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All Posts in Category: Billings Best Dentist

Periodontal Disease Billings MT

Periodontal Comprehensive Exam

It’s important to get an annual dental exam; important to get your teeth cleaned but also important to check on the status of the teeth and gums. But did you also know that it’s important to get a routine periodontal examination? The American Academy of Periodontology believes that all adults should receive a regular yearly periodontal exam.

What is a Comprehensive Periodontal Exam?

A Comprehensive Periodontal Exam (CPE) assesses your periodontal health by examining the teeth, plaque, gums, bite, bone structure, any risk factors—life factors as well as possible genetic factors—for evidence or potential indications of impending Periodontal disease. During a CPE, Dr. Manhart will assess your periodontal health in relation to these factors. Periodontal disease is prevalent in the United States, and unfortunately most people don’t realize that they have the disease. Consider the CPE to be an evaluation of the health of the entire mouth. No, you may not have periodontal disease—and hopefully you never get periodontal disease—but finding periodontal disease early is the key to a quick and successful treatment.

The Link of Periodontal Disease to Other Systemic Disease

There is evidence that some types of systemic disease are linked to periodontal diseases. No, this does not mean that if you have periodontal disease you will contract diabetes or heart disease, but it’s possible that the periodontal disease could be a trigger for other disease, especially since some types of systemic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, heart disease, and diabetes are known to be linked to inflammation within the body.

You can also do a number of things at home to help prevent periodontal disease (remember, however, that periodontal disease is linked to certain genetic factors, and it’s possible to contract the disease even with the best oral care regimen). Make sure that you’re brushing your teeth twice daily, for two minutes, and that you’re brushing all the brushable parts within your mouth such as the teeth, gums, and tongue (remember the tongue is home to lots and lots of bacteria!). Make sure to floss once daily, cleaning the teeth all the way to the gum line. And pay attention to the life factors that can contribute to periodontal disease, and remember to pay a regular visit to your periodontist, Dr. Manhart, at least once every year for a CPE.

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Alcohol And Dental Health

Did you know that alcohol consumption can be bad for your oral health? It’s true. Alcohol consumption, especially in high doses, can be very, very detrimental to long term oral health. Here’s a few of the reasons why.

Obviously, when we binge drink alcohol it is bad for our bodily health. It is bad for both the circulatory system and the cardiovascular system. It can lead to problems such as high blood pressure and stroke, and it can even cause certain brain problems; and, alcohol, in large doses—heavy, every day binge drinking—is even linked to certain systemic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. But, while those things are bad and you may not need another reason not to overuse alcohol, know that alcohol is a detriment to oral health. Alcohol, in any dose, contributes to tooth decay and gum disease. Also, alcohol can contribute to the prevalence of mouth sores, and it’s the second most cause of oral cancer—second only to tobacco use.

Teeth are especially impacted by heavy alcohol consumption. People who over-consume—for the purposes of statistics these people have an alcohol use disorder, and there are no definitive, conclusive links, at least so far, to moderate drinking and overall tooth health—tend to have high levels of plaque, and they also tend to lose their teeth. (People who abuse alcohol are also several times more likely to experience permanent tooth loss!)

Alcohol also dehydrates the body, and when alcohol is consumed for long periods—say, throughout an evening—than the teeth are going to undergo both an attack from bacteria, because of the sugars in the drinks—some drinks, especially mixed drinks, have a considerably higher sugar content than others—but also, because alcohol dries out the mouth, we might have less saliva to combat the sugar problem naturally.

In moderate doses, alcohol has been shown to be good for our health—for instance, moderate doses of alcohol are good for blood pressure but too much alcohol is a terrible for blood pressure—but there is a clear and dividing line between moderate alcohol use and overuse.

Have a terrific holiday season.

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Temporomandibular Joint Disorders (TMD, TMJ)

Bad Breath

Bad breath is common. Everyone, at some point or other, will suffer from it. Coffee, onions, and garlic are all likely culprits. But what happens when the problem of bad breath isn’t easily solved? What happens when you brush and floss, stick to a quality dental routine, and you still have bad breath? The term for this extended, and sometimes chronic, condition is halitosis. Here are a few of the causes of halitosis, and the possible treatments.

Halitosis may be a sign of a chronic and severe condition; think of it as being a possible canary in the coal mine type of problem. Halitosis may be a sign of gum disease—gingivitis or the more severe periodontal disease—or even a cavity.

Halitosis may also be caused by an infection in the sinuses. Sinus infections, especially those infections accompanied by a post nasal drip, can trigger the condition of halitosis. This is because the bacteria in your mouth feed on the mucous secreted from the sinus membranes. Usually, if a sinus infection is the cause of bad breath, the condition will lessen or go away altogether, when the sinus infection is treated.

The condition of dry mouth may cause halitosis. Saliva clears the food debris from your mouth, and, if the mouth is unable to clear away food debris, bacteria are allowed to thrive, feed on the sugars in your mouth. The waste product produced by these bacteria is, unfortunately, stinky-smelling. The condition of dry mouth itself, may be the cause of any one of numerous things, including medication. Dry mouth is a very common side-effect for many medications.

If you think you suffer from bad breath then first consider your daily oral care routine. Make sure you’re brushing at least twice daily—for two minutes at least! Remember to brush your tongue as well as your teeth and gums (it’s kind of gross, but bacteria can thrive on your tongue!). Make sure you’re flossing or using interdental cleaners to clean the area between the teeth and around the gum line. Remember to stick to your regular dental visits, and visit your periodontist, Dr. Manhart, for treatment of gum disease.

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Restorative Dentistry Billings MT

Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a breathing condition that affects our sleep. It happens when the muscles in the throat relax to the point that they block the airway. When the airway is blocked, there is a twenty-to-thirty second duration in which the person is no longer breathing. And when a person stops breathing, the brain sends panicked messages to the rest of the body to breathe. This panic comes as a jolt to the system, briefly awakening the person. These brief awakenings, most which are so brief that a person will not remember them the next morning, can happen up to thirty times an hour, even maybe more, and last all through the night.

What does Sleep Apnea have to do with Dental Health?

Sleep Apnea is a condition involving the muscles and tissues in the throat and mouth. It could be the product of enlarged tonsils (this is a common condition especially in children with tonsils, and, usually, the removal of tonsils is enough to treat it), a small jaw, or even a higher-than-normal palate. You may be able to treat the condition with an oral appliance that provides support to the structures in the mouth, preventing them from collapsing when your body relaxes during sleep. If a dental appliance doesn’t work, other treatments could include the recommended use of a CPAP machine; a machine that regulates your breathing while you sleep.

Symptoms of Sleep Apnea

There are many symptoms of the condition including: an inability to focus, to remain alert throughout the day, waking up in the night feeling short of breath, you may have a dry mouth or a sore throat in the morning (also the cause of excessive snoring), or you may even get headaches throughout the morning. While the symptoms of sleep apnea may not sound severe, the pervasiveness of these symptoms can lead to much worse conditions such as: hypertension, stroke, depression, ADHD, diabetes, and even heart attack.

If you believe that you’re suffering the condition of sleep apnea, it may be time to get help. Remember, this is a chronic condition that could lead to more intensive problems. But there is treatment.

Call today to schedule an appointment today with your Periodontal Specialist!

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Periodontal Disease Treatment Billings MT

Diabetes and Daily Oral Care

Diabetes can take its toll on dental health. The main reason is that diabetes is a systemic disease involving high blood sugar. The higher a person’s blood sugar, the higher risk for dental diseases and tooth decay.

Cavities and High Blood Sugar

Cavities happen when bacteria within our mouths produce acids that eat away at the enamel (enamel is the hard protective outer-coating on a tooth). These acids come from plaque, which is a sticky film produced when mouth bacteria interact with the starches and sugars from our foods and drinks. If you are diabetic and dealing with a high blood sugar level, there will be a greater supply of starches and sugars within our bodies—you will also have different requirements for diet.

The Early Stages of Gum Disease

When someone has diabetes, their bodies have a reduced ability to fight back against bacteria. When things like plaque are not removed by brushing and flossing (remember the importance of brushing twice daily and flossing once!) that plaque hardens at the gum line. This harder substance, called tartar, forms around the base of the teeth, causing the gums to swell and begin to form pockets—pockets where bacteria can creep in below the gum line and cause problems! Over time, swollen gums can begin to bleed. These initial stages, called gingivitis, are usually easy and non-invasive to treat.

Advanced Gum Disease and Diabetes

Gingivitis that is left untreated can progress to the much more severe, and much more invasive and difficult to treat, Periodontal Disease. Periodontal Disease is an infection that can destroy the soft tissues and bones within the mouth. Obviously, this is bad, because the bones and soft tissues support everything in the mouth. Overtime this breaking down causes the gums and teeth to pull away from the bone—inevitably the teeth will become loose and, possibly, fall out. Why is Periodontal Disease worse for those with diabetes? It’s because diabetes hinders a body’s ability to resist infection. Diabetes, and all systemic disease for that matter, can also hinder the body’s ability to heal. It’s so important to keep up a regular routine of oral care that includes a regular checkup with your periodontist, Dr. Manhart.

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Do Mouthwashes Work?

Do Mouthwashes Work?

Not all mouthwashes are created equal. And most mouthwashes are placed into two categories: cosmetic mouthwash and therapeutic mouthwash. Therapeutic mouthwashes are available both in the aisle at the grocery store and by prescription. Therapeutic mouthwashes help to combat bad breath, fight gingivitis, and even control plaque. But how?

The condition of having bad breath, called halitosis, is caused by several things including: food breakdown and oral disease (pervasive plaque and bacteria). Now, for a mouthwash to fight these problems, it needs to have antimicrobial ingredients. These ingredients have long names like, chlorhexidine (chlorhexidine is an active ingredient in mouthwashes given out by prescription), chlorine dioxide, and, the less chemically-sounding, essential oils (usually therapeutic mouthwashes with essential oils are found in the aisle at the grocery).

These antimicrobials have proven effective at combating halitosis. But, mouthwashes are only effective at removing plaque and bacteria from the mouth when they’re used in conjunction with brushing and flossing. It all comes back to a good quality everyday oral care routine.

Now, there are certain rules to using mouthwash. Don’t swallow it, and don’t give it to young children, even if they understand how to spit the mouthwash back out of their mouths properly. A child who swallows large amounts of mouthwash may suffer the consequences of diarrhea, vomiting, and (it’s possible in higher doses) intoxication—if your child has ingested enough mouthwash to be intoxicated, call poison control.

Now, there’s no best way to incorporate mouthwash into your daily oral care routine. If you brush first, you may want to swish out your mouth with water before you use mouthwash. Other than that, it’s personal preference. It’s most important that you are brushing at least twice every day, and flossing at least once.

If you are concerned about halitosis and what’s possibly causing it, make an appointment with Dr. Manhart. He can check for signs of oral disease—remember, it’s best to catch gum disease in its earliest stages, when it’s easily treatable—and develop an action plan to get it fixed.

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Periodontal Disease and Pregnancy

Periodontal Disease and Pregnancy

During pregnancy, there’s a whole host of changes that occur within a woman’s body. Hormone’s shift and the body’s immune system goes through little quirks. Did you also know that during pregnancy a woman’s periodontal health can change, even if they keep to the strict routine of brushing twice daily and flossing once.

Periodontal Disease and Pregnancy

It’s true! there are links between periodontal disease and pregnancy (For those of you not immediately familiar, periodontal disease is a chronic condition caused by bacteria—the most severe condition of gum disease—and, if left untreated, can cause tooth loss, damage to the tissue in the mouth, and it’s even been linked to systemic diseases such as heart disease). Many woman experience what is called pregnancy gingivitis somewhere between the second and eighth months. Remember that any progression of gum disease is bad and needs to be treated.

Gum disease is progressive, and to not treat the disease could mean a progression to full-blown periodontal disease. Studies show that periodontal disease can cause premature birth, or cause an infant to be born at a dangerously low birth weight. A baby born underweight is susceptible to other bodily conditions, such as respiratory problems, and growth issues—both social and physical.

Periodontal Disease and Pregnancy

This makes it imperative during pregnancy to keep to a strict routine of oral health—remember, brush twice and floss at least once, and it may also be beneficial to use certain mouthwashes during pregnancy to ensure a clean mouth. And this oral care routine includes dental checkups with your periodontist to ensure that your mouth is staying healthy. Oftentimes gum disease can begin without a patient knowing. If a person has already been diagnosed with having periodontal disease, and is currently pregnant, that patient will need to keep up regular appointments and treatments.

Make an appointment with Dr. Manhart today, if you are pregnant, and would like a comprehensive periodontal exam. Remember it’s much easier to treat gum disease in its early stages. And remember to keep up a quality oral care routine, whether you are pregnant or not.

 

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Calming Dental Fears

There are certain procedures that sound terrible, scary even, in the world of oral care.  Terms such as “surgery”, or “gum grafting” alone can conjure up horrific images. These types of  fear prevent too many people from visiting the periodontist on a regular basis. But consider these symptoms: you are eating some ice cream and the freezing cold of the ice cream hurts your teeth or its pain can occur when drinking coffee or tea, even brushing and flossing your teeth can cause pain in the tooth or near the gum line. When there is pain, there is a problem.  These symptoms could imply any number of oral maladies, periodontal disease being one of the most prevalent. However gum recession is often the cause of such discomfort, even for people who are dedicated to maintaining their oral health.

Problems Arise

Even with the best care, gum tissue problems can arise for one inescapable reason: we get older. As we age our gum tissue thins and breaks down.   Daily wear and tear causes the gum tissue recede back from the teeth.  The problem with receding gums is that the enamel layer does not extend beneath the gum line. The covering on the tooth below the gums is called cementum, and cementum is not as hard or as protective as enamel, and because it’s not as effective protecting the tooth, the tooth becomes sensitive to food and drink

Healthy Mouth

If you can see gum tissue recession or are experiencing sensitivity you may benefit from a procedure called gum grafting.  These procedures establish new gum tissue stopping the recession and adding to the tissue covering the root.  There are many options to treat gum recession that did not exist in years past.  Many small grafts are still done with your own tissue.  When indicated processed allografts can be used for more complex situations.  The fears due to the horror stories of the past are just that: a thing of the past.

Remember, everyone’s gums recede with age.  Grafting procédures protect your teeth, and keep your mouth healthy and comfortable. If you are experiencing symptoms or believe you have problems with gum recession, call your periodontist and schedule a consultation.  Contact Healthy Gums Montana for all of your periodontal needs!

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