Category: Blog

Gingivitis is the mildest form of gum disease in the periodontal disease family. Gingivitis causes the gums to become mildly red, swollen, and bleed easily. No pain or discomfort is usually involved at this stage of gum disease. It’s reversible with good oral care (brushing/flossing DAILY) and regular oral treatment such as semiannual dental cleanings by seeing the dentist frequently. Some factors may make certain populations more prone to gingivitis infections than others including those with inadequate nutrition, diabetes, hormonal fluctuations, pregnant women, substance abusers, or people with HIV infections.

Periodontitis gets more serious when gingivitis turns into periodontitis. This is where the plaque begins to harden on the gums, and seep into the gum line. The plaque can get into the bone structure of the teeth, and chew through the bone structure of the jawline if left untreated long enough. At the most advanced stage this can ultimately lead to lose teeth that have to be removed as the jaw’s bone structure can no longer hold the teeth in properly. In the end, it leads to there being no option but to remove teeth when left untreated long enough.

There are many forms of periodontitis, including the following:

Aggressive Periodontitis which occurs in patients that are otherwise clinically healthy and free from disease. Commonly this kind of periodontitis features rapid attachment loss of the tooth from the bone structure in the gum line and familial aggregation.

Chronic Periodontitis is what occurs when the inflammation of the tissues supporting the tooth structure begins. This also eventually results in progressive attachment and bone loss as well. This is characterized by pockets of infections forming and the gingiva being chewed through. It is mostly prevalent in adults but can occur at any age with poor oral dental care.

Periodontitis As A Manifestation Of Systemic Disease can often begin in children at quite young ages. Conditions like heart diseases or diabetes are associated with this form of periodontitis.

Necrotizing Periodontal Disease occurs when an infection is characterized by necrosis of gingival tissues and periodontal ligaments and alveolar bone. These lesions are most common in individuals with things like HIV Infections, malnutrition, or immunosuppression conditions.

If you have any questions regarding this article please contact us or call us 909-465-1016.

The Ramona Dentistry Team

“Where Family Comes First”

Everyone is always seeing those advertisements “Whitens Your Teeth In 5 Minutes A Day” or a “Whiter Teeth In 3 Treatments”. There are the money-back guarantees with it, too. Then there are the dental treatments that are rarely covered by insurances, and are quite expensive. Too expensive for many customers too afford. However, the good news is that it’s not always a requirement to have medical intervention to help whiten your teeth. Some of the simplest ways to whitening can be changes made in your diet.

The following are 6 ways that that whitening can be done include the following:

Brush Your Teeth After Eating/Drinking & Kick Smoking: This is the best natural whitening remedy available, however, it’s also vital to understand that this is quite a commitment to undertake. Packing a toothbrush in your work bag or backpack for school can help you brush after lunch each day in the public restroom. However, when you are out or about on the weekend, or on vacation you might find yourself in places that don’t let you brush often as you wish. If you can’t brush your teeth after drinking damaging drinks like sodas, juices, or coffee try swishing plain water in your mouth to get the dyes/colors/flavorings out to keep teeth white as possible. Also, avoid smoking cigarettes as they have many damaging chemicals in them that will darken, not whiten your teeth.

Baking Soda & Hydrogen Peroxide: Hydrogen peroxide and baking soda have many uses in dentistry today, but one use is that they can be mixed into a paste to be rubbed on the teeth to help provide a whitening agent to the teeth naturally. It’s a cheap, at-home remedy that costs just a few dollars to buy the ingredients put into the mix. The mix should be 50-50 baking soda and hydrogen peroxide solution. This solution provides a greater plaque reduction that mixes without baking soda included in them. However, be careful that you mix enough hydrogen peroxide in with the baking soda or the baking soda will make a more sand-paper like substance that can very well rub the enamel right off your teeth as you can’t get the grittiness off of your teeth after you use the substance. The problem with this would be that the enamel doesn’t grow back, and the damage would be permanent. The substance should be completely smooth without any grit to it! Then you have made the past right! Apply for 30 seconds and rinse to complete the treatment.

Coconut Oil As A Tooth Whitener: This may induce chuckles upon the initial reading, but many people use coconut oil pulling as a treatment and claim it helps whiten their teeth dramatically. Any ways it’s used seems to work well. Adding a few drops of coconut oil to the toothpaste before brushing one’s teeth or wiping it on with a washcloth after brushing work well. Swishing a spoonsful of coconut oil around in your mouth 5 to 20 minutes after brushing also works. Swallowing it would include some calories, but it’s harmless. The Journal Of Contemporary Dental Hygiene found that their studies showed that this is also a safe, harmless practice as well to help maintain oral hygiene.

Try Apple Cider Vinegar: Apple Cider Vinegar really makes sense as a teeth whitener if it is thought hard enough about. Cider Vinegar can help remove stains from teeth, but it can also help keep the gums health while helping rid the rest of the mouth of “bad”, disease-causing bacteria. Cider Vinegar does this by combining ingredients like acetic acid, potassium, magnesium, probiotics, and enzymes together to kill germs and help benefit the “good” bacteria in the mouth. It is also acidic so it will help get the substances off of the teeth that may damage them. The high pH level allows the cider to remove stains. To see optimal results in whitening use the cider vinegar every single day for at least a month. Before bed is probably the best time. Do it before brushing or rinse with water when you are done as the cider vinegar being left on your teeth can chew away the enamel due to its acidity, and enamel doesn’t grow back.

Using Lemon & Orange Peels: Similar to the effects of the apple cider vinegar some people say that citrus fruits have a similar effect. Citrus fruits are very healthy so it makes sense that they might work to help whiten teeth, they can also help balance the bacteria in the gut to aid digestion. If you rub these peels on your teeth, however, be sure to rinse with water or hydrogen peroxide as citrus fruits can be very acidic, and you don’t want to allow the acids to chew through the enamel on your teeth.

Strawberries & Other Healthy Foods: Many people, including Tyra banks show a strawberry mash working to whiten their teeth. Berries are known as a high source of anti-oxidants, and many the compounds in them benefit the teeth well. Simply mash up three or four strawberries and rub the contents on your teeth. This is a great remedy for those who are not willing to put chemicals like hydrogen peroxide in their mouths. Always rinse well with water after using such a mixture on your teeth to avoid it eating through the tooth’s enamel if sugars are left on the teeth too long.

If you have any questions regarding this article contact us or call 909-465-1016.

The Ramona Dentistry Team

“Where Family Comes First”

The mouth can tell you a lot about the health of the rest of someone’s body. Research suggests that the health of the body might go beyond just the foods that go into one’s mouth. The bacterial and dental health of one’s mouth may indicate conditions that the person has in the rest of their body. Some research suggests that certain bacteria in the mouth may be indicative of systemic diseases within the rest of the body. Researchers have noticed some links between the various bacteria that causes periodontitis diseases can also be linked to the person having higher risks of diseases like strokes or bacterial pneumonia. Pregnant women who have periodontal diseases may be more likely to deliver pre-term or low-weight babies some studies suggest. Note that that all these claims between periodontal diseases and these different infections are still under investigations, and more studies are needed before this is accepted as scientific fact.

It has also been suggested by some professionals that having systemic disorders including diabetes, blood cell disorders, HIV infections, or full-blown AIDS can cause people to contract bacteria that cause conditions like periodontitis a lot more easily than people who do not have these conditions. Again, more studies are needed to prove these connections to be for certain. However, the results so far have indicated that these connections may be related. The cases of periodontitis that are contracted by people with these conditions may also be a lot more severe than those cases contracted people without that same condition. However, it is worth noting that because two conditions occur together doesn’t mean that they are related to each other. More studies need to be done before any such claims can be made with confidence.

Given the potential links between periodontitis and other conditions that many individuals may have, it’s even more vital to maintain proper oral health to help prevent these conditions from becoming a problem in the first place. It is vital to brush your teeth thoroughly at least once, preferably twice per day, as well as to floss daily. Choose dental tools that are also approved by the American Dental Society (ADA) to ensure that you are getting effective tools that actually help improve the oral hygiene of your mouth. If the product is not ADA approved, skip it in favor of one that is approved. If you cannot brush after meals at least rinse water through the mouth to help some of the food get out from sitting between or on your teeth till the next time you consumer food to replace it or drink water to get rid of it.

In the end, the easiest way to prevent gingivitis and eventually periodontitis is by regularly visiting the dentist on the recommended semi-annual for a regularly cleaning and inspection. Any gingivitis/periodontitis, cavities, or toothaches that you are suffering from are found early before the damage is severe or irreversible. This is also vital to pregnant women as any oral bacteria that enters the mouth and consequently the body can also effect the unborn child. Getting recommended dental care is vital to everyone’s health, well-being, and future, especially for those who are pregnant or wanting to become pregnant. It can be the difference between a healthy start for their children in their lives, or an unhealthful one.

If you have any questions regarding this article please contact us or call us at 909-465-1016.

The Ramona Dentistry Team

“Where Family Comes First”