Diamons

Periodontal Dentistry

Photography by Dr. Padval

Stroke Prevention: Routine Dental Hygiene Appointments

You may wonder what a tooth cleaning has to do with a stroke—that sudden, devastating paralysis in which blood supply to the brain is blocked. Simply put, it's the result of a buildup of plaque in the arteries. Yes, their is a direct correlation between the plaque in arteries and the plaque that builds up on teeth and causes inflammation and gum disease if not professionally cleaned from time to time. A hygiene appointment is probably the easiest and most painless way of eliminating [...]

What to Know About Gum Disease

It afflicts as many as nine in 10 adults at some point in their lives, as well as teenagers and children as young as five or six years of age. Yet, many suffer from it without even suspecting anything is wrong. "It" is periodontal, or gum, disease—in the minds of most dentists, Public Enemy Number one for teeth. Only for the last 30 years have researchers understood that gum disease is an infectious disorder, caused by many different species of bacteria. But even today, [...]

Heart Healthy News

Do you have sore, bleeding gums? Are you worried about your heart's health, and how much time may still be available to enjoy your life and family? A visit to our office just might help solve all these worries simultaneously! Fighting periodontal (gum) disease through outstanding daily hygiene and regular dental appointments is a three-for-the-price-of-one proposition. Protect your gums! Protect your teeth! And protect your heart in the bargain! Recent research has shown that the levels of two inflammatory proteins known to raise the [...]

Chronic Inflammation

Inflammation That Could Be Deadly Illness or injury to your body should trigger your immune system to heat up at that location and essentially smoke out the enemy. If your immune system is healthy, when the mission is accomplished, the inflammation subsides and healing begins. But sometimes an immune system doesn't know when to stop. It smolders beneath the surface, destroying the very tissue it's supposed to heal. This potential volcano at the core of your body is called Chronic Inflammation. CI is thought [...]

Scaling and Root Planing

When Elbow Grease Counts Most periodontal patients in our practice become very familiar with the two primary therapies we rely on to treat gum disease: scaling and root planing. Sounds a little disagreeable, yes. But scaling and root planing are the beginning of the end of periodontal problems. The treatment is tried and true, with a simple goal—get the “junk” out of there. It’s a certainty. Plaque, calculus, and bacteria, left to accumulate, will form pockets around teeth beneath the gumline. As pockets deepen [...]

Periodontal Disease—It’s More Than Just Sore Gums

And periodontal health is more than a dazzling smile. Maintaining healthy teeth and gums has become more important than ever. Periodontal disease is a chronic inflammation of the gums that not only can lead to tooth loss but can even interfere with other systems of the body. Periodontitis, aka gum disease, has been associated with such other chronic inflammatory diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and rheumatoid arthritis. You can assess your risk for periodontal disease at perio.org. Good news! Periodontal disease is treatable. [...]

Soothe Your Joints…

Love Your Gums! Treating gum disease can actually reduce the severity of rheumatoid arthritis symptoms. Arthritis sufferers may soon be jumping for joy. Yes—in case you needed another reason to nip gum disease in the bud, researchers are demonstrating a link between periodontitis and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The good news is, treating gum disease can go beyond creating a healthy foundation for your teeth and actually reduce the severity of rheumatoid arthritis symptoms. It makes sense. In both diseases, unchecked inflammation eats away at [...]

Healthy Gums—Healthy You!

Fighting periodontal (gum) disease through meticulous daily hygiene and regular dental appointments is brilliant. You preserve your beautiful smile and sweet breath, maintain the health of your teeth and gums, and protect your overall health in the bargain! Periodontal disease—a chronic inflammatory disease that can destroy gum tissue, ligaments, even the bone supporting the teeth—is the most common cause of tooth loss among adults. Gum disease has been associated with such chronic inflammatory diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and rheumatoid arthritis. People with [...]

On Guard Against Gum Disease

More than half of adult Americans have gum disease. Poor nutrition caused much of it, with neglect contributing a share. Gum disease has been linked to heart disease. Doctors suggest that bacteria from diseased gums moves into the blood and then to the heart, causing heart attacks and stroke. The saliva of people with gum disease doesn’t have the antioxidant effectiveness of healthy people, inhibiting the body’s ability to ward off inflammation. Other gum disease risks may include rheumatoid arthritis, low-birth-weight and premature births, [...]

Your Mouth and Gum Disease

Gum Disease Treatment Sacramento, CA “A family affair” Think of the great things you’ve passed along to your kids: sense of humor, charm, style, wit—why, the list could go on and on of course! Unfortunately, some of the things that get passed from parent to child aren’t that great. One is a predisposition towards periodontitis, or gum disease. Of the hundreds of strains of bacteria that inhabit your mouth we’ve turned up 5 or 6 particularly aggressive ones and labeled them “probable periodontal pathogens.” [...]