Dr. Christine Tracy G Castro is a dentist and has answered some of the common questions Bizymoms visitors have about Periodontal Disease.
Q. What Causes Tooth Loss?
A. The two most vital causes of tooth loss worldwide are periodontal disease and dental caries.
Periodontal disease- refers to inflammation or swelling of the gum tissues and could contribute to tooth loss. This disease is essentially caused by poor oral hygiene. However according to researchers this disease is directly related to age, sex, inadequate professional dental care, diabetes mellitus, rheumatoid arthritis etc.
Professional dental maintenance as well as a balanced lifestyle as in putting a check on smoking is advisable.
Dental caries- is a disease which causes harm to the structure of the teeth and eventually over a period of time could lead to tooth loss. It is most commonly known as dental cavities or tooth decay. It is caused due to the bacteria formation by the synthesis of sugars and plaque resulting in the creation of acid which slowly destroys the teeth and is often characterized by pain and bad breadth.
Q. What Causes Periodontal Diseases?
A. Periodontal disease can go on for years without pain and without detection unless specific examination procedures are performed.
Visual oral examination by itself (even by a dentist) will not reliably detect periodontal disease until it has reached an advanced stage.
Early detection and adequate diagnosis require measurement of pockets (the crevice between the tooth and gum) with a periodontal probe. At Smile Dental of Temecula effective prevention and treatment is available, but the damage caused as the disease progresses is irreversible.
Early detection by Dr. Castro and treatment is critical to prevent tooth loss and disfigurement. Although the procedure is simple, painless and requires only a few minutes, millions of American adults have never had it done.
Signs of periodontal disease - bleeding gums, redness of gum tissue, swelling of gums around the teeth, breath odor, receding gums, mobility of teeth.
Q. Can Periodontal Diseases Be Prevented?
A. Diets low in certain nutrients reduce resistance to oral and dental infections, that is, periodontal disease (gum disease) and decay. Dr. Castro feels a healthy immune system is essential to controlling periodontal disease.
Teeth can be protected from acid attacks by removing plaque, reducing the number of times and the amount of sugar and starches eaten, using fluorides, having plastic sealants applied to teeth, and by regular professional cleaning of teeth by a dental professional.
Counseling in the Four Basic Food groups will improve dental health and general health. The consumption of sugar, especially in sticky forms or in a baby bottle while sleeping, contributes to the rapid development of dental decay.
The trace nutrient fluoride, may not be adequately supplied by bottle or municipal water supplies throughout the Temecula area. Supplementation with oral tablets and topical application will reduce the incidence of dental decay by more than 60%.
Together, a balanced diet, daily use of fluoride, effective brushing, and sensible eating habits can reduce the risk of, or even prevent, infectious dental disease
Q. How Does Plaque Attack the Gums?
A. One of the easiest problems to spot is a build-up of plaque. Plaque is the soft, sticky layer of bacteria, which is constantly forming on the teeth.
Usually it is invisible to the naked eye, but when a person is not brushing adequately, it can build up to where it appears to be a thick whitish coating on the teeth at the gum line. If not removed, it can lead to gum disease.
Another potential problem, which is easy to spot, is missing teeth. Many patients Dr. Castro sees assume that if they are still able to eat, they are O.K.
But very often, losing just one tooth can lead to the loss of support, and teeth begin to drift into the empty space, causing a change in the bite. It also forces the remaining teeth to carry an additional load, sometimes past their ability to adapt. In most cases, when even one tooth is lost, the remaining teeth suffer and are more likely to be lost as well.
Q. How Do You Stop Plaque Attacks?
A. Prevention
Given below are some guidelines to prevent formation of caries and hence tooth loss.
• Brushing and flossing- It is important to brush your teeth twice every day. Electric toothbrushes are recommended. It is also necessary to floss them once a day as well as to rinse your mouth with a proper mouthwash.
• Regularly checking up with a dental care professional is needed
• Fluoride therapy- addition of fluoride to tooth paste or mouth wash is advisable, as it prevents caries and eventually tooth loss.
• Dental sealants- are generally made of plastic and assist in acting as a physical barrier to prevent caries, are placed on the surfaces of the back teeth and prevent caries at the very initial stage.
• Treatment - is aimed at preventing tooth loss and preventing further damage. Example is the replacement of the damaged bone and pulp with dental fillings.
Q. What type of toothpaste should I use?
A. As long as your toothpaste contains fluoride, the brand you buy really does not matter, whether or not it is in paste, gel, or even powder form, or containing a certain flavor. All fluoride dentifrices work effectively to fight plaque and cavities and clean and polish tooth enamel.
Your dentifrice brand should also bear the ADA (American Dental Association) seal of approval on the container, which means that adequate evidence of safety and efficacy have been demonstrated in controlled, clinical trials.
If your teeth are hypersensitive to hot or cold, consider trying a dentifrice designed for sensitive teeth
Dentifrices containing baking soda and/or hydrogen peroxide (which are both good cleansing agents) give the teeth and mouth a clean, fresh, pleasant feeling that can offer an incentive to brush more, but fluoride is the true active ingredient at work protecting your teeth.
Some prefer a tartar control toothpaste containing pyrophosphates to prevent the buildup of soft calculus deposits on their teeth. New pastes offer advanced whitening formulas aimed at safely removing stains to make teeth brighter and shinier, although they can’t nearly match the effectiveness of a professional bleaching formula administered or prescribed by a dentist.
We don’t recommend tartar control toothpastes because they only prevent tartar above the gum line which does nothing to prevent tartar under the gum line which you cannot see and can cause much bigger problems to your dental health. Tartar control tooth also contains the ingredient sodium pyrophosphate which can make normal teeth hypersensitive and sensitive teeth extremely sensitive to hot and cold liquids.
Q. How many times a day should I brush my teeth?
A. It is ideal to brush brush your teeth at least twice to three times a day and floss at least once a day. Do a proper technique in brushing, it should be brushed in a gentle circular motion being sure to cover all surfaces of the teeth posterior (lingual, occlusal, buccal), anterior (facial and lingual.) be sure to use a soft bristled toothbrush.
Q. How to contact Dr. Castro if we have further questions?
A. Smiles of Temecula Dental Care
27365 Jefferson Ave, St. L-M,
Temecula Ca. 92590
(951) 719-1199 email: dentist4mysmile@yahoo.com
website: www.cosmeticdentisttemecula.com
