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.

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.

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.  

4 Reasons Why Laser Treatment Is Better!

1.     Laser treatment is comparable in price to traditional therapies. "Some individuals believe that laser treatment will cost them more, but the truth is not really, and some insurance companies will cover this type of treatment reducing the upfront cost to patients," states Periodontist Dr. Denine Rice.

2.     Recovery time is less.   Usually patients can return to work the same day as the procedure. Regular periodontal surgery requires downtime after the procedure has been conducted, as you will likely be swollen for a few days after the procedure.

 

3.     Laser treatment is faster. Traditional surgery takes up to four visits (one for each quadrant) to be completed and the appointment is anywhere from an hour to an hour and half. Dr. Rice says, "laser treatment can be conducted in two appointments because the periodontist does not need to take time to suture."

4.     Laser treatment allows for less pain after treatment. When a laser is used, the laser is going below the gum line without major damage to the gums. There is no scraping and no sutures afterwards, which reduces the amount of pain a patient experiences. With traditional therapy you may also be impacted by infection as suturesd tissue have to heal. With laser surgery you are less likely to have this occur because your gums are not cut. 

Figure out a tie in line for the end please.

4 Dangers of Not Brushing

Not brushing your teeth is unfortunately not an option if you want a clean healthy smile, because brushing is the only method for removing food from the surfaces of the teeth.

1.     Brushing reduces bacteria which can cause decay

         a.  Brushing your teeth for two minutes in slow circles allows the food to be removed from the surfaces of the teeth. Any food left on your teeth for too long turns to sugar, which eventually turns to acid that attacks your tooth enamel.  

2.     Brushing reduces bacteria which can cause periodontal disease

            a. When acid and decay build up on the teeth it allows for bacteria to enter the gums and begin to cause problems for your gums eventually leading to periodontal disease.

        

3.     Calculus and plaque left on teeth can cause sensitivity

         a. When calculus builds up on the teeth, eating the enamel, it can lead to sensitivity. The hard enamel coating on your teeth is what protects against sensitivity. If you have less enamel protecting your teeth you expose your mouth to the elements of hot and cold.

4.     Bad breath

         a.  Bad breath is not an attractive quality nor is it respectful for individuals who have to be in close proxemity of you. "Brushing with minty flavored toothpaste on a regular basis can help prevent this social faux pas from occurring," says Dr. Denine Rice.

What To Expect During Gum Graft Surgery:

Have you recently looked in the mirror and noticed grey or black around the crowns of your teeth? Or are your gums lower in the front than they used to be? Are you changing what you eat and drink due to sensitivity? If you are, do not continue to suffer. There are options that can enhance the health of your smile as well as the look. The changes you may not have noticed right away because gum recession usually occurs over time.

Gum graft surgery is recommended when you have been in a situation where your gums have receded around a tooth and you need to rebuild the gum tissue up,  or if you have been in an accident that has damaged the mouth in some way. Gum recession usually happens slowly over time. However, once your gums have receded to the point where the root is showing, you may have increased sensitivity and your smile may not look the way you want.  Gum graft surgery is not a long procedure and there are three different types. “While it takes a while to heal, it is a simple process that really improves the look of your smile,” says Dr. Denine Rice.

Whichever type of procedure is chosen, it will help enhance your smile. If you have gum recession, call one of  the Inland Empire’s Favorite Periodontists, Dr. Denine Rice today to discuss your options.