The biggest cause of gum disease is the buildup of plaque, but some of the other causes are things such as poor homecare, genetics, smoking, stress, clinching or grinding, hormones, medications, and diabetes. There are signs of gum disease; it can start as halitosis, or bad breath, with other signs such as irritated or bleeding gums, pain when chewing, and/or separation of gums from the teeth.  There are several stages of periodontal disease: it begins with gingivitis and is followed by early, moderate, and advanced stages of periodontal disease.  Periodontal disease cannot be cured and will never go away on its own, but it can be improved and maintained.

               Your dentist or hygienist may recommend a deeper cleaning such as scaling and root planning, or gum therapy.  This type of cleaning includes the removal of plaque, calculus and staining from the crown and root surfaces of teeth, and can only be performed by a trained dental professional.  Your hygienist might decide to use a laser to help in the gum therapy process.  For more information and a list of benefits of using a laser, check this out: http://www.westcountydental.com/Procedures_LaserDentistry_6001991.aspx

               After you have had gum therapy, your hygienist will want to see you in four to six weeks for a follow up to check on the improvement of you gum health.  Another thing that may be recommended is an oral antibiotic or the placement of an antibiotic below the gums to help heal the infection.  The hygienist might also ask you to come more frequently, whether it’s in three, four, five, or six month intervals.  This is also to monitor your gum infection and to help you stay on track with your homecare.

               The days of thinking that you only need to see your dentist every six months was created by a toothpaste company, not by dental professionals.  Periodontal disease is a serious thing among many Americans, so don’t ignore the signs; work on getting your gums healthy.  Please don’t think that your dentist is just trying to get more money out of you because they’re not; they want to help you, but only if you want to be helped.

               The biggest cause of gum disease is the buildup of plaque, but some of the other causes are things such as poor homecare, genetics, smoking, stress, clinching or grinding, hormones, medications, and diabetes. There are signs of gum disease; it can start as halitosis, or bad breath, with other signs such as irritated or bleeding gums, pain when chewing, and/or separation of gums from the teeth.  There are several stages of periodontal disease: it begins with gingivitis and is followed by early, moderate, and advanced stages of periodontal disease.  Periodontal disease cannot be cured and will never go away on its own, but it can be improved and maintained.

               Your dentist or hygienist may recommend a deeper cleaning such as scaling and root planning, or gum therapy.  This type of cleaning includes the removal of plaque, calculus and staining from the crown and root surfaces of teeth, and can only be performed by a trained dental professional.  Your hygienist might decide to use a laser to help in the gum therapy process.  For more information and a list of benefits of using a laser, check this out: http://www.westcountydental.com/Procedures_LaserDentistry_6001991.aspx

               After you have had gum therapy, your hygienist will want to see you in four to six weeks for a follow up to check on the improvement of you gum health.  Another thing that may be recommended is an oral antibiotic or the placement of an antibiotic below the gums to help heal the infection.  The hygienist might also ask you to come more frequently, whether it’s in three, four, five, or six month intervals.  This is also to monitor your gum infection and to help you stay on track with your homecare. 

               The days of thinking that you only need to see your dentist every six months was created by a toothpaste company, not by dental professionals.  Periodontal disease is a serious thing among many Americans, so don’t ignore the signs; work on getting your gums healthy.  Please don’t think that your dentist is just trying to get more money out of you because they’re not; they want to help you, but only if you want to be helped.

               The biggest cause of gum disease is the buildup of plaque, but some of the other causes are things such as poor homecare, genetics, smoking, stress, clinching or grinding, hormones, medications, and diabetes. There are signs of gum disease; it can start as halitosis, or bad breath, with other signs such as irritated or bleeding gums, pain when chewing, and/or separation of gums from the teeth.  There are several stages of periodontal disease: it begins with gingivitis and is followed by early, moderate, and advanced stages of periodontal disease.  Periodontal disease cannot be cured and will never go away on its own, but it can be improved and maintained.

               Your dentist or hygienist may recommend a deeper cleaning such as scaling and root planning, or gum therapy.  This type of cleaning includes the removal of plaque, calculus and staining from the crown and root surfaces of teeth, and can only be performed by a trained dental professional.  Your hygienist might decide to use a laser to help in the gum therapy process.  For more information and a list of benefits of using a laser, check this out: http://www.westcountydental.com/Procedures_LaserDentistry_6001991.aspx

               After you have had gum therapy, your hygienist will want to see you in four to six weeks for a follow up to check on the improvement of you gum health.  Another thing that may be recommended is an oral antibiotic or the placement of an antibiotic below the gums to help heal the infection.  The hygienist might also ask you to come more frequently, whether it’s in three, four, five, or six month intervals.  This is also to monitor your gum infection and to help you stay on track with your homecare. 

               The days of thinking that you only need to see your dentist every six months was created by a toothpaste company, not by dental professionals.  Periodontal disease is a serious thing among many Americans, so don’t ignore the signs; work on getting your gums healthy.  Please don’t think that your dentist is just trying to get more money out of you because they’re not; they want to help you, but only if you want to be helped.

               Now, when someone has a missing tooth, or even several missing teeth, implants become a great option, and they can be used for single crowns, bridges, or even full dentures.

               Some of the great benefits to having an implant(s) placed are that the procedure is relatively pain free, and there is very minimal, if any swelling afterwards.  Implants also help to preserve bone because they imitate a real tooth, serving as a root in the bone.

               Many times when a patient chooses to have an implant placed, their dentist refers them to an oral surgeon for placement of the implant and possible bone grafting, and then the patient has to go back to their general dentist and sometimes a lab to have the implant restored.  The great thing about having an implant placed here at West County Dental is that I am able to bone graft, place implants, and restore them to their finished product, all here in our office. 

               Hear what a couple of our patients had to say about their implant experiences:

Fran had a single implant placed: http://youtu.be/SW1YbEJckZw

Val had all of her teeth removed and replaced with implant dentures in one day:  http://youtu.be/xY3y-FkNvXU