Good dental care at home and routine dental checkups are a must for overall dental health. However, sometimes more help is needed to have a healthy smile.
Tooth Decay
Tooth decay is caused by germs and bacteria in our mouthes that interact with carbohydrates (like sugar, bread and soda) while eating. When this occurs, acid is created which damages the surface of a tooth. This damage or hole in the tooth is called a cavity. Cavities continuously progress and need to be handled by filling them.
Even though a cavity may not hurt right now, if left untreated, they are still causing damage and can result in toothaches or tooth loss which can be expensive to repair.
It is possible to prevent cavities.
What can a person do to prevent cavities?
Oral Hygiene
The best way to ensure a clean and healthy smile is brushing and flossing. Food particles can accumulate on teeth and eventually turn into plaque. The bacteria that results from this accumulation can lead to gum disease, tooth decay and even loss of teeth. Fluoride also helps prevent tooth decay for adults just as it does for children. Kansas City water is treated with fluoride while Gladstone water is not. If you are cavity prone as an adult and you live in an area without the fluoride addition to the water, a fluoride paste will be helpful for you in the prevention of additional cavities.
Practicing good dental hygiene at home with regular brushing and flossing as well as regular checkups with the dentist and fluoride treatment can help you avoid unhealthy teeth and costly treatment in the long run.
Gum Disease
Gum disease (periodontal disease) is an infection of the tissue that supports and holds our teeth in place. The disease causes the gum tissue to become inflamed (red, puffy, bleeding), and damages the bone under the gum line (bone loss).
A large percentage of adults show signs of (gum) disease that is not being properly handled.
Gum disease is a common cause of:
- bleeding gums
- bad breath
- loose teeth
Periodontal disease is the number one reason people in America lose their teeth. In most cases, early stages of periodontal disease do not warn us; there is little or no pain, the disease runs a silent course until the disease is advanced. However, it can be successfully treated and controlled.
Gum disease is often made worse by:
- Smoking
- Poor brushing technique
- A number of health conditions including diabetes
- Lack of professional dental care including professional cleaning of teeth by a dental hygienist
Periodontal disease can also contribute to other diseases. Infected gum tissue is constantly causing bacteria to enter into our bloodstream and travel to other areas of the body. Left untreated this could lead to heart disease, stroke or diabetes.
Handling Gum Disease
Gum disease is handled by carefully cleaning tartar (the hard deposits that build up on our teeth), and plaque (the mass of bacteria that accumulate on our teeth and at the gum line) away and training the person on techniques for daily removal of plaque.
If gum disease has reached an advanced stage where the bone around the teeth has been damaged, the dentist has other techniques to help the teeth and gums return to a healthy state.
Do yourself and your teeth a favor; avoid the fate of the more than 60,000,000 Americans who have lost their teeth.
Don’t let that happen to you. Let us help you achieve a healthy smile that lasts a lifetime!
Give us a call and set up a time for an exam and cleaning.