Your Oral Health Matters

Dr. Rice and her team are not just worried about your gum health; they are worried about your overall health as well. Signs of problems can be seen by your periodontist first. When visiting Dr. Denine Rice, she will spend time evaluating the pockets of your gums, check for missing or cracked teeth, and evaluate any sores or discolorations that may be in your mouth. All of this can let Dr. Rice and her team know that there is more going on with you.

If you are struggling with receding gums, it could be an early signs of diabetes. The earlier this problem is checked the sooner you will be able to minimize the impact. Cracked and broken teeth can mean you are struggling with your jaw alignment. When left unchecked it can continue to cause bite problems, pain and eventually lead to missing teeth.

Oral cancer will impact roughly 48,250 Americans this year. Oral cancer caught early can help to save a person’s life. By visiting the periodontist on a regular basis she is able to conduct an oral exam and determine if further evaluation is needed. Most of the time patients who die of oral cancer do so because of the late nature of the diagnosis.

For more information on your oral health and how Dr. Rice and her team can help, contact them today.

When Life Get’s Busy-Don’t Step Out Of Your Routine

It’s easy this time of year to let your busy schedule take you in different directions. The Holidays are over, but it doesn’t mean that life has stopped. However, now more than ever it is important to take care of your body. Yes, it’s 2015 and your New Year’s Resolution may have been broken a dozen times. But taking care of your body isn’t something that should take a backseat to your schedule. With each passing year, you are getting older and you only get one body to live in. "How healthy you are overall, impacts the health of your mouth,” says periodontist Dr. Denine Rice.

Our body is an interconnected set of systems that is impacted by how you treat it. If your gums are not taken care of, bacteria can float through the bloodstream and damage your liver, heart and other organs. Dr. Rice lets patients know, “Tt works both ways, if your body is run down, tired, and isn’t running at it’s best, it can negatively impact your gums and teeth.”

Brushing, flossing and eating healthy should be a part of your daily routine. It is as important as getting out of bed and getting ready for work. If you forget to floss in the morning or at night, don’t be afraid to write yourself a note on your bathroom mirror to remind yourself. Remember, it takes 21 days to make a habit. Day one should start today.

Oral Cancer & What It Means For You

A periodontist not only completes root scaling and planning, or other surgeries to decrease dental gum disease, Dr. Denine Rice suggests that when you visit to have an oral health care screening done. While the health of your mouth is important and the team at Rice Periodontics and Implant Surgery wants to decrease your overall negative results of periodontal disease they also want to make sure that you do not have any potential signs of cancer

An oral health screening can be completed in the office and takes just a few minutes. An evaluation will be completed looking for any lesions in the mouth or white spots. Any spots that have changed color or grown in size may be suspicious. This procedure takes just a few extra minutes and the earlier that oral cancer is diagnosed the earlier treatment can begin.

An individual that smokes or uses smokeless tobacco is at a greater risk of cancer.  Although, any lesions today may be noncancerous, continuing to smoke and chew increases your risk everyday.

If Dr. Rice finds cancer after your screening she will contact you for options. In some cases she may suggest a follow-up screening to determine if the lesions have changed at all or she may recommend completing a biopsy to determine the right course of action.

Dr. Rice & her team work to provide excellent oral care for all patients which is why she is named one of Inland Empire’s Top Dentists.

                                                                        

Fluoride – Should I?

Fluoride provides a benefit to teeth by armoring them against decay. Most people understand how important this is for children, who tend to be very decay prone, but they forget that a certain segment of the adult population can also have an increased risk of decay.

“Periodontal disease often results in gum tissue receding. When that happens more tooth structure is exposed to decay. That’s not good,” says Dr. Denine Rice from her Riverside Periodontal Practice. “And to make it worse, many adults take one or more medications that list dry mouth as a side effect.”

The combination can prove detrimental to your oral health.

Additional fluoride can be provided in several ways. “You can find over the counter products, but they may have a lesser percentage of fluoride. You can also get a prescription, but perhaps the easiest way is taking care of it when you are in to see your dentist.”

Most dental providers will offer fluoride in gel, rinse, varnish or foam. “Doing it when you are at the office ensures that you are getting the protection your teeth need to stay healthy,” Dr. Rice adds.

And a healthy and happy mouth is what we should all want!

Rice Periodontics