that can occur in the mouth that cannot be seen by the naked eye. The only way for problems below the gum line to be diagnosed and treated is with an x-ray.

Digital x-rays machines go the extra mile and expose you to less radiation then dental x-ray machines of the past. We are all exposed each day to some type of radiation, but digital x-rays take less time, emit less radiation and allow for better accuracy. These three positives allow you to get an x-ray without having to worry about exposure.

Digital x-rays can allow your periodontist to identify and treat cancerous and noncancerous tumors that otherwise would go untreated. When you visit the periodontist and they conduct a thorough exam, there is only one way to see what is going on below the gums. This requires a machine that can look through the tissue. The earlier problems are detected the sooner they can be taken care of.

Each tooth has a root and that means you may feel sensitivity when eating or drinking certain foods. This sensitivity is sometimes caused by problems with the root position. An x-ray allows Dr. Denine Rice and you to come up with a plan in order to solve the problem.

For more information on Digital X-Rays contact Dr. Rice & her team.

Laser Surgery Can Restore Your Smile

Laser surgery is an amazing addition to restoring your smile. Not only does the laser beams go below the gum line to clean out bacteria, it can reduce pocket size, and decrease the effects of periodontal disease.  Each laser has different wavelengths and power based on the level of treatment you need. Dr. Denine Rice uses lasers not only for periodontal disease but to also enhance the color of your gums if desired.

During laser periodontal procedures, the laser is used to clean out bacteria that is below the gum line which, will allow for a reduction in the pocket depth. Utilizing a laser decreases down time and increases success rates. Another benefit to using a laser for periodontal surgery is the amount of time it takes to heal. While traditional periodontal surgery usually required at least a few days of down time to heal, laser surgery can have you back up on your feet in just minutes.

Cosmetic dentistry is a great way to get your smile back in the shape you want. If you are unhappy with the color of your gums, she can reduce the pigment in order to even out the look of your smile.   This procedure can be completed in a short amount of time and does not require days for healing.

Lasers have opened up the door to the periodontal field and allows Dr. Denine Rice and her team to complete treatments that couldn’t be done prior.

3 Tips To Stop Smoking

Cosmetic procedures can help restore your smile to a healthier place, but if you’re still smoking you’ll continue to do damage to your smile. Not only do run the risk of staining, periodontal disease, gum recession but you also have a higher risk of getting throat and lung cancer. Here are five tips from Periodontist, Dr. Denine Rice to help you quit smoking.

1.     Pick a day you are going to quit and replace chips, cookies and other carbohydrates in your house with carrots, celery and sugar free gum. In order to quit smoking, many people replace the habit with eating, having healthy foods in the house can help you focus on something other than smoking while giving your body and smile an alternative to high carbohydrate foods.

2.     Plan to complete healthy activities everyday. It doesn’t matter if you walk around the block or jog in front of your television. It doesn’t have to be anything extensive or time consuming, but the more active you are the healthier you will feel.  Feeling healthier helps decrease your desire to engage in unhealthy habits. 

3.     Avoid for a while activities where you would regularly smoke. If you always watched football and smoked, find other activities that will help keep your body and mind active.

Quitting smoking can be difficult if you need more help contact Dr. Rice and her team today.

3 Consequences To Loosing A Tooth

When it comes to missing teeth, you might think it’s too expensive or that just one missing tooth is no big deal. Unfortunately, this is not the case and one missing tooth can cause multiple problems for your smile, your body and your career.

1.     Loss of self-confidence. Dr. Denine Rice states, "millions of Americans lose teeth everyday due to dental problems."  Once you lose a tooth, you may want to smile less, which can cause people to misread your body language.

2.     Missing teeth can cause speech impediments.  Certain sounds and words require your teeth to be in a certain position in order to make the sound correctly.

3.     Bone Loss. In order for your jawbone to continue to be stimulated, it requires your teeth to be able to move together. This helps generate bone growth. 

Dr. Rice states, “Gaps in your smile can cause speech problems, self-confidence issues, and unwanted movement of other teeth.” Once teeth are missing, your other teeth will begin to shift into other locations.

Dr. Rice and her team can provide multiple solutions. If you are impacted by missing teeth and would like support in fixing your smile, contact Dr. Rice and her team today.

Recommit To Your Gums

Periodontal disease can cause major damage to your smile, your gums and your self-confidence. The first time you brush and your gums bleed it may be easy to blow it off. You might think a little bleeding is normal, but it is not. Any bleeding at all is a sign of gingivitis, which can lead to periodontal disease. 

Your periodontal health is critical for the health of your entire body. If you have periodontal disease, the infection can lead to damage to the rest of your body, including your heart, lungs, and liver. This month recommit to the health of your gums by following these three rules. 

Brush your teeth 2x a day for at least two minutes. When you brush you should do so in small circles. Vigorous brushing can cause damage to the gums and cause further problems. Pick out a new soft toothbrush every six months, as the bristles of the brush lose their effectiveness over time. 

Floss 1x a day. Flossing is the only way to remove any food from between the gums. When you floss, you want to wrap the floss around your fingers about 1-2 inches apart. Move gently between the teeth. Dr. Denine Rice states, “You should avoid pushing hard.” If you are struggling with breaking the floss, you can try waxed floss as this helps it glide between the teeth. 

Visit the periodontist if you're experiencing bleeding and swollen gums. Once you have periodontal disease, treatment is the only way to fix the problem. Don’t let time pass where you do nothing.   

Call Dr. Rice & her team today for more information.