Holiday Restorative Procedures To Cosmetically Improve Your Smile

People think of the holidays as a time to take care of other people. To give loved ones a gift they have been wanting or to enjoy a meal with family. This year, give yourself the gift of restoring your smile back to its natural and beautiful self. While the holidays are happening it is a great time to take a little time away from it all and ensure your smile is holiday photo ready. Some cosmetic procedures that restore your smile can drastically change the look of your smile in a day.

“Periodontal laser surgery helps to decrease the visible signs of gum disease by eliminating the bacteria that may be causing your gums to be swollen and bleed,” says Dr. Denine Rice.  The fine laser goes beneath the gum line but does not require the gums be cut away from the teeth, as with traditional periodontal surgery. Most patients are in and back to their lives in a day.

When you smile if gums cover your teeth causing them to look short and uneven, a procedure can be completed that helps even out the length of your gums. This procedure may take a little more time to heal, but Dr. Rice, says it’s a great way to improve the cosmetic look of your smile, and to restore your self-confidence.

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

Love Your Gums with Cosmetic Procedures

Cosmetic dentistry may be something you have been considering for a long time. Are you unsure how your cosmetic periodontist can help? Here are three tips that Dr. Rice recommends for patients who are unhappy with their smile. 

1. Evaluate the overall health of your gums. Do they bleed when you floss or brush? Are there signs of decay? Are gums uneven when you smile? Do they appear puffy, swollen and/or have lost their healthy pink color? These are all signs that you may have periodontal disease. Prior to any other cosmetic procedures, it is important to get your gum health back to normal.
2. Are you missing any teeth? This can be embarrassing when you go for a job interview. You may have become accustomed to lip smiling, however employers report that a smile is one of the first things they evaluate when interviewing a new employee. If you have missing or broken teeth, there are a variety of options to replace the missing teeth.
3. A gum graft procedure is a fantastic cosmetic procedure that can even out the appearance of your gums. If they are uneven in the front due to trauma or periodontal disease, using the skin from the roof of your mouth can allow your smile to be beautiful again.

Your smile is important, don’t wait for cosmetic dentistry to regain the health and beauty of your smile. 

Laser Surgery Can Save Your Smile

When you hear the word laser surgery, you may be concerned about the price, or the damage that a laser may cause to your gums. It may sound new age, and you may be wondering how a tiny laser can remove bacteria from your gums and improve your dental health. But lasers have been improved and are now getting you the most out of your money when it comes to improving the overall health of your gums.

Having unhealthy gums can cost you more than you think.  If you do not get treatment for periodontal disease, it can lead to major problems and not just tooth loss. Dr. Rice states, “You can begin to lose teeth and bone as your gums begin to pull away from the teeth. Decay and bacteria can also spread through the body causing medical problems as well. Periodontal disease has been linked to heart disease and liver problems.

Laser periodontal surgery allows a fine laser to go below the gum line and clean out the bacteria without having to cut the gums. This allows for faster recovery time, less time off of work, and more time spending the holidays with family and friends. Laser surgery only requires usually two main appointments as opposed to traditional laser surgery. This also reduces the amount of money to be spent overall on surgery.

Once laser surgery is completed you usually can resume normal activity, and after a few days you can resume normal eating. In order to set up your consultation today for a better smile tomorrow, contact Dr. DenineRice & her team.  

Say, “I Do!”

This insurance year, say “I do to your smile,” and complete a thirty-day flossing challenge to enhance your smile,” recommends Dr. Rice. Periodontal disease in most Americans is caused by not flossing. The only way to reduce your chance of periodontal disease is to floss your teeth and remove the food that builds up on the sides of your teeth. This season, before your insurance runs out get in to your periodontal specialist if you are out of care and then agree to floss everyday for thirty-days and see if this makes a difference in the overall health of your smile.

While you are changing and committing to have a healthier you, it is important to get any recommended periodontal procedure done to remove bacteria from your gums that is causing your periodontal disease to be worse. You only have one set of gums, it is important to keep them in healthy, working condition. Prior to your insurance benefits running out for the year take advantage of this awesome opportunity to improve your gum health.

There is no reason to wait until you lose a tooth or until your periodontal disease impacts your smile before committing to gum health. Not only does decay impact your smile when left untreated, but it can impact your entire body as well.

This year take advantage of your dental benefits and say yes to your smile.

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

Alternative Cigarettes Are Not A Safer Alternative

In recent years alternative cigarette choices have hit the shelves of convenient and grocery stores.  While they claim to be healthier and are less of a risk to your body, they are in fact not healthier. And many of them are worse than smoking regular cigarettes because they are riddled with alternative herbs, tar and carbon monoxide.

Alternative cigarettes maybe rolled with cloves, tendu leaves and/or other ingredients. Therefore, these alternative cigarettes may be providing you with ingredients you are not even sure about. "It’s important to know what you’re ingesting," suggests Periodontist Dr. Denine Rice top rated dentists in the Inland Empire.

Research suggests that smokers who smoke alternative cigarettes actually are inhaling more nicotine and tar than regular cigarettes, which means these alternatives are even more dangerous for an individual. And what does all of that nicotine and tar due to your teeth and gums?

"Tar and nicotine increase your overall risk of periodontal disease, decay, cavities and, unfortunately, increase your risk of mouth, tongue, or lung cancer," suggests Dr. Rice. If you notice white lesions in your mouth Dr. Denine Rice can biopsy the lesions in order to determine if further treatment is needed.  Some companies are suggesting that you pick their alternative brand in order to, “smoke smarter.” There is no smarter, there are only negatives attached to this choice.

Five Tips For Picking Floss

While there are multiple types of floss at the grocery store, not all floss is created equal.  In order to create a positive experience with flossing you want to pick one that fits your needs. If you don’t want to take the time to measure out the right amount of floss, then buy flossers. "If flossers gross you out because the same floss is used between each tooth, then find floss that is waxed or not waxed," says Dr. Denine Rice.

Pick a starting point in your mouth. It does not matter if you begin to floss at the back of your mouth or in the middle. What matters is that you do not forget any teeth. There are some hard to reach spots inside your mouth, however, they are just as important as the front.

Move gently between each tooth reaching each surface. Ramming the floss harshly between your teeth can bruise or damage the gums. "You want to protect them by gliding the floss between your teeth," suggests periodontist Dr. Rice. While we may think that our gums are able to with stand anything they actually are a soft tissue that can be damaged.

If you are using regular floss, you will want to get about eighteen inches of floss and wrap it around your index fingers. You’ll want to leave space between your index fingers as this is the piece that you will use to floss your teeth.

After you finish flossing your teeth Dr. Denine Rice recommends, “Rinse your mouth with a little water or mouthwash. This will help get rid of the food particles and allow you to be ready for your day with fresh breath.”

What Does A Periodontist Do?

Your periodontist does more than just scrape the bacteria from your gums. She not only restores the health of your gums, but also increases the overall health of your body. And that’s not all. Periodontist Dr. Denine Rice, can provide bone grafting if necessary to place implants.   Have you found lesions in your mouth? She can evaluate the lesions and complete an extensive oral health exam to make sure your mouth is free of cancerous cells

Dr. Denine Rice is an expert in extreme gum problems.  While your general dentist is able to provide a general cleaning to help reduce the inflammation in the gums, periodontists are trained to use the latest technology in order to get your gum tissue back to a normal and healthy color with reduced inflammation.  

A periodontist is also able to evaluate your options if you have loose teeth due to gum disease. When your gums begin to recede due to gum disease, Inland Empire’s  Top Dentist,Dr. Rice is able to assess all of your options in order to save any teeth if possible. Earlier detection of gum disease can allow for more treatments to save teeth.

Unfortunately, there are times when the tooth decay is extreme or you have loose teeth that cannot be saved. Or perhaps you are missing teeth. Dr. Rice will work with you to evaluate your options for replacing missing teeth. For example, she might recommend bone-grafting surgery that allows her to rebuild the foundation to place implants and restore your beautiful smile.