Diamons

gum disease

Photography by Dr. Padval

Is Your Mouth Showing Signs of Aging?

Shortened teeth are a sure sign; lengthening them makes people look younger. We have methods to build up shortened or chipped teeth. Do You Have Periodontal Disease? Periodontal, or gum, disease are rarely noticed in early stages. Only by dental exam do you know for sure. However, there are some telltale symptoms: bleeding gums, bad breath, loose teeth, or gums that are shrinking away from the teeth. Periodontal disease is the leading cause of tooth loss in adults, so help keep your smile youthful [...]

By |2019-01-08T08:00:45-08:00January 8, 2019|Restorative Dentistry|

Get your Smile Check-Up!

Barring injury, your sturdy white teeth should remain healthy and intact for the rest of your life. But just like your car's engine, which needs its regular oil & lube to keep purring smoothly, your mouth needs a thorough once-over as well. We'll review your dental history, clean your teeth, evaluate gum tissue, and screen for oral cancer. This will ensure that teeth and gum problems are discovered early and nipped in the bud. Some people naturally create more plaque and develop more cavities [...]

By |2018-11-27T08:00:55-08:00November 27, 2018|Preventative Dentistry|

Kids Can Get Gum Disease Too

It would be comforting to think that gum disease afflicted only adults. But adolescents and even pre-adolescents are especially at risk for what is often called Localized Juvenile Periodontitis (LJP). We usually think of periodontal disease as a result of plaque and calculus build-up. But the real culprit is bacteria that can spread from site to site in the mouth and even from person to person. You can even "catch" it yourself. What are the Symptoms? Symptoms can range from sore, bleeding gums to [...]

By |2018-11-13T08:00:57-08:00November 13, 2018|Children's Dentistry|

Do You Have Bad Breath?

When Bad Breath is Something to Worry About Morning breath...dragon mouth...onion breath...there are about as many descriptions of halitosis as there are reasons for it occurring. Chronic bad breath is usually not just too much garlic for lunch. Here's a list of common bad breath causes, and what you might consider doing about each: Garlic or other Strong Smelling Foods If your breath overreacts, go easy on these foods. Following them with mints or parsley has little effect, and may make matters worse. From [...]

By |2018-09-18T00:00:09-07:00September 18, 2018|Restorative Dentistry|

Keep Chronic Inflammation Under Control!

Inflammation is the fire your body builds to burn out attackers like bacteria, viruses or parasites. If you've ever gotten a scratch that grows swollen and hot to the touch you've encountered acute, or temporary, inflammation. Then the healing begins. Far more serious is chronic inflammation (CI). It's like a fire inside your body that never goes out and increasingly researchers are recognizing it as a significant factor contributing to heart disease. A simple blood test for chronic inflammation focuses on C-reactive protein (CRP), [...]

By |2018-09-04T00:00:41-07:00September 4, 2018|Periodontal Dentistry|

Help Yourself to a Healthy Pregnancy

Oral Health can be Compromised During Pregnancy It used to be conventional wisdom that a woman would lose a tooth for each child that she had. Thankfully with modern dentistry this is no longer true, but there's some factual basis for it. Your teeth and gums are affected by pregnancy, just as other tissues in your body. Managing Perio During Pregnancy The more we learn about periodontal (gum) disease, the more of a threat it appears to pose to the entire body, not just [...]

By |2018-06-26T00:00:40-07:00June 26, 2018|Periodontal Dentistry|

The Long & Short of Gum Disease

Surprising but true: the major cause of tooth loss in adults is not decay, but periodontal disease. More than half of all people over age 18 have at least the early stage of periodontal disease. After age 35, about three out of four adults are affected. Some people seem to be more susceptible to gum disease than others. Anything from pregnancy, systemic disease (like diabetes), and certain medications can contribute to its development. Smoking increases the likelihood dramatically (and renders treatment less effective). Some [...]

By |2018-05-08T08:00:58-07:00May 8, 2018|Periodontal Dentistry|

Dental Myths, Fabrications, and Falsehoods

Originally, these ideas held because no one really knew how to maintain a great smile over a lifetime. Unfortunately, "popular wisdom" still prevents some people from recognizing how modern dentistry can keep teeth natural, attractive and pain free. Do any of the following notions sound familiar? If so, get ready for a little relief! A woman can expect to lose a tooth for every child The Reality: This myth used to be true in many cases, but thankfully with modern medicine and dentistry, there's [...]

By |2018-05-01T08:00:28-07:00May 1, 2018|Patient Education|

The Truth About Smoking

While nobody enjoys getting lectured about a bad habit, it's important to have all the relevant information available to you, especially when it involves health implication. So if you need any extra motivation to help you quit smoking, we'll discuss some of the lesser known problems it can cause. It isn't just your lungs that suffer! Of course, anyone can understand the relationship between smoking and lung cancer, but there are serious oral health implications too. Gum disease significantly increases with smoking, as nicotine [...]

By |2018-03-27T08:00:39-07:00March 27, 2018|Patient Education|

Periodontal Disease Q&A

Answers to your most frequently asked questions about gum disease. Q: Why is gum disease so terrible if it doesn't hurt? Periodontal disease is a progressive one—meaning if it doesn't stabilize or show signs of healing, it's bound to get worse. Even when it doesn't hurt, untreated gum disease will eventually take its toll: tooth loss. But there is a bright side. Every day, we're finding new ways to approach therapy. Since we can treat every stage of the disease, our practice has helped [...]

By |2018-02-20T08:00:21-08:00February 20, 2018|Periodontal Dentistry|