An integrative approach to your good health and well-being.
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Hard to believe, but not all holes in teeth are cavities. Some holes can be wear facets, usually caused by clenching, brushing too hard, or having too acidic saliva.
Such is the case with Abfractions. They are usually found on the front surface of teeth by the gum line, and have no decay. Most of the time, they are painless and get ignored. Not a good choice.
If left unattended, they usually create greater problems as the hole gets deeper over time. These teeth are most prone to fracture since there is no support at the base of the crown. One bite into something hard and the cusp will snap right off, creating a sequelae of root canal with post and crown, or a full extraction of the tooth.
Other times the hole collects food, eventually leading to deep cavities, root canal or total loss of the tooth.
Luckily, we can repair these holes using painless Air Abrasion and placing a biocompatible filling.
Even though they are painless cavities with no decay, they need to be filled to prevent further damage. Here's a quick video that explains this:
Periodontal (gum) disease is a broad term for conditions involving inflammation and infection of the tissues (gum and bone) that surround and support the teeth. Being that the mouth is a microcosm for other body parts, it is important to heal this gum disease ASAP, to prevent further deterioration of the rest of your health.
Periodontitis is a very common type of gum disease among U.S. adults:
About 4 in 10 U.S. adults 30 years or older had a mild, moderate, or severe level of periodontitis in 2009–2014.
About 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women 30 years or older had some level of periodontitis.
Periodontitis is more common as people age. About 60% of adults 65 years or older have periodontitis.
There are different levels of Periodontal Disease, ranging from Gingivitis (inflamed bleeding gums) up to full blown Periodontitis (severe bone loss, loose teeth). There are several causes of Periodontal Disease which are listed below:
1. Poor oral hygiene
2. Nutritional deficiency
3. Bacteria overgrowth
4. Genetics
I have seen a direct correlation between dental bone loss and systemic bone loss. If you are losing the bone that supports your teeth, there is a high probability that you are losing bone elsewhere. No surprise when we find that patients with periodontal bone loss, also have osteopenia or osteoporosis.
There are many ways to treat Periodontal Disease, but it depends on the root cause. From the list above, #1 and #2 are straight forward in terms of treatment; #3 and #4 require some further investigation.
There are other diseases that correlate with Periodontal Disease. The chart below lists most of them. The little circles listed next to the disease are the abridged names of the bacteria that are usually present in the saliva with each of the diseases listed. Once we know which bacteria are present in your saliva, this will guide us in treating the periodontal condition with the best medicament.
Luckily we have a simple, painless saliva test to figure these out. The test involves rinsing with saline for a half minute and spitting into a test tube. The specimen is sent out to a lab, and the results are back within a week. Not only will the test tell you which bacteria are present in your mouth but will also tell you if you are genetically predisposed to getting Periodontal Disease. Knowing these factors can make a huge difference in successfully treating your condition.
Conventionally, most dentists will treat Periodontal Disease with deep cleanings or surgery. This will not address the root cause. It will only treat the symptoms. By learning which bacteria are present, we know which medicament can eradicate it.
So if you have bleeding gums, receding gums, moving or loose teeth, it would be wise to have the saliva test done to rule out bacterial infection, as well as genetic factors.
Diagnosing Periodontal Disease is easy. Addressing the root cause for proper treatment is the tricky part. Be sure to ask for your saliva test at your next visit.
