Floss Or Loss

A recent article came out suggesting that flossing is not a necessary part of your dental routine and while research in this study suggested that the results were inconclusive, 8,000 periodontists, including Dr. Denine Rice and her team, say that keeping the space between your gums clean is the only way to reduce your risk of periodontal disease.

Adults across the nation can see that going just 1 or 2 days without flossing can cause pain, problems with bleeding gums, and years of not flossing give bacteria free rain to cause damage to your overall gum health. “Flossing is the key to a healthy smile and to keeping your teeth,” says Dr.Rice.

When bacteria is left on the surface or below your gums, they begin to swell and/or bleed. This is due to your body attempting to fight off the bacteria by using an inflammatory response. When your body is unable to get rid of the bacteria, your body will stay in this mode for long periods of time which can lead to other problems.

 Once, the bacteria have attacked your gums and regular flossing routines are not in place, your teeth can become loose, your gums may recede, and eventually this can lead to you losing your teeth.

Take time to floss. For more information on the importance of flossing contact Dr. Rice and her team.

Periodontal Disease Is The Silent Gum Killer

Do you have healthy gums? Or do your gums bleed when you floss? The unfortunate part about gum disease is that people often do not know when they have periodontal disease until the disease has set in and your gums are swollen and bleeding. At this stage it may require more expensive treatment, you may lose a tooth, or it may take several treatments in order to get your smile back on track.

While you may have plaque underneath your gum tissue that is causing inflammation and other problems, you may not know it until it is too late. Dr. Denine Rice recommends these 5 steps to keep your gums healthy and to stop periodontal disease in its tracks.

1. Brush and floss everyday. This is a no brainer and there is no other activity that can remove food from between the teeth the same way. Yet, millions of Americans skip this important step everyday.

2. Eat healthy food. Food that is high in water concentration and low in carbohydrates helps remove food from between the teeth in between brushing and flossing. The longer that food stays on your teeth the more problems that can occur.

3. Visit your periodontist on a regular basis. If your gums are bleeding or swollen visit the periodontist in order to get a good read on what is going on with your gums. Don’t wait until your teeth are loose and your gums are sensitive. Visit your dentist every six months to keep your gums healthy.

4. Drink water and avoid soda. The sugar content in soda can add to the problems that cause periodontal disease. Drinking water can help remove food from the teeth, decreasing your risk of periodontal disease.

5. Use a Waterpik plus flossing. A Waterpik can help to remove any remaining food that is deep below the gum line that flossing is not able to reach. Once you have flossed, use your Waterpik and ensure your gums are getting the treatment they deserve.

Your gums can last a lifetime. You just have to spend time taking care of them. For more tips on how to keep your gums healthy, contact Dr. Rice and her team today.

Is Your Gum Health Impacted By Your Birth Control?

It is not uncommon for pregnant women to be impacted by bleeding or inflamed gums. This can also happen to women who are taking oral contraception. It does depend on the type of birth control you are taking. If you are brushing or flossing and your gums are bleeding, this is not something to take lightly. Contact Dr. Rice and her team today to set up an appointment for an evaluation.

Certain birth controls trick the body into believing it is pregnant. This response can lead to an increase in inflammation and cause bleeding when you are brushing or flossing. While this may not be cause to worry, it is something you should not leave unchecked. You may also discuss this with your doctor because she may be able to reduce the hormone levels in the birth control you are consuming.

There is no reason why you should accept long term inflammation and problems which can lead to more damage and eventually to missing teeth. Bodies who fight constant inflammation may also notice an impact to the major organs  of the body. Asking questions and getting an oral exam is a great way to determine if you have periodontal disease, gingivitis, or if something else is going on. Ignoring it is never a good option, because it can continue to get worse over time.

For more information, contract Dr. Rice and her team today.

4 Ways To Protect Your Gum Health When On Birth Control

Are your gums bleeding when you brush and floss? Are you taking birth control? High levels of hormones can trick your body into believing it is pregnant. With an increase in hormone levels you may be more susceptible to bleeding and inflammation. If you are experiencing this problem, it is best to contact your periodontist and get checked out to make sure you do not have periodontal disease. Here are 4 other ways to protect your gums.

1.     Brush and floss regularly. There is no other way to keep your gums healthy. Brushing and flossing prevents the buildup of plaque. 

2.     Eat healthy foods. Healthy foods tend to be higher in water concentration which removes food from the surface of the teeth between brushing.

3.     Visit your periodontist regularly. If you have inflammation or if your gums are bleeding, ignoring it will not help it go away.

4.     Know your gum health prior to going on birth control. If you know your gums are healthy prior to going on birth control it will allow you to compare before and after.

For more information on healthy gums, contact Dr. Denine Rice and her team today!

Five Fruits That Are Best for Your Gums

With hundreds of fruits to pick from in order to improve your gums and increase saliva it can be a daunting task to determine which ones are the best for your gums. Dr. Denine Rice states that, “You could spend time eating fruit and never really getting the full benefit.”

 Here is a list of 10 fruits that are best for your gums.

1.     Oranges are not only great for your gums because of the Vitamin C content, they also help to increase the overall saliva in your mouth.

2.     Kiwis are another great source of Vitamin C. Vitamin C helps reduce inflammation throughout the body including your gums. Vitamin C also helps to produce collagen, which can help you fight periodontal disease.

3.     Strawberries are a fantastic fruit that help create a barrier in protecting your gums. Without Vitamin C you are more susceptible to the bacteria that cause gum disease.  

4.     Apples surpass other fruit by a long shot in keeping your gums healthy. They have the water you need to produce saliva and to keep the bacteria that causes periodontal disease under control. 

5.     Berries are a rich source of antioxidants. Not only do they help protect against cell damage they also protect against bacterial infections.

If these fruits are not a part of your daily consumption, Dr. Rice and her team recommend you eat at least eat 4 servings of fruit a day and include at least one of these 1x a day.

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What Are Your Gums Trying To Tell You?

Our gums have a difficult job that oftentimes goes unappreciated. You may take advantage of them and assume they will always be there to protect your teeth. The food you consume can increase decay and inflammation which can cause gum recession when not taken care of.  Here are four problems you may encounter with your gums and what it means for you.

1.     Your gums are not supposed to bleed. If your gums are bleeding it is an early sign of periodontal disease. This first stage is called gingivitis and can be easily treated with regular brushing and flossing and a visit to your hygienist.

2.     If your gums are receding you may have a more aggressive form of an oral problem called periodontal disease.  According to Dr.Rice, “This requires more aggressive treatment by a periodontist.”

3.     Bad breath can be caused by multiple sources. It could be the food you consume, or it can be a lack of brushing and flossing. Bad breath can be stopped with regular brushing and flossing. You may also need to adjust what food you are consuming if you notice the problem is not getting better. Finally bad breath that can not be controlled may signal periodontal disease.

4.     Are your gums swollen? Swollen gums are a preliminary sign that you have periodontal disease. Your gums cannot and should not be ignored. Dr. Denine Rice recommends, "Visit the periodontist in order to get your gum health back in order prior to any major treatment." 

What You Need To Know From Your Periodontist Now That It’s 2015!

 

1.     Periodontal Disease is still detrimental to you. Okay, well this isn’t new news, but we want to keep this at the forefront of your brain. Periodontal disease causes inflammation in the gum tissue.

2.     Your dental insurance benefits have started over. Usually your insurance company allocates a certain amount of money to dental work. If you ran out or are not sure if you have money available contact your insurance company and get the treatment scheduled to get your smile back on track.

3.     Dr. Rice and her team are well rested and ready to help you. We enjoyed the holidays and hope you did as well. Now that we’ve all enjoyed some extra sugar it’s important to take care of making sure you rid your mouth of any bacteria left over from the holidays.

4.     Take time to rest. If you were busy this holiday season take time to rest in the dental chair of the periodontal office. We would be happy to allow you a short nap while we work on getting your gums healthy again.

5.     Don’t worry about shedding those pounds. After your appointment it may take awhile before you can eat again. Just kidding – we pride ourselves on providing some numbing agents to help facilitate a more comfortable treatment. 

Happy New Year!

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.