Oral Health/Cleanings

Brushing and flossing your teeth are some of the best ways to keep your teeth clean; but you need to make sure that you’re doing it in an effective manner. At West Burlington Dentistry we are happy to review or teach you how to properly brush and floss your teeth to make sure that you’re getting the most out of your efforts.

Why floss?

Plaque is a sticky substance that is made from leftover food and saliva in your mouth. The more plaque we have on our teeth the more it can become irritating to our gums since the bacteria in the plaque produces poisons and toxins and can cause infections. The more bacteria there is the worse the infection becomes and the more treatment that is needed. Regular dental cleanings can help to remove the plaque and calculus (hardened plaque aka tartar) making sure that the bacteria doesn’t build up to a level where is can cause disease.

TWO kinds of periodontal disease:

Ginigvitis

Red puffy gums that bleed when we floss or brush is the hallmark of gingivitis. It is the mildest form of periodontal disease and means that the disease is confined to the gum tissue and hasn’t reached the bone that is surrounding the tooth. The bad news is that if gingivitis is left untreated that it progresses into periodontal disease which has permanent consequences. The great news about gingivitis is that it is treatable and reversible and coming in for regular cleanings will help to both treat and reverse the signs of gingivitis and make your gums healthy again!

Periodontitis

Untreated gingivitis may progress into periodontitis. I often refer to periodontitis as the silent bone killer. It doesn’t hurt until it’s pretty severe. I wish periodontal disease did hurt so that patients would be alerted to the fact that something was wrong. Instead it slowly causes the deterioration of the bone that surrounds the tooth and helps to secure the teeth into the bone. This is because there is bacteria that is producing toxins which deteriorate the bone. The bad news is that once you lose bone you can’t grow it back. The good news is that with treatment we can stop any further damage to the bone around the tooth.

Signs that your gum are unhealthy and that some intervention is needed:

• Red and swollen gums
• Bleeding gums (while flossing or brushing)
• Sore or tender gum
• Receding gums
• Loose teeth
• Bad breath