LANAP Can Save Your Smile

LANAP periodontal procedure is a fantastic way to treat your periodontal disease. Your dental benefits start over as of the first of the year, and so these benefits have rolled over and are now available for use. LANAP laser treatment is the only scientifically, research-proven methodology that allows people to have new bone growth and gum tissue reattachment. LANAP targets gum inflammation without causing any damage to healthy tissue.

LANAP is a fine laser that goes below the gum line in order to remove bacteria. The procedure is done in the periodontal office and does not require cutting or sutures. Some of the benefits of LANAP is reduced swelling, no bleeding and healthy gums. Healthy gums decrease the risk of losing any teeth.

LANAP is a faster procedure then traditional periodontal surgery and allows for each of the quadrants to be completed in one day. Usually patients go back to work the same or next day. The time it takes to heal is also faster than traditional periodontal therapies. You can have your healthy smile for a lifetime.

For more information on LANAP and other periodontal procedures, Dr. Denine Rice and her team can help.

Kathleen’s Journey – Part 1: Where It All Began

Kathleen’s first visit to our office was a step of trust and faith. She had not been to a dentist in years and was struggling due to her only having a few upper root tips. This first visit was almost two years ago. She began her journey by first utilizing the internet to search for a periodontist that was going to be able to meet her needs. We were lucky she chose us after reading several of our reviews. We have been so fortunate to work with amazing patients who have helped share our hard work, so that patients like Kathleen could benefit.

When she first entered our office, we could tell that her confidence had diminished, along with her smile, and her health was suffering.  Overall, she struggled with being anxious when visiting the dentist. We began by a simple full mouth x-ray in order to determine exactly what would need to be done. This was just the first step in the journey, but it helped us to come up with a plan so that Kathleen could rebuild her smile, her confidence and her life. 

We knew after reviewing the x-ray that this was going to be a long journey, but we also knew that with incremental steps, we would be able to rebuild a smile that would bring back her joy.

For more information on Kathleen’s story contact Dr. Rice and her team.

3 Foods That Can Damage Your Gums

The food we eat can impact or help your gums. The more damage you cause to your gums over time, the less likely they are to remain healthy and supportive of your teeth. Our gums hold our teeth in place. Periodontal disease can cause bacteria to go below the gum line causing the gums to pull away from the teeth.  Dr. Rice recommends you avoid or limit these three foods to reduce your chances of losing your teeth to periodontal disease.

Popcorn can damage your gums, but also get stuck underneath the gums causing more problems for your smile. Once you consume popcorn you’ll want to floss right away and limit the opportunity for popcorn to damage your smile.

High sugar candy is another problem for your gums. The longer that sugar sits on the gums, the greater the  opportunity that the sugar has to mix with bacteria that is already in your mouth. The bacteria and sugar becomes acidic. The more acidic your mouth is, the higher level of damage that can occur.

High carbohydrate foods can also be damaging to your gums. Carbohydrates are more likely to stick to your gums and not wash off with saliva. The higher concentration of carbohydrates you consume in one meal, the more food that is sticking to your gums in between brushing.

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

Flossing Is Not Optional

Millions of people everyday skip the floss. They may even lie to their dentist about how often they are flossing. But flossing is not and should not be optional if you want optimal health. It can be difficult to remember to floss if it is not a regular part of your day, but dentists and periodontists, especially Dr. Rice, encourage you to make this important action a habit not an option. Here are three reasons why you should floss everyday.

When you smile and your gums are puffy, bleeding, and you are missing teeth, opportunities may leave you. Dr. Rice says, “Potential employers look at potential candidate’s smiles in order to determine whether they should hire. While it may seem that this tiny detail should not stop you from having your dream job, sometimes it does.

There is no other single action you can take that keeps your gums healthy. Brushing is only 50% of the job. It will remove food from the surface of the teeth, but not in between the teeth. Once food stays in between the teeth for a long period of time, sugar mixes with the bacteria that is already in your mouth and cause further problems for your gums and your overall health.

Once you lose teeth, or your periodontal disease becomes bad enough, it can cause you to lose more of your teeth. At this point, your periodontal disease can impact your overall health. Periodontal disease has been linked to heart and liver disease, as well as a number of other systemic illnesses..

For more options on how to improve your smile contact Dr. Denine Rice & her team today.

What Would You Rather Do?

Periodontal research found that more than a third of Americans would rather do a chore they hate, than brush their teeth, (Perio.org).  But it doesn’t have to be that way. Here are 3 Tips from Dr. Rice on how to increase the fun of flossing and decrease your risk of periodontal problems.

1.     Floss with vigor and pizazz.  Don’t just let your floss do the work, have fun with it. Put on music and dance while you floss or put your favorite movie on. Do whatever you have to do to lighten up the mood and remove the stress you feel surrounding flossing.

2.     Floss everyday at the same time. “If you floss at the same time says,” Dr. Denine Rice, “it will help it become less of a problem and more of a routine.” The more routine the more likely you are to miss the opportunity to floss your teeth and keep your smile healthy.

3.     Change your mantra. We love to do things we find fun and that we love. But if you begin the negative talk as soon as you pick up the floss, it can make two minutes of flossing seem like forever.

For more information on flossing techniques contact Dr. Rice & her team today.

My Gums Have Receded. Can I still Get Implants?

In order for implants to be successfully placed you have to have a certain length of bone below the gum tissue, and this bone has to be healthy. If you have gum disease or your gums have receded it may make it difficult for implants to be placed. Nevertheless don’t fret because you are not without options. Dr. Denine Rice and her team can assess your smile, bone loss, and gums to determine the best solution to fit your needs. Fixing your smile is not only a cosmetic choice, but it is also recommended to improve your overall health. 

You may need bone grafting or gum graft surgery in order to build up the area around your gums to improve the fit of your implant. The gums and bone allow your implants to be held in place and have a secure fit. If your bone level has receded, Dr. Rice will recommend replacing the bone with artificial bone, if your gums have receded, it can, then require you to have tissue removed from the palate of your mouth and placed around the teeth where your gums are at their lowest point. Without this secure fit, your implant will not have the longevity you would wish for. 

Gum recession and bone loss does not exclude you from the option of cosmetically enhancing a beautiful smile, but it will require a potential extra step.