by Roseman Dental | May 10, 2014 | Dental Clinic Blog, Oral Health, Roseman Dental - NV, Roseman Dental - UT
What are Receding Gums?
Often dubbed “long-in-the-tooth” for the appearance it gives, receding gums expose the roots of the teeth as gum tissue wears away or pulls back from the crown. Gingival recession can cause discomfort and pain when the person eats foods or drinks that are too hot or cold, sweet or sour, or even spicy. Gums may also be sore without a visible cause, and teeth can decay more easily because the roots do not have the same protective enamel as the crown. That opens the door for bacteria that can destroy the gums, teeth, and even the bones in your jaw, which could eventually lead to tooth loss.
What Causes Receding Gums?
There are many different causes of gingival recession. The main cause is actually gum disease, or periodontal disease. Bacterial gum infections cause gums to swell, bleed, and recede. They destroy the gum tissue and the supporting bone. Studies have shown that an astonishing 30 percent of the population may be prone to gum disease simply because of their genetic makeup. Still others have genes that give them a thinner gum line or more prominent roots than average, making gum recession much more likely.
Inadequately caring for your teeth by failing to brush and floss regularly causes tarter buildup on and in between teeth that will cause gum recession. Tobacco users have hard to-remove, sticky plaque that causes the same problem. Clenching or grinding the teeth (an unknown sleeping habit for many people) is an attributed cause, due to the fact that it places too much pressure on your teeth. A misaligned bite or crooked teeth may also place unnecessary strain on your teeth.
Another common cause that professionals have encountered is overly vigorous or improper brushing of the teeth. By brushing your teeth too often or with excessive force, you are most likely doing more damage than good. Aggressive brushing, especially with hard-bristled brushes, will traumatize and damage your gum tissue and even break down the teeth’s enamel.
How are Receding Gums Treated?
There are a few different ways that you can fix gum recession or avoid causing further harm. One of the ways that dentists and periodontists have found to repair severe gum loss is by doing a gum graft from another healthy part of the gums or from the roof of the mouth and placing it where the gums are the most worn away, thereby reducing the sensitivity and the further recession of the gums.
More important than correction is prevention. To prevent receding gums, you must develop good habits. Use a soft bristle toothbrush and brush three times a day, but not for more than the recommended two minutes. You should replace your toothbrush every three months or when the bristles are bent or damaged because a worn out toothbrush won’t clean your teeth the way they need to be and can damage your gums.
Be sure to floss regularly and use a mouthwash to help you keep your teeth and gums in better health. Staying away from cigarettes and eating a healthy diet will also strengthen your gums and help prevent gum disease.
If you recognize any of the symptoms detailed above or are worried that you are at risk for gingival recession, talk to your dentist. S/he can give you further advice and suggestions for treatment so that you can maintain your beautiful (and pain-free) smile.
by Roseman Dental | Mar 28, 2014 | Clinic Events - UT, Dental Clinic Blog, Dental School, Oral Health, Roseman Dental - UT
Doctor of Dental Medicine students at Roseman University organized an event to provide free dental care to 46 children from the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Salt Lake. It was part of Give Kids a Smile, a national event started by the American Dental Association that provides free dental care to hundreds of thousands of children at more than 1,500 events nationwide throughout the year.
Healthy lifestyles are a key component of the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Salt Lake, and Give Kids a Smile provides an opportunity for children to get free dental care. This is especially critical for children who do not have dental insurance, and may not be able to get this care otherwise.
“Untreated childhood dental decay affects about 16 million children in the U.S. every year, and is particularly prevalent in families that do not have insurance. Dental decay can contribute to a variety of issues including pain, missed school days, improper speech development, and difficulty sleeping and concentrating,” said Dr. Aaron Ferguson, Assistant Professor at Roseman University College of Dental Medicine and faculty advisor for the student group that organized Give Kids a Smile. “Fortunately it is also one of the most treatable conditions, and Roseman University dental students are excited to offer some basic dental care as well as education about caring for teeth that these children can use at home to improve their oral hygiene.”
Club members get at least 30 minutes of physical activity and healthy snacks at the local Boys & Girls Club, according to LeAnn Saldivar, CEO of Boys & Girls Club of Greater Salt Lake, but sometimes they don’t have access to quality health and dental care. To bridge that gap, Boys & Girls Club partners with organizations like Roseman University to get the care that children need to be healthy, regardless of whether or not they have insurance.
“It was so neat to see the smiles on the kids faces as they left our clinic,” said Cory Halterman, third-year dental student and one of the event organizers. “We all felt great after helping them.”
by Roseman Dental | Mar 15, 2014 | Dental Clinic Blog, Oral Health, Roseman Dental - NV, Roseman Dental - UT
Sugar, while a tasty treat, is one of the most harmful substances that most people consume on a daily basis. In addition to being harmful to your metabolism, insulin, blood-sugar and energy levels, sugar can have a negative effect on your teeth as well.
The Breakdown
All carbohydrates will break down into simple sugars at some point after you eat them. Some will not break down until they are in your stomach or lower intestinal tract, but others begin to break down right away, as soon as they come into contact with amylase in your saliva. Carbohydrates that break down into simple sugars in your mouth can then leave those simple sugars on your teeth. If you don’t brush and floss them away, they become prime food for bacteria. As the bacteria feast on this sugary meal, they produce acid, which in turn eats away at your tooth enamel, and once enamel is lost it cannot be regenerated. Therefore it’s very important to protect the enamel you still have by brushing and flossing regularly.
Diet Change
You can also protect your teeth by avoiding the foods that break into simple sugars fastest. These include any food that contains a lot of processed sugar, including candy, pastries, baked goods, and sugary sodas or juices. Avoiding these foods will not only protect your tooth enamel, but will have the added benefit of lowering your risk for heart disease, obesity and certain cancers. Other less obvious foods to avoid include anything white and refined, including white bread, crackers, rice, pasta, and so on. These foods can be nutritious if you eat the whole grain versions, but the white, highly processed versions contain few nutrients, and break down quickly into simple sugars that can damage your teeth. To check for sugar content, look for anything with the name “sugar”, or anything that ends in “-ose” such as sucrose, fructose, dextrose, etc.
Timing
Another factor in the sugar/tooth decay relationship is time. Simply put, the longer you wait to brush your teeth after you eat, the more tooth decay will occur. After you eat, and even while you are still eating, bacteria begin feasting on the sugars in your mouth and producing harmful acid. The goal for a healthy mouth is to remove that acid as soon as possible. Lucky for you, your saliva has some anti-bacterial properties. But this alone is not enough to keep your mouth clean and free of acid. Brush as soon as you can after eating. And if you can’t brush right away, pop in some gum, preferably the sugar-free kind that is sweetened with Xylitol, as this artificial sweetener has been shown to help prevent tooth decay. Also keep in mind that the more often you eat, the more opportunities sugar has to build up in your mouth, feeding hungry bacteria. If you snack often, be sure to brush often, too.
Brushing and flossing soon after eating is the best way to prevent tooth decay. Keep a travel toothbrush handy in your purse, car or desk, and brush your teeth often for optimal oral health. Then be sure to visit your dentist every six months for a professional cleaning to remove any lingering plaque.
by Roseman Dental | Nov 7, 2013 | Dental Clinic Blog, Oral Health, Roseman Dental - NV, Roseman Dental - UT
Your oral health and overall health are more connected than you might realize, and many doctors are teaming up with dental health professionals to make sure that you are taking good care of your mouth in order to take good care of your body. Here are some of the ways your oral health and overall health are linked.
Inflammation
Scientists are constantly studying the link between inflammation and diseases such as cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s and diabetes. Gum disease, which causes mild to severe inflammation of gum tissue, can contribute to overall infection levels of the body. Unfortunately chronic inflammation related to gum disease causes often goes unnoticed, and when left unchecked, it can wear down your immune system and prevent other systems of the body from fully functioning and remaining healthy.
Heart Disease
Severe gum disease, known as periodontal disease, has been linked to the development of heart disease, and studies have proven that gum disease is a risk factor for stroke as well. Those with periodontitis are almost twice as likely to have heart disease, and while the exact way that inflammation of the gums contributes to heart disease is still being debated, they are definitely connected. One theory states that the chemicals your body releases to fight the inflammation of the gums can contribute to plaque build-up in the arteries.
Diabetes
Unfortunately for those with diabetes, gum disease can exacerbate the condition. Researchers agree that having diabetes increases your body’s susceptibility to all infections, including gum disease; at the same time, having gum disease increases the level of inflammation your body is dealing with, and this worsens diabetes and makes blood-sugar levels more difficult to manage. Luckily, though, the inverse is also true. For those with both diabetes and gum disease, treating one will improve the condition of the other. Once the inflammation of gum disease is under control, diabetes becomes more manageable, and keeping blood-sugar levels carefully controlled will lessen your chances for gum disease.
Other Complications
Gum disease has been shown to increase a pregnant woman’s risk of going into pre-term labor and of delivering a baby with low birth weight. Gum disease has also been linked with recurrence of pneumonia and lung disease. Some believe having gum disease can also contribute to osteoporosis and arthritis.
You can best prevent gum disease by brushing and flossing regularly, having a dental check-up twice a year, and avoiding smoking. Also consider discussing other health concerns with your dentist, especially if you have symptoms of gum disease.
