For the month of September, we welcome National Gum Care Month, a timely reminder of the importance of maintaining healthy gums during every stage of life. Our gum health, like the four seasons, evolves with age, requiring varying degrees of care and attention. From childhood to adulthood and into the senior years, our gums go through transformations, each with their unique challenges and solutions. Let’s explore the ever-changing landscape of gum care, emphasizing the importance of adapting our oral health routines as we grow older.

Childhood: Laying the Foundation

In childhood, our gums are in their early developmental stages. This is a crucial time as parents to guide our children’s dental care. Regular dental checkups, maintaining a balanced diet, and following proper brushing and flossing techniques are also vital to help your child’s smile thrive. Taking the time to teach your child good oral hygiene habits from a young age helps set them on the path to a lifetime of healthy gums.

Adulthood: Balancing Act

As we enter adulthood, our lives become busier, and the challenges to gum health evolve. Stress, dietary choices and lifestyle factors can take a significant toll on our gum health. It’s vital to maintain regular dental checkups and practice consistent oral hygiene routines. Brushing twice a day, flossing, and using mouthwash can all help combat the effects of a busy lifestyle on our gum health.

Seniors: Unique Considerations

In our senior years, our gums face unique challenges. Aging can lead to a higher risk of gum disease, tooth loss, and other oral health problems. It doesn’t help that reduced saliva production, medication side effects, and medical conditions can all impact our gum health. Seniors should prioritize regular dental visits, pay attention to denture care (if applicable), and stay vigilant about unusual oral health changes. Soft-bristled toothbrushes and gentle dental floss can help protect those delicate gums.

The Importance of Adaptation

Throughout our lives, our gum care routines will need to be adapted to take into account our ongoing needs. Here are some general tips you will want to consider implementing in your day-to-day oral hygiene regimen.

• Regular Dental Checkups: No matter what your age, routine dental visits are essential. Our dentist can detect early signs of developing gum disease and offer effective guidance on maintaining your best gum health.
• Proper Nutrition: A balanced diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables, and calcium is vital for good gum health. Staying away from excessive sugar and acidic foods can help prevent gum issues from gaining a foothold.
• Hydration: Staying hydrated is essential for maintaining healthy gums. Water helps wash away stray food particles and bacteria that can contribute to gum disease formation.
• Oral Hygiene Products: Choose oral hygiene products tailored to your age and specific needs. Specialized toothpaste and mouthwash can be beneficial for seniors, while children often benefit from protective fluoride treatments.
• Avoid Tobacco: Smoking and chewing tobacco are known to impair gum health. Putting a stop to these habits can seriously improve your gum health.

Conclusion

National Gum Care Month reminds us that gum health is not a one-size-fits-all aspiration. It evolves with age, requiring different forms of care and attention at each stage of your life. Whether you’re a parent guiding your child’s dental care, a busy adult juggling responsibilities, or a senior facing unique oral health considerations, adapting your gum care routine is crucial. By staying proactive and embracing age-appropriate practices, you can ensure a lifetime of healthier, more appealing gums. As you can see, it’s never too early or too late to invest in your gum health!

The post Gum Care and Age: How to Navigate Oral Health Through the Years first appeared on Horizon Laser Dental Care.

The post September Is National Gum Care Month and a Great Time To Evaluate Your Gum Health! first appeared on Horizon Laser Dental Care.

September is National Gum Care Month, and it is a big deal for your oral health. Good oral health is the foundation to a healthy-looking, self-confident appearance when it comes to your smile. By ensuring healthy teeth and gums – because when it comes to tooth loss, it is not just from tooth decay and cavities – periodontal disease is the most common cause of tooth loss in adults! It is why your daily oral hygiene care (combined with regular dental checkups) is crucial to getting the healthy, beautiful smile you want and deserve.

Progressive Disease

As National Gum Care Month gets into full swing this month, we want to encourage you to get your biannual checkup and cleaning. If you have not already, book an appointment today. We can spot and stop gum disease in its tracks.

Gingivitis

Gum disease starts as gingivitis as bacterial infection sets into your gums. It happens if you don’t brush and floss that harmful oral bacteria away, so it builds up into plaque, a sticky bacterial film you can feel when running your tongue across your teeth. If left unchecked, gingivitis continues to thrive until it forms deep gum pockets where it deteriorates gum tissue from inflammation, bleeding, and pain. When gingivitis is found, treatment can be done, and your gums can heal. You might have gum disease if you see the following:

• Red, bleeding gums
• Gum pain
• Sour taste in your mouth
• Mouth sores that won’t heal

Periodontitis

If your gum is aggressive, your gum tissue recession steadily worsens. It can also happen in young people because of vitamin deficiency (rather than just bacterial infection). Any advancing gum disease needs treatment as early as possible to avoid losing your teeth to periodontitis. And it is not just because unhealthy teeth and gums make you look older or because replacing teeth is costly; it is because it affects your smile and your body! Gum inflammation travels through your bloodstream to cause additional inflammatory conditions in your body, including heart disease, diabetes, and autoimmune issues.

So what can you do to ensure healthy gums?

Address oral bacteria build-up

Daily brushing, flossing and using an antibacterial mouthwash help minimize germs. Otherwise, they collect and harden from plaque into tartar or calculus. Do not neglect to brush or scrape your tongue every day because it is a large surface that can hold onto bacteria. Your routine dental checkups and cleanings help get rid of tartar and calculus using special instruments. We can even recommend some devices you can use to remove oral bacteria from your teeth and tongue.

Build up your body’s immune system

Help your body resist infection so it can’t strengthen and spread. You will need vitamin C to lower inflammation (which can cause red, bleeding gums). Eat fruits and vegetables, especially citrus fruits, berries, and leafy greens. You can get Vitamin B12 from milk, eggs, and meat, as well as B12 from fortified bread, pasta, and cereals. Omega-3 fatty acids (flaxseed oil and fish are great sources) also fight inflammation and boost gum health. If your diet is restricted, you can also take supplements for vitamin C, B12, and Omega 3.

Seeking Help

If you have noticed that your gums are bleeding and regular, gentle flossing around the gum line and between teeth is not helping, you may need treatment. Depending on the stage of gum disease you are fighting, you may need to visit a dentist, periodontist, or endodontist to stop the bleeding and make sure your gums are not receding or leading to bone loss and tooth loss.

This year, do not let gum disease cause tooth loss in your smile. You can achieve healthy teeth and gums. Our experienced team is here to help ensure your smile and overall health are as healthy as possible!

The post September Is National Gum Care Month. Do You Know How To Protect Your Gums for a Healthier Smile? first appeared on Horizon Laser Dental Care.

Did you know that a big investment you can make in your overall health and self-confidence is to make sure you have a healthy smile? June 15th is National Smile Power Day, and it’s a great time to become more aware of the many benefits of having a healthy, confident smile wherever you go!

The Psychology and Physiology of Smiling

Did you know that when you smile, it can trigger your autonomic nervous system to release endorphins into your blood? It triggers your body to release dopamine and serotonin, which act as natural pain relievers. Smiling also reduces your blood pressure levels (thank the happy hormone for that), so it has the power to relieve stress, help you relax, boost your immune system, and, when done habitually, even increase your odds of living longer!

In addition, it also helps whoever sees it to feel that same “happy hormone!” Smiling can make whoever you smile at feel better while also boosting their morale and helping them feel more confident. Smiling can be contagious, and at least half of the folks you smile at will reward you with one back. Who knew a simple smile which can produce anywhere and anytime was this powerful? We agree with the Buddhist author, Thich Nhat Hanh, that “Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.”

Did You Know?

• There are many different smiles, including the closed-lip smile, smirk smile, lop-sided smile, flirtatious smile, and open mouth smile.
• When it comes to learning facial expressions, a baby’s smile is one of the first ones they master!
• Smiling means the same thing anywhere you go in the world, which is why you often hear the familiar phrase, “When you smile, the world smiles with you!”
• Smiling people come across more confident and looking younger as the smiling facial muscles raise the face, making the cheeks, jowls, and neck look smoother.
• Women tend to smile more than 60 times a day while their male counterparts smile less than ten times a day!
• Most people think that having a bad-looking smile can harm their career goals.

Smile For Your Health and Success

No wonder smiling is such a good thing for your mental and physical well-being! It’s good for your social and career life, so smile more often. After all, it’s free so why not give the gift of a smile to others, brightening your day as well as theirs. This National Smile Power Day, why not share the hashtag #NationalSmilePowerDay in your online communications and tell a good joke or two. If you’re just not feeling the smile bug, try writing down some of the things you are grateful for onto some sticky notes and placing them around your home or office. Before you know it, you might catch yourself smiling!

Smile Boosting Tips

Your oral health is the first step to a more confident smile as it impacts your overall health. If not taken care of, you are at risk for high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, and bruxism (where you grind your teeth while you sleep). You will also want to brush with a good toothbrush, floss daily and visit our team twice a year for cleanings. Limit sugary foods and beverages, especially tooth-staining drinks like coffee, tea, and red wine. Drink enough water throughout the day to protect your smile and follow a balanced, nutritious diet so your teeth and gums get the nutrients they need to thrive.

We also recommend giving yourself the gift of a confident smile if you don’t already have one. Your dentist can be one of your best friends when it comes to reaching your smile goals. Give us a call if your smile needs some love, whether it’s just getting your next dental cleaning, a teeth whitening treatment, or a smile makeover. Our team is excited to help you smile!

The post Smile With Us on National Smile Power Day on June 15th! first appeared on Horizon Laser Dental Care.

February is National Gum Disease Awareness Month, and we are here for it! Working daily with gums makes us excited about creating awareness on how best to keep your gums healthy no matter what your age. When we say your smile thrives on good oral care, most patients typically think of their teeth, but the gums are just as crucial because, without them, your teeth would loosen and fall out!

The problem with gum disease (the infection of the gum tissue) is that it also is linked to general health problems, including heart disease, diabetes, and pregnancy issues. Taking good care of your gums means your overall health will improve. Gum disease develops when oral bacteria thrive in the mouth. It does not take a lot of time for the bacteria to inflame the oral tissues and spread via the bloodstream, affecting the organs and other areas of your body. You can make a big difference in your tooth and gum health by brushing and flossing daily to remove this harmful bacterial film (plaque) from your teeth and gum line.

Are Your Gums in Good Shape?

In the early stages, gum disease is referred to as gingivitis. Left unchecked, it will continually advance until you are at the stage called periodontal disease. To protect your gum health, you will need to practice effective oral hygiene care every day, followed by periodic professional dental cleanings and exams. Your biannual dental cleanings remove hardened plaque (known as tartar or calculus), which can only be removed using special dental instruments. In between visits, keep an eye out for the signs of gum disease.

How To Spot Gum Disease

• Look for any swollen or puffy gum tissue
• Notice if your gums are bright red or bleeding
• Watch for tooth sensitivity or pain
• Don’t ignore chronic bad breath
• If your teeth feel loose or separating
• If you notice pus or sores in the mouth
• Watch for receding gums

What Causes Gum Disease?

Probably the most common cause of this insidious disease is chronic poor oral hygiene. Without daily intervention, oral bacteria thrive, harming your gums, teeth, and body. But neglecting your oral hygiene care is only partly responsible for inviting gum disease into your mouth. There are a variety of other conditions that can lead to disease:

• Using tobacco in any form
• Excessive use of alcohol
• Having crowded or overlapping teeth that are hard to brush and floss correctly
• Experiencing hormonal changes
• Having oral cancer
• Breathing via the mouth, leading to dry mouth by reducing saliva production
• Constant, unrelieved stress
• Consuming a non-nutritious diet of high sugar or starches
• Poor diabetes control
• Insufficient dental care from skipped dental visits
• Your gums turning white (they should be pink)

So, what can you do to prevent gum disease or keep it from worsening? It is where improvements to your daily habits can make have the biggest impact:

• Brush: Brush at least twice a day for two minutes each time. Wait about half an hour after eating so that you don’t wear down enamel from food particles.
• Floss: Flossing cleans areas of the teeth and gum line that brushing alone can’t effectively clean. Floss at least once a day to remove debris between the teeth and near the gums. Be sure to floss between each tooth individually.
• Keep your dental appointments: Your teeth and gums can suffer if you go too long without having a dental checkup and cleaning. Six-month checkups are important to get rid of tartar. If you have signs of gum disease, feel pain or discomfort, please don’t wait! Call our team as soon as possible, and we will help you get the treatment you need.
• Eat healthier: Your teeth, gums, and body thrive when you eat a balanced diet with nutritious essentials. Even drinking healthy smoothies or other beverages good for you can make the difference between a healthy or unhealthy smile. Avoid sugary drinks and snacks that build up sticky bacteria. Rinse your mouth out with water after you eat and drink if you are not brushing right away.

What if You Have Gum Disease?

Depending on the state of your gums, there are several solutions to get your smile back on track:

• A professional dental cleaning and exam
• A scaling and root planing
• A gum pocket reduction
• A gum graft or soft tissue graft
• Take prescribed medication
• Use medicated toothpaste or mouthwash
• Have root canal therapy performed

Your smile needs daily care and good habits, especially if you want to keep your teeth and gums healthy (and in place). We welcome you to call our office if you have any issues or concerns about your gums. This National Gum Disease Awareness Month, resolve to take the best care of your teeth and gums!

The post For National Gum Disease Awareness Month, Commit To Healthier Teeth and Gums! first appeared on Horizon Laser Dental Care.

Winter is almost here, and sports activities can find a way to bring a dental emergency into your life during the busy holiday season. Whether you are skiing, snowboarding, ice skating, swimming, or surfing, accidents can happen. It can mean running into a tree while sledding, falling on your face at an ice skating rink, or knocking a tooth out on your surfboard. Your mouth can sustain a dental emergency all year round!

Protecting Your Smile

Whether you are out having fun hitting the snow-covered hills, playing hockey with friends, or even celebrating the season with friends, you usually are not thinking about how you can prevent a dental emergency. It’s what you can do beforehand that will really count! Protecting your smile is as easy as wearing the right gear for your recreational activity, whether that’s a mouth guard, face cage, or helmet.

So, what happens when the unthinkable happens? Seeking help right away can help stop your oral pain and lower the risk of having permanent oral damage. During business hours, calling our office is simple, but what if you have an accident on a holiday, weekend, or in the middle of the night that can’t wait? It might require getting help from an emergency room visit. But first, let’s look at what constitutes a dental emergency.

What Is a Dental Emergency?

Some emergencies can wait until the next morning, but others could result in a lost adult tooth if treatment is not sought out immediately. Ask yourself the following to make that assessment:

• Do you have severe pain along with bleeding?
• Do you have a partially dislodged or knocked-out adult tooth?
• Do you have a loose permanent tooth (but no pain)?
• Do you have an oral abscess or infection combined with swelling in the mouth or face?
• Do you have a severely bitten tongue or lip?
• Do you have a cracked or broken tooth?
• Have you lost a dental crown or filling?
• Do you have an object stuck between your teeth that shouldn’t be?
• Have you broken your jaw from trauma/injury?

Please call us right away if you have any of those conditions, and if you can’t reach us for emergency dental care, visiting the ER is your next best option.

What Is Not a Dental Emergency?

The easiest question you can ask yourself here is, “Can you wait to see your dentist in the next day or so?” It means that a chipped tooth that isn’t causing you pain can be delayed, but a chipped or cracked tooth that hurts or has sharp bits that hurt cannot wait. Sometimes, even a painful toothache can safely wait if it is not accompanied by an abscess or facial swelling, bumps on your gum tissue, or a rising fever. Losing a filling or crown can typically wait several days if necessary.

Dental emergencies benefit from remembering to stay calm. Knowing what to do beforehand can help facilitate that needed self-control, especially when pain is combined with stress, making it harder to think clearly. When should you visit an emergency room if you can’t reach our dentist?

Visiting Your Nearest Emergency Room

• You’ve sustained an injury to your head or eye
• You’ve suffered a concussion and are experiencing confusion
• You’ve broken a bone or dislocated a joint in your jaw
• You have a cut or facial laceration likely to require multiple stitches

When it comes to your oral health, remember to never ignore dental injuries, illnesses, or conditions. Sometimes a problem can wait until you see your dentist, but many times, early intervention is necessary. When in doubt, call our office to make sure! And if you can’t reach us after hours, please seek help at your local ER.

In between dental visits, stay on top of your oral hygiene habits to help keep your teeth and gums healthy and strong throughout the year. And if you are participating in recreational activities this winter, wear a mouth guard and helmet as needed. Speak to our team about what you can do today to prevent a dental accident. Your smile deserves your best care!

The post Don’t Let a Preventable Dental Emergency Sideline Your Oral Health first appeared on Horizon Laser Dental Care.

September is National Gum Care Month, so let’s talk about everything related to gums. This month is a good time to reflect on your dental health and commit to taking better care of your gums. Sometimes, we forget your gums help keep your teeth in their place and functioning at top capacity. When your gums are damaged, you risk losing your teeth!

Protecting your gums is simple; brushing and flossing every day is part of a personal dental hygiene practice as well as keeping routine dental cleanings. This way, tartar can be removed and your teeth polished. Your gums can also be checked for signs of trouble and to treat problems early. Stick to a balanced diet to give your gums the nutrients they need to fight disease.

The Problem With Gum Disease

Treating gum disease is most effective when done in the early stage of gum disease because treatment can reverse the progress of gum disease. Once your gums are fighting serious infection, it’s harder to treat and progressively worsens. Like most things medically related, preventative care supports your oral and general health most effectively. When teeth are lost (other than teeth that are pulled for a purpose like wisdom teeth or tooth extraction procedures), the cause is often progressive gum disease. Gum disease is a common problem in our country, affecting around 67 million Americans.

Two Types of Gum Disease

Gum disease is broken down into two types. The mild version is the early stage, called gingivitis. Over time it progresses into periodontitis, a more dangerous phase. Both are caused by bacterial toxins leading to infection. In the gingivitis stage, you’ll see your gums as red, swollen, painful, and bleeding. In the later stage, you’ll see infection from inflammation in the gums, ligaments, and bone surrounding the teeth loosening teeth that either fall out or need to be removed from bone loss.

Gingivitis

We urge you to tell your dentist right away if you notice that your gums are bleeding, find sores in your mouth, have gum pain or find yourself with an unpleasant taste in your mouth along with bad breath. Having your gums checked and treated right away will help them stay healthier, longer, and with minimal damage.

Periodontitis

Advancing periodontitis involves rapid gum recession. This version often appears with young people having a growth spurt. They may be deficient in vitamins that protect the gums, rather than being overrun by bad oral bacteria. Once gum disease advances because of periodontitis, you may see spurts of infection mingled with improvement as you receive treatment. But gum disease affects the rest of your health, not just your mouth. As a systemic disease, gum disease will spread through your bloodstream to other organs in the body, resulting in inflammation related to diabetes, heart disease and even autoimmune issues.

Preventing Gum Disease

Avoiding gum disease means stopping bacterial plaque in the mouth that leaves a sticky film coating your teeth that you can feel when you run your tongue across them. Brushing twice a day for two minutes each session – followed by flossing – removes harmful bacteria to keep it from building up and hardening into tartar. Some tartar buildup is inevitable around the gum line, and this is one of the main reasons you see your dentist for a professional cleaning every six months. As gingivitis progresses and the gums start to recede from the teeth, bacterial plaque hardens into tartar inside the pockets around the teeth. Without intervention, the bone and ligaments keeping your teeth in position continue to deteriorate until they loosen.

Keep your gums pink and healthy by using a soft-bristled toothbrush (replacing when the bristles start to fray) and enamel strengthening toothpaste. Don’t forget to floss and use an antibacterial mouthwash. Fend off dry mouth by staying hydrated throughout your day and chewing sugar-free gum or lozenges. Be sure to control diabetes if you have it, and quit tobacco use. Limit the sugar in your diet, and incorporate more nutrient-dense and vitamin-rich foods like fruits, vegetables and calcium.

Treating Gum Disease

National Gum Care Month is a great time to see your dentist if you have any concerns about your gums. Once gum disease is a problem for you, you may also need to see a periodontist, endodontist or oral surgeon who can help reverse gum disease. Your smile deserves the best care, so contact our team today!

The post National Gum Care Month Is a Good Reminder for You To Prevent Gum Disease first appeared on Horizon Laser Dental Care.

If you have had a dental implant to replace a missing tooth, you are in good company. Dental implants are a popular choice for those seeking an effective tooth replacement option. Since dental implants handily replace one or more lost teeth by replicating both the tooth root and the crown of the tooth, they appear to make durable, long-lasting, and natural-looking options.

Even so, dental implants can sometimes succumb to peri-implantitis, a condition which causes dental implants to fail. We want to make sure that you know how to prevent peri-implant diseases and what you can expect if you do have it.

Peri-Implantitis

Often stemming from inflammatory conditions, peri-implantitis can affect both the hard and soft gum tissues that support your dental implant. The gum tissue can’t attach to the dental implant as well as it does to a natural tooth. If your gum tissue isn’t able to attach correctly to the implant, you can be left with a space that invites oral bacteria to enter, inflaming the tissue and bone.

Dental implants are also affected by the buildup of plaque around them, much like a natural tooth as bacterial plaque builds up around the base of your implant. If this is left unchecked, the bacteria will thrive, while irritating sensitive gum tissue and damaging it. It can eventually lead to the deterioration of the bone material that supports the implant, causing it to fail.

Peri-implantitis is considered an extension of peri-implant mucositis, which inflames the gum tissue but doesn’t cause bone loss and is characterized by bleeding of the gum tissue and discomfort. When this goes on long enough, it will cause your dental implant to fail, even if it has already healed and bonded with the bone. Dental implant failure is a common problem with dental implants and is challenging to treat. If you notice any of the following after having dental implants placed, you may have peri-implantitis.

What to Look For

• Your gum tissue appears red and tender around the dental implant.
• You feel pain or discomfort in the gum tissue surrounding the implant.
• Your gums bleed when you brush your teeth.
• Your dental implant feels loose.
• You can see pus around the implant, or you have a bad taste in your mouth.

Any of these signs indicate something unhealthy is going on in your mouth, so being seen is important to determine the cause and treat the condition.

Who Is at Risk for Peri-Implantitis?

You are more susceptible to developing peri-implantitis if you:

• Have had gum disease or bruxism (teeth grinding and clenching) in the past
• Have unmanaged diabetes or osteoporosis
• Have lax daily oral hygiene habits
• Smoke or use tobacco products

You will likely be a good candidate for dental implants based on your oral health history and your current dental health that increases your chances of proper healing while reducing the risk for potential complications.

Preventing Peri-Implantitis

Daily Oral Hygiene

The best way to prevent peri-implantitis is to take diligent care of your dental implants to keep your smile healthy and strong for years to come. Insufficient daily dental hygiene practices can lead to this disease. Brush and floss your teeth every day as recommended by your dentist, including around your dental implant. Floss gently so you don’t harm sensitive gum tissue, especially around the dental crown capping your dental implant. You don’t want to damage the gum tissue attaching the tissue to the crown.

Routine Dental Checkups and Cleanings

Regular dental checkups are also important to make sure your supporting bone and gums are healthy. Your dentist can catch peri-implantitis when it is in the early stages and most easily responsive to treatment. Antibiotics can treat the infection, and laser therapy can destroy oral harmful bacteria. A serious infection may require surgically cleaning, or a bone or gum tissue graft to strengthen the area around the dental implant.

Our skilled periodontist and periodontal team are here to help you maintain healthy gums that will support your dental implant for years to come. Call today to schedule an appointment. We look forward to helping you with all of your periodontal needs!

The post If You Have Dental Implants, You May Need to Keep an Eye Out for Peri-Implantitis first appeared on Horizon Laser Dental Care.

If your dentist has recommended a crown lengthening procedure from a periodontist, you are not alone. While many people haven’t heard of crown lengthening before, it is a common treatment and can sometimes be a pre-treatment to having a dental restoration done.

Crown lengthening can take care of a problem where you might have an excess gingival display or a gummy smile. It means your teeth look as if they are too short! But the problem isn’t usually the teeth – they may be just fine – but they look short because you have too much gum tissue partially covering them. It makes the crown, which is the part of the tooth that you can see above the gumline, seem smaller than it is.

Having a dental crown lengthening is often done before placing a restorative or cosmetic dental treatment. If your tooth has extensive decay, is broken under the gum line, or doesn’t have enough structure left to support a dental crown or tooth bridge, a crown lengthening can fix this. Gum tissue, bone, or both will be reshaped when our periodontist performs a crown lengthening so that you can see more of the tooth and make it ready to hold a dental crown or tooth bridge to restore full function.

When you come in for a crown lengthening treatment, our periodontist will reshape the extra gum and bone tissue to allow more visual of the tooth by adjusting the gum and bone levels. By removing excess gum tissue or bone, more of the tooth is exposed so that a dental restoration can be placed. It doesn’t have to be limited to one tooth, either. We can perform this treatment on a single tooth, the gum line, or multiple teeth so that your smile looks natural and beautiful.

A dental crown lengthening can help you if a tooth broke off at the gumline, the structure of a tooth is too weak to support a dental restoration, or your dental crown (or filling) fell off, exposing tooth decay below it.

Dental Crown Lengthening Procedure

Before having a crown lengthening procedure done, your medical history will be reviewed, and X-rays will be taken. To lessen the chances of infection, you may also have professional teeth cleaning beforehand. You might have a temporary crown placed onto the tooth if there is sufficient tooth material to support a dental crown. Next, soft tissue or bone material may be removed.

Healing Time

Once the tooth has healed, your permanent crown can be placed to fit the lengthened tooth structure perfectly. The surgical procedure time can vary, depending on how many teeth are being treated, and whether bone and gum tissue are being taken out and reshaped. Nearby teeth may be treated as well as the “short” tooth. Before the procedure, you will be made comfortable with a sedative and local anesthesia. Full healing can take 6-12 weeks for crown lengthening in the back of the mouth and up to 3-6 months for the front.

Healthy, Beautiful Gums

When it comes to your gums, you will want to keep inflammation away from the gum line that can spread to the bone, holding your teeth in place. It means brushing and flossing daily, using an antibacterial toothpaste or mouthwash to kill harmful bacteria, and seeing your dentist twice a year for professional dental cleanings and checkups. Early gum disease can spread from gingivitis to periodontitis, then it can eventually turn into advanced periodontitis if not properly taken care of.

If your gums show signs of gum disease – bleeding, swollen, red or tender, pulling away from your teeth, chronic bad breath, loose teeth, or pus around your teeth and gums – you may have gum disease. If you are unhappy with your smile because of gummy teeth, we invite you to call our office to schedule a visit with our periodontist about a crown lengthening treatment. We can help you create a beautiful, healthy-looking smile!

The post Transform A Gummy Smile Into a Healthy Smile With Dental Crown Lengthening Treatment first appeared on Horizon Laser Dental Care.

Sedation dentistry uses medication to help you relax and sit still comfortably when you have dental work done. Sedation is especially helpful if you have oral surgery by relieving any anxiety and making you comfortable. There are varying degrees of medication sedation that can be used such as light or minimal sedation, medium or moderate sedation, and deep sedation.

• Light or minimal sedation includes using medicated gas (like nitrous oxide) to help you feel comfortable while staying fully awake during your treatment.

• Medium or moderate sedation helps you relax even while still awake, but you won’t remember everything. You may be given oral medication to help you relax further and enter a more heavily sedated state of being.

• Deep sedation can be administered through an IV, and you are barely awake.

• General anesthesia places you in a sleep state with the help of IV medication.

Endodontic Surgery

When it comes to your teeth, surgery may be done to save a damaged tooth and avoid extracting it. An apicoectomy or root-end resection can help when there is an infection or inflammation in the jawbone around the end of a tooth after a root canal treatment. Gum tissue near the tooth is taken out, and the end of the root may be sealed with a filling. Stitches may be placed in the gingiva so the bone can heal around the root end.

For an intentional replantation, the tooth is extracted and treated with an endodontic procedure. It is then placed back into its socket. Endodontic surgeries (like fixing a damaged root, removing one or more roots, or dividing a tooth in half) can all be done comfortably using sedation.

Periodontal Surgery

When it comes to periodontal surgery, your gums are treated for gingivitis or periodontitis. Gingivitis is the early stage of gum disease when it is still considered mild. You might notice that your gum tissues are swollen, red and even bleeding. Gum disease starts in the mouth because of poor dental hygiene habits that allow harmful plaque and tartar to build up around the gum line, irritating the tissues. Sometimes periodontal surgery may be needed to treat gingivitis or periodontitis.

Oral surgery can help with the following:

• Get rid of bacteria and infection

• Help stop tooth loss from occurring

• Lessen gaps in the gums between your teeth (black triangles)

• Regrow bones and tissues that were damaged

• Reshape your jaw bone to lessen the chance of bacterial growth in the bony crevices

Types of Gum Surgery

-Bone Grafting: This is when the bone material around the tooth root is destroyed and involves replacing the bone with new bone to anchor the tooth in place and allow it to regrow.

-Flap Surgery: The gums are lifted off the teeth, so tartar can be removed. Then the gums are stitched back into place around the teeth (the bone may need to be reshaped).

-Guided Tissue Regeneration: A small section of mesh-like material is placed between the bone and gum tissue to keep the gum from invading the bone’s space so that the bone and tissue can regrow.

-Tissue Grafting: This is done to stop the gum line recession. The tissue is taken (often the palate) and attached over the receded gums and covers any roots that are exposed.

No matter what type of oral surgery you might need to repair damage in your mouth, there is no need to put it off and let further damage occur. Instead, our doctor is happy to make your surgery as comfortable as possible; before, during, and after so that you can get the best possible oral health care your smile deserves!

The post Sedation Dentistry Can Help You Feel Calm and Comfortable During Oral Surgery first appeared on Horizon Laser Dental Care.