GUM HEALTH

The Primary Cause of Lost Teeth

Gum disease, not decay, is the reason most people suffer from tooth loss. Unfortunately, the infection can go entirely unnoticed until you begin losing your teeth. Symptoms to be aware of include bleeding gums when you brush or floss and loose or shifting teeth. If you’ve been notified that you may require gum surgery, you will be excited to learn that it’s now possible to control gum disease with an assortment of non-surgical methods.

Gum Disease Can Contribute to Heart Disease and Even Stroke

The connections found by current medical research are startling: gum disease is linked to stroke, heart disease, and more. Since heart disease is frequently fatal, it is important to take gum disease very seriously. The American Dental Association approximates that 8 out of 10 Americans have periodontal (gum) disease. If this were any other disease, such as AIDS or tuberculosis, it would be treated as an epidemic! And while most dentists consider it to be just that, they also expect that gum disease will never be identified as an epidemic because “no one ever dies from it.” Normally, the worst concern expressed is that you lose your teeth. Not desirable – but definitely not life threatening. But that mindset has changed.

The American Academy of Periodontology reports that “studies found periodontal infection may contribute to the development of heart disease, increase the risk of premature, underweight births, and pose a serious threat to people whose health is already compromised due to diabetes and respiratory diseases.” Periodontal disease is an uncontrolled bacterial infection of the gums. These bacteria can move through your soft tissues, into your bloodstream, and directly to your heart.

Now the Good News

Most dental insurance plans cover the treatments necessary to halt the spread of gum disease. With advanced periodontal disease, the treatment is surgical, a process that is nearly always successful in correcting the condition. With less severe infections of periodontal disease, there are very effective NON-surgical methods that, united with improved dental hygiene, can essentially destroy the disease.

What’s So Bad About Losing a Tooth?

The removal of even one tooth begins the loss of bone that can allow your other teeth to shift and move around. This can affect chewing and your ability to draw nutrients from your food. Not to mention that your face might change shape, appearing “sunken.” Who wants to look older than they really are? Your speech may alter – words may begin to sound slurred. Because it’s more difficult to chew with missing teeth, you may find yourself preferring softer foods and less nutritious carbohydrates, which can lead to gaining weight. Dr. Rykard believes the best way to take care of a missing tooth (or missing teeth) is with dental implants. An implant is suitable for replacing one tooth or many. They can be made to look so natural that even a dentist will have to look hard to see the difference.

Defeat Gum Disease Painlessly

Dr. Rykard is pleased to offer his patients a potent weapon in the war against gum disease. It’s called ARESTIN™. This time-released antibiotic is contained within invisible microspheres that are suspended inside a powder. These microspheres deliver healing directly to the location of the infection (the spaces between the gums and teeth). ARESTIN kills the bacteria that cause gum disease. The best part is that it’s all painless!

Have You Been Told You Need Gum Surgery?

With new FDA-approved laser procedures, maybe you can avoid the scalpel! Dr. Rykard uses laser technology for the treatment of gum disease, with outcomes that might have been hailed as miraculous not so long ago. The procedure requires a minimal amount of invasiveness and is extremely patient friendly. The results have been tremendously positive. In fact, Dr. Rykard has successfully treated numerous cases of periodontal (gum) disease without resorting to traditional gum surgery. With the use of an advanced dental laser, your treatment is essentially painless. This innovative process can even regenerate bone lost through years of gum disease.

We can help arrest your gum disease and bring your smile back to health. Give us a call today at (405) 445-7981.