Most people don’t realize the importance of oral health. However, any holistic dentist in Palm Beach Gardens will tell you that oral health offers clues about your overall health. For this reason, issues in your mouth can impact the rest of your body. If you want to protect yourself, it’s best to take a closer look at the connection between oral and general health.
The Connection Between the Mouth and Body
Did you know that your mouth teems with bacteria? Although oral bacteria are primarily harmless, disease-causing bacteria can enter your mouth and invade your digestive and respiratory tracts. Your body’s natural defenses can help keep bacteria under control. However, without regular brushing and flossing, bacteria can reach certain levels that might lead to tooth decay, gum disease, and other oral infections.In addition, medications can also increase bacterial levels if they cause side effects that reduce salivary flow. Saliva helps protect you from harmful bacteria that lead to illnesses and diseases by washing away food particles and neutralizing acids that these bacteria produce in your mouth. Furthermore, research suggests that oral bacteria and the inflammation associated with gum disease might contribute to some medical conditions. For instance, HIV/AIDS and diabetes can make oral health issues more severe because these diseases can reduce the body’s ability to resist infection.
Conditions Linked to Oral Health
Cardiovascular Disease
Studies show that clogged arteries, heart disease, and stroke might be connected to the inflammation and infections of periodontal disease.
Endocarditis
Endocarditis is an infection of the heart chamber’s valves or inner lining. This condition usually occurs when harmful bacteria from one part of the body, such as the mouth, enter the bloodstream and attach themselves to specific areas in the heart.
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an acute respiratory condition that can occur when oral bacteria get pulled into the lungs. Someone who has pneumonia has pus and fluid in their lungs’ alveoli. Since the alveoli are tiny sacs that fill with air when a person breathes, pneumonia makes breathing painful, limiting oxygen intake.
Looking for a Holistic Dentist in Palm Beach Gardens?
At Prestige Periodontics, we’re committed to helping you keep your mouth and body healthy. We don’t just treat teeth – we treat patients. Contact us today to make an appointment.
Did you know that 46% of all American adults deal with symptoms of gum disease? If you have swollen gums that bleed whenever you brush your teeth, you’ll want to ask your periodontist about gum disease treatment in Palm Beach Gardens. They’ll help you fix your oral health issue so you can preserve your smile for years to come.
Treatment Options for Gum Disease
Non-Surgical Treatments
Scaling
Scaling eliminates bacteria and tartar from teeth and areas beneath the gums. The periodontist may use special tools and instruments such as a laser or an ultrasonic device to do the job.
Root Planing
Root planing prevents bacteria and tartar buildup by smoothing out the root surfaces and eliminating bacterial byproducts that delay healing or the reattachment of the gum tissue to the tooth surfaces.
Antibiotics
The periodontist typically controls bacterial infection by prescribing topical or oral antibiotics. Moreover, topical antibiotics may include gels containing antibiotics inserted into the space between the teeth and gums after a deep cleaning or antibiotic mouth rinses. Alternatively, oral antibiotics may be more effective at eliminating infection-causing bacteria.
Surgical Treatments
Flap Surgery
Flap or pocket reduction surgery involves making small incisions in the gum to lift back that section and expose the roots to ensure effective scaling and root planing. The periodontist may recontour the underlying bone before suturing the gum tissue back in place if the patient with advanced periodontitis has suffered bone loss.
Soft Tissue Grafts
Periodontists perform soft tissue grafts on patients experiencing gum recession after losing gum tissue. This procedure reinforces some of the damaged soft tissue by attaching a small amount of tissue from the roof of the patient’s mouth or another donor source to the affected site. Besides reinforcing the damaged gum tissue, soft tissue grafts cover exposed roots, reduce gum recession, and restore the appearance of the patient’s smile.
Bone Grafting
Bone grafting prevents tooth loss when periodontitis damages the bone surrounding the tooth root. The graft may be made of synthetic materials, fragments of the patient’s bone, or another donor’s bone. Moreover, it serves as a platform for new bone growth.
Learn More About Gum Disease Treatment in Palm Beach Gardens!
If your teeth are a little too short for your taste, a natural dentist in Palm Beach Gardens may recommend that you undergo a crown lengthening procedure. Although this treatment involves a surgical procedure, it won’t have to catch you off guard because holistic dentistry uses dental lasers to ensure your comfort.
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions About Crown Lengthening
What Is Crown Lengthening?
Crown lengthening is a surgical procedure specifically designed to make teeth look longer by removing excess gum tissue and reshaping the gum line. In some cases, the dentist adjusts the tooth’s bone level to extend the height and size of the tooth’s visible portion.
This adjustment ensures that the gums have at least 2 millimeters of surface area to bond with the new restoration. Besides helping with bonding, surface area adjustments prevent the trapping of food particles and potential complications such as dental crowns falling off the teeth.
When Is Crown Lengthening Needed?
People with small and short teeth will benefit from a crown lengthening procedure. Moreover, other conditions that require this treatment include teeth with cracks extending beneath the gum line and teeth with severe tooth decay below the gum line.
When the healthy portion of a broken or severely decayed tooth doesn’t have enough surface area to work with, the success rate of tooth restorations such as dental crowns is significantly reduced. Since crown lengthening exposes more of the tooth’s surface, it prevents restorative dental appliances from weakening or falling off. The procedure also helps ensure excellent oral health because longer crowns are easier to brush and floss.
Do You Need to See a Natural Dentist in Palm Beach Gardens?
At Prestige Periodontics, we use state-of-the-art technology, including laser treatment, to restore your smile’s function and appearance. For exceptional service and quality care, contact our office today to schedule your next appointment.
Did you know your tongue reveals a lot of things about your health? Since a holistic dentistry practice in Palm Beach Gardens believes in linking oral care and total body care, they pay as much attention to the other parts of your body as much as your teeth.
What Your Tongue Says About Your Health
Yellow Tongue
A buildup of bacteria due to tobacco use, regular consumption of coffee or alcohol, dry mouth, and poor oral hygiene can result in a tongue with a yellow appearance.
White Coating
A tongue that hasn’t been brushed will have a white coating. However, if the white layer is still there even after brushing it off, you may be dealing with oral thrush. Oral thrush or oral candidiasis is a condition that occurs when a fungal infection develops in your oral cavity.
White Spots
If you notice white spots on your tongue, you could be suffering from leukoplakia, which is a chronic irritation of your mouth’s mucous membranes. Moreover, leukoplakia is a benign condition that indicates excessive cell growth in your mouth and can potentially become cancerous.
Dark Red to Purplish Tongue
A dark red to purplish tongue usually results from vitamin deficiencies, such as B-12 or folic acid. In such cases, your dentist may suggest adding a vitamin supplement to your regular diet.
Red Tongue with Red Bumps
If you or a child who’s five or under has a high fever and an overly red tongue with red bumps, these could be symptoms of Kawasaki disease. Such a case requires immediate medical attention.
Blue Tongue
A blue tongue indicates poor oxygen circulation due to an underlying lung condition.
Black and Hairy Tongue
Poor oral hygiene, smoking, certain antibiotics, and diabetes can lead to a black and hairy-looking tongue.
Thin Tongue
A thin tongue can be a result of dehydration.
Looking for an Expert in Holistic Dentistry in Palm Beach Gardens?
At Prestige Periodontics, we offer exceptional service and quality care. Contact us today to make an appointment.
Symptoms of a severe gum infection may prompt you to research gum disease treatment in Palm Beach Gardens. Although plaque buildup is often the most common culprit behind this oral health issue, several others may also increase the risk of gum disease.
Top Causes of Gum Disease
Plaque Buildup
In most cases, gum disease develops due to the buildup of a thick film of bacteria called plaque on the gums and teeth. Since regular brushing, flossing, and rinsing can effectively remove plaque, improving your oral care routine can help you reduce your chances of developing gum disease.
Smoking Tobacco Products
Smokers are more vulnerable to gum infections because smoking interferes with the normal function of the cells in the gum tissue. If you’re a smoker, it’s best to kick the habit so that you can steer clear of gum disease and other health issues.
Prescription Medications
A dry mouth encourages the bacteria in your mouth to spread more readily. Unfortunately, certain medications produce side effects that reduce saliva production and flow. If your meds leave you with a dry mouth, be sure to let your doctor know about this.
Nutritional Deficiencies
Although getting all of your daily vitamins takes hard work and dedication, you’ll have to ensure that you’re getting enough vitamin C. Otherwise, this nutritional deficiency can wreak havoc on your gums. To avoid gum disease, be sure to drink lots of water and maintain a balanced diet that’s rich in vitamin C.
Crooked Teeth
Misaligned teeth can have more spaces where plaque can quickly build up and cause damage to your teeth and gums. If you have crooked teeth and a crowded mouth, be sure to take extra care to brush and floss to prevent gum disease.
Do You Need Gum Disease Treatment in Palm Beach Gardens?
At Prestige Periodontics, we utilize every means possible to help you achieve oral health while maintaining total body compatibility. Contact us today to schedule your consultation.
If your smile is threatened by gum disease, you should see a natural periodontist in Palm Beach Gardens who uses state-of-the-art dental technology that can restore your oral health. The best form of gum disease treatment is called laser gum dentistry. Unlike traditional, invasive procedures, it gets rid of the infection without the use of scalpels and sutures.
Reasons Why Laser Gum Dentistry Is the Best Way to Treat Gum Disease
Effective at Treating Gum Disease
Without immediate treatment, gingivitis can quickly progress to gum disease that can potentially cause tooth loss. Regular dental cleaning won’t be enough to fix advanced gum disease and save natural teeth. However, laser treatment can eliminate the harmful bacteria that are stuck in the deep gum pockets and save the natural teeth.
Extremely Accurate and Precise
Since the laser knows the difference between healthy and harmful gum tissue, this method is extremely accurate and precise. Your healthy gum tissue, teeth, and bones won’t suffer any damage during the procedure. Moreover, it will fix the damaged tissue and stimulate the growth of new and healthy tissue.
Minimally Invasive
Compared to the older methods of gum surgery, laser surgery is far less invasive. Besides eliminating the need for medical instruments that slice into your gum tissue, this modern surgery alternative doesn’t leave painful wounds that need stitches and healing time.
Since it treats the infection without an incision, it reduces your risk of sensitivity, infection, and bleeding following your procedure. Additionally, it lowers your risk of complications. Most patients are less afraid to have their oral health issues fixed because this type of treatment is very gentle.
Minimal Downtime
Traditional gum surgeries require weeks of recovery. In contrast, the recovery period for laser gum surgery is only 24 hours. You won’t have to shift to a liquid diet and you won’t feel any pain or swelling.
Looking for a Natural Periodontist in Palm Beach Gardens?
At Prestige Periodontal and Implant Center, we treat the patient as a whole. We want to make sure that we meet your needs. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.
Do you struggle with dental anxiety? Does the thought of sitting in the dentist’s chair turn you into a nervous wreck? If you answered a resounding “Yes!” to these questions, then you might want to learn more about sedation dentistry in Palm Beach Gardens.
What is Sedation Dentistry?
Sedation dentistry makes use of various types of medication that can help anxious patients stay cool, calm, relaxed, and comfortable while they’re getting some dental work done. Moreover, there are different types of dental sedation.
The Major Types of Dental Sedation
Nitrous Oxide or Laughing Gas
This type of sedation option is administered through your nose by placing a mask on your face. Despite its nickname, inhaling nitrous oxide won’t compel you to burst into fits of uncontrollable laughter. It just causes you to relax.
While other sedation options require you to ask a family member or a friend to drive you home after your appointment, nitrous oxide won’t. Since its effects tend to wear off as soon as the mask is removed, you can safely drive yourself home or get back to work.
Oral Sedation
Also known as “conscious sedation,” oral sedation involves you taking your dentist’s prescribed dose of sedative prior to your dental procedure. You may be instructed to take the pill the night before or an hour before your appointment. Although you’ll be awake while your dentist works on your teeth, you’ll be extremely relaxed the whole time.
IV Sedation
With IV sedation, the medicine will be administered through an IV. Compared to oral sedation, it’s a faster-acting sedative that can effectively keep you calm but awake. Furthermore, your vital signs and the amount of sedative you’re receiving will be closely monitored throughout your dental procedure.
This type of dental sedation comes in a few variations, including the twilight IV sedation and general anesthesia. Twilight IV sedation can make you feel sleepy, and you won’t be able to recall anything that happened once the procedure is over. Should you fall asleep, your dentist can wake you up with a nudge.
On the other hand, general anesthesia is rarely used in sleep dentistry except for patients who require complex or multiple surgical procedures or resistant to other forms of sedation.
Considering Sedation Dentistry in Palm Beach Gardens?
With Prestige Periodontics, you can expect to receive exceptional service and quality care. Contact us now to schedule your consultation.
Gum disease is prevalent not just among seniors aged 65 and above, but also among adults aged 20 years and older. People who have this condition experience gum bleeding, swollen or painful gums, and loose teeth. Unfortunately, despite being a common condition, only a few people seek gum disease treatment in Palm Beach Gardens. They don’t realize how extensive the damage gum disease can cause if left untreated. Gum disease has four different stages. If you want to know which stage your gum disease is at, read on.
What are the Different Stages of Gum Disease?
Gingivitis
Gingivitis is the mildest form of gum disease. During this stage, the infection hasn’t reached the bones yet. So, it can still be reversed through good oral hygiene and regular dental cleanings. Gingivitis is caused by plaque buildup around the teeth. Signs that indicate you have gingivitis are bad breath, gum bleeding, and swelling of gums.
Minor Periodontal Disease
Minor periodontal disease is the second stage of gum disease. It is irreversible, but it is still manageable through gum disease treatment in Palm Beach Gardens. Once your gum disease has reached this stage, it means that the infection is starting to impact the bones supporting your teeth.
Signs that indicate you have minor periodontal disease are increased swelling or redness of gums, persistent bad breath, gum bleeding, and probing pocket depths that are four to five millimeters deep.
Moderate Periodontal Disease
Moderate periodontal disease is the third stage of gum disease. At this stage, the probing pocket depths are around six to seven millimeters deep. This depth allows the infection to attack not only your bones but also your bloodstream and immune system. This stage is irreversible, but it can be treated through scaling and root planing.
Advanced Periodontal Disease
Advanced periodontal disease is when the infection deepens even further. You may experience swollen gums that ooze pus, teeth sensitivity, loose teeth, painful chewing, and severe bad breath during this stage.
To treat advanced periodontal disease, you need to undergo surgery or periodontal laser therapy. If left untreated, you may suffer from tooth loss, gum recession, shifting of teeth, and other serious health problems.
Looking for Gum Disease Treatment Palm Beach Gardens?
If you’re experiencing gum disease signs, don’t hesitate to seek gum disease treatment in Palm Beach Gardens! At Prestige Periodontics, we take a holistic approach to creating beautiful smiles. Contact us today!
Are you looking for a beautiful and affordable teeth-replacement option? Your answer may just lay in dentures! Unfortunately, they get a bad rap for being uncomfortable and looking fake. However, advancements in dentistry paved the way for more comfortable and natural-looking dentures in Palm Beach Gardens. This article will debunk common myths and misconceptions about dentures that may have caused you to turn away in the past.
What are the Common Misconceptions about Dentures?
You Can’t Eat Properly with Dentures.
Dentures may feel uncomfortable at first. However, as your gums heal and your facial muscles adjust to holding them in place, you’ll forget they are even there!
Dentists recommend that after you get dentures, it’s best to start with soft foods and gradually re-introduce other foods back into your diet. It will allow you the time you need to get used to eating with dentures. Over time, you’ll be eating comfortably like nothing has changed!
You Can’t Talk Properly with Dentures.
This is simply not true. Dentures allow you to pronounce words better than when you were missing most of your teeth. However, you need to make sure your dentures fit well, so they don’t slip off while you’re talking. If they do, visit your dentist and have them adjusted.
Dental Implants are Better than Dentures
Dental implants are a great way to replace a missing tooth or many missing teeth. Unfortunately, not everyone is an excellent candidate to receive implants. Nor does everyone have the budget for it. A lot of people prefer dentures because the process of getting one is much less invasive and affordable.
Denture Repairs Take A While
Overall, take care of your dentures and they will last for many years to come. However, you may need to have them adjusted from time to time. Never try to adjust your denture on your own! Doing this can damage your dentures, which may require you to get new ones.
Moreover, denture repairs don’t take forever. With today’s same-day repairs and replacement, you can have your dentures repaired almost immediately!
Looking for Dentures in Palm Beach Gardens?
Don’t let misconceptions stop you from getting dentures! They’re affordable and fantastic for replacing missing teeth. At Prestige Periodontics, we offer good-quality dentures to give you back your healthy and happy smile.
Losing a tooth or a couple of teeth can make simple tasks such as talking and eating properly challenging. Fortunately, you can replace them immediately with natural dental implants Palm Beach Gardens.
Dental implants are considered to be the best solution when it comes to tooth loss. It offers benefits no other tooth replacement options can provide. natural dental implants, here’s what you need to know about natural dental implants.
What Are Some Things I Need to Know About Dental Implants?
Natural Dental Implants Palm Beach Gardens Fuse with Your Natural Bone
Dental implants are natural prosthesis made from biocompatible materials. This allows them to fuse with your natural bone and become a part of your natural bone structure in the long run. This means that natural dental implants are a permanent solution to tooth loss.
Not Everyone Can Get Natural Dental Implants
Not everyone is a good candidate for natural dental implants, especially if you have an autoimmune disease, a systemic condition, or lack sufficient jawbone density. To be a good candidate, you need to be healthy and have ample bone mass to support the implants. If not, you can undergo bone grafting.
Dental Implants Have Numerous Advantages
Dental implants offer a permanent solution to tooth loss, which means that as long as you take care of them you don’t have to replace them. They’re well-made prosthetics that can last a lifetime. This allows you to save thousands of dollars on replacements in the long run compared to other tooth replacement options.
Dental implants also blend in with the rest of your teeth, feel comfortable inside your mouth, and function just like your natural teeth. Dental implants also do not need any special maintenance. You only need to practice good oral hygiene and see a dentist regularly.
Are You in Need of Natural Dental Implants Palm Beach Gardens?
Bring back your beautiful smile today with natural dental implants! At Prestige Periodontics, we are dedicated to providing holistic dental care to successfully treat the root cause of your dental problems. Contact us to learn more!
