What is Gingivitis?

Gingivitis is an early stage of gum disease — an inflammation of the gum tissues surrounding the teeth. Bleeding and swollen gums are signs of gingivitis. In fact, what may seem like a little “problem area” in your gums can actually be the early stages of gingivitis. If left untreated, gingivitis can progress to periodontitis, which can be a major cause of tooth loss in adults. Gingivitis can sometimes be painless and, therefore, people may be unaware they have it.

Causes of Gingivitis
One of the primary factors contributing to gingivitis is plaque buildup, a sticky colorless deposit of bacteria that regularly forms on teeth. These bacteria build up and can produce byproducts that damage the gums.

While gingivitis is a milder and reversible form of gum disease, it may lead to more serious, destructive forms if left untreated.

Help Prevent Gingivitis
Helping prevent gingivitis requires removing plaque buildup, and that starts with good brushing habits.But it’s also essential to have the right products on your side. That’s why we recommend the following dental hygiene routine:

• Brush twice a day with a soft-bristled or power toothbrush, such as the Oral-B® Vitality™ Precision Clean electric rechargeable brush. It removes up to two times more plaque than a regular manual toothbrush.
• Be sure to use an anti-gingivitis and anti-plaque toothpaste containing fluoride to strengthen teeth. Crest® Pro-Health™ Toothpaste is a good option because one of the medicinal ingredients it contains is therapeutic stannous fluoride, an effective anti-microbial agent that kills harmful bacteria that cause plaque and gingivitis.
• Rinse thoroughly after brushing with an anti-bacterial rinse, such as Crest® Pro-Health™ Multi-Protection Rinse. It contains a clinically proven anti-microbial agent, cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC), which is attracted to bacteria in your mouth, making it effective at fighting plaque, gingivitis and bad breath.
• Floss at least once a day with a product like Glide® to help remove food particles and plaque between teeth. Glide is the #1 dentist-recommended dental floss brand, and it gently stimulates gums and helps remove plaque to prevent gingivitis.
• Removing plaque is an important step to help prevent gingivitis. Try using the Oral-B® Vitality™ Precision Clean toothbrush along with Crest® Pro-Health™ Toothpaste and Crest® Pro-Health™ Multi-Protection Rinse for up to 7x better cleaning.*
• Visit your dentist regularly for oral exams and cleanings.

* On teeth with regular use versus a regular manual brush and regular anti-cavity toothpaste.

Gingivitis Symptoms
If you are experiencing the following symptoms, visit your dental office as soon as possible to determine if you have gingivitis.

• Mild inflammation of the gums
• Red or swollen gums
• Gums that bleed easily

Above posting from: www.crest.com

Wisconsin Dentist
Quirt Family Dentistry
200 East Bridge St., Suite 100
Wausau, WI 54403
(715) 843-9800

Dental Health & Diet

Limit Carbs to Mealtimes

 

Even not-so-sweet treats—like a handful of potato chips or a whole wheat roll—can be as damaging to your teeth and gums as a double-fudge brownie, if you're not careful.

That's because all carbohydrates break down into simple sugars, which are ultimately converted by bacteria in the mouth into plaque, a sticky residue that is the primary trigger of gum disease and cavities. Carb-based foods such as breads and crackers tend to have a chewy, adhesive texture, making it easier for them to get caught between teeth or under the gum line, where bacteria can then accumulate, says Christine Gerbstadt, MD, RD, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association.

Smile Rx: Have carbs at mealtimes rather than as a snack: When you eat a larger amount of food, you produce more saliva, which helps wash food particles away. 

Above article from: www.prevention.com

Wisconsin Dentist
Quirt Family Dentistry
3417 Schofield Avenue
Schofield, WI 54476
(715)-355-5570

5 Ways Poor Dental Care Makes You Sick

Even if you brush your teeth daily, you may still have dangerous bacteria growing inside your mouth. Not only could that lead to periodontitis (an advanced form of gum disease that comes with symptoms such as bleeding when you brush and gum pain), but studies also find a link between poor oral hygiene and major health issues. Here are some ways that missing the mark on oral care could harm your heath.

1. It may hurt your heart.

People with gum disease are almost twice as likely to suffer from coronary artery disease compared to those don't have periodontitis. Researchers aren't exactly sure of why this might be, but one theory is that harmful bacteria from your mouth enters your blood stream and attaches to fatty plaques in your heart's blood vessels, leading to inflammation and upping your risk of clots that can trigger heart attacks.

2. Your memory may suffer.

Some research suggests there may be a tie between poor oral health and an increased risk of dementia. One study that followed 118 nuns between the ages of 75 and 98 found that those with the fewest teeth were most likely to suffer dementia. Experts think oral bacteria may spread to the brain through cranial nerves that connect to the jaw or through the bloodstream, and may contribute to the type of plaque that's been linked to Alzheimer's.

3. It might worsen your body's control of blood sugar.

People with diabetes are more likely to have periodontal disease than those without diabetes. While this may be because diabetics are more susceptible to infections, there's also been research that finds gum disease could make it harder to control your blood sugar, and that treating it helps improve diabetes symptoms.

4. It may affect your breathing.

Gum disease may increase your risk of getting respiratory infections, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and pneumonia, according to the Journal of Periodontology. The infections might be caused when bacteria from the mouth are inhaled into your lungs, possibly causing your airways to become inflamed.  

5. It could make it harder for you to have a baby.

Women of childbearing age with gum disease took an average of just over seven months to become pregnant – two months longer than the average of five months that it took women without gum disease to conceive, discovered researchers in Western Australia. Other research finds that pregnant women with gum disease might have higher odds of miscarriage.

Above article from: health.yahoo.net

Wisconsin Dentist
Quirt Family Dentistry
3417 Schofield Avenue
Schofield, WI 54476
(715)-355-5570

Dental Health Care - Heart Disease and Gum Disease

Is There a Link Between Gum Disease and Heart Disease?
Overall the data indicates that chronic gum disease may contribute to the development of heart disease, the nation's leading cause of death in both men and women.

How does this happen? Gum disease is a bacterial infection that can affect conditions outside your mouth. In heart disease, one theory is that gum disease can cause bacteria to enter the bloodstream where they attach to the fatty deposits in the heart blood vessels. This condition can cause blood clots and may lead to heart attacks.

If I Have Heart Disease, Are There Special Requirements to Maintain Proper Oral Health?
To maintain the best oral health, you should:

• Establish and maintain a healthy mouth. This means brushing and flossing daily and visiting your dentist regularly.
• Make sure your dentist knows you have a heart problem.
• Carefully follow your physician's and dentist's instructions, and use prescription medications, such as antibiotics, as directed.

Am I at Risk if Dental Procedures are Performed?
If you have certain preexisting heart conditions, you may be at risk for developing bacterial endocarditis — an infection of the heart's inner lining or the valves. Anytime there is bleeding in the mouth, certain oral bacteria can enter the blood stream and may settle on abnormal heart valves or tissue weakened by an existing heart problem or heart condition. In these cases, the infection can damage or even destroy heart valves or tissue.

There are precautions you need to take if you have any of the following conditions:

• Artificial (prosthetic) heart valves
• A history of endocarditis
• Congenital heart or heart valve defects
• Heart valves damaged (scarred) by conditions such as rheumatic fever
• Mitral valve prolapse with a murmur
• Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Be sure to tell your dentist if you have a heart condition, and what, if any, medications you are taking for it. Your dentist will record important health information in your record and coordinate treatment with your physician.

Above article from: www.colgate.ca

Wisconsin Dentist
Quirt Family Dentistry
200 East Bridge St., Suite 100
Wausau, WI 54403
(715) 843-9800 2812 East Main St.

Preventive Dental Care - Quirt Family Dentistry Wisconsin

The Laser Scanner Finds
Cavities Years Earlier

If you are like most of us, you’ve had the dentist find a cavity and place a rather large filling, and wondered why the filling is so large if the cavity wasn’t there just six months before. The answer is that the cavity was there six months before – it just wasn’t big enough to show on X-rays, and it wasn’t visible to the dentist yet. The laser scanner finds cavities years earlier, when the ultrasmall cavity can be repaired with a small invisible bonded filling.

Quirt Family Dentistry provides preventive dental care services in  Schofield, Wausau, Merrill, Edgar and Plover WI.  Visit our main web site to learn more about our dental treatment services is Wisconsin.