Learn About - Periodontal

Every Mouth Is Different: Oral Hygiene Tailored to You!

No two of us are alike. We all have our own smiles, speech patterns, eye and hair colorings. But we're just now beginning to learn how unique our mouth environments really are. Turns out, they're as distinctively different as fingerprints.

One patient can go a year between checkups, while another might need to return as often as every six weeks for teeth cleaning. The difference? The unique bacterial/chemical mix of each person's mouth. Professionally we call these differences "individualization."

Tartar builders, cavity creators

"Individualization" accounts for the fact that some mouths are genetically and chemically programmed to create tartar buildups, while others barely produce tartar at all. These genetic "signatures" even extend to tooth decay. There are patients who - despite their best efforts - appear cavity susceptible.

Older patients, special needs

Mouths, like people, are affected by years as well as by genes. If you're over 60, your oral chemistry is changing - and thorough examinations of gums and salivary glands can be a lifesaving early detector of oral cancer or other disease.

Patients over 55 develop twice as many cavities as children do. Many times that's because medications seniors take reduce saliva flow and dry the mouth - an open invitation for tooth decay and periodontal disease.

What should you expect from a visit to your dental hygienist? Along with your dental cleaning you may need professional scaling and root planing to remove harmful plaque and calculus deposits. He or she may also record the depths of your periodontal pockets (that space between your teeth and gums where decay and periodontal disease flourish).

Keeping track of you is a key part of the hygienist's job. It includes keeping your dental chart and health history current, making preliminary oral inspections, and creating tooth impressions.

Your hygienist is also an educator - someone who can teach you preventive dentistry skills - brushing and flossing techniques that make for healthy, trouble-free gums and teeth. Together, you two can make an unbeatable team!

+Jim Du Molin is a leading Internet search expert helping individuals and families connect with the right dentist in their area. Visit his author page.

Choosing Dental Health, Three Reasons Why It Is a Wise Choice for Care

Most of us think that taking care of our teeth is about having a great smile and avoiding the discomfort of a toothache. Although any dentist will say these are valid and important reasons for maintaining a good dental health program, there are three other equally strong reasons to consider.

First of all, dental health is part of your overall health. Second, choosing dental health is a wise investment of your time and financial resources. Third, your emotional well-being is influenced by how you think and feel about yourself. Your smile is a big part of your image of yourself. Let's examine each of these areas more thoroughly.

Your Physical Health

How easy it is to forget that our teeth, gums, and mouth are essential parts of our physical body. Periodontal disease, bone and gum loss, and infections all affect the overall picture of our physical health. The ability to chew our food well helps digestion and reduces stress on the gastrointestinal system.

Like any physical system, each part of the body plays a role in the overall health of the system; taking care of your teeth and gums is a part of an intentional plan for physical health. In collaboration with your dentist and dental team, you can create a plan for your dental health that will contribute to your overall health plan.

Dental Care - A Wise Investment

When treatment is necessary, the new dentistry is also an investment in your financial future. Proper treatment today prevents more costly complications and uncomfortable problems tomorrow. For those who seek to maintain their dental health for life, it is a wise investment to get the most value from the knowledge and skills your dentist and the new dentistry offers you.

Dental Hygiene - Emotional Well-Being

How you feel and think about yourself is an important part of your emotional well-being and a pleasant smile plays a big role in this. In addition, when you take an active role in caring for yourself, it also contributes to your overall sense of competence in managing your life and maintaining a positive lifestyle. The habit of dental health self-care and regular dental hygiene examinations reinforces taking positive steps for yourself in other areas of your life.

The new dentistry also can provide you with innovative and effective ways to create and maintain a pleasant smile that you feel good about. When it comes to feeling good about yourself and your smile, the new dentistry offers many exciting and effective options.

By Brian DesRoches, PhD

+Jim Du Molin is a leading Internet search expert helping individuals and families connect with the right dentist in their area. Visit his author page.