January 31, 2011

Implants - the real thing!

Q.  After I have dental implants, will my teeth feel like my own teeth when I chew?

A.  Absolutely!  Most people don’t even remember that they have dental implants.  Dental implants are the closest thing to what nature had given us.  They provide a totally solid foundation for beautiful new teeth and they can withstand almost the exact chewing force as regular teeth (natural teeth produce 100 lbs. chewing strength, implants provide 80 lbs. chewing strength per square inch, and dentures produce only 10 lbs. chewing strength).

If you've lost a tooth through an unfortunate accident or other reasons, don't hesitate to consult with your dentist. The restoration of your smile, your ability to chew comfortably again and self confidence you'll gain will be the best decision you'll ever make.

Visit our website - www.drtav.com - for more information on how we can make you smile today.

January 9, 2011

The Fishy Truth About Periodontal Disease


A component of periodontal disease is inflammation, however, it's important to remember that periodontal disease is more than an inflammation of the gums, it is an infection. With that said, we are accustomed to treating infection with antibiotic, however, periodontal disease behaves similarly to the way viral infections work- you can't treat them with antibiotics. Viruses stay in the system and can become active when immunity is low and periodontal disease can behave the same way.  

It is unrealistic to expect that a person with periodontal disease could be on antibiotics for the rest of their lives. It would cause more harm than good to have prolonged antibiotics. The digestive system would suffer by the helpful bacteria being destroyed and the person would develop reistance to the antibiotic and perhaps develop infections that no longer respond to antibiotics at all.
 
Therefore, it makes sense to approach the treatment of gum disease with natural methods that benefit the entire health of the patient. Having a healthy diet and one that includes fish oil makes sense as part of a program to treat gum disease. This would be a great adjunct to professional care to control the disease in combination with the patient learning proper homecare techniques.