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Non-Surgical Treatments for Periodontal Disease

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keep your teeth clean 2013 Periodontal disease, or gum disease, is a problem that is all too common in the U.S. In fact, a recent study by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) concluded that half of all adults aged 30 and over in the U.S. suffer from gum disease.

If you’re one of those people, and if your disease has progressed to a certain point, surgery may be required in order to repair the damage to your gums. Fortunately, surgery isn’t always necessary.

If you’re in the early stages of periodontal disease, your dentist may recommend non-surgical methods to stop the progression of the disease and return your gums to a healthy condition.

Non-Surgical Options

  • Regular dental cleanings:Your dentist may recommend a schedule of regular dental cleanings if you’re in the early stages of gum disease. These regular cleanings will remove plaque and tartar from above and below the gum line. Most dentists recommend that people without gum disease have their teeth cleaned twice a year. But if you suffer from the early stages of periodontal disease, your dentist will probably recommend that you have your teeth cleaned more often.
  • Scaling and root planing:More advanced stages of gum disease may require scaling and root planing. This procedure, done under a local anesthetic, removes plaque and tartar both above and below the gum line. Rough spots on teeth are smoothed (or planed) during the process. This procedure is usually recommended for people with tartar buildup under the gums.

If you suffer from gum disease, talk to your dentist about which treatment may be right for you.

Source: WebMD http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/gum-disease-treatments

Keep yr teeth clean in 2013 | Flickr – Photo Sharing! : taken from – http://www.flickr.com/photos/newrafael/8332093274/Author: newrafael http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en

Zoom! Teeth Whitening Patient’s Guide

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smileAchieving a whiter, brighter smile just got easier with the Zoom Teeth Whitening procedure. This in-office tooth whitening treatment is designed to gently remove stains and discoloration that occur on the teeth’s enamel or dentin.

The Zoom Teeth Whitening procedure is commonly used to remove the following types of discolorations and stains:

  • • Coffee and Tea Stains
  • • Red Wine Stains
  • • Tobacco Stains from Smoking
  • • Discoloration caused by the Aging Process

A onetime office visit is required for the Zoom Teeth Whitening procedure. The procedure begins with the placing of a hydrogen peroxide gel on the teeth. After placing the gel on the teeth, a Zoom Advanced Power Chairside Lamp is placed directly onto the teeth for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, the gel is reapplied and the process continues two more times.

Before you sign up for the Zoom Teeth Whitening procedure, your dentist will require that you attend an in-office consultation. This consultation is required and helps the dentist determine if you are a good candidate for this type of teeth whitening procedure.

The consultation typically includes:

  • • An examination of the teeth and gums
  • • Several questions regarding oral hygiene routines, lifestyle habits
  • • A brief inspection of previous dental work, such as crowns or veneers

 

Good candidates for the Zoom Teeth Whitening procedure include:

  • • People with healthy gums
  • • People with strong, healthy teeth enamel
  • • People who have healthy oral hygiene routines

The average cost of this tooth whitening treatment is approximately $500. It may or may not be covered by insurance depending upon your insurance policy.

 

Source:  http://www.yourdentistryguide.com/zoom-whitening/

 

smile | Flickr – Photo Sharing! : taken from – http://www.flickr.com/photos/manduhsaurus/3251510062/Author: manduhsaurus http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en

Mercury-Free Dental Fillings

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If you have tooth decay or a tooth that is cracked or broken as a result of injury or grinding your teeth, chances are your dentist will recommend getting a dental filling to repair the tooth. Dental fillings are still quite common, and the procedure hasn’t changed all that much over the years:

  1. The first step your dentist will perform is to remove the tooth decay (if present), and clean the area to prepare it.
  2. Next, the dental filling material is applied in layers.
  3. After each layer of dental material is applied, a light beam is used to help the material harden.
  4. Finally, your dentist will shape and polish the dental filling material to ensure that it’s comfortable and doesn’t negatively impact how your teeth fit together when you bite down.

Although the procedure involved in creating a dental filling hasn’t changed much over the years, the type of filling material has. At one time, an amalgam was one of the most common types of material used in dental fillings. The amalgam was actually a blend of copper, silver and mercury.

Today, many patients choose the mercury-free fillings, also known as composite fillings. The benefits for these kinds of fillings are both health related and cosmetic. Mercury-free composite fillings cause fewer instances of tooth sensitivity from the temperature of food and drinks for most people.  In addition, the material used for composite fillings improves the strength of your natural tooth better than the amalgam fillings can. The most popular reason for mercury-free fillings is that the composite material is tooth-colored making your dental work unnoticeable when you smile or laugh.

The next time you or your child is due to have a dental filling, ask your dentist for more information about the filling materials available so you can make the best choice for you and your family.

Source: http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/features/debate-over-mercury-in-dental-fillings

smile | Flickr – Photo Sharing! : taken from – http://www.flickr.com/photos/matteomartinello/5985140617/Author: El Mostrito http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en

Benefits of Dental Implants

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Dental implants are replacement teeth specially created to match your regular teeth and implanted directly into the bone socket of a missing tooth. Over time, the bone grows around the post of the tooth implant and creates a truly permanent replacement for a missing tooth.

Although the procedure requires some time to accomplish (it typically takes from 6 to 12 weeks for the bone to completely heal around the dental implant post), the process is not particularly uncomfortable compared to other dental procedures.

Dental implants present other benefits as well:

    • — Implants not only look like your own teeth because they are especially created to match your existing teeth, but they also feel real and require the same care as your normal teeth.

 

    • — You won’t experience any of the discomforts typically associated with dentures. Implants don’t slip like dentures can, which often results in difficulty talking and eating. They’re also more comfortable than dentures because they’re permanently part of your mouth and simply feel the same as your regular teeth.

 

  • — Dental implants are made to last. In fact, if you maintain a regular dental hygiene routine, dental implants can quite literally last for the rest of your life.

 

Although there are definitely advantages to dental implants, they’re not for everyone. In order to be a good candidate, you’ll need to have healthy bone and gums. For more information about dental implants and to find out whether this permanent form of tooth replacement is right for you, ask your dentist for more information.

Source: http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/dental-implants

Dental Implant Institute USB Drive | Flickr – Photo Sharing! : taken from – http://www.flickr.com/photos/molotalk/3483864160/Author: molotalk http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en

Different Methods for Whitening Your Teeth

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Different Methods for Teeth Whitening Teeth whitening has become all the rage over the last few years. You can choose to whiten your teeth with over-the-counter products, or visit your dentist to have it professionally done.

Whichever method you choose, it’s helpful to know how effective each one is and what will be required to get the job done:



Tray-based over-the-counter products:
One of the earliest forms of over-the-counter (or OTC) methods for teeth whitening came with tray-based products. These kits consist of a generic, one-size-fits-all tray and whitening gel. Most require you to spend two hours a day for a period of four weeks to achieve optimum results.

Strips:
One of the more popular OTC methods for brightening your smile is whitening strips. To get the best results with these products, you’ll usually have to apply them twice a day for two weeks. The results often last for several months.

Gels:
Another more recent advent in the world of teeth-whitening products is a gel that you apply directly on the teeth. Similar to strips, gels require twice-a-day application for two weeks, and results generally last about 4 months.

Rinses:
One of the newest innovations is the whitening rinse. All that’s required is simply rinsing your mouth twice a day for about 60 seconds each time. Although this method is certainly easier than others, it’s also not as effective.

Professional whitening:
Your dentist can provide the most effective means of whitening your teeth either in the dental office or with custom-made trays at home. Not only is this the most effective method for whitening, but it will also allow your dentist to help resolve any issues that may result from whitening procedures, such as increased sensitivity.

Read more about types of teeth whitening

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Mussel Slime Could Fix Sensitive Teeth

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Mussels for Sensitive Teeth Dental Health A gooey substance, similar to the slimy material marine mussels utilize to securely attach themselves to rocks and other surfaces has been found to help fight tooth sensitivity and assist in remineralizing teeth.

This substance, according to a new study published in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces in November 2012, was found to cause the reformulation of dentin and enamel in teeth when bathed in the sticky substance.

The study authors, Chun Hung Chu, Yun-Zhi Zhou, Quan-Li L, Ying Cao, and Wei Liu say that approximately 75 percent (three out of every four) people have teeth sensitivity. In particular, people teeth are sensitive to cold, hot, sour, and sweet drinks and foods. Teeth sensitivity happens when the hard enamel on the outer layer of teeth become softer when the supporting dentin underlying wears away. This stimulates the nerves inside the teeth, causing the teeth to become sensitive, particularly to temperature.

While special toothpaste and certain sugar-free chewing gums can help reduce tooth hyper-sensitivity in some people, the authors indicated the need for a material that not only rebuilt enamel, but dentin simulatanously.

After conducting laboratory tests, the scientist concluded that the sticky material “may be a simple universal technique to induce enamel and dentin remineralization simultaneously.”

For more information, continue reading the full article.

Photo by: Mussels / Rannakarbid / Pille / CC BY 2.0

PEW Reports Child Dental Health Unsatisfactory

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Childrens' Dental Health in Texas PEW Report
According to a new “Falling Short: Most States Lag on Dental Sealants” report by Pew Center on the States, the majority of states are lacking in preventing tooth decay, and is one of the catalysts of health care cost increases for taxpayers and families.

Twenty states and the District of Columbia received a letter grade of D or F in providing kids with dental sealants, which are plastic clear-colored coating affixed to molars’ chewing surfaces – the most cavity prone of the teeth — to prevent tooth decay. These preventative sealants run at a cost of one-third that of filling a cavity, according to a Pew Center press release.

 

Key Findings of the Pew Center Report

  • — Only two states (New Hampshire and Maine) received the total number of maximum points possible.
  • — Only five states received an “A”.
  • — Eight states received a “B”, but only four of these had a dental sealant program
  • — Fifteen and seventeen states received letter grades of “D” and “C”, respectively.
  • — New Jersey, North Carolina, Wyoming, District of Columbia, and Hawaii all earned a letter grade “F”.

 

Based on the state’s policies in place as of July 1, 2012, states received grades based on four criteria:

1) having a sealant program in high-need areas schools
2) meeting national objectives on sealants set up by the Health People 2010 federal government goals
3) regularly gathering data on school age children’s dental health combined with submitted it to a national database
4) enabling dental hygienists to incorporate sealants in school programs without needing a dentist’s examination

 

For more information, continue reading the full article.

Photo by: Don’t mess with Texas / Rishabh Mishra / CC BY 2.0

Why Periodontal Disease Causing Bacteria Must Be Caught Early

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Periodontal Disease - Oral bacteria - Flossing Bacteria, known as Porphyromonas gingivalis, that causes periodontal gum disease alters the body’s immune system, which shuts down the normal functions in place that would otherwise kill the bacteria, according to new research from the Department of Pediatric Dentistry at the University of Alabama in Birhingham.

“Since greater than 50 percent of the U.S. population over 50 years-of-age develop adult periodontal disease, we hope that the results of our study will ultimately help in the development of novel treatments that could prevent or ameliorate the chronic infection caused by the pathogen P. gingivalis,'” said Jannet Katz, D.D.S., Ph.D., a researcher involved in the study.

Gum diseases, like periodontal disease, and the infections that cause them are often immensely troublesome to treat. Now, this new study, and other similar research, reveals just how problematic these bacteria are because they extend beyond the body’s built-in defenses, and actually manhandle our body’s immune system so they can survive, comments John Wherry, Ph.D., who is Deputy Editor of the Journal of Leukocyte Biology, where the study is published.

The study findings highlight the importance early prevention of periodontal disease or swift intervention to eradicate the bacteria through customized treatment procedures or invention of a effective periodontal disease bacteria vaccine.

One out of every two adults in America over the age of 30 have periodontal disease, reports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

For more information, continue reading the full article.

Photo by: Fío dental / Certo Xornal / CC BY 2.0

Toothpaste Study Helps Determine Which Kind is Best

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Right amount of toothpaste When you visit the oral care aisle at your local retail store, you are likely overwhelmed by the sheer number of toothpastes available today.

Once upon a time, the choice was quite simple, but today, you must weigh your options carefully, or you could just consider the findings of coming studies.

The researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials IWM and the Microtribology Centre tested a wide range of the available toothpastes to create a new and improved way to measure the abrasive nature of the cleaning agents currently available.

Abrasives are an important part of toothpastes as the small particles help to scrape away dental plaque that would otherwise lead to decay. However, as time goes by, too much abrasion can wear away the enamel. The abrasive nature of toothpaste depends on the size, amount and hardness of the particles within it. The degree of abrasion possible with a toothpaste is measured as an RDA level (radioactive dentin abrasion). The current range is thirty to two-hundred. The new measuring methods of this study will make these rating more uniform than they have been in the past.

The test utilized a single bristle and a mixture of toothpaste, saliva, and water to recreate the typical brushing habits of people. Movements were made in both straight lines and circular motions to further mimic daily brushing, but the movements were made up to eight thousand times to measure the impact on the teeth.

This new way of testing toothpastes will provide the mass market a better way to compare those on the shelves today. For more information, continue reading the full article.

Photo by: All the toothpaste you actually need / Kenneth Lu / CC BY 2.0

How to Treat Morning Breath

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Morning Breath Yawn Do you hide away in the morning hours?

Do you avoid conversation for the couple of hours after waking?

Does that have more to do with your mouth than it does with your mood in the AM?

If it makes you feel any better, morning breath is a problem that impacts everyone to some degree. Even those who don’t regular worry about bad breath can wake with a bad taste resting about their teeth and gums.

There are, of course, things that can make morning breath worse, such as certain medical conditions, many pungent foods, alcohol consumption, and tobacco use.

There are also measures that can be taken to improve the condition of your mouth in the early hours of the day.

  • Avoid Dehydration: A dry mouth is far more likely to carry a foul smell because there is nothing there to wash away the bacteria responsible for bad breath. Of course, you aren’t going to set your alarm to get up and drink a glass of water, but you can help the problem by staying well hydrated during the day.

  • Practice Proper Oral Hygiene: Brushing and flossing just before bed removes the food particles that bad bacteria feed upon, which means less risk of bad breath.

  • Don’t Miss Your Tongue: Before you hop in bed, before you leave your toothbrush behind, make sure you attack your tongue. This is a breeding ground for bacteria, so be sure you are washing it away every time you brush. Bacteria can also be tackled with mouthwash.

  • Eat Right: For once, ‘eat right’ doesn’t necessarily mean replacing your cookie with an apple. In this case, it means that you should eat foods that are not likely to add to your bad breath – garlic, onions, and jalapeños. For some, dairy is a contributing factor as well.

For more helpful hints, continue reading the full article.

Photo by: Big Yawn! / clickit07 / CC BY 2.0