Wilshire Smile Studio is one of the few multi-specialty practices in Southern California. That is one of the reasons we receive referrals from both dental offices that only offer general dental services, such as filling cavities and placing veneers, as well as those which only specialize in something like oral surgery or orthodontics.
This means that we do not usually have to refer you to another dentist, who may have different standards and procedures that might make it challenging to bring our patient’s case to a satisfactory close.
As you may know, periodontal disease is an infection of the gums and teeth, and our dentists are specialists in its treatment, known as periodontics, which requires special training.
If brushing and flossing is not properly done a bacterial film known as plaque develops around remaining particles and if not cleaned off within a few days, hardens into what is known as tartar, which needs to be removed by a dental hygienist with special tools and techniques. A professional cleaning needs to be done by her at least twice a year to prevent a serious gum infection, which begins as gingivitis and usually is not painful, but may manifest as slight bleeding.
Periodontitis is the more advanced form and bleeding and pain are the symptoms. This infection can also cause cavities, which is why cavities are second only to the common cold as the most prevalent disease.
Periodontal disease can be prevented by knowing how to brush and floss effectively, which your dental hygienist can show you (few of us grew up understanding the exact techniques). This means brushing the front, back, and tops from the bottom to the top for two full minutes after breakfast to clean off not only the food, but the bacteria that naturally accumulates in the mouth overnight.
This has to be repeated after your last snack and drink before going to bed, which is also when you floss. Flossing needs to also be done from the gums to the top of each tooth, scraping each side, but also moving the string to a fresh area each time to avoid contaminating the next space.
But if prevention is not adequate and hygienic cleaning has not been adequate to stop the infection, our experts will need to treat the infected gums. Otherwise, the inflammation will cause the gums to pull back their support of the teeth, which could eventually fall out or need to be extracted.
They also have other related skills, such as being able to graft additional gum to areas where it has been lost and needs to be replaced for cosmetic reasons and to support the teeth. Or they can surgically remove excessive gum, which is not flattering for a full smile.
Our dentists can also not only place implants where teeth are missing, and we have a dental surgeon who can even do bone grafts, when the jawbone under an empty socket is not strong enough for implants. These need to be inserted into the area needing more gone as the grafts integrate with the jaw. The sinus bone often also needs to be augmented to be able to place an implant.
Missing teeth cannot be ignored because unless they are replaced, the immediately neighboring teeth naturally lean towards the gap, which begins a process of misalignment of other teeth that loosens them and may cause them need replacement, as well. This is a major factor in why 178 million Americans are at least one tooth and 40 million have none left.
What few Americans know is that periodontal bacteria can spread throughout the body and seriously increase the odds of having cardiovascular disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and even cancer. If you have not had a full dental exam in the past year, call Wilshire Smile Studio today to schedule one as soon as possible: 323-DENTIST (323-336-8478). You may also book an appointment online.
