Posts for category: Oral Health
What your dentist in Boynton Beach, FL wants you to know about gum disease
If you look at your gums and they appear red and inflamed, you have gingivitis. Gingivitis is inflammation of your gum tissue, and it is often an early sign of gum disease. Fortunately, you can do a lot to both prevent and eliminate gingivitis. Dr. Peter Silberstein at Your Beautiful Smile in Boynton Beach, FL wants to share the facts about gingivitis.
Gingivitis is very common. You can get gum inflammation from certain foods if you are allergic to them, and highly acidic foods can also irritate your gums. The most common cause of gingivitis is poor oral hygiene.
When you don’t brush and floss often enough, the plaque in your mouth is allowed to sit, and millions of harmful bacteria in the plaque go to work. These bacteria produce toxins that can irritate, inflame, and infect healthy gum tissue, giving you gingivitis.
You may have gingivitis if you notice:
- Redness and swelling in your gums
- Pain in your gums when you brush, floss or chew
- Bleeding when you brush or floss
- Chronic bad breath and a sour taste in your mouth
Fortunately, gingivitis can be reversed. You can have healthy gums again by following an excellent oral hygiene program, which should include:
- Brushing after each meal and before you go to bed; use a soft-bristled toothbrush with fluoride toothpaste and gently brush in a circular motion. Brush the surfaces of all teeth and along the gumline. Many people prefer a sonic or electric toothbrush to manual brushing.
- Floss at least once each day; use a single piece of floss and wrap around the widest part of each tooth as you floss in between your teeth. The wrapping technique helps to keep the floss against the surfaces of your teeth. Floss picks are helpful if you have dexterity problems or arthritis.
Dr. Silberstein and his highly skilled staff want to help you fight gingivitis, so it’s important to schedule a dental exam yearly and a professional dental cleaning once every six months to ensure the health of your gums, teeth, and supporting bone and avoid gum disease.
For more information about gingivitis and other dental issues, treatment, and services call Dr. Peter Silberstein at Your Beautiful Smile in Boynton Beach, FL. Keep your smile healthy by calling today!
Relationship between asthma and oral health. Recent studies confirmed that people with asthma were almost one fifth (18.8%) more likely to suffer from periodontitis.
"We have known for some time that there are close links between oral health and systemic disease, such as heart disease and diabetes. This new study is hugely significant as it could help many millions of asthma sufferers from having to deal with further significant health problems", said Dr Nigel Carter OBE, CEO of the Oral Health Foundation. Check link for the detailed information www.dentalhealth.org/news/details/976
We as health care providers, are concerned that many patients are not aware of the risks that gum disease and systemic issues can do. Our immune system can not fight many battles at once, specially patients that that are aware they have low immunity, should always be a priority to have healthy gums.
We highly recomend that if you know you have Asthma, Heart Disease, Pancreas or Stomach Cancer, Respiratoty Infections, Diabetes and/or Bleeding Gums, to prevent health problems, withouth good Oral Health, there is no General Health.
Let us help you achieve General Health. Gum disease is serious. Call us today to help you maintain healthy teeth and gums.
Gum disease can permanently alter your smile if you don't obtain prompt treatment for your symptoms. Our Boynton Beach, FL, dentist, Dr. Peter Silberstein, discusses gum disease and shares a few common signs.
What is gum disease?
Gum disease, formally called periodontal disease, causes your gums to become inflamed or infected. The problem starts when tartar builds up on your teeth and irritates your sensitive gum tissue. Because tartar can only be removed with dental instruments, visiting our office every six months for dental cleanings is an excellent way to reduce your gum disease risk. You may be at higher risk of developing the disease if you have poor oral hygiene, smoke, grind or clench your teeth.
What are the signs of gum disease?
Symptoms may not seem too alarming if you have gingivitis, the earliest stage of gum disease. Gingivitis can cause bleeding when brushing or flossing, bad breath and swollen gums. Have you noticed that your teeth look a little longer than usual? You may have receding gums, a common sign of gingivitis.
Your symptoms may worsen if you don't visit our Boynton Beach office when you first notice the signs of gingivitis. As the disease progresses, the signs are impossible to overlook. Swelling will increase and your gums will constantly look red. Infections are likely, particularly if you've developed spaces around the teeth called pockets. Bacteria growing in the pockets can damage the bones and ligaments that support your teeth. Once damage occurs, you may be at risk of losing your teeth.
Pain usually accompanies the later stages of gum disease. It may increase when you eat and put pressure on your swollen, infected gum tissue. Pain can also be caused by your receding gums. As your gums recede, they expose your sensitive tooth roots. When roots are exposed, every time you take a bite or sip of a food or beverage that's sweet, cold or hot, pain may increase.
Prompt treatment is essential if you want to protect your teeth. During the early phase of the disease, a deep cleaning will remove plaque and tartar above and below the gum line. Surgery to reduce the pocket size may be needed if the disease is severe.
Good oral hygiene and regular dental visits are an excellent way to prevent gum disease. If you think you may have gum disease or need to schedule your next visit, call your Boynton Beach, FL, dentist, Dr. Silberstein, at (561) 459-1600 to schedule an appointment.
Having someone tell you that you have bad breath can be humiliating, but it can also be a sign that you need to see your dentist. Bad breath (or halitosis) can be a sign of an underlying dental or health problem, so before you run out and stock up on breath mints, make an appointment with our office. Using breath fresheners will only disguise the problem and not treat the root cause.
It's important to remember that if you have bad breath, you're not alone — it's the third most common reason people seek a dental consult. We use a systematic approach to determine the cause of your halitosis and offer a solution.
Causes: Ninety percent of mouth odors come from mouth itself — either from the food you eat or bacteria that may be present. Most unpleasant odors originate from proteins trapped in the mouth that are processed by oral bacteria. When left on the tongue, these bacteria can cause an unpleasant smell. Dry mouth, sinus problems, diet and poor oral hygiene can also cause bad breath. In rare cases, a medical condition may be the cause.
Treatment: The best solution will depend on determining the real cause of your halitosis. If bad breath emanates from the mouth, it most commonly is caused by gum disease or even tooth decay, which need to be treated to correct the problem. If halitosis is of systemic (general body) origin, a more detailed examination might be needed from a physician. But the solution may also be as simple as demonstrating how to effectively remove bacterial plaque from your teeth, or offer instruction on proper tongue cleaning. If the cause is gum disease, we may suggest a deep cleaning and possible antibiotic therapy.
Contact us today to schedule an appointment to discuss any questions you may have regarding bad breath. Read more about this topic in the Dear Doctor magazine article “Bad Breath: More Than Just Embarrassing.”