Why Gingivitis Should Not Be Left Untreated

Sometimes, when you visit the periodontist, you may not know why it’s important to take care of mild periodontal disease, after all it doesn’t seem to be causing problems. Unfortunately periodontal disease, even minor gingivitis, can wreak havoc on the gums, your smile and your body. Once time has passed, if you have not taken care of the problem, it can then turn to a major problem. Periodontal disease can impact your heart, lungs, and the rest of your body.

“Gingivitis which is the term used for mild periodontal disease has symptoms such as bleeding when you brush or floss,” says Dr. Denine Rice. Any bleeding at all when you brush or floss is not a positive sign and should be taken care of as soon as possible. The sooner you take care of the problem the less likely you are to lose teeth, need major dental work, or to have swollen and puffy gums.

Once you have been diagnosed with gingivitis, schedule an appointment with Dr. Rice and her team for a consultation on which procedure is going to be most appropriate to get your smile back into working order.

3 Ways To Use Your Dental Insurance

At the end of every year your dental insurance amount starts over. If you have dental money left and do not use it, the money will be gone. Don’t hold off any longer for that periodontal procedure you’ve been waiting for.

Gum contouring can help to rebuild the health of your smile as well as improve the cosmetic look of your smile. Gum recession can make your teeth look bigger than they are and can increase your chances of decay and eventually tooth loss. Dr. Denine Rice recommends, “Utilize your insurance benefits to keep your smile healthy.”

Laser surgery for periodontal disease can improve the health of your smile. Long-term periodontal disease can impact your body as well as your smile. Once you lose one tooth, due to periodontal disease, you are more likely to lose more.

Crown lengthening is an in-depth procedure utilized to improve the length of the tooth. This procedure is designed to improve the overall shape and look of your smile. Sometimes, due to damage, periodontal disease or trauma, the length of the tooth can become uneven looking. Dr. Rice suggests this procedure for patients who are looking to restore the health and look of their smile.

Your insurance benefits are yours to use. Contact Dr. Rice & her team today for more information.

It's That Time Of Year!

It's that time of year again, when you can either enjoy the insurance benefits you have already paid for or watch those same benefits disappear. Time is ticking on, and the holidays are around the corner.  Spend your dental insurance dollars before the clock runs out, as once the New Year is here, the benefits you have acquired to use for the year will most likely be gone.

You may wonder why would go to the periodontist. You may even tell yourself it is not time for your yearly periodontal check, or that your teeth look fine. But Dr. Rice suggests, “You can also utilize your dental benefits for procedures that can improve the health of your smile.” Remember, most dental benefits do not roll over to be applied to the next year.

If you have periodontal disease, but have been putting off laser surgery, now is the time to take advantage of your insurance so you can regain your self-confidence and your smile.   Laser surgery can remove plaque from below the gum line in order to decrease the impact of periodontal disease and lesson the likelihood of loosing a tooth. And it does all that without cutting the tissue, which means healing begins immediately.

For more information on how you can utilize your dental insurance to your advantage contact Dr. DenineRice and her team today.

Don’t Cut Corners With Your Dental Health

It is easy to fall into the pattern of only brushing in the morning, or only flossing one or two days a week. You may talk yourself into these detrimental habits thinking your teeth and gums are strong, they can handle this mediocre dental plan. Unfortunately, negative effects will begin to break down the integrity of your smile after time.

Brushing removes food from the surface of the teeth. As you eat sugar mixes with bacteria to create a sticky film on the teeth. “This film is called plaque and this process begins immediately after you eat,” says Periodontist Dr. Denine Rice.  Once the plaque sticks to the teeth, if not removed, it can attack the enamel increasing your chance of decay and other painful dental problems. Once you have a cavity or you have decay you are more susceptible to other problems with your teeth.

Floss one time a day, either in the morning or at bedtime. If you eat a food that is stuck between your teeth you will also want to floss as soon as possible. There is no other single task that can remove food particles from between the teeth. Food that is left breaks down into plaque and begins to move below the gum line. As this process begins, your gums may become red, swollen and bleed. This is not normal and individuals who floss and brush regularly do not usually have to endure any of these damaging events to their smile.

Drink plenty of water. Enjoy the natural flavor of lemon or cucumber in order to give you fresh tasting water. Or throw some mint leaves in there for a great afternoon pick me up. Water removes food from the surface of the teeth, but it also decreases dry mouth. “A dry mouth becomes a breeding ground for bacteria and more opportunity for decay,” says, Dr. Rice.

Periodontal Disease & 4 Ways It Impacts The Body

Most people think that periodontal disease just causes mouth issues – bleeding, swelling, pain, and eventually tooth loss - and that isn’t true. Periodontal disease affects your whole body. How else can it impact your health?

Periodontal disease is inflammation in the gums, but that is not all, it can also cause inflammation that impacts the heart. While a direct link is difficult to establish between heart disease and periodontal disease, research has found that individuals who have periodontal disease are more likely to have heart disease.

Dr. Denine Rice warns patients, “Periodontal disease increases the risk of nutritional deficits.” While the pockets around the teeth begin to deepen, the gums pull away from the teeth. This can cause you to lose teeth or have them break. Once the teeth are gone, it can make it very difficult to consume certain foods, thus decreasing your overall health.

Periodontal disease can increase your risk of having a stroke. A research study conducted by perio.org found that individuals who had strokes were more likely to have had periodontal disease then a control group.

The good news is, that it can be taken care of with laser surgery. The laser that is used is a fine-haired instrument that goes below the gum line and cleans out the bacteria. Dr. Denine Rice says, “Laser surgery helps clear out the bacteria, reducing swelling and bleeding – and best of all there is no cutting, so also no sutures.” Remember, if you leave periodontal disease alone, it can wreak havoc on your entire body, not just your mouth.

If your gums bleed when you brush or floss it is recommended you visit the dentist or periodontist in order to get the problem take care of.

5 Treatments Your Periodontist Can Provide

            You may think your periodontist only does deep cleanings, implants or fixes periodontal disease. However, Periodontist Dr. Denine Rice says, "you might be surprise to find your periodontist has a host of periodontal skills they can provide to keep your smile in tip-top shape."

1. Gum Grafting, if your gums have receded due to periodontal disease or trauma Dr. Denine Rice, can help restore your gums in order to provide the look you want.

2. Depigmentation can be provided with the laser used for periodontal disease. If you have an amalgam tattoo or want to change the pigmentation of your gums, she can use a laser to treat the area.

3. Smoking cessation programs-Dr. Rice is committed to helping her patients live a healthier life. She can provide suggestions and support to get you on the right track to being smoke free.

4. Tissue Recontouring can reshape the tissue around your teeth. Think of your tissue as the frame for your teeth, some gentle and minute changes can in fact make your smile look like a million.

5. Bone grafting is a surgery conducted where artificial or real bone is placed on the jawbone in order to build up the area and help stimulate growth. Bone loss can occur for multiple reasons and may need to be corrected before other procedures can be done to correct missing or broken teeth.

What Is Ridge Modification Surgery

  

Periodontal disease can leave you with a smile that is embarrassing and causes you to look older than you are. Fortunately modern dental technology gives you more solutions to fix your smile. "Depending on the severity of your periodontal disease and the amount of bone and tooth loss, it may be recommended that you have a ridge modification procedure completed in order to rebuild your upper or lower jaw," says Dr. Rice.

If this procedure is not completed it can  cause you to look older than you are, and you may also have an indentation in the jaw line near the teeth where you are missing bone. If you already have a difficult time brushing and flossing, this space can create an even more difficult time for you.

Dr. Denine Rice, will complete an oral exam first in order to determine the severity of the situation. Once this has been completed, at your next appointment, the gum will be lifted away from the ridge. This allows Dr. Rice to see the deformity in the bone.   The area is then filled with bone. There are different types of bone grafts that may be used based on your needs and the damage that has been done.

Once the incision is done and the new bone is placed in the correct spot, the incision will be closed up.  Healing will begin quickly, but this procedure does require proper follow-up appointments.

LANAP vs. laser therapy

“Not all periodontal laser therapy is the same,” says Dr. Denine Rice. “Often patients come into the office and let us know they have had laser therapy done before, but while lasers have been used for a number of years in the dental office, not all treatment is the same.”

Even at Rice Periodontics, they use different lasers and use them differently.

“Our hygienist uses a laser to perform what is called Laser Bacterial Reduction. This is done by moving the laser around the mouth prior to scaling to help reduce the bacteria count,” adds Dr. Rice. “This means better results during maintenance appointments.”

When Root Planing and Scaling is recommended, a laser will also be used. The tip is inserted into the pockets to reduce again the bacteria and improve healing.

Finally, as an alternative to cutting and sewing during periodontal surgery, Dr. Rice provides LANAP periodontal therapy. “LANAP therapy is the only FDA approved laser therapy.” LANAP uses a special laser and combines a protocol that has been proven to reduce bacteria and improve healing in areas where significant bone loss has occurred.

Call us today and discover how laser therapy could improve your smile.

Implant Supported Dentures

Once a patient begins to lose teeth due to damage, disease, decay or trauma the bone that once supported the teeth also begins to be lost. “This means that someone who initially was able to wear dentures pretty effectively, might find that years later there is just not enough ridge left to provide support,” says Dr. Denine Rice from her Riverside Periodontal and Implant Surgery practice.

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For patients who are finding it difficult to keep their dentures in place an implant supported denture is a great option.  “Many time with as few as four implants per arch a denture can effectively be placed,” adds Dr. Rice.

Implants have a great track record. According to the American Dental Association, with regular care between 98.1 and 99.2 percent of all implants are successful after five years. That’s why Dr. Rice feels comfortable standing behind the implants that she places. “I know that with regular hygiene visits, implants can be highly successful.”

And they change people’s lives. Having a smile you can count on builds confidence. If you are suffering with an ill-fitting denture, isn’t it time you consider implants? 

Denine Rice, DDS

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