Articles
Here at Forum Dentistry, we pride ourselves on educating our patients through regularly producing articles. Feel free to browse through our collection and remember that this section will be updated regularly.
AAP Patient Page : Heart Health
Does your oral health measure up to a happy heart?
Research is racing to help health care professionals further understand how periodontal diseases may be linked to cardiovascular disease. The pressure is on to get a pulse on how improved periodontal health may positively impact patients with cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in the United States. Is your heart thumping yet? Relax, take a deep breath, size up this information and become the ruler of your oral and overall health.
You’re probably aware that smoking, being overweight and having high cholesterol or high blood pressure levels can thwart a healthy body by putting you at increased risk for heart disease. But, you may not know that healthy gums play a vital role in maintaining a healthy body too. For a long time, we’ve known that periodontal disease, a bacterial infection, may contribute to infective endocarditis- a possibly fatal condition in which the interior lining of the heart and heart valves inflame due to bacterial build up. As such, patients with a history of rheumatic fever, mitral valve prolapse or heart murmur often require antibiotics prior to dental procedures as a protective measure.
Today, researchers suspect that periodontal diseases may be linked to far more than infective endocarditis, including the more common forms of heart disease that cause heart attack and stroke. Seem like a massive stretch? Well, normal tasks such as chewing or brushing can injure gum tissue and allow bacterial toxins to enter the bloodstream. Scientists now believe that these bacterial by-products directly or indirectly cause an inflammation of the blood vessel wall, which results in blockage of an artery. This may be how your periodontal disease could lead to a heart attack.
Don’t let this information flow on in ‘vein’ because you or someone you know may be more at risk that you think…. Patients with heart disease are clogging up hospitals, with more than 60 million Americas (one in four) having some form of the disease and nearly $300 billion spent annually on health care and lost productivity. These statistics coupled with the fact that one in three US adults aged 30 to 54 have some form of periodontal disease, and a startling 50% of adults aged 55 to 90, build up to a potentially big problem.
See a periodontist for a periodontal evaluation, and begin taking care of your oral health today. You’ll be one beat closer to a happy heart and a healthy body!
Medication that makes your heart happy could make your smile sad.
If you have been diagnosed with heart disease or high blood pressure, your physician may have prescribed a number of different medications, some of which may affect your periodontal health or put you at risk of periodontal disease. Some commonly prescribed medications can cause dry mouth, increased plaque or enlarged gum tissue. These conditions frequently promote bacterial infections under the gum line and bad breath. Please discuss any medications you are taking with your periodontist to find our what effects, if any, they are having on your periodontal health. Your periodontist will work with you and your physician to minimise negative effects. Most of the time, just good oral hygiene and more frequent dental care is all you need to keep you smiling!
American Academy of Periodontology
Dental Implants : Teeth That Look and Feel Like Your Own
A dental implant is an artificial tooth root that a periodontist places into your jaw to hold a replacement tooth or bridge. Dental implants are an ideal option for people in good general oral health who have lost a tooth or teeth due to periodontal disease, an injury, or some other reason.
While high-tech in nature, dental implants are actually more tooth-saving than traditional bridgework, since implants do not rely on neighbouring teeth for support.
Dental implants are so natural-looking and feeling, you may forget you ever lost a tooth. You know that your confidence about your teeth affects how you feel about yourself, both personally and professionally. Perhaps you hide your smile because of spaces from missing teeth. Maybe your dentures don’t feel secure. Perhaps you have difficulty chewing. If you are missing one or more teeth and would like to smile, speak and eat again with comfort and confidence, there is good news! Dental implants are teeth that can look and feel just like your own! Under proper conditions, such as placement by a periodontist and diligent patient maintenance, implants can last a lifetime. Long-term studies continue to show improving success rates for implants.
What Dental Implants Can Do?
- Replace one or more teeth without affecting bordering teeth.
- Support a bridge and eliminate the need for a removable partial denture.
- Provide support for a denture, making it more secure and comfortable.
Types of Implants in Use Today
- Endosteal (in the bone) : This is the most commonly used type of implant. The various types include screws, cylinders or blades surgically placed into the jawbone. Each implant holds one or more prosthetic teeth. This type of implant is generally used as an alternative for patients with bridges or removable dentures.
- Subperiosteal (on the bone) : These are placed on top of the jaw with the metal framework’s posts protruding through the gum to hold the prosthesis. These types of implants are used for patients who are unable to wear conventional dentures and who have minimal bone height.
Advantages of Dental Implants Over Dentures or a Bridge
Every way you look at it, dental implants are a better solution to the problem of missing teeth.
- Aesthetic : Dental implants look and feel like your own teeth! Since dental implants integrate into the structure of your bone, they prevent the bone loss and gum recession that often accompany bridgework and dentures. No one will ever know that you have a replacement tooth.
- Tooth-saving : Dental implants don’t sacrifice the quality of your adjacent teeth like a bridge does because neighboring teeth are not altered to support the implant. More of your own teeth are left untouched, a significant long-term benefit to your oral health!
- Confidence : Dental implants will allow you to once again speak and eat with comfort and confidence! They are secure and offer freedom from the irksome clicks and wobbles of dentures. They’ll allow you to say goodbye to worries about misplaced dentures and messy pastes and glues.
- Reliable : The success rate of dental implants is highly predictable. They are considered an excellent option for tooth replacement.
Are You a Candidate for Dental Implants?
The ideal candidate for a dental implant is in good general and oral health. Adequate bone in your jaw is needed to support the implant, and the best candidates have healthy gum tissues that are free of periodontal disease.
Dental implants are intimately connected with the gum tissues and underlying bone in the mouth. Since periodontists are the dental experts who specialize in precisely these areas, they are ideal members of your dental implant team. Not only do periodontists have experience working with other dental professionals, they also have the special knowledge, training and facilities that you need to have teeth that look and feel just like your own.
Your dentist and periodontist will work together to make your dreams come true.
What Is Treatment Like?
This procedure is a team effort between you, your dentist and your periodontist. Your periodontist and dentist will consult with you to determine where and how your implant should be placed. Depending on your specific condition and the type of implant chosen, your periodontist will create a treatment plan tailored to meet your needs. Click for more information about the treatment options described below.
- Replacing a Single Tooth : If you are missing a single tooth, one implant and a crown can replace it. A dental implant replaces both the lost natural tooth and its root.
- Replacing Several Teeth : If you are missing several teeth, implant-supported bridges can replace them. Dental implants will replace both your lost natural teeth and some of the roots.
- Replacing All of Your Teeth : If you are missing all of your teeth, an implant-supported full bridge or full denture can replace them. Dental implants will replace both your lost natural teeth and some of the roots.
- Sinus Augmentation : A key to implant success is the quantity and quality of the bone where the implant is to be placed. The upper back jaw has traditionally been one of the most difficult areas to successfully place dental implants due to insufficient bone quantity and quality and the close proximity to the sinus. Sinus augmentation can help correct this problem by raising the sinus floor and developing bone for the placement of dental implants.
- Ridge Modification : Deformities in the upper or lower jaw can leave you with inadequate bone in which to place dental implants. To correct the problem, the gum is lifted away from the ridge to expose the bony defect. The defect is then filled with bone or bone substitute to build up the ridge. Ridge modification has been shown to greatly improve appearance and increase your chances for successful implants that can last for years to come.
What Can I Expect After Treatment?
As you know, your own teeth require conscientious at-home oral care and regular dental visits. Dental implants are like your own teeth and will require the same care. In order to keep your implant clean and plaque-free, brushing and flossing still apply!
After treatment, your periodontist will work closely with you and your dentist to develop the best care plan for you. Periodic follow-up visits will be scheduled to monitor your implant, teeth and gums to make sure they are healthy.
Nourish Your Smile with a Well-Balanced Diet
CHICAGO – February 24, 2004 – At this time of year, people are either benefiting from their New Year’s resolution to eat correctly or in need of encouragement. Since Nutrition Month Awareness is in March, it’s a good time to restart the program. And, eating correctly not only reduces risks of diabetes and heart disease, it benefits oral health as well.
“A diet low in important nutrients can make it harder for the body’s immune system to fight off infection,” said Michael P. Rethman, DDS, MS, and president of the American Academy of Periodontology. “Periodontitis is a bacterial infection that destroys the tissues and bone that support the teeth, consequently a well-balanced diet may benefit oral health.”
A study that appeared in the Journal of Periodontology found that men and women who have calcium intakes of fewer than 500 milligrams, or about half the recommended dietary allowance, were almost twice as likely to have periodontal diseases as measured by the loss of attachment of the gums from the teeth. This association was particularly evident for young adults in their 20s and 30s.
“The relationship between calcium intake and periodontal diseases may be due to calcium’s role in building density in the alveolar bone that supports the teeth,” said Rethman. “Calcium is necessary for healthy bones, teeth, muscle contractions and other functions.”
Research has also shown that patients who consumed less than the recommended 60 mg per day (about one orange) were at nearly one-and-a-half times the risk of developing severe gingivitis as those who consumed three times the RDA (more than 180 mg). Gingivitis is the mildest form of periodontal diseases, and it causes the gums to become red, swell and bleed easily.
“The relationship between vitamin C and periodontal disease may be due to vitamin C’s role in maintaining and repairing healthy connective tissue along with its antioxidant properties,” said Rethman.
Dr. P. Rory O’Neill, D.M.D., and private practitioner in North Andover, Mass. encourages his patients with diabetes to keep their blood glucose levels under control because uncontrolled diabetes increases their risks of periodontal disease. “It is important for patients with diabetes to reduce cholesterol and serum triglyceride levels through diet and exercise. Research shows increased serum triglyceride levels in uncontrolled diabetics seems to be related to greater attachment loss and probing depths,” said O’Neill. “I also recommend patients limit their intake of fruit juice because juices are high in sugars, and the acid could lead to abrasion and possibly gum recession.”
Other nutritional recommendations to help keep you smiling include:
- Drinking lots of water. Keeping your mouth moist is important in warding off tooth decay and periodontal diseases because it washes away food and neutralizes plaque.
- Brushing and flossing after eating sticky foods such as raisins, fruit rolls or candy.
The American Academy of Periodontology is a 7,900-member association of dental professionals specializing in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease affecting the gums and supporting structures of the teeth and in the placement and maintenance of dental implants. Periodontics is one of nine dental specialties recognized by the American Dental Association.
