The Success and Failures of Cosmetic Dentistry and Your Dental Implant

Dental implant is the best answer to losing a tooth. There are two ways dental implants can be done – endosteal and subperiosteal. As the name suggests, the former has the screws and metal posts in the bone, while the latter has it on the bone. Between the two, however, it is the endosteal dental implant that is considered to be the more common one. Successes and Failures Generally, dental implant procedures enjoy a 95% success rate. There are, however, a number of reasons why a dental implant could fail. These could include incorrect positioning of the implant which, in turn, could be caused by a cosmetic dentist not having extensive knowledge with the procedure.
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Oh, If You Only Know All The Little Things Oral Surgeons Can Tell You!

Your oral surgeon, especially one who is also a specialist in periodontics can tell you a whole lot about what you need to do in order to align your jaw or take care of your impacted tooth, among other things. A periodontist is the first person you need to get to if you had an accident and need to deal with a dislocated jaw. Although you may not be aware of it, however, a periodontist can also be the go-to guy if you want to get a head’s up on how healthy you are. Your Oral Surgeon and Your Body Because oral surgery deals with gums, teeth, and the whole oral region, it is easy for periodontists to spot something out of the ordinary in the said area. For example, if they can see that you have a dry mouth, they know you most probably have undetected diabetes.
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Laser Surgery: A One Stop Dental Procedure Offered By An Orange County Periodontist

Dental procedures especially the use of the traditional dental drills can be disturbing, if not overly painful as heat, vibration and pressure are applied on the patient’s teeth. Dental laser treatment and surgery takes all that away, as it uses the different wavelengths of light to remove the diseased gum tissue; so procedures like the restoration of teeth and gums to a healthy state can be done without the pain of incision, bleeding, anesthesia, stitches, bacterial infection and every other discomfort brought about by traditional gum surgeries.

Lasers can be categorized based on their uses: hard or soft tissue. The wavelength used differ with the type of procedure by which the periodontist perform the surgery as well as the way the laser light is generated. Laser procedures are what your periodontist usually perform in order to treat issues like: http://irvinetustindentalimplants.com/laser-surgery-a-one-stop-dental-procedure-offered-by-an-orange-county-periodontist/

Bone Graft to Support Dental Implants

A survey conducted by Harris Interactive, Inc.  found that out of a 1000 people over the age of 35, 60% don’t have any idea about gum disease (i.e. the symptoms, treatments and consequences) and 39% of them don’t visit a dentist regularly. Another report last May 2000 by the Surgeon General stated that the Americans’ bad oral health is the “silent epidemic” affecting over 75% of people over the age of 35. Thus, it is important to take care of your gums or have a periodontist treat your gum disease at its earliest stage to avoid progression to a much more severe and costly scenario.

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Pregnancy Risk Factors for Women with Gum Disease

The study conducted and published in the Journal of Periodontology revealed that periodontal treatment significantly reduced pre-term or low birth weight risks among infants by 68% especially in women with pregnancy-associated gingivitis.

Why are Pregnant Women in Greater Risk?

Because of the elevated levels of estrogen and progesterone among pregnant women (and those taking oral contraceptive pills), the bacteria found in plaque react differently to the gums and vise versa. This is called pregnancy gingivitis and the sad thing is, it affects 65 to 70% of pregnant women who are in their second month of pregnancy until the ninth month or even before then when the woman gives birth.

Gums that are infected with periodontal disease serves as reservoir of disease-causing bacteria. These bacteria releases toxins that are detrimental to the gums, ligaments and bone surrrounding the teeth. It then produces infected pockets that has access to travel all throughout the pregnant women’s body via the bloodstream.

Prostalandins are then produced to combat the inflammation or infection from the pregnant women’s gums. However, aside from controlling inflammation, prostaglandins are also responsible for smooth muscle contraction. Thus, if a pregnant woman has gum disease, her body produces extra prostaglandins which causes her to go into labor prematurely or deliver a baby which is low in birth weight. That it why it is recommended to have pregnant women receive proper dental care from a periodontist during pregnancy to avoid this scenarios.

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How an Oral Surgeon is Different From a Dentist

Oral and maxillofacial surgery is considered one of the nine dental specialties according to the American Dental Association. These kinds of surgeries are usually performed by a dentist with education in the specialty. It is usually abbreviated as OMF.

The Many Benefits of Going to a Waterlase Dentist

Patients often avoid scheduling an appointment with a local cosmetic dentist in Orange County because they are nervous about any discomfort that they might feel. Others are worried about taking even more time out of their schedule for multiple dental appointments. With the advanced Waterlase dental system, however, many of these common issues can now be avoided entirely.

Oral Health and Its Importance

Every once in awhile, checkups must be done to see what is wrong with our bodies. Like how the old saying goes, prevention is better than cure. Just like how one cares for his body, one must also take care of the oral health.

What You Can Expect from Dental Implants

A simple smile can instantly light up someone’s face and can even be a distinctive feature of a person. This shows how important teeth is, which underlines even more the fact that it is important to keep have them checked on a regular basis; but what about those who have lost their teeth? Fortunately, technology has a solution for that – dental implants.

Would Gum Health Assure Heart Health? Your Periodontist Answers!

There’s a saying that every bone is connected to the next one in line that is why it is no wonder that there are studies and research connecting gum disease with heart disease and for health-conscious individuals here in Orange County, going to a periodontist and a cardiologist are enough assurance to keep both healthy!

Cardiologists and Periodontists are still debating on the link between dental health and heart health and the issue is still not resolved until now according to Dr. Robert Bonow, the past president of the American Heart Association and also the chief cardiologist at the Feinberg School of Medicine of Northwestern University.

According to him, “There are threads of evidence, but they’re not yet tied together. If it’s true that people with poor oral health have more heart attacks, it doesn’t mean the poor oral health leads to them. People with good oral hygiene may just be taking better care of themselves.” In saying this, he means that we need to take good care of our oral health and exercise healthy habits to protect our heart too.

Why were the two diseases linked in the first place? There are two factors which gum disease and heart disease share in common according to Sam Low, DDS, president of the American Academy of Periodontology and associate dean in the College of Dentistry at the University of Florida. These are:

• The several types of bacteria found in gum disease is similar to what are found in heart disease. Dr. Low stated that, “The bacteria we find in gum disease we also find in blood vessels that are going through atherosclerosis.”
• Inflammation is also common between both illness. The level of C-reactive protein (CRP) increases with moderate to severe gum disease and its levels are also assessed in persons suffering from heart attacks.

So it is safe to say that we need to take care of both our oral health and heart health to prevent any risk factors. The joint report of Dr. Bonow and Dr. Low recommends that:

• Periodontists should inform patients with moderate to severe gum disease that they have risk factors in developing heart disease too.
• The patient’s periodontist and cardiologist should work together to reduce the patient’s risk of developing heart disease through proper periodontal care.
• Patients with heart disease or a high CRP level should go to a periodontist for an evaluation especially if they also show symptoms of gum disease.

The bottomline? Listen to what your periodontist here in Orange County has to say. Keep your gums healthy by brushing and flossing regularly and seek treatment immediately especially if you have a history of heart disease.

Sources:

Healthy Teeth, Healthy Heart?, WebMD

Treating Gum Disease May Lessen the Burden of Heart Disease, Harvard Health Publications

Periodontists and Oral Surgeons Share Tips on Preparing for a Dental Implant Procedure

Dental implants are an excellent restorative option for anyone that has lost one or more teeth. With the proper aftercare, patients will be able to enjoy their new smile for the rest of their life. If you or a loved one is preparing for your next oral surgery, then take a look at these tips to help you speed up the recovery process. What Are Dental Implants? Before taking a look at the procedure, patients should first understand exactly what dental implants are. This technology has been used since the 1960s as a long-term treatment option for tooth loss. Oral surgeons generally begin this procedure with an initial consultation to check for health issues such as periodontal disease that could affect the implants.
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New Advances Allow for Better Dental Experience

Today’s dental visits no longer entail uncomfortable and painful procedures. Previously, dental treatments come with loud noises, dripping blood, and bruising, which make many fear their dentist. Technological advances in dentistry, however, such as silent dental drills and laser methods, help make dental experience less intrusive and more comfortable. They help reduce anxiety, resulting in more successful operations.

Understanding Gum Resurfacing

One of the cosmetic procedures that can boost your oral health is gum resurfacing. This procedure is ideal for individuals who have dark areas on the gums as a result of infection or poor oral hygiene. You might see that the gums become discolored with age as well. Gum resurfacing is a minor surgical procedure that is often done with a laser. The goal is to rid the mouth of the discolored areas so that there is a healthy, pink appearance to the mouth once more.

Beautify Your Teeth and Gums Through Cosmetic Dentistry

This account deals with the various aspects of cosmetic dentistry.

Cosmetic dentistry is the field that is dedicated to the beautification of a person's teeth and gums. This differs from traditional dentistry, which is concerned with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of oral diseases.

Dental Lasers Can Be a Major Breakthrough in Your Life

Harnessing laser power has done amazing things in the field of cosmetic dentistry. It can eliminate the need for painful sutures for procedures like deep scalings, and it can reach areas under painful gum tissue much less invasively than other procedures. There is even a laser process that can “sculpt” the soft tissue of your gums to give you an amazing smile.

3 Myths about Dental Implants You Should Not Believe

In terms of aesthetics, longevity and function, dental implants are considered the best restoration solution for teeth loss. However, as this breakthrough’s popularity grew, so too are misconceptions. If you have been missing teeth, time is essential to preserve your dental health so don’t let these myths hold you back from seeing an oral surgeon here in Orange County:

Retired and Still Working? Fix Your Smile and Look Years Younger

Are you one of those few retirees who can’t get 8 to 5 out of their system? Well, you will need to put a little more effort on your look. Besides altering your hairdo, changing your choice of glasses or doing a wardrobe overhaul, you got to put on a healthy smile to appear as confident, fresh and young as possible. We mean nobody likes gnarly, stained old teeth, right?

Laser Surgery is Improving Dental Work

You can find lasers in a wide variety of industries, including medicine. In the medical field of dentistry, one of the many things that lasers help with is gum surgery. A laser always provides greater precision, and in many cases will result in less bleeding and better healing.

Can Your Medical Insurance Cover Dental Implants?

Many people find, to their dismay, that their dental insurance will not cover dental implants. The reason for this is that many insurance companies consider implants as purely cosmetic; however, it’s possible that your need for implants can represent a medical necessity under one of your medical insurance clauses.

Is Periodontal disease/gum disease contagious?

Q: is periodontal/gum disease contagious?

A: Research has shown that periodontal/gum disease is caused by the inflammatory reaction to bacteria under the gums, so periodontal disease technically may not be contagious. However, the bacteria that cause the inflammatory reaction can be spread through saliva. This means that if one of your family members has periodontal disease, it’s a good idea to avoid contact with their saliva by not sharing eating utensils or oral health equipment. If you notice that your spouse or a family member has the warning signs of a possible periodontal problem (bleeding, red and swollen gums, or bad breath) you may want to suggest that they see a dentist or periodontist for an exam. It may help to protect the oral health of everyone in the family.

Periodontal disease is a multi-faceted disease. The initiating factors are primarily oral bacteria, and these bacteria can be spread from person to person. So, in that respect, periodontal disease is technically ‘infectious’ because it takes direct contact (person-to-person, intimate kissing) or vector contact (sharing a toothbrush for example) to spread the bacteria. Being in close proximity, such as working in the same room with someone with periodontal disease is not enough to contract the disease.

The leading risk factors that determine whether someone will develop the disease are as follows:

1. Are you a smoker? Over 50% of people with advanced perio disease are either current or former smokers. Smoking, among other things, inhibits the body’s defenses from fighting the disease.
2. Underlying chronic systemic disease, such as diabetes. Conditions like diabetes interfere with the body’s natural defenses and healing.
3. Family history. It has been shown there is a genetic predisposition to developing periodontal disease. As much as 30% of the adult population may be genetically predisposed to periodontal disease.
4. Oral hygiene. Inadequate oral hygiene practices (not enough brushing, flossing, etc.) allow the oral bacteria to thrive.
5. Irregular or non-existent professional care. Over time, personal oral hygiene is simply not enough to ward off periodontal disease for most people. Routine preventive and periodontal therapy by a qualified dental professional can go a long way in helping avoid the consequences of periodontal disease. They can also recommend strategies specific to your particular situation.
6. Age. The older a person is, the greater risk for developing perio disease.
7. Medications. Certain medications can interfere with the body’s natural defenses against periodontal disease. Examples would be drugs that cause xerostomia (dry mouth) or drugs that cause hypertrophic tissue growth, such as Dilantin or other anti-seizure medications. Discuss your particular situation with your healthcare provider before stopping or changing any medical therapy.
Some risk factors are controllable (smoking, oral hygiene, professional care) and others are not (genetics, age). Work with your dental professional to control those factors you can, and forget about those you cannot.
Periodontal disease is a chronic, inflammatory, progressive, degenerative condition that has been shown to be the leading cause of tooth loss in adults. While it is not curable, it can, in most cases, be controlled with adequate personal oral hygiene and appropriate professional care.
Don’t worry; you cannot contract periodontal disease simply from being with someone who has the disease.  But One Exception you kiss someone who has advanced periodontal disease, there could be a transfer of microorganisms that cause the disease.