4 Myths about Periodontal Disease

There are myths about periodontal disease floating out in the world. These myths can contribute to problems in your mouth that also cause problems for your body. Dr. Denine Rice discusses 4 myths about gum disease that could save your smile for a lifetime.

1. Myth: Brushing and flossing regularly is not needed.

o   Truth: Without regular brushing and flossing plaque builds up on your  teeth, causing periodontal disease, potential tooth loss, and decay.

2.     Myth: Bleeding gums are normal.

o   Even a little amount of bleeding when brushing and flossing is not normal. 

3.     Myth: Flossing causes bleeding gums.

o   Your gums bleed when you have gingivitis or periodontal disease.  Once you have taken care of the periodontal disease with your periodontist then your gums will be healthy and should not bleed.

4.     Myth: Periodontal disease is only caused by poor oral hygiene habits.

o   Hormonal changes and certain medications can also lead to periodontal problems. If your gums are bleeding, swollen, or if you have loose teeth this is a concern, and you should schedule an appointment.

For more information about periodontal disease contact Dr. Rice and her team today.

Fall Is Around The Corner

Fall is right around the corner and it is time for baking, sweet treats and family time. This can also be a time where you throw your gum health out the window. But Dr. Rice and her team encourage you to make a conscious effort to support your gum health through this holiday season and enjoy the beautiful photos that you will be rewarded with. Here are 4 tips and tricks to get you through the holiday season.

1.     Limit the sweet treats when you are not able to brush your teeth, or chew sugar free gum. The gum can help to remove the carbohydrates and the sugar from sticking to your teeth which can decrease your risk of decay.

2.     Brush and floss at a regular time. This can be tricky when schedules begin to get hectic, but doing something every day at the same time helps to build a habit you won’t easily forget.

3.     Drink water and decrease soda and other acidic drinks. The water helps to keep food from sticking to the surface of your teeth and ensures that the bacteria in your mouth stays at a reasonable level.

4.     Visit your periodontist. When schedules get hectic it can be a challenge to keep appointments but sticking to your periodontal appointment will decrease the chance of any problems occurring with your gum health.

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

Five Fruits That Are Best for Your Gums

With hundreds of fruits to pick from in order to improve your gums and increase saliva it can be a daunting task to determine which ones are the best for your gums. Dr. Denine Rice states that, “You could spend time eating fruit and never really getting the full benefit.”

 Here is a list of 10 fruits that are best for your gums.

1.     Oranges are not only great for your gums because of the Vitamin C content, they also help to increase the overall saliva in your mouth.

2.     Kiwis are another great source of Vitamin C. Vitamin C helps reduce inflammation throughout the body including your gums. Vitamin C also helps to produce collagen, which can help you fight periodontal disease.

3.     Strawberries are a fantastic fruit that help create a barrier in protecting your gums. Without Vitamin C you are more susceptible to the bacteria that cause gum disease.  

4.     Apples surpass other fruit by a long shot in keeping your gums healthy. They have the water you need to produce saliva and to keep the bacteria that causes periodontal disease under control. 

5.     Berries are a rich source of antioxidants. Not only do they help protect against cell damage they also protect against bacterial infections.

If these fruits are not a part of your daily consumption, Dr. Rice and her team recommend you eat at least eat 4 servings of fruit a day and include at least one of these 1x a day.

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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!

Gum Disease & You

Women’s bodies are different at different points throughout their life, and some of these very important points in their life can create different gum problems. For example, young teens going through puberty are more susceptible to gum disease as hormones increase blood to the gums, which increases the gum’s sensitivity.

 

Menstruation can also be another time when your gums are susceptible to problems with gum disease. You may experience red, swollen gums during this time of the month. If you are feeling an increase in sensitivity, and have swollen gums, you may want to brush and floss more often than normal. If you experience sensitivity beyond menstruation then it’s probably time to visit the dentist. There are also mouthwashes that may help with increasing the health of your gums. 

Pregnancy is another joyous occasion where you look forward to the beauty of having a child, but it can come with an increased opportunity for gum disease and gingivitis due to increased hormones.  “If you are a women experiencing problems with your gums during this time make sure to discuss the issue with your dentist,” suggests Dr. Denine Rice.

Menopause and post-menopause cause changes in the body and in the mouth as well. These chances can lead to increased sensitivity in the mouth, bleeding and swollen gums. You may also experience dry mouth, which increases the risk of bacteria staying in the mouth and attacking the teeth.

If you’re experiencing any of these, increased mouth sensitivity or trouble, contact Dr. Rice and her team today.

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.

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.

Periodontal disease in kids

Periodontal Disease in Kids

 

Are you shocked to hear that periodontal disease can impact your children? While it is not as common as periodontal disease in adults, it is possible. Great oral care and a healthy diet can reduce the risks of periodontal disease in children. As parents it is our job to model proper oral hygiene for our children. It is recommended by one of Inland Empire’s Top Dentists and a Periodontic Specialist, Dr. Denine Rice, to begin to brush and floss your child’s teeth as soon as their first teeth come in and then monitor their oral health by checking for bleeding or swollen gums.

The American Academy of Periodontology, reports "Some children who exhibit more severe signs of periodontal disease may be exhibiting early signs of other systemic diseases and should be checked out further.” While teens may be at a greater risk for periodontal disease due to all of the hormone changes going on in their body. "It is increasingly important," according to Dr. Denine Rice, "that they develop healthy dental habits early in their childhood.” While teaching your young children to floss it is recommended that you are knee to knee in order to help them. There are also multiple types of floss that are easy to glide between teeth and made for children to make this process easier. If your child’s gums bleed while you are flossing, continue to floss twice a day. The gums will heal on their own if it is just gingivitis. If the bleeding continues for longer than a week this may be indicative of more severe periodontal disease and require different treatment. If you feel your child may need a thorough evaluation for periodontal disease, don't delay, call your dentist today.

Why should I floss if all my gums do is bleed?

When flossing your teeth you may notice some bleeding. This bleeding is due to a condition called gingivitis.  It is the first stage of periodontal disease but is reversible with the right treatment. “Part of that treatment is brushing and flossing says,” Dr. Denine Rice.   Dental plaque and tarter has bacteria in it that causes irritation to the gums. If you continue to not take proper care of your teeth the bacteria will continue to build and gingivitis can quickly turn into periodontal disease. Once you have periodontal disease, this unfortunately is not reversible.

                             Although, you may feel that you are doing more damage to your gums and therefore want to discontinue flossing you are not doing more damage.  “If you continue to floss for a week and your gums continue to bleed,” Dr. Rice, one of Inland Empire’s Top Periodontists suggests you set up a visit with your dentist.

                             Your gums will not bleed once the bacteria are removed. You want to floss in order to remove food from the gums where your toothbrush cannot be reached.  Depending on how much tarter and plaque is built up will depend on what type of treatment is recommended. You may need to have root planing and scaling to help remove the plaque from your teeth. What you don’t want to do is stop flossing, instead it’s time to actually floss more.

Implants – a long term solution

According to the American Academy of Implant Dentistry, more than 30 million Americans are missing all of their teeth in one or both jaws. This news is staggering as many of those people may be eating a diet that is compromising to their health.

“The reason dentists get concerned about missing teeth is that natural teeth provide the ability to eat a wide range of fruits and vegetables, along with other nutrient rich foods. When teeth are missing, especially those in an entire upper or lower arch, the ability to chew effectively may be lost and suddenly an unhealthy diet is the result,” says Dr. Denine Rice, a Periodontal specialist in Riverside, California.

            Implants can provide a long-term solution to those missing teeth. “With proper placement and maintenance, we see a 99% success rate of implants over a five year period,” adds Dr. Rice. “And the first five years after treatment are generally when most implants will fail. Often, we see patients that have had their implants for more than 20 years.”

            To learn more about dental implants or to see if you are a candidate, schedule anappointment today.