Gum Disease Treatment

It’s natural to want to lump people together in some Big Category. Natural, but wrong. Like, “Baby Boomer.” President Clinton and home run slugger Mark McGwire are both “Boomers.” But are these two guys exactly alike? It’s the same in health and dental care. Your oral chemistry is as unique as your thumbprint. Yet magazine […]

Periodontal disease is a bacterial infection. Without proper dental care the bacteria that are present in plaque can infect the gums (gingivitis) and destroy the bone and tissues that support the teeth in what is called periodontitis– the leading cause of tooth loss and bad breath (halitosis) in adults.  In addition, gum disease has been […]

It is well known that periodontal (gum) diseases are a series of bacterial infections that destroy the gum tissue and bone that support the teeth. Left untreated, periodontal disease can lead to tooth loss. What is commonly not thought of is how this oral infection can also affect the rest of the body. An infection […]

Which affliction is more widespread? Terminal lovesickness The heartbreak of psoriasis The common cold Periodontal disease Not even winter colds (or Cupid’s arrows) strike as many of us as gingivitis – gum disease. As many as 75% of adults will be victimized sometime in their lifetimes. If this infection could grow on your arm, you’d […]

Periodontal disease is a leading cause of adult tooth loss in the U.S. today. It can progress destructively, often unnoticed, just like undiagnosed hypertension or diabetes. What if a magic wand or automatic treatment upgrade made a new gum disease treatment available, allowing your periodontist to provide more successful care? A treatment that would eliminate […]

Dentistry has surely shifted its focus from cavity control, thanks to fluoride and early dental care. Now we are learning more about periodontal disease, and for good reason. These days, tooth loss is the likely result of gum disease. Q. I used to come in twice a year for cleanings. Now the hygienist says I […]

In many cases it’s the dentist – and not the physician – who has the first opportunity to detect diabetes early, because diabetics are especially prone to dental health problems. Swollen, tender, receding and bleeding gums, loose teeth, and a sore tongue may not just be signs of poor dental hygiene. They may be danger […]

It afflicts as many as nine in ten adults at some point in their lives, as well as teenagers and children as young as five or six years of age. Yet, many suffer from it without even suspecting anything is wrong. “It” is periodontal disease, or gingivitis – in the minds of most dentists, Public […]

It’s important for your dentist to know if you have diabetes, and how you’re controlling it. Good control of your diabetes affects your oral health as well as your overall health. Diabetics tend to be less resistant to infection than non-diabetics, have more fragile bones, and take longer to heal after an operation. An oral […]

As the bacteria that cause periodontal disease (see article “Periodontics 101”) release toxic substances, they trigger the breakdown of gum and bone. The gum then separates from the teeth, forming gaps that are called periodontal pockets. Bacteria settle in these pockets and because they cannot be removed by the patient’s daily oral hygiene, they continue […]