A connection between your joint replacement and upcoming dental work might not seem relevant, but it’s actually extremely important. In a process known as antibiotic prophylaxis, joint replacement patients need to undergo premedication with antibiotics before undergoing teeth cleaning, tooth extractions, root canals, and other dental procedures. If you have any type of joint replacement, you should be aware of the following information before your next dental appointment.

What is Antibiotic Prophylaxis?

Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial infections. They kill dangerous and unhealthy bacteria to protect the body and make it less vulnerable to additional infection. Though antibiotics are most frequently recommended as a treatment after a specific condition has been diagnosed, it is common for dentists to require joint replacement patients to take antibiotics as a preventative measure before their dental appointment. This is called antibiotic prophylaxis. [Read more…]

Periodontal disease is a serious health condition that shouldn’t be ignored. Thanks to advanced modern technology, gum disease can be stopped in its tracks – without gum surgery! – if you seek treatment quickly. Laser Assisted New Attachment Procedure (LANAP) is an innovative laser treatment designed for patients battling periodontal disease. Here is everything you should know about the procedure that can save your smile.

What Should You Know About Gum Disease?

Periodontal disease is an infection of the structures that support and surround your teeth. Warning signs of periodontal disease include gums that bleed easily, gums that have pulled away from the teeth, loose teeth, change in bite, and persistent bad breath. If this condition isn’t treated, it leads to the rapid loss of tissue and bone throughout the mouth, which causes widespread tooth loss and places you at higher risk of other diseases. [Read more…]

Some habits are widely known to threaten the heart, like smoking, but neglecting your oral health isn’t immediately connected to heart health. The truth is that research indicates a close link between a person’s oral health and heart health. The bacteria that accumulates in your mouth to create gum disease can also pose a threat to your heart. This means that preventing gum disease does more than just keep your smile pearly white!

Connecting the Mouth and Heart

The gums inside of the mouth are full of blood vessels, and the mouth itself is filled with bacteria. When unhealthy gums become inflamed, the bacteria in the mouth can seep into the bloodstream and travel anywhere within the body. This creates dangerous inflammation that threatens the heart.

Inflammation causes hardened arteries, which makes it difficult for blood to flow to the heart. Atherosclerosis dramatically increases a person’s risk for heart attack and stroke. When the inflammation of atherosclerosis combines with the inflammation and roaming bacteria caused by gum disease, the results could prove fatal. Doctors can actually link certain types of bacteria with periodontal disease, including Streptococcus sanguis. It is far more common for people with gum disease to have Streptococcus sanguis bacteria in their hearts. This highlights the connection between the heart and the mouth. [Read more…]

It’s scary to consider, but every part of the body is prone to disease in some way. The mouth is no exception, but there is a piece of good news to remember: if you can recognize the signs and symptoms of gum disease in its early stages, you can take strategic measures to restore health to your mouth and prevent your gum disease from progressing.

Early Gum Disease: Gingivitis

Gum disease, formally known as periodontal disease, begins in the form of gingivitis. Poor oral hygiene is the leading cause of gingivitis since skimping on brushing and flossing allows plaque to build up on the gums and in-between the teeth. That plaque eventually hardens under the gumline and turns into tartar, which attracts bacteria and cause irritation along the gumline. As a result, gingivitis is defined by red, swollen gums that bleed easily. [Read more…]

 

Gum disease has the ability to turn your life upside down. Just like any disease, it can spread from its original site in your mouth and quickly threaten other parts of your body. Rather than allowing gum disease to limit your lifespan or diminish your quality of life, take advantage of a revolutionary new periodontal disease treatment called LANAP.

The Laser Assisted New Attachment Procedure (LANAP) is an innovative laser alternative to gum surgery for patients battling periodontal disease. If you value the preservation of your health and want to prevent infection from spreading even deeper into your gum tissue and bone, LANAP has the power to keep you smiling wide.

What Should You Know About Periodontal Disease? [Read more…]

Periodontal disease is a serious health condition that shouldn’t be ignored, especially now that a safe, comfortable, and effective alternative to surgery exists! Laser Assisted New Attachment Procedure (LANAP) is an innovative laser alternative to gum surgery for patients battling periodontal disease. If you value the preservation of your oral health and want to prevent infection from spreading even deeper into your gum tissue and bone, LANAP can save your smile.

A Quick Introduction to Periodontal Disease

It’s no secret that periodontal disease is bad news, but are you familiar with its exact causes, symptoms, and consequences? Periodontal disease is an infection of the structures that support and surround your teeth. Warning signs of periodontal disease include gums that bleed easily, gums that have pulled away from the teeth, loose teeth, change in bite, and persistent bad breath. If this condition isn’t treated, it leads to the rapid loss of tissue and bone throughout the mouth, which causes widespread tooth loss. [Read more…]

The majority of Americans hold a common and dangerous misconception regarding oral health; they believe that the health of the mouth does not have a correlation to overall physical and emotional wellness. The truth is that your oral health has a direct and dramatic impact on the health of your body and mind. This doesn’t just mean your teeth, either; it also includes your gums. If your gums are threatened by gum disease, then your body becomes threatened as well.

How Do We Define Gum Disease?

Your gums are meant to protect and support your teeth the same way that your skin is meant to protect and support your muscles and bones. When poor oral habits allow bacteria, food particles, and other debris to invade the small spaces between your teeth and worth their way into your gums, they fester and trigger inflammation and infection in the gums. Over time, if those issues aren’t treated, they are likely to progress into gum disease. The first stage of gum disease, called gingivitis, can be reversed with strategic oral care and regular dental checkups, but the more advanced stage of gum disease called periodontitis is more difficult to resolve. Periodontitis occurs when the gums pull away from the teeth, bone and ligaments in the mouth begin to break down, and teeth fall out. [Read more…]

The teeth aren’t the only important part of the mouth; the gums are equally as important yet often overlooked. Without the right oral care, it’s possible that your gums will succumb to periodontal disease. The consequences of periodontal disease can be devastating to your mouth. Gum tissue pulls away from the bone, bone tissue breaks down, teeth fall out, and so much more. Fortunately, there is now a simple, painless, and effective gum disease treatment that replaces surgery and restores the mouth back to health: Laser Assisted New Attachment Procedure (LANAP). [Read more…]