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.

What’s better: implants or dentures?

What’s better: implants or dentures?

When considering teeth replacement, your options could very well be limited to dentures or bridges. Depending on the situation, your dentist may advise a full or partial teeth replacement treatment. Please be advised that preserving your natural teeth should be your and your dentist’s top priority. However, in many cases when there’s not enough healthy teeth left to support a healthy mouth and facial structure, fake teeth must be considered. It is a known fact that the quality of patient’s life can be greatly affected by his/her dental health.

Among the alternatives for teeth replacements are: dental implants, bridges, and dentures. Dental implants are superior to dentures and bridges, due to their predictability, durability, and performance. At Dental Implant and Laser Surgical Specialist, we recommend them to anyone who is looking to replace their missing teeth. Dental implants provide several advantages over other teeth replacement options. However, not everyone is a candidate for dental implants. For example those who have lost their healthy gum and bone tissue require jaw bone reconstruction to support their implant. Dental implants may not be the best option for patients who have severe jaw bone loss, existing gum disease, smokers, uncontrolled health conditions such as diabetes, grinders or simply if they prefer less expensive solutions.

Dentures:

The conventional denture procedure is quick, and non-invasive. A full denture is significantly less expensive than full mouth teeth implant treatment. However, dentures do not preserve your gum and bone structure therefore they can affect your natural smile. Keep in mind that a correctly made denture will require 5-6 visits, require some time to get used to, multiple periodic adjustments and maintenance. In many cases dentures wearers experience “movement” of their dentures which could become a great source of discomfort due to soar spots they create. This ill fitted dentures will lower patient’s chewing efficiency and ultimately leads to poor nutrition and digestive disorders. People may lose their natural smile and the ability to talk or eat comfortably as dentures “slip and slide” in their mouth. Another disadvantage of denture is the inability to taste the food.

Dental implants: 

Dental implants are considered permanent solutions to replace missing teeth. Tooth implants are easier to care for and act like natural teeth. Implants preserve the integrity of gum and jaw structure and therefore your facial muscles are not negatively affected by them. Also, implants work independent of adjacent teeth. However, a full teeth replacement treatment with dental implants can be cost prohibitive for most people. Also many people who have already been wearing dentures or those who need partial dentures could be happy with the appearance of their dentures and only be concerned about the denture’s overall stability and comfort. Many patients still want their dentures to be removed for cleaning and maintenance so solutions like bridge over implant is not appealing to them.

So what is implant denture? 

Denture adhesives are now widely used to glue dentures in place and prevent them from moving. However many patients report problems when using such products and look for permanent solution like implant supported dentures. Today implant treatment has become simple, affordable, and more importantly a PERMANENT solution. New implant technologies have made it possible to get the support your dentures needs without paying for high costs of full implant procedure. Teeth Xpress is a new solution for those patients who are looking for better overall fixed denture comfort. Using the Teeth Xpress technique, Dr. Elyassian and his experienced team can put an end to loose and uncomfortable dentures. The procedure could be done in ONE DAY by a Teeth XPress certified Periodontist and is performed under local anesthesia. Patients receive a few implants with special anchors attached. Ultimately your dentures will SNAP ON or screwed in to these anchors and will be fully supported and kept in place at all times. Like old-fashioned dentures, your implant dentures can be removed by you or your doctor. Unlike old fashioned dentures, implant dentures will NEVER slip or slide. In addition, because implant-supported full dentures will replace some of your tooth roots, your bone is better preserved. With conventional dentures, the bone that previously surrounded the tooth roots begins to deteriorate. Dental implants integrate with your jawbone, helping to keep the bone healthy and intact. In addition, implant dentures are far more comfortable and stable than conventional dentures, allowing you to retain a more natural biting and chewing capacity. Schedule a FREE consultation with us and see how implant retained dentures can help you gain your natural smile and above all gain your CONFIDENCE back!

TEETH XPress

Teeth XP!

Dental Implants Vs. dental Bridges

Dental Implants are far superior to Dental bridges in regards to their functionality and appearance. While the price of a dental implants may be slightly more than a dental bridge, the cumulative long term costs of implants is far less than bridges.

Analyzing the two options as solutions to missing tooth is a not an apple to apple comparison. Dental bridges can only be considered when there is no sufficient jawbone to support an implant in cases when patients do not want to undergo bone graft to supply necessary bones to place an implant. A Dental bridge is not a permanent solution to missing tooth, rather it's a temporary alternative to preserve the natural look for a maximum of 10 years. Unfortunately the damages that a bridge does to adjacent teeth is irreversible. The two supporting teeth needs be cut and covered with crowns that are attached to the middle one that fills the gap for the missing tooth. The crowns increase the risk of gum receding and if crown margins are not enough soon bacteria will start growing under the healthy teeth and causes decays. This will ultimately results in cavities and root canals which would require the crown and the bridge to be dismantled and placed again. In some cases the supporting teeth will become loose and cannot support the bridge. In these cases, a bigger bridge needs to be built and more teeth cut to support the new bridge. In some other cases the bridge itself may fracture or cause tooth to break.

Dental Implants, however, can function independent of their surrounding teeth. They preserve the natural look of your smile as well as your healthy gum and jaw tissues. Implants are permanent solutions and can function similar to natural teeth.

The advantages of dental implant and its overall low costs of maintenance make it a very viable options for replacing missing tooth.

Dental Implants: Costs Vs. Price!

The guide to get low cost dental implants

Dental implant is the state of the art solution in tooth replacement, much better and more reliable than a bridge or denture. According to the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, almost 70 percent of adults between the ages of 35 and 44 have lost "at least one permanent tooth to an accident, gum disease, a failed root canal or tooth decay". People with one or several missing teeth need to consider dental implants as a viable solution to preserve healthy jaw bones or to prevent further damage to their oral bone structure. Implants are designed to perform like a natural tooth and as such are permanent solutions. 

But, with so many different implant brands and different dental clinics offering implants for various prices, how would you know if you’re getting the implant that is going to look good and function as it was promised? While it may be an easy task for a dental professional to decipher the quality of the implant and assess the experience level of the surgeon, it is almost impossible for an average person to predict the outcome on the sole basis of price.  
Now, I want you to know that the price you are quoted for a complete tooth implant does depend on these factors:

• The dental implant brand
• The need for a bone graft and the level of bone reconstruction
• The type of abutment and crown you will receive after your implant is placed
• The lab and quality of material they use to custom build the tooth structure

The success factor also depends on:

• The quality of the dental implant used
• The quality of abutment and implant crown
• The jawbone that supports the implant
• The surgeon’s expertise (Specialization; Periodontist) 
• The diagnostic process to determine the correct location, size, angle, and height of the dental implant
• The patient’s oral hygiene after implant placement 

So, with all these variables involved it’s easier to understand why dental implant treatments are quoted considerably different for different patients. 
As a Periodontist, I feel obligated to also inform my patients about the costs vs. price of dental implants. I encounter many patients on a daily basis who are promised implant for $xx. While I do not endorse nor do I condemn such practices, I would like to make sure that my patients do understand the true costs of a dental implant. First and foremost I want my patients to be able to compare apple to apple. That means the real price comparison should be done on the exact product or service you will receive. Furthermore, the need to create sufficient bone structure will add to the price of an implant. These types of procedures should only be performed by an experienced and highly trained Periodontist (Surgeon). Lastly, the imaging technology that is used to precisely evaluate and measure the surrounding gum and bone for highly accurate placement is not available in all the dental offices. Although expensive, these diagnostic technologies significantly increase the success rate of the dental implant you will receive.

The high costs of low price implants:

Now, all these factors aside, I want my educated patient to also know that there’s a price vs. cost difference not only for dental implants but for anything else they purchase in general. To make it clear, I would like to explain that the price is the fee that they pay once. However, the cost is the sum of all fees they’d pay for the life of the product they want to purchase. So a product can be offered for a low price but end up being high cost. Vise versa, a product could be priced high but ends up to be very low in overall costs. In dental implant case, the price is what you pay to receive a dental implant today and the cost would be the total of all fees that you will be paying for the life of the implant in various forms. A dental implant that is not done correctly or not maintained properly can be very costly. It can get infected or fractured, and ultimately damage surrounding bone, gum, nerves, and/or fail to integrate. 
The treatment process of any of these complications could add up to considerable sum of money and therefore need to be carefully considered when opting for a low price implant procedure done by an inexperienced dentist.   
As a surgeon specialized in implantology, I have treated many failing or failed dental implants that were originally placed for very low prices. A failed implant wastes patients’ money and time, not to mention the additional procedures that you have to go through for the second time. But the damage may not be only limited to time and money as patient might have lost healthy bone that now require reconstruction for a new implant to be successfully placed. 
Considering all the costs of redoing the whole treatment, I believe it is a smart idea to look for low cost dental implant and not for a low price one! 

Questions to ask when looking for a low cost dental implant:

1. Quality of the dental implant: Does the company offers a lifetime warranty? I know we do. How long has this implant been around? Which country was it made in? Is there any research that supports the use of this specific implant? What type of titanium has been used? 
2. The surgeon’s experience: Is implant his/her specialty? How many years of experience does the doctor have in the field of implantology? What is his/her success rate?
3. The diagnostic techniques: Will the surgeon use a surgical guide during the surgery? does the surgeon use 3D imaging or 2D?
4. The reputation and quality of the lab used by dentist: What kind of abutment will I get? (Custom or Pre-fabricated).  What kind of crown will I get? (Porceline fused to metal, all Ceramic, etc). 

In all, Complications and risks with dental implants are extremely rare if they are provided by experienced surgeons and restorative dentists. Proper diagnosis, planning, and techniques can eliminate many problems that can arise, thus reducing your costs to the minimum!

Safe, effective, and Alcohol free mouthwash

Safe, effective, and Alcohol free mouthwash

With so many mouthwash brands in the market how do you choose the product that is right for you?

The majority of dentists and oral hygienists view mouthwashes as an ‘added extra’. This means that using a mouthwash may help to keep your breath fresh and to remove food debris. However, many of us enjoy using a mouthwash to freshen our breath and start off a day feeling more comfortable about our dental hygiene.Generally speaking all mouthwashes could be categorized in 3 different categories:

1. Cosmetic Mouthwash: These solutions are designed to refresh your breath and to combat bad breath. They do not have anti-bacterial ingredients so they can not fight bacteria.
2. Antiseptic mouthwashes: These mouthwashes are designed to mask bad breath and to fight cavity and plaques. Most dentists agree that these types of mouthwashes can prevent tooth decay to some extent but cannot replace proper brushing and flossing.
3. Flouride mouthwashes: These types of mouthwash are designed for people who are susceptible to tooth decay. So the added Flouride acts as a preventive agent and not an anti-bacterial ingredient.

It is important to know that almost all mouthwash brands contain alcohol. With so many flavors and colors added to the solution it is hard for us to notice the alcohol in our mouthwash. The presence of alcohol in mouthwash is a controversial subject and many do not feel comfortable using a solution with as much as 25% alcohol in it for two reasons:

1. The consumption risk: This is particularity dangerous as the vibrant colors can intrigue toddlers and younger kids. Obviously, the best safety measure is  to keep the mouthwash away from the reach of children.
2. The increased risk of oral cancers. There are studies that show the adverse reaction of mouth tissues to high levels of alcohol. Some of the mouthwash brands contain up to 25% alcohol which could increase the risk of oral and mouth cancers. Therefor, some dentists advice against the use of mouthwash altogether. Increasing, there are more and more alcohol-free mouthwashes on the market which do not have the association with mouth cancer. But it is still important to remember that you need to think carefully about why you use mouthwash. If you are using a mouthwash to combat halitosis or mouth ulcers, for example, the mouthwash could simply be masking a more serious, underlying problem.

Dr. Elyassian, D.D.S. recommends using a mouthwash that contain no alcohol such as Oxyfresh Mouthrinse. This product is safe and effective in oral health products, and it helps to remove the odor-causing compounds. Oxyfresh Mouthrinse destroys odor-causing compounds right at their source. It is safe for the entire family and containing no artificial dyes that can stain teeth and dental work.Learn more on OxiFresh website.