Healthy Gums Don't Bleed

In our last blog post I mentioned that healthy gums don’t bleed.  I want to discuss this fact more thoroughly to really drive this point home. Why? Because most people just don’t realize this is a fact. It doesn’t make sense to most people that healthy gums don’t bleed because people think that “everybody’s gums bleed, so this must be normal.” 

Well, it is true that most people’s gums do bleed, but it’s not because it’s healthy. It is an indication of how prevalent some form of gum disease is in the general population. Statistically, depending upon which study you read, anywhere from 70% to 95% of the population has some form of gum disease.  That’s why most people’s gums bleed; they have some degree of gum disease. Just because something is prevalent doesn’t mean it’s normal. For example, obesity has become quite prevalent in the U.S., but we all consider it unhealthy and something to be corrected.

Ponder this please – if you took a brush to the skin on your arm or leg or anywhere on your body, and when you brushed your skin it started to bleed, you’d be alarmed. So why is it then that when you brush or floss your teeth and they bleed, you think nothing of it? It’s the belief that bleeding gums are normal that keeps you from being alarmed and taking action. 

If bacterial plaque stays undisturbed beneath the gumline, inflammation and early stages of gum disease set in.  Left unchecked, the inflammation is an infection and as it progresses, the gums detach from the teeth, and the bone that holds your teeth in your jaw is destroyed (and you might not feel a thing)!

The solution is simple. Have a partnership with your dentist to keep this from happening or to keep things under control. Your home care techniques must have the bacteria that causes gum disease be removed not only from tooth surfaces, but from underneath the gums.

For information about other dental topics visit our website at: http://www.tavorminadentistry.com/

Keeping Your Baby's Teeth Healthy

baby teeth

Brushing is the most important thing for your baby's dental care, but those precious teeth need more than just regular cleanings to stay healthy. Below are a number of ways to keep your child's teeth in top shape for life.

Minerals and vitamins: Your baby needs the right building blocks to construct her pearly whites, and that means an adequate intake of calcium, phosphorus, fluoride, and other minerals and vitamins (particularly Vitamin C, which is a great to keep gums healthy).

Give cheese: Can't brush baby's teeth after she's had a high-carb or sugary snack? Slip her a slice of cheese. In addition to their high calcium content, cheeses, like Swiss and cheddar, encourage saliva production, which helps clear cavity-causing acids and sugars from the mouth.

Sugar: It may seem impossible to completely avoid sugars in your baby's diet, but you'll want to limit them as much as possible — particularly refined sugars (which are found in, of all things, commercial teething biscuits) and sticky natural sugars (such as those in dried fruits). Keep sweets to an asbolute minimum — no more than once or twice a day — and serve only with meals.

Use cups: Your baby may still love her bottle, but you'll want to get her used to drinking from a cup. Bottles and sippy cups containing milk or juice have been associated with tooth decay because they allow the liquid to pool in baby's mouth and on the teeth. If you’re afraid your baby will make too much of a mess drinking from a cup, use a sippy with a straw or just put water or very diluted juice in the sippy.

Reduce the juice: To cut back on sugar, only offer juice in a watered-down form and only with snacks and meals, not as an all-purpose tummy filler.

No nighttime bottles: Although your baby may love the comfort her bottle provides, don't let her go to sleep with one. She may (and probably will) leave the nipple in her mouth, and the drips and drops of fluid that dribble out can be broken down into acid, which erode those newly erupted teeth. Even if your child is still without any baby teeth, ban the bottle for sleeping, because it will only be that much harder to take away later.

For information about other dental topics visit DrTav.com

What Are The Benefits Of Dental Implants?

Because dental implants are designed to fit the structure of your natural teeth, they provide a highly stable support to replace one or more teeth without affecting adjacent teeth. Dental implants can support a bridge and eliminate the need for a removable partial denture. An additional benefit of dental implants is that they provide support for a denture, making it more comfortable and secure.

Because dental implants function like natural teeth, your confidence will be renewed. The days of being embarrassed to speak and laugh in social settings are over. With dental implants you also experience improved biting pressure. Healthy teeth are able to absorb over 500 pounds of biting pressure per square inch. Dental implants can often restore the amount of pressure that can be withstood compared to the same level of healthy natural teeth. Now, with dental implants you can enjoy eating foods that you haven’t been able to eat for years. Imagine enjoying salads or biting into an apple or enjoying a big juicy steak!

Because your replacement teeth are securely anchored to your jawbone, they can’t slip or slide like unsecured dentures can. Dental implants don’t sacrifice the quality of your adjacent teeth, so more of your own teeth are left untouched, a long-term benefit to your health.

Dental implants look and feel like your own teeth.  Because implants integrate into the structure of your jawbone, they can help prevent bone loss and gum recession. With proper oral care and regular dental visits, implants can last a lifetime.

For information about dental implants and other dental topics, please visit DrTav.com