Gum Disease Billings MT – Page 2 – Periodontal Specialist of Montana

Apr 28 8

True Regeneration™ World’s First FDA Clearance for Tissue Regeneration

Posted by admin

PR Newswire, CERRITOS, CA, March 30, 2016
This world’s first FDA clearance for tissue regeneration is groundbreaking in that Millennium Dental has demonstrated that tissues lost to disease can be fully regenerated, including return to functional health. www.TrueRegeneration.com

The pathway of tissue regeneration researched and cleared was tissues lost and destroyed as a result of infectious, inflammatory periodontal disease. This suggests there may be other pathways to tissue regeneration in the body that could now be investigated.

Key Facts

First FDA clearance of functional tissue regeneration as a result of a protocol and device
True Regeneration^™ of periodontal tissue lost to gum disease – new alveolar bone, new cementum, new periodontal ligament
85% of U.S. adults have some level of gum disease (periodontal disease)
50% of U.S. adults have moderate to severe gum disease. Of this group, 40% don’t know they have the disease, and only 3% accept traditional treatment.
True Regeneration^™ only achievable with the LANAP^® protocol
LANAP protocol = LAR (laser assisted regeneration)

“Our preliminary understanding is that we are able to stimulate and activate stem cells, in particular fibroblasts, to form the necessary cellular components that turn into regenerated tissues. This is the first example of functional regeneration as a result of a protocol and device, where regeneration would otherwise not occur,” states Robert H. Gregg II, DDS, co-founder of MDT, Inventor of the LANAP^® protocol, co-developer of the PerioLase^® MVP-7^™. “If we can regenerate tissues destroyed by infection and inflammation in a cesspool of saliva and bacteria, the implications for what else could be regenerated elsewhere in the body are worth investigation.” The PerioLase^® MVP-7^™ received regulatory clearance using the LANAP^®/ LAR^™ protocol for:“Periodontal regeneration – true regeneration of the attachment apparatus (new cementum, new periodontal ligament, and new alveolar bone) on a previously diseased root surface when used specifically in the LANAP^® protocol.”
(FDA 510(k)-151763).

True Regeneration returns function to diseased areas naturally
Repair, for example, is not regeneration. Regeneration is return to normal architecture and functional health; repair is not. True Regeneration^™ can be obtained despite the presence of periodontal disease – one of the most stubborn, persistent, and widespread infectious diseases according to the Surgeon General and the CDC 2010 NHANES report in the Journal of Dental Research on the prevalence of periodontal disease. (J Dent Res 89(11):1208-1213, 2010).

The LANAP/LAR procedures with the PerioLase MVP-7 achieve these results with:

No biologics
No growth factors
No exogenous bone grafts
No foreign membranes
No scaffolding
No stitches

MDT has trained 2,000 credentialed LANAP regenerative specialists that include general practitioners and periodontists alike. LANAP regenerative specialists are found in every U.S. state and major metropolis, as well as Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam.

Quotes
Dawn M. Gregg, DDS, Director of Training for the Institute for Advanced Laser Dentistry, states, “This new FDA indication for use changes the meaning of ‘return to periodontal health.’ No longer is return to periodontal health defined by filling holes or cutting away tissue. The FDA clearance reflects what we understood from two human histological studies – the LANAP protocol produces both periodontal tissue regeneration and function to previously diseased tissues.”

Andrew Sullivan, DDS, Chair of Periodontics at Rutgers, says, “As Chair of the Periodontics Department of Rutgers School of Dental Medicine, I was delighted to learn Millennium has received acknowledgement from the FDA that LANAP can achieve the “Gold Standard” in periodontal therapy – true periodontal regeneration. Rutgers periodontal residents are trained in the most advanced techniques, including the LANAP protocol.”

ABOUT MILLENNIUM DENTAL TECHNOLOGIES INC.: Headquartered in Cerritos, Calif., Millennium Dental Technologies, Inc., is the developer of the LANAP^® protocol for the regeneration of periodontal tissues destroyed by gum disease, and the manufacturer of the PerioLase^® MVP-7^™, the world’s first pulsed Nd:YAG digital dental laser. By providing a patient and doctor friendly experience with virtually no pain, bleeding, or post-procedure infection, MDT’s FDA-cleared and patented LANAP^® / LAR^™ protocol removes the fear from gum disease treatment, offering a vastly less painful and less invasive, full-mouth regenerative treatment alternative to conventional scalpel/suture flap surgery. The PerioLase^® MVP-7^™ is a 6-watt, free-running, variable-pulsed Nd:YAG dental laser featuring digital technology and 7 pulse durations in the 1064 nanometer wavelength, giving it the power and versatility to perform a wide range of soft- and hard-tissue laser procedures. The PerioLase^® MVP-7^™ is also developed for the LAPIP^™ protocol, for the treatment of ailing and failing implants. Established in 1994, the company’s founding clinician, Robert H. Gregg II DDS, and wife Dawn M. Gregg DDS, continue to operate the company with the founding vision: “The Patient Comes First.” For more information, visit www.lanap.com.

CONTACT:
Rachel Moody
Millennium Dental Technologies, Inc.
(562) 860-2908
rmoody@lanap.com

Feb 16 22

The Wide-Ranging Role of the Microbiome: “We Are What We Eat”

Posted by admin

It is well known that the gut serves as the largest immune system in the body. Recent research, however, has extended our understanding to the

links between the immune system and the host microbiome, as well as the subsequent effect this may have on a broader range of disease activities. The focus of this paper is on how exactly existing diet and potential modifications to it may influence these effects.

The Real Risk of Artificial Sweeteners

While many understand the role of excess sugar increasing the risk for diabetes, it will come as a surprise to most that so do artificial sweeteners. Experiments with both mice and people indicate that artificial sweeteners can actually induce glucose intolerance (a pre-diabetic state) via alterations in the gut microbiome. The bacteria that are responsible are the same group that causes periodontal disease.

Asthma and Allergies

In the past several decades, there has been a dramatic increase in chronic inflammatory diseases, such as asthma and allergies. The association between asthma and the immune cell regulation by the microbiome is particularly striking.

The Western diet leads to an altered microbiome that increases symptoms of Asthma and the frequency of allergies. Again bacterial digestion of certain fibers produce compounds that turn down immune system stimulation and helps prevent problems with “leaky gut”.

The diseases mentioned here are very commonly treated with medications; in most cases powerful medications. Given this new information we need to also start considering diet as a potential adjunctive, if not primary, treatment for many of these diseases. Our drugs are minimally effective if we keep feeding the problem with inappropriate diets.

Excerpted from Medscape 10/15/15

Original article by David A Johnson, MD

Professor of Medicine, Chief Gastroenterology

Eastern Virginia Medical School, Nofolk VA

Feb 16 20

Maximum, Not Snapshot, BMI Is Best Predictor of Mortality

Posted by admin

Pam Harrison January 12, 2016

Capturing an individual’s weight at a single “snapshot” in time significantly and consistently underestimates mortality risk attributable to obesity because it fails to factor in high-risk, illness-related weight loss in the formerly obese, new research indicates.

The work shows that past obesity is a marker for higher death rates in the same way that former smoking can be, say the researchers.

“It’s not the case that intentional weight loss raises your risk for death,” investigator Andrew Stokes, PhD, Boston University School of Public Health, Massachusetts, told Medscape Medical News. “Rather, we found that weight losers as a group are at higher risk of dying because of illness-associated weight loss.”

“By using maximum body mass index [BMI], we were able to distinguish between low-risk individuals whose weight never exceeded the normal-weight category and higher-risk individuals who were formerly overweight or obese. This simple step shows that obesity is more dangerous than is commonly appreciated.”

The study was published online January 4 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Use Maximum Lifetime BMI for Highest Mortality Risk

Together with Samuel Preston, PhD, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Dr Stokes examined the association between excess weight and mortality using data from the 1988–2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) that were linked to death records through 2011.

A key independent variable in their analysis was lifetime maximum BMI, based on a question in NHANES that asks respondents to recall their maximum lifetime weight, excluding weight during pregnancy. The sample was restricted to adults between 50 and 74 years of age at the time of the survey.

In total, 39% of NHANEs participants who had previously been in a higher BMI weight category had migrated down into the normal-weight category over time.

As Drs Stokes and Preston point out, this is a large volume of individuals and this downward flow from higher BMI classes to the normal-weight category clearly has the capacity to change survival outcomes of the normal-weight class.

They then compared the effect on all-cause mortality risk of using participants’ BMI at the time of the survey only (model 1) with the effect that maximum lifetime BMI had on all-cause mortality risk (model 2)

“In both models, each higher BMI category above the normal-weight category carried with it succeedingly higher mortality,” they point out.

“However, the degree of excess mortality associated with a particular BMI category was higher when that category referred to maximum weight rather than survey weight.”

When maximum weight was used instead of the one-time snapshot of participants’ BMI, the risks associated with overweight increased from 10% to 19% while for those in obese class I, mortality risk increased from 47% to 65% and for those in obese class II, mortality risk increased from 72% to 149%.

Hazard Ratios for All-Cause Mortality According to BMI at Survey vs Maximum Lifetime BMI
BMI category	Model 1: Survey BMI (Estimated HR)	Model 2: Maximum lifetime BMI (Estimated HR)
Normal weight	1.00	1.00
Overweight	1.10	1.19
Obese class 1 (30-34.9 kg/m2)	1.47	1.65
Obese class II (≥35 kg/m2)	1.72	2.49
Further Findings: Consider Past Weight The authors also calculated hazard ratios for mortality using two other models that combined data on weight at the time of the survey and maximum weight. In these, they differentiated between individuals who were at their maximum weight at the time of survey and those who were below their maximum weight at the time of survey. Results showed that people who lost weight were at a greater risk of dying than those who remained in the higher weight class they had previously occupied. Drs Stokes and Preston also examined the prevalence of diabetes and cardiovascular disease among participants. For both conditions, people who had moved to a lower BMI class had a higher prevalence of both diseases than those who remained in a higher BMI class. “The high prevalence of both diabetes and CVD among people moving to lower BMI classes demonstrates that weight loss is often associated with illness,” the authors emphasize. “An analogy to smoking makes it clear why it’s important to consider past as well as present weight when studying the effects of obesity on mortality,” Dr. Stokes explained. “If you were to compare smokers and nonsmokers, you might arrive at the conclusion that smoking is beneficial and the reason is that the nonsmoking group may include a large number of former smokers whose mortality risk is elevated,” he added. To avoid this bias, Dr. Stokes points out that studies investigating the effects of smoking on death rates have long distinguished between nonsmokers who never smoked and former smokers (nonsmokers who smoked in the past and quit). “Surprisingly, this distinction is rarely made in studies on obesity,” he observed. “And as a result, the effects of obesity on mortality have been consistently underestimated.” Neither Dr Stokes nor Dr Preston had relevant financial relationships. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. Published online January 4, 2016. Abstract

Oct 16 92

Bacteria in Our Mouths That Causes Tooth Decay

Posted by admin

There are thousands of different types of bacteria that live within our mouths. Our tongues, gums, and teeth are loaded with them. Most bacteria within our bodies are very helpful, but some bacteria can cause our bodies problems. For instance, some types of bacteria that live in our mouths can cause tooth decay. Tooth decay happens when the bacteria in our mouths use the sugars in the foods that we eat, producing in an acid that can cause a cavity within a tooth. The bacteria can use sugars and also starches to produce acid. While it is widely regarded that foods such as candy and sugary drinks such as soda, juice and milk cause cavities, foods such as breads and pastas, which contain starches, also help the bacteria to produce acids.

A cavity develops through the constant exposure to acid. These prolonged exposures break down the enamel, removing its minerals; a small white spot on the tooth is evidence that this has occurred. Following an acid attack the enamel can harden again, by using minerals from saliva and fluoride. However if the acid attacks are too frequent or prolonged, decay can result.

Fluoride is very important to preventing tooth decay, because it can stop decay from progressing, but, also, fluoride can reverse or stop an early decay of the tooth. Fluoride is in our toothpastes and even in most community water supplies. Most bottled waters do not contain enough fluoride to prevent tooth decay, so if a person only drinks bottled water, fluoride should be supplemented in other ways.

Diet is very important to the prevention of tooth decay. Eat and drink sugary foods and drinks on special occasions. Try not to snack all day long; enamel needs some time to repair itself between meals. Do not eat or drink anything that contains sugar, after you have brushed your teeth for the night. Bacteria will have ample time to convert those sugars to acids while you sleep. Also, make sure to brush your teeth at least twice a day, and brush with fluoride toothpaste.

For more information on tooth decay and other dental related issues, please contact Healthy Gums Montana.

Oct 13 65

Procedure Focused versus Problem Focused Dentistry

Posted by admin

The first decision you must make is what dentist you are going to see. While individual practitioners have their specific approach to treatment, the fundamental issue for you is the choice between the Procedure Focused practices versus a Problem Focused office. Procedure focused offices tend to look at individual tooth problems, i.e drill and fill. You have pain from a particular tooth, the dentist treats that particular issue with minimal regard for other issues you may be unaware of. For many people the course of dental diseases is protracted over many years. This fact allows you to get away with a procedure focus for a while. However, this approach will often lead to more work needing to be redone in the future.

Problem focused practices (sometimes called Holistic practices) take into account the overall dental and medical conditions as well as potential future dental problems as part of making treatment decisions for the immediate concerns. This approach emphasizes the treatment and control of dental disease and the overall function of the dentition. Such an approach tends to address more than your immediate perceived problems but leads to more predictable restorations and avoidance of large-scale failures. Such practices emphasize a long term Doctor/Patient relationship compared to the episodic relationship of Procedure Focused practices based on emergent dental problems. This approach focus’ on the establishment and maintenance of dental health.

Is one approach better?
That depends on many factors. If your needs are minimal, procedure focused practices are very efficient in treating the few isolated concerns you may have. However in the early stages, most dental disease has minimal symptoms so patients are usually in a bad position to assess their needs. Waiting for symptoms such as pain and swelling means problems have progressed much further than they should have and treatment will be far more complicated.

Patients with several different dental problems tend to do better with Problem Focused practitioners. In this setting finding treatment solutions that achieve a harmony in addressing the multiple concerns is best. As we get older the complications from the accumulation of multiple past dental procedures tends to magnify. In adults the need to view cases in the entirety is essential to achieve the highest levels of success.

By their very nature, some dental specialties are more procedure oriented. Orthodontists, Oral Surgeons and Endodontists are specialty-trained dentists that are seen only when specific procedures are needed. Once the specific treatment is completed you return full time to your general dentist to continue care. Periodontists, Pedodontists, Prosthodontists tend to have longer-term relationships with their patients due to nature of the problems they deal with. You may still see your general dentist as part of your care as well.

Dec 08 78

The Diseases: Decay, Occlusion/TMJ and Periodontal disease

Posted by admin

First a definition:
Disease: disease is a particular abnormal condition, a disorder of a structure or function that affects part or all of an organism. It may be caused by factors originally from an external source, such as infectious disease, or it may be caused by internal dysfunctions, such as autoimmune diseases. Diseases usually affect people not only physically, but also emotionally, as contracting and living with a disease can alter one’s perspective on life, and one’s personality.

In our every day lives we do not often consider dental disease to be the same as Medical diseases. This is false. In fact dental diseases are the most common diseases that affect people.

Decay
Dental decay or caries (caries is Latin for “rottenness), also known as cavities, is a breakdown of teeth due to acids produced by bacteria that live on and around the teeth. In a sense, teeth are essentially a form of limestone. If you have ever put an acid like vinegar or lemon juice on limestone the solution will bubble and fize. This action is the result of the acids eating away the calcium/phosphate structure of the rock. The same happens to teeth.

Where do acids come from?
Regarding decay, the acids come from the bacteria in the mouth fermenting residual sugars left over in your mouth after you eat. This fermentation produces acids that are held close to the tooth surface. The more sugar you eat and the more frequently you eat or drink the more opportunity the bacteria have to produce acids.

They are what you eat…Not all bacteria are equal.
The bacterial in your mouth is past on to you by your parents as is most of the bacteria that live on and around you. If you routinely eat a diet that has a high amount of refined carbohydrates the bacterial will shift to include more of the most efficient fermenters, which equals more acids and higher risk for decay. If you limit simple sugars in your diet the bacteria will shift away from this group. This is one reason why two people with equally poor oral hygiene can have very different decay rates.

Dietary and stomach acids can play a role in amplifying the effects of bacterial action. Just as acids produced by bacteria, acids in foods and drink also dissolve and weaken tooth structure. Most often damage from these agents affects the smooth surfaces of teeth. Bacterial activity affects the grooves and other surfaces where bacteria can hide.

Teeth are bathed in saliva and have a coating of bacteria on them (biofilm) that continually forms, almost from the moment they are cleaned. The minerals in the hard tissues of the teeth (enamel, dentin and cementum) are constantly undergoing processes of demineralization and remineralisation. Dental caries results when the demineralization rate is faster than the remineralisation and there is net mineral loss. This happens when there is an ecologic shift within the dental biofilm, from a balanced population of micro-organisms to a population that produce acids and can survive in an acid environment.[5] This shift to a cariogenic microbiological population (one which causes caries) is driven by (eaten) sugars. So, bacteria break down the hard tissues of the teeth (enamel, dentin and cementum) by making acid from food debris or sugar on the tooth surface.[6] Simple sugars in food are these bacteria’s primary energy source and thus a diet high in simple sugar is a risk factor.[6] Risk factors include conditions that result in less saliva such as: diabetes mellitus, Sjogren’s syndrome and some medications.[6] Medications that decrease saliva production include antihistamines and antidepressants among others.[6] Caries are also associated with poverty, poor cleaning of the mouth, and receding gums resulting in exposure of the roots of the teeth.[2][7]

Prevention includes: regular cleaning of the teeth, a diet low in sugar and small amounts of fluoride.[4][6] Brushing the teeth two times per day and flossing between the teeth once a day is recommended by many.[2][6] Fluoride may be from water, salt or toothpaste among other sources.[4] Treating a mother’s dental caries may decrease the risk in her children by decreasing the numbers of certain bacteria.[6] Screening can result in earlier detection.[2] Depending on the extent of destruction, various treatments can be used to restore the tooth to proper function or the tooth may be removed.[2] There is no known method to grow back large amounts of tooth.[8] The availability of treatment is often poor in the developing world.[4] Paracetamol (acetaminophen) or ibuprofen may be taken for pain.[2]

Worldwide, approximately 2.43 billion people (36% of the population) have dental caries in their permanent teeth.[9] The World Health Organizations estimates that nearly all adults have dental caries at some point in time.[4] In baby teeth it affects about 620 million people or 9% of the population.[9] They have become more common in both children and adults in recent years.[10] The disease is most common in the developed world and less common in the developing world due to greater simple sugar consumption.[2]

Oct 04 57

Gum Disease

Posted by admin

Gum Disease is a common ailment afflicting good oral Health. The most common form of gum disease is gingivitis. The harmful effects of gingivitis are rarely felt by the person who has them, although if gingivitis remains untreated, it can lead to the much more severe periodontitis. Gingivitis can be caused by a multitude of factors such as diabetes, smoking, stress, inadequate nutrition, and even puberty. While poor oral health is a primary cause of gingivitis, it is not always the only factor. When a person is suffering from gingivitis, his gums will become red and swollen, and may even bleed from contact with foods, or a scrubbing from a toothbrush. After gingivitis is located, a professional cleaning of the teeth and gums followed by the use of an oral rinse in the home will most likely treat gingivitis.

Periodontitis is caused when plaque grows below the gum line, and the toxins from the plaque enflame the gum tissue and, eventually if left untreated, the enflamed gum tissue will separate from the teeth. Periodontitis can occur in adults and children, and it can be brought on by untreated gingivitis, or if a person is chronically unhealthy, genetically predisposed to the disease, or suffering from a systemic disease such as heart disease, diabetes, and respiratory disease. Periodontitis has an array of treatments based upon severity that begin with non- surgical treatments and end at plastic surgery. Periodontists are trained to treat the effects of periodontal disease, and have undergone three additional years of specialized training to learn to treat it.

To help prevent Periodontal Disease, a person should perform the daily habits of good, quality oral health such as brushing ones teeth and flossing. Also, remember that a good diet helps your body to stay healthy, and areas like your mouth benefit from a good diet as much as anywhere else. Also, if you are a smoker or if you use chewing tobacco, it will give you another reason to add to the long list of reasons why you should quit. Remember, while some people may not be able to prevent Periodontal disease, many people can help to prevent the disease by simply living healthy.

All Posts in Category: Gum Disease Billings MT