Gum Disease, and What You Can Do About It

Periodontal disease is an even more frightening-seeming word for gum disease. Whatever you call it, gum disease is an infection of the soft tissues that surround your teeth and line your gums. While it’s easy to overlook your gums, you really shouldn’t. They’re important because they seal your teeth and the sensitive parts of your teeth and jaw from bacteria in your mouth. Gum infections can degrade those tissues, reduce the protection they provide to the roots of your teeth, and allow infection to progress into and beyond your mouth and jaw.

Gum disease presents in two forms: as minor and reversible gingivitis; and as much more serious and dangerous periodontitis. Both conditions are treatable, but reversing gingivitis is much easier than undergoing periodontal disease treatment near you for periodontitis. 

What are the symptoms of gum disease?

Understanding what gum disease looks like is easier when you realize what healthy gums are supposed to look like. Healthy gum tissue is pale pink, firm, and lays around the base of your teeth snugly. Here, on the other hand, are symptoms of periodontitis:

• Puffy and swollen gums that bleed easily
• Gum tissue that is red or purple rather than pink
• If your toothbrush is bloody or you spit out blood after brushing or flossing
• If it hurts to chew
• If you have persistent bad breath
• Pus oozing from between your teeth or beneath the lip of your gums
• There seem to be wider spaces between your teeth
• Your teeth feel loose, or you’ve lost teeth
• If your gums seem to be shrinking or your teeth look longer than usual.

What can you do to prevent gum disease?

Do you know what the first few answers are going to be? Yep, you got it. Brush, floss, visit your dentist in Flagstaff for twice-annual checkups, have your teeth cleaned annually, and undergo all recommended dental treatment. It really is as easy as that. Those basic daily and annual dental hygiene habits will, in most situations, keep your gums and teeth healthy. Better still, if any gum health issues do develop, your dentist will be able to identify them right away and intervene to get you back on track.

What else can you do? Your diet is essential to your overall health, and that’s no less true when it comes to your teeth and gums. By eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables and minimizing your consumption of refined carbs, caffeine and sugar, you can increase the chance of maintaining a healthy mouth — especially if you focus on adding some more of these vitamins to your diet:

• Vitamin A in beef, liver, milk, cheese and eggs aids the healing of inflamed gum tissues
• Vitamin B found in mushrooms, meat, fish and supplements can help keep toothaches, receding gums and sensitivity of mucous membranes at bay
• Vitamin C contained in fruits and vegetables promotes the healing of bleeding gums and helps to prevent gum inflammation while also preventing plaque formation
• Vitamin D found in cheese, milk and fatty fish and also generated from sun exposure can help prevent your gums from becoming inflamed and help your body and teeth to absorb calcium
• Vitamin E found in sunflower seeds, peanut butter, tomato paste and turnip greens (or in a capsule form) can relieve infants’ sore gums during teething and also helps to promote the absorption of calcium.

If you’ve experienced any of the symptoms of gum disease or are concerned about the health of your gums, make an appointment for a checkup at a dental clinic near you for advice about keeping your gums healthy and gum disease treatment in Flagstaff. 

The Importance of Dental Checkups

The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends visiting a dental professional every six months for a checkup. However, a doctor may advise you to go for dental cleanings and exams near you every three or four months if you are a high-risk patient.

What is a High-Risk Group?

These patients have a high risk of developing cavities or gum disease due to their habits, conditions, and lifestyle. Among them, you may find the following:

- Pregnant women

- Heavy smokers

- People with periodontal disease

- Patients that have had multiple cavities in the last year

- Patients with uncontrolled diabetes 

If your dentist considers it correctly, they may suggest you visit them every three months. On the other hand, if you are a low-risk patient, you can make a trip to the dentist every year instead of every six months.

What is a Low-Risk Group?

These patients have excellent oral care, haven’t had any cavities in their last year, and take foods low in sugars. If you are one of them, your dentist may schedule your appointments once a year.

Why are Dental Checkups Important?

You may benefit from our dental exams in Flagstaff because your doctor will monitor your teeth, gums, and other soft tissues, like your tongue and cheeks. They will also perform oral cancer screening for prevention.

An oral cancer screening consists of checking your mouth looking for white or red patches. If your dentist detects any unusual mouth sore, they may recommend further testing. 

If you detect any bumps, ensure to tell your dentist for them to evaluate it and see if there is something to concern.

Your dental professional will also take a set of x-rays to detect any issues that they cannot see with the naked eye, such as dental caries between teeth, impacted teeth, and the condition of the jawbone.

What is Periodontal Disease?

Periodontal disease is the infection of the tissues that support your teeth and gums. When you skip brushing and flossing your teeth, the dental plaque builds up (a film containing saliva, bacteria, and food debris). Whenitdoes, the gums inflame (Gingivitis).

Gingivitis is the first stage of periodontitis. It is reversible, and you fix it by keeping up with your oral care habits. If untreated, the plaque hardens and turns into tartar. 

If you have tartar buildup, you must visit a dentist near you for professional teeth cleaning. Not doing so may lead to bone recession. Your teeth will lose support and can fall out.

You may benefit from our preventative treatments in our dental clinic in Flagstaff to prevent periodontal disease. 

Primary Oral Care Habits

Your dentist will help you along the way, but you must do the work at home. Here are the recommendations to follow to prevent oral issues away:

1. Brush your teeth – You must brush your teeth two times a day for at least two minutes. Use fluoride toothpaste and a soft-bristled toothbrush not to harm your teeth and gums.

2. Floss – You must use dental floss, interdental brushes, or water flossers to clean the surfaces between your teeth. The toothbrush does not reach these areas, so you must use these devices to remove dental plaque from there.

3. Avoid sugary foods – Try to reduce the consumption of sugary foods because bacteria react with starchy foods and produce acids that wear away the enamel.

4. Visit your dentist regularly – Keeping up with your dental checkups, as we mentioned before, will help to detect any early signs of a problem, and your dental professional will advise you on the steps to follow.

Cover Stained, Chipped, Worn, Gapped and Even Crooked Teeth with Veneers

If your teeth are stained or discolored and can’t be whitened, porcelain veneers treatment near you may be the solution you need. If your teeth have small cracks and chips, but are still structurally sound, porcelain veneers in Flagstaff can solve those issues, too. Are there gaps between your teeth that you’d like to get narrowed or closed? Ask a dentist in Flagstaff if veneers can help with those. The odds are good that a dentist near you will say “yes.” What about if your teeth are crooked, though? Can veneers help with tha? Or does it rule you out for getting veneers?  

Before you rush off to a dentist near you to get a set of porcelain veneers to perfect your teeth, there are some important things to consider. Like any medical or dental procedure, opting for porcelain veneers has certain implications and consequences that you should be aware of and discuss with your dentist to ensure that porcelain veneers are right for you. Here are some issues to discuss with your dentist when making the decision to get porcelain veneers or identifying other alternatives to help you to achieve your goals.

To get veneers, your teeth will need to be modified slightly

Before the staff at your dental clinic in Flagstaff can place your veneers, an extremely thin layer of enamel will be removed from the surface of your teeth. If you opt for “no-prep” veneers, it may be possible to eliminate the need for this step, but no-prep veneers are thinner and not appropriate in every case. Only an extremely thin layer of enamel will be removed, though this will mean that your teeth will always need to be protected with a veneer or crown going forward.

Veneers can even straighten teeth… sort of and within limits

Veneers are not a substitute for orthodontic work recommended by a dentist or orthodontist to deal with malocclusion issues. Because veneers rely on the stability and structure of your underlying teeth, they aren’t good options for crooked teeth that are still shifting in your jaw. If your teeth are slightly crooked, but stable and firmly rooted in your jaw, though, veneers can help. Veneers won’t actually straighten your teeth, but they can be placed onto crooked teeth to display a perfectly straight and uniform profile. If you’re considering veneers and have slightly crooked teeth, ask your dentist to confirm that veneers are the best choice.

Don’t forget that porcelain veneers can’t be whitened

Because porcelain veneer can not not be whitened, your dentist will work very carefully with you to ensure your veneers match the colour and sheen of your natural teeth at their cleanest and whitest. You should have your teeth cleaned and, if you wish, whitened before getting veneers to ensure they match when put in place and going forward.

The inability to whiten porcelain veneers is not something to worry too much about as long as that matching process is completed carefully. That’s because porcelain is naturally very stain-resistant. You’ll be able to eat your favourite sauces and drink your favourite wines and coffee without concern. If, on the other hand, you opt for composite materials, beware that composite veneers are much more vulnerable to staining.

Properly-chosen veneers will look natural

Porcelain is the ideal material for crafting veneers because of how well it matches the colour, texture, sheen and luminosity of healthy teeth. How natural they look depends in large part on the technical skill and even artistry of your dentist and their dental technicians. When choosing a dentist to provide your veneers, ask about their experience providing veneers to achieve the goals you have and ask to view a portfolio of results.

To find out if porcelain veneers are right for you and, if not, what other options are available to help you to meet your goals, make an appointment at a dental clinic in Flagstaff for an assessment and conversation with experienced dental staff. 

Sedation Dentistry for a Root Canal

 

There is a misconception that root canal treatment is too painful; however, you must not confuse the existing pain due to an infection with the root canal therapy near you.

Sometimes, patients visit a dental office in pain and then complain about the dental treatment. The root cause of the ache is not the dental procedure. On the contrary, root canal therapy in Flagstaff saves your compromised teeth and prevents you from undergoing teeth extractions.

Dental Anxiety

However, some people cannot manage their stress when facing any dental procedures because they may suffer from dental anxiety.

Dental anxiety is the irrational fear of the dental professional. A person with dental anxiety suffers from high stress before and during a dental appointment and tends to postpone the dental visit due to their fear.

Our endodontic dentist in Flagstaff will explain sedation dentistry to manage dental anxiety for any dental procedures, including root canal therapy.

What is Sedation Dentistry?

Sedation dentistry consists of sedating a very nervous patient before the treatment. It is convenient for the patient because they tend not to remember a thing of the procedure, and for the dental professional because they can work better and faster.

Sedation dentistry is perfect for grown adults who cannot remain calm, little children that misbehave, and patients with special needs. A dentist near you will determine what option is best in your case (if you require it).

There are three forms of sedation dentistry:

1. Oral Sedation 

The patient will take a pill (sedative) about a half-hour before the treatment, the time that it takes to effect. After this time, you will feel drowsy, and it’s possible that after the treatment, you don’t remember what happened (short-term amnesia). 

Since the effects remain for some time, you must arrange your drive back home with a friend. Regarding your daily activities, you must resume them the next day. We strongly suggest that you stay calm the rest of the day.

2. Gas Sedation

You have probably heard of Nitrous Oxide, also known as laughing gas. Your dental professional will place a mask over your nose, and you will inhale the gas. Immediately, you will feel calm and relaxed. 

As soon as you remove the mask, the effects wear away. You may get back to your daily responsibilities right away. 

It is the most common form of sedation.

3. IV Sedation

For severe cases of anxiety, we recommend IV sedation. You should bring a friend to the dental appointment who can take you home afterward.

During root canal therapy near you, a doctor administers a local anesthetic to numb the area. You won’t feel any pain or discomfort; however, if you still prefer sedation dentistry, discuss it with your dental professional. 

A doctor will evaluate you to determine if you qualify for sedation dentistry. They will ask about your medical history, and you should discuss how anxious you may get during a dental appointment.

The Root Canal Treatment

The root canal system is the part that contains the nerve and blood vessels that keep the tooth alive. If bacteria spread to it, an endodontist removes the nerve and places a biocompatible material.

Your doctor will drill the tooth to access the nerve, remove it, disinfect the area, and seal it with Gutta-percha and cement. Afterward, you will need a porcelain dental crown to restore the function and aesthetics of the tooth. Avoid chewing with the treated dental piece until you get the permanent restoration in place.

If you have any other doubts, you may contact us at your earliest convenience.

Reasons You Should Not Ignore Gum Disease

 

There are several reasons why you may choose to skip your regular appointments with a dentist in Flagstaff. People tend to avoid going to the dentist because they don’t want to – either because they have dental anxiety or because they feel it is an expensive affair. If we want healthy teeth, then it is best to visit a dentist sooner than later, if not we’ll have to face the music for our poor choices. If you want to visit the dentist less frequently then make sure to practice healthy oral hygiene practices. This way, your visits to the dentist will be more pleasant. This blog will shed light on reasons why an individual avoids visits to the dentist – and why these excuses are not applicable. For more information visit a dentist near you today.

  #1. Gum surgery can cost a bomb

Dental treatments are a great way to cut costs. Have you heard the saying _ pay a little now or pay more later? Well, oral hygiene and dental appointments are not exempted from this rule. Your oral health can indicate the status of your overall health. How is that possible, you may ask? Well, believe it or not, other complications can arise from gum disease and periodontitis which is not related to your oral health at all. It can have serious complications. Complications can include cancer, respiratory disease, heart disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis. Gum disease is a much simpler condition compared to these life-threatening conditions. The cost of treatment for any of these conditions can be above the roof, but your dental treatments can cost you much less now. If ignored, the cost of treatment for gum disease and other health conditions together can burn a hole in your pocket. For more information on gum disease treatment in Flagstaff, visit a dental clinic near you.

 #2. I can treat my gum disease later 

It is completely unacceptable! While gum disease can be mild sometimes and many individuals can live with it – it is a very risky and unsanitary line of action to treat your gum disease. As mentioned above, gum disease and periodontitis can lead to other life-threatening health complications not related to your oral health. If this does not reason enough for you to treat your gum disease, then there’s more. The symptoms of gum disease are swollen and/or bleeding gums, red gums, continuous bad breath in your mouth, redness in your gums, bad taste in your mouth, uneven bite pattern, and/or loss of teeth. If untreated, gum disease can develop into a severe form of periodontitis – the symptoms for which are the same as gingivitis, except more serious. In this case, the gums and the bone tissue in your gums begin to deteriorate from necrosis. As a result, your teeth may begin to fall. At this point, the only treatment for your gum disease would be surgery.

 #3. Gum surgery is painful

Dental care has developed over the years. Today, dental clinics use technology like LANAI laser treatments. Laser treatment is a less painful treatment for gum disease and has more success rates than traditional surgery. Laser treatment can get to the source of the swelling and inflammation in your gums without destroying the surrounding healthy tissue. The surgery is suture and scalpel free making it relatively a pain-free procedure. Don’t keep pushing your treatment. Don’t make excuses, and don’t waste time. You can have healthy gums and teeth if you take the time and the correct steps to maintain them. 

 For gum disease treatment near you, visit your dentist today.

 

 

Setting Your Expectations for Teeth Whitening

  

Which one of us wouldn’t want to have bright, sparkling, white teeth? It is a fact that humans attach a high level of importance to their appearances, and a beautiful set of teeth ranks high among the factors that boost our self-confidence. That being said, it is not realistic for each of us to expect perfectly white teeth through the teeth whitening procedures available on the market. Consulting with a dentist near you will reveal that the results of teeth whitening procedures differ from person to person, largely depending on the state of oral health, the treatment used, and personal oral hygiene practices.

What Causes Teeth To Become Stained?

Over time, the consumption of certain foods and beverages causes our teeth to stain and look dull or yellow. Some of the foods and drinks that leave stains on teeth are:

●       Red wine

●       Coffee and tea

●       Dark berries

●       Acidic foods such as tomato sauce and balsamic vinegar

Some other reasons for teeth staining are:

●       Smoking and tobacco use

●       Dental injuries

●       Chemicals such as tetracycline found in some medications

●       Erosion of the enamel with age

While the stains on teeth arising out of foods and beverages consumed are easier to deal with, staining caused by the other factors may not be completely reversed. A dental office providing teeth whitening near you can have a dentist assess your teeth and suggest which methods of teeth whitening might work for you. However, it is important to remember that any teeth whitening efforts will be rendered ineffective if not followed by changes in your habits to eliminate the causes that stained your teeth. For example, if you continue the use of tobacco after your teeth whitening treatment, new stains will keep forming defeating the whitening effect. Proper oral hygiene and some changes in your lifestyle are essential to continue enjoying your newly whitened teeth!

Teeth whitening might not be suitable for some of us, such as those:

●       Under the age of 16 - The pulp chamber of a tooth is still developing at this time, which means that the centre of the tooth is vulnerable. Teeth whitening procedures carried out at this age can potentially damage teeth or cause discomfort.

●       Pregnant or breastfeeding - Dentists do not recommend teeth whitening treatments for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding to avoid any harm to the developing fetus or the baby.

●       Suffering from tooth sensitivity - If you have tooth sensitivity due to any reason, teeth whitening might aggravate it further. The bleaching agents used in teeth whitening gels are strong and are capable of irritating sensitive teeth.

●       Having dental crowns, fillings, or other restorations - The dental crowns are not the same material as your natural teeth and will not respond to teeth whitening methods in the same way. The composite resin material used in dental fillings also remains unaffected by the whitening chemicals. This will result in discrepancies after the whitening treatment which might not look very good. So, in case you have dental crowns or dental fillings, you might need to consult your dentist in Flagstaff before considering teeth whitening.

●       With stains from tetracycline or excess fluoride - For teeth staining caused by exposure to tetracycline or excessive fluoride at an early age, teeth whitening solutions may not be effective. In such cases, it is a better idea to go for dental veneers or caps to get the whitened effect.

●       Having gum infections or tooth vulnerabilities - For people dealing with problems of gum infections or other oral issues, it is important to first deal with those problems before considering teeth whitening. A beautiful smile, first and foremost, begins with good oral health!

The methods used for achieving teeth whitening also play an important role in the final results. Depending on the level of staining, the method of teeth whitening employed can provide lightening effects up to several shades. It is highly recommended that you consult your dentist for teeth whitening in Flagstaff for the best advice on whether it will work for you, which method to adopt, and how to achieve the best results.

 

 

 

 

 

Will My Porcelain Veneers Change Color?

 

For many patients who are looking to get a whiter smile, veneers offer an attractive solution.  They provide the long-term benefits of something like a dental implant without the cost, surgery and recovery time that comes with it.

With that said, many are still skeptical to go ahead with the procedure.  Because while they may indeed be cheaper than implants, they are still a major investment. 

Those who are skeptical may not only be worried that they won’t look good once they go on, but that they’ll fade and lose their color over time.

When it comes to whether or not they’ll look amazing when they first go on your teeth, technology has you covered - thanks to advanced computer imaging, a dentist near you can show you exactly what your smile will look like before and after you go ahead with veneers.

But how will they hold up?  And can porcelain veneers actually change color over time?

Why Real Teeth Get Stained

Let’s start by talking about why your real teeth change color to begin with. 

Basically, your teeth are composed of a number of different layers.  The outermost layer is referred to as the enamel.  Enamel is made up of various minerals, and is actually the hardest tissue in the human body.

Unfortunately, while it may be extremely hard and durable, it’s also quite porous.  Various colors pigments from all the food and beverages you consume over the course of your life can sneak in and change the color of your teeth over time.

Can Porcelain Veneers Be Stained?

Porcelain veneers are placed over the natural tooth enamel.  They act in a similar way, but with one key difference - porcelain is not porous.  It’s much more similar glass in that it doesn’t allow pigments to get trapped underneath, and it will not stain (regardless of how much red wine and coffee you drink).

What Can Make My Veneers Change Color?

With all of this said, just because porcelain doesn’t stain doesn’t mean that the appearance of your veneers can’t change over time.

One of the reasons for this isn’t the actual porcelain itself, but the cement that’s used to attach the veneers to your teeth.  Over time, this cement can change color, and this is what leads to the appearance of darker teeth in some patients.

Another reason is the fact that, like glass, porcelain can be scratched.  These small scratches can trap pigment and debris from food.  So while the porcelain isn’t technically being stained, it can look like it’s stained in certain areas.

Finally, you may find that over time your gums recede to the point that the base of your real teeth is starting show.  When this happens, it will reveal the line of cement that was used to attach your veneers when they first went on.

What Can I Do If My Veneers Change Color?

The good news is that, for the vast majority of patients, these changes won’t happen overnight.  With proper care and maintenance, veneers can last 10, 15 and even 20 years before you start to notice a difference.

With that said, if you notice down the line that they’re starting to look a little rundown, replacing them is a fairly easy process. 

If you currently have a set of veneers that aren’t looking as white as they used to, be sure to visit a dental office in Flagstaff.  You’ll be able to get a qualified opinion on why they’re not looking as great as you’d like and the best course of action for getting a new set.