Carolina Smiles Family Dental provides a full range of dental care services including: children's, cosmetic, family, general, implant, orthodontic, preventive, restorative and sedation dentistry.
Showing posts with label preventive dentistry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label preventive dentistry. Show all posts
Diabetes puts you at risk for dental problems. It impairs the ability to fight bacteria in your mouth. Having high blood sugar encourages bacteria to grow and contributes to gum disease. You may have gum disease if you have:
Gums that are red, sore, bleeding, or swollen, or that pull away from your teeth
Perhaps you’ve been neglecting a good oral health routine. Or, you’ve done your best, but you’ve developed plaque and tartar buildup. A regular routine of twice-daily tooth brushing and daily flossing is an important part of regular plaque removal for everyone. But if you have risk factors that have caused a buildup of plaque on your teeth and gums to harden into tartar, your dentist or dental hygienist may suggest scaling or root planing your teeth to remove the buildup. If left untreated, severe tartar buildup along and under the gum line can cause the gums to pull away from the teeth, which may increase the risk of gum disease. Scaling and root planing are common nonsurgical techniques that may prevent the need for more serious procedures, such as periodontal surgery or a root canal. Here’s what to expect if your dentist or dental hygienist recommends these techniques:
You won’t feel it. You’ll receive a local anesthetic to numb the area.
Scaling: Your dentist or dental hygienist removes plaque and tartar from the areas both above and below the gum line.
Root Planing: Your dentist or dental hygienist uses special tools to smooth rough spots on the tooth roots. This process not only removes bacteria and helps reduce plaque buildup, but it provides a smooth surface for gums to reattach to the teeth.
After a scaling and root planing procedure, be sure to follow your dentist’s instructions and maintain an oral care routine of twice-daily tooth brushing and daily flossing. If your gums are sensitive after the procedure, try a spongy floss, such as Oral-BÆ Ultra FlossÆ, to help prevent painful flossing. The above article is from: OralB.com Carolina Smiles Family Dental Michael Stohl, DMD 1139 A Greenville Highway Hendersonville, NC 28792 Phone: (828) 693-8630 Website: HendersonvilleDentistNC.com
Water Rules Water, especially fluoridated water, is the best beverage for maintaining your oral health. That's because fluoride helps to make teeth more resistant to the acid attacks that can cause cavities. As of 2012, nearly 75 percent of the U.S. population had access to fluoridated water, so drinking water from your own kitchen sink can help prevent dental problems. Above article from: MouthHealthy.org Carolina Smiles Family Dental Michael Stohl, DMD 1139 A Greenville Highway Hendersonville, NC 28792 Phone: (828) 693-8630 Website: HendersonvilleDentistNC.com
What is Gum Disease? Gum disease is an inflammation of the gums that can progress to affect the bone that surrounds and supports your teeth. It is caused by the bacteria in plaque, a sticky, colorless film that constantly forms on your teeth. If not removed through daily brushing and flossing, plaque can build up and the bacteria infect not only your gums and teeth, but eventually the gum tissue and bone that support the teeth. This can cause them to become loose, fall out or have to be removed by a dentist. There are three stages of gum disease: Gingivitis: this is the earliest stage of gum disease, an inflammation of the gums caused by plaque buildup at the gumline. If daily brushing and flossing do not remove the plaque, it produces toxins (poisons) that can irritate the gum tissue, causing gingivitis. You may notice some bleeding during brushing and flossing. At this early stage in gum disease, damage can be reversed, since the bone and connective tissue that hold the teeth in place are not yet affected. Periodontitis: at this stage, the supporting bone and fibers that hold your teeth in place are irreversibly damaged. Your gums may begin to form a pocket below the gumline, which traps food and plaque. Proper dental treatment and improved home care can usually help prevent further damage. Advanced Periodontitis: in this final stage of gum disease, the fibers and bone supporting your teeth are destroyed, which can cause your teeth to shift or loosen. This can affect your bite and, if aggressive treatment can't save them, teeth may need to be removed.
Read the rest of the article at Colgate.com to learn more about how to know if you have gum disease and how gum disease is treated.
Choosing
Your Child’s Dentist is Like Choosing Their Pediatrician
It is important for every child to develop good daily
hygiene habits for the health of their teeth and gums.
Children’s teeth are more susceptible to cavities in their
formative years due to a variety of factors. They often do
not brush thoroughly on their own. We encourage parents to
be a part of their daily dental care. Children also eat
throughout the day, which exposes their teeth to the acid in
foods. When a tooth is not clean to begin with, more acid
will increase the rate of development of cavities.
When parents and the dentist work together to identify poor
hygiene and dietary habits, this will help to reduce the
chances of cavities. Also, an application of a mineralizing
fluoride varnish will be a significant help in the fight
against decay.
The
Primary Cause of Lost Teeth
It is important for our patients to know that most tooth
loss is due to gum disease, not injury or decay. Bleeding
gums and loose or shifting teeth are painless symptoms that
need immediate attention. If the infection is treated in the
early stages, there are a variety of nonsurgical methods
that can be used and are painless. In the advanced stages of
gum disease, surgery will be necessary.
Gum Disease Linked to Heart Disease
and Even Stroke
The latest medical research has revealed there is a link
between gum disease and serious conditions such as heart
disease, stroke, and diabetes. Since these health problems
can be fatal, gum disease is now realized to be a more
serious problem than loss of teeth. The bacteria from
infected gums travels in the bloodstream to vital organs.
The American Dental Association has estimated that nearly
80% of the adult American population has some level of gum
disease. Most dentists consider this percentage to be at an
epidemic level.
The American Academy of Periodontology reports: “studies
found periodontal infection may contribute to the
development of heart disease, increase the risk of
premature, underweight births, and pose a serious threat to
people whose health is already compromised due to diabetes
and respiratory diseases.”
Good
News about Periodontal Disease
When gum disease is treated in the mild stages, nonsurgical
methods are used and, together with better daily dental
care, produce excellent results. If gum disease is not
treated until the advanced stages, surgery will be
necessary. Generally, both nonsurgical and surgical
treatments are covered under most dental insurance plans.
Problems from Missing Teeth
Some of our patients have asked us what is so bad about
losing a tooth. Since you can’t die from it, is it a big
deal?
Losing even a single tooth can cause other teeth to move,
which can affect your ability to chew properly and absorb
nutrients. When it is difficult to chew, your diet may
change to eating softer, processed foods that can lead to
weight gain. Eventually, your face will take on a “sunken”
look without a full set of teeth, and you will look older
than what you really are. You may also become embarrassed
because you no longer speak clearly.
We are pleased to offer replacements for missing teeth with
implants. Implants can be used for one or many missing
teeth. They look and function just like a natural tooth, and
you will be happy to have a full smile again.
Diabetes puts you at risk for dental problems. It impairs the ability to fight bacteria in your mouth. Having high blood sugar encourages bacteria to grow and contributes to gum disease. You may have gum disease if you have:
Choosing
Your Child’s Dentist is Like Choosing 
Good
News about Periodontal Disease