Stop! You Forgot To Floss!

“Flossing isn’t just a suggestion,” says Dr. Denine Rice, “It is a must.” There is only one way to save your gums and your teeth for a lifetime, and that is flossing. Food gets between the teeth even if you don’t see it, feel it, or think it is there. Regular brushing is awesome, but flossing is the bread and butter of dental health.  Millions of people every day are impacted by periodontal disease, but you do not have to be one of them. Here are 4 reasons why people say they don’t floss and what you can do to help.

1.     “My teeth are too tight.”

a.     Finding a coated floss, like Glide. It can help to glide between the teeth and remove any food that is stuck between teeth that are close together.

2.     “I don’t have enough time in the morning.”

a.     That is okay. Floss on your way out the door, at your first bathroom break, or at night, before bed, when your day has wound down.

3.     “The floss breaks.”

a.     Try different kinds of floss, and you may even want to use flossers. They can help to keep the floss from breaking.

4.     “I have bleeding Gums.”

a.     Gums bleed when you have periodontal disease and gingivitis. After a regular flossing routine has been established, your gums shouldn’t bleed any more. If they do, you may need to schedule an appointment for a periodontal cleaning.

For more suggestions and support with enhancing your flossing routine, contact Dr. Rice and her team today!

A Dry Mouth is a Bacteria Filled Mouth

Dry mouth may not seem like a big deal but it is a problem, especially during the summer time as the weather heats up. Staying hydrated can be the difference between a healthy and an unhealthy mouth. Saliva helps to neutralize acid and protect against cavities, ulcers, bacterial and viral threats.  Saliva also contributes to a person’s ability to taste certain foods. Dr. Rice recommends these 4 ways to keep your body hydrated and avoid a dry mouth during this summer season.

1.     Drink water. For those of you who do not enjoy drinking water try infusing your water with strawberries, cucumbers, or other fruit and vegetables to increase the flavor. It is important to drink 1 oz for every pound you weigh. This amount goes up if you live in an area that is warmer.

2.     Enjoy fruits and vegetables as a snack instead of reaching for the chips and salty food. Salty foods dry out your mouth even more. Fruits and vegetables not only remove food from the surface of your teeth throughout the day, and in between brushing, they also help to keep your mouth moist.

3.     Chew sugar-free gum when you do not have water available. Sugar-free gum can help to build up saliva in your mouth when you are running low on water.

4.     Reduce consumption of alcoholic beverages. Alcohol decreases saliva in the mouth contributing to dry mouth.

For more information on keeping your gums healthy and your mouth hydrated contact Dr. Denine Riceand her team today.

6 Foods That Are Good For Your Gums

With the weather warming up and the heart of the summer upon us, you may want to reach for whichever cool drink you can get in your hands. But drinks and food high in sugar or high in carbohydrates are worse for your smile and can contribute to a dry mouth. A dry mouth can create bacteria, ulcers, and other problems for your gums. Here are 6 foods from Dr. Rice that can help your gums.

1.     Watermelon, is one of the best foods for your gums. It helps rinse food from your gums that is left from other meals. It also helps to keep you hydrated.

2.     Reach for an apple when you are hungry. Not only do apples help remove plaque from your gums they are also high in water.

3.     Milk is a great way to neutralize the acid in your mouth from plaque buildup. Drink a glass of milk after dinner to help build-up the calcium in your teeth and to keep your gums healthy.

4.     Eat green leafy foods. The greener the better they are for the health of your gums.

5.     Cheese, while it does not have the same benefit as drinking a glass of milk, the dairy in the cheese can help to strengthen your teeth and decrease the impact of bacteria.

6.     Carrots are a fantastic food for the teeth and gums. While there are hundreds of other vegetables that have the same benefits for your smile. Carrots have tons of water and help to rinse food from your gums between brushing and flossing.

The food you eat can directly impact your smile, for more information on how to improve your smile and how to keep it healthy, contact Dr. Rice and her team today.

4 Habits That Are Bad For Your Gums

Your gums can impact the way your teeth fit in your mouth. The gums are a pocket that your teeth fit into. Without proper care your gums can pay the price. Take time to distinguish these bad habits and improve your gum health.  Don’t take risks with the health of your gums. Treat them well and they can last a lifetime.

1.     Not Flossing on a regular basis can be the downfall of your smile. Flossing is the only way to remove food from between the teeth. Without flossing, food stays under the gums and turns into plaque which then can cause more significant problems.

2.     Eating foods heavy in carbs. The longer food stays on your teeth and in between your teeth the more opportunity plaque has to mix with sugar that then turns into cavities.

3.     Not drinking water. Water can remove food from the surface of the teeth in between brushing and flossing.

4.     Using your teeth as tools. As you use your teeth to open bottles or other items it can cut your gums causing a cut where bacteria can enter through your gums and into your blood stream.

For more information on how to keep your gums healthy, contact Dr. Rice and her team today.

Never Underestimate the Power of a Smile

Your smile is important and it can mean the difference between a ‘job’ and a career you love. Your smile is important and this summer is the perfect time to restore your smile back to the one you love. Fixing broken or cracked teeth can make you look younger, while gum graft surgery can even out your smile line.

If your gums bleed or are receding due to periodontal disease a LANAP laser procedure can easily remove plaque from below the gum line. It is not normal for your gums to bleed, even a little. Puffy, bleeding and swollen gums not only decrease the health of your smile, but can cause you to hide behind tight lips during family photos and special events.  LANAP removes the need for cutting the gum tissue or the need for sutures.  To make it even better, the entire mouth can be done in a day instead of needing to split up the procedure across a few days.

More than 70% of people 65 and over have periodontal disease. But now there is no reason to wait. For more information on LANAP laser procedures, contact Dr. Rice and her team today.

Happy Smile Can Equal A Healthy Life

Dr. Denine Rice suggests a diagnostic assessment if you have not been to see her before. This way she can determine the best options to get you smile you deserve. If you have been feeling tired, sluggish or not just yourself, you may be surprised to find that your body is being impacted by periodontal disease. Dr. Rice has a full spectrum of services to prevent, diagnose and treat periodontal disease so you can enjoy a healthy, long-lasting smile.

You may think is normal for your gums to bleed when your brush and floss. Or when you look in the mirror and you smile back at yourself, and see those puffy and swollen gums, you may shake it off and think, they have been likes this for a while. It is important to not ignore the signs of periodontal disease because you deserve the best smile you can have. The treatment options may include laser periodontal procedures, traditional periodontal surgery, or if caught early on,, non-surgical treatment, but once the periodontal disease is treated you may have other options that can restore your smile back to healthy.

Dr. Rice may recommend gum graft surgery in order to repair gums that have receded due to periodontal disease, or other treatments that can help restore your smile The latest technology is at Dr. Denine Rice’s fingertips; all you have to do is call.

For more information on how to get a healthier smile, contact Dr. rice and her team today.

Reasons To Fix Missing Teeth

Are you missing one or more teeth? At Rice Laser Periodontics & Implant Surgery they can help restore your smile to a more natural look with an alternative to removable dentures. Dental implants offer a permanent solution to missing teeth, restoring your confidence behind a beautiful, functional smile. 

Implants can help you to rediscover the comfort of eating, speaking, laughing...  and simply enjoying life! You may think that having one missing tooth is not a big deal. Unfortunately, the risk is not worth the reward. Having a missing tooth could cost you the new job you have been waiting for, because research shows that the first thing an employer judges is your smile.

It may not stop with just losing one tooth. Most individuals who have lost one tooth are impacted by receding gums that pull away from the tooth. As this occurs, it is more likely that the problem will continue to worsen if not taken care of and eventually you may lose more than one tooth. Once your teeth begin to fall out, this can make eating your favorite foods more difficult.  

For more information on dental impacts contact Dr. Rice today and see if implants are right for you.

Is Your Gum Health Impacted By Your Birth Control?

It is not uncommon for pregnant women to be impacted by bleeding or inflamed gums. This can also happen to women who are taking oral contraception. It does depend on the type of birth control you are taking. If you are brushing or flossing and your gums are bleeding, this is not something to take lightly. Contact Dr. Rice and her team today to set up an appointment for an evaluation.

Certain birth controls trick the body into believing it is pregnant. This response can lead to an increase in inflammation and cause bleeding when you are brushing or flossing. While this may not be cause to worry, it is something you should not leave unchecked. You may also discuss this with your doctor because she may be able to reduce the hormone levels in the birth control you are consuming.

There is no reason why you should accept long term inflammation and problems which can lead to more damage and eventually to missing teeth. Bodies who fight constant inflammation may also notice an impact to the major organs  of the body. Asking questions and getting an oral exam is a great way to determine if you have periodontal disease, gingivitis, or if something else is going on. Ignoring it is never a good option, because it can continue to get worse over time.

For more information, contract Dr. Rice and her team today.

4 Ways To Protect Your Gum Health When On Birth Control

Are your gums bleeding when you brush and floss? Are you taking birth control? High levels of hormones can trick your body into believing it is pregnant. With an increase in hormone levels you may be more susceptible to bleeding and inflammation. If you are experiencing this problem, it is best to contact your periodontist and get checked out to make sure you do not have periodontal disease. Here are 4 other ways to protect your gums.

1.     Brush and floss regularly. There is no other way to keep your gums healthy. Brushing and flossing prevents the buildup of plaque. 

2.     Eat healthy foods. Healthy foods tend to be higher in water concentration which removes food from the surface of the teeth between brushing.

3.     Visit your periodontist regularly. If you have inflammation or if your gums are bleeding, ignoring it will not help it go away.

4.     Know your gum health prior to going on birth control. If you know your gums are healthy prior to going on birth control it will allow you to compare before and after.

For more information on healthy gums, contact Dr. Denine Rice and her team today!