Skip The Candy This Halloween Season and Keep Your Gums Healthy

With Halloween and the holidays right around the corner you may be tempted to reach into those candy bags, but stop yourself. The more candy you consume the more damage you could potentially be causing to your healthy smile. Sugar mixes with bacteria that is in your mouth, which then causes decay and cavities. Decay and cavities that are not taken care of can eventually cause problems for your gums as well.

When food stays on your teeth for two or more days the plaque hardens and becomes tartar. This tartar sits on the gum and is a hard substance that is difficult to get off of your teeth with normal brushing and flossing. You may scrub and scrub but it will not come off. Tartar on your teeth can then lead to gingivitis. Once your gums are impacted with gingivitis, if it is not taken care of, it can lead to periodontal disease. Dr.Denine Rice and her team, can help put together a plan that will get your smile back on track.

For more information on the impact of sugar on your gums, contact Dr. Rice and her team today.

What Does Gum Grafting Surgery Entail?

Once Periodontist Dr. Denine Rice recommends that you have gum graft surgery she’ll have you schedule another appointment where you can come in and get the surgery completed. Gum grafting surgery may be recommended if your gums have receded to the point where the roots of your tooth are exposed or if your teeth are loose in your mouth. While this is not a cosmetic surgery, it may be recommended to enhance your original smile. This secondary benefit improves your smile by extending your gums back to where they should be.

There are three different types of gum graft surgeries and they depend on how much root you have that the periodontist can work with.   Connective tissue grafts use tissue from under the palette of the mouth. Once the flap has been cut and the correct amount of tissue has been removed, it will be placed in front of the area that needs tissue.  The tissue will then be stitched around the tooth in order to connect the tissue to the area in front of the tooth. Once the surgery is complete the dentist will reconnect the flap on the palate of the mouth to allow for healing. 

The second type of gum grafting surgery is called a Free Gingival graft. This procedure may be recommended if you need additional tissue to enlarge the gums. The tissue is taken from the palette of the mouth instead of underneath the palette. If you have thin gums, this procedure will allow the tissue around the gum to be built up.

The third kind of gum graft surgery is a pedicle graft. Dr. Denine Rice, one of Inland Empire’s top rated dentists, recommends this type of surgery to patients when patients have enough tissue by the tooth but it just needs to be pulled up to cover the tooth.  This surgery allows for tissue to be taken from around the tooth instead of taken from the palette. Once the tissue is placed in the correct spot it will be grafted on.  And the healing process will begin.

For more information contact Dr. Denine Rice & her team today.