Our gums surround our teeth and play a vital role to our ability to smile and eat.  The bone that lies around the teeth are effected by the gum tissue that lay over it.  If the gum tissue isn’t health, the bone underneath it mirrors that.  So, what happens to the bone when the gum tissue is unhealthy.  A WHOLE LOT!  If the gum tissue is so inflamed and is trapping harden bacteria (aka tartar), your bone slowly disintegrates- it literally goes away.  If there isn’t good bone around your teeth, you get LOOSE teeth.  This is the “gum disease” or periodontal disease and it can start from some bleeding gums!

So, how do I take care of my bone and gums.  Its quite simple and you have heard it from grade school.  Good brushing and FLOSSING.  With good home care and routine visits to my office, we can prevent gum disease from destroying your bone.  So, the early signs of gum disease is a little blood while you brush and that’s when we want to nip it in the bud and prevent further progression of the disease.

You can get great tips on this blog and also under “patient education” section of the website.

Thanks!  Dr. George Wang

Foods are a major impact for dental health and our daily food and drink choices directly affects our cavity rate.  We have been told from an early age not to eat candy or drink sodas.  That is very true and they remain a big cause for cavities.  However, we have never been told what foods can help prevent cavities and protect our teeth.  So, in this blog, I will focus on these “helpful” foods and give you some tips that you can use everyday.

Foods like cheese, nuts, chicken and other meats are helpful by providing calcium and phosphorus needed to remineralize teeth, or in other words, strengthen teeth.  Going back to the initial statement, apples, pears, and vegetables are also beneficial.  They have a high water content which neutralizes some of their sugars they contain, while increase salivary flow.  The minerals and ions in our saliva, by nature, help protect teeth.  Anything that increases salivary flow, in turn, helps protect teeth.  Sugar free gums are great in increasing saliva.  Make sure, the label says “sugar free,” horwever, “sugar less” gums still contain sugar.

So, what drinks are helpful?  Any “white” milk is helpful but avoid sweetened milks like strawberry or chocolate.  Other drinks include water and non -sweat teas.

One final tip, 3 larger meals are helpful. This helps increase salivary flow between meals.  Snacking and frequent eating habits don’t allow our saliva to coat the teeth and protect them.

According to the American Dental Association, gum or periodontal diseases are classified according to the severity of the disease. There are two main stages of gum disease: gingivitis and periodontitis. Gingivitis is the milder stage and is a reversible form of the disease that solely affects the gums. Gingivitis may develop into the more destructive stage of gum or periodontal disease:periodontitis.

It is a possibility to have periodontal disease without warning signs. Regular dental examinations are important to screen for gum disease. Brushing and cleaning between teeth as well as eating a balanced diet prevents serious periodontal disease.

Risk factors that increase the likelihood of developing gum or periodontal diseases: smoking or chewing tobacco products; diseases such as diabetes; some types of medications including steroids, cancer treatment drugs, calcium channel blockers, oral contraceptives and some types of anti-epilepsy drugs; improperly fitting bridges; crooked teeth; defective filings; pregnancy or the use of oral contraceptives.

Warning signs for periodontal or gum disease include gum tissue that bleeds easily; tender or swollen, red gums; gums that have receded from the teeth; chronic bad breath or a bad taste in the mouth; loose or separating permanent teeth; a change in the way teeth come together in the bite; a change in the fit of partial dentures.

Plaque, a sticky layer of bacteria that is continuously forming on the teeth, is the cause of gum disease. The bacteria form toxins that can damage the gum tissue if not discouraged by a healthy diet and removed by using proper dental hygiene, including brushing the teeth twice daily and cleaning in between the teeth with dental floss.

Teeth Whitening Systems

The first step in embarking on a teeth whitening regimen is to visit the dentist the get the teeth cleaned. This way a lot of plaque and stains can be removed giving the teeth a whiter appearance before the whitening process begins.

Whitening Toothpastes – any toothpaste is mildly abrasive and will remove any surface stains on the teeth. Whitening toothpastes have polishing and chemical agents in them to help whiten the teeth without using bleach. The toothpaste can usually get the teeth one shade whiter, so they will not completely whiten the teeth.

Over-the Counter Whitening Strips and Gels – a popular way to whiten teeth is the over-the-counter whitening gels. The gels are peroxide-based and the gel is brushed directly onto the teeth. A person will brush the gel on twice a day for two weeks. Generally the teeth will appear whiter in a few days and the affect will last for approximately four months. The whitening strips also use a peroxide-based gel that coats the thin strips. The strip is almost invisible when applied to the teeth. They, too, are applied to the teeth twice a day for about 30 minutes and results are noticeable in a few days.

Whitening Trays – tray-based systems to whiten the teeth can be purchased over-the-counter or from a dental office. The trays look like mouth-guards, and are filled with a teeth-whitening solution that also contains hydrogen peroxide. A person wears the teeth-whitening tray for a couple of hours a day during the night for about four weeks, depending on how much the teeth need to be whitened.

Whitening Mouthwashes – the newest product on the market for whitening teeth is a mouthwash that contains hydrogen peroxide. The mouthwashes will cleanse the breath and help get rid of harmful bacteria and plaque as well as brighten the teeth. It is used like regular mouthwash with one important twist. A person swishes the mouthwash around in the mouth for about one minute before brushing the teeth. Because the mouthwash only comes in contact with the teeth for a short time each day, any results will take at least 12 weeks to be noticed, and the teeth will not become as white as when using other teeth-whitening systems.

Whitening the Teeth in a Dental Office

The best way to see a dramatic difference in the level of whiteness in the teeth is to visit an office such as Dallas Teeth Whitening. An in-office tooth bleaching is the quickest way to get whiter teeth and dramatic results. While it may be the most expensive option for whitening teeth, in-office bleaching will get the teeth up to eight times brighter than over-the-counter systems. Results are seen after only one treatment that will last from 30 to 60 minutes.

With in-office teeth bleaching, a whitening product is applied directly to the teeth and then a special laser light is used along with heat is used to whiten teeth. Several treatments may be necessary to reach the desired results, but the end result will be dramatic. A professional at Dallas Teeth Whitening will consult with the dental patient and explain the number of visits that would be required.

People want to get their teeth as white as possible for many reasons. Anyone doing public speaking or in sales and marketing jobs want to make the best impression possible. Even someone seeking employment needs to put their best foot forward, and a bright smile shows confidence and professionalism.

In this article, we shall discuss top 5 reasons about why you should see your dentist regularly. Oral cancer is the first reason for you to see your dentist regularly and there are a lot of dentists in Dallas that will advise you to visit them regularly because of the intensity of this disease and the harmful effects it can have on a patient. According to a latest census, oral cancer is one of the most common diseases in the world and there are a lot of people that have this disease of oral cancer and they still do not know it. The problem with this disease is that it will occur to you without even possible for you to know its presence. According to the dentists in Dallas, the only way that you can stop this disease from spreading inside you or to cure it is to get it removed in the early stages. The only way you are going to do it is by visiting your dentist regularly.

The second reason for you to see your dentist regularly is to avoid tooth gum diseases. These are also the similar types of diseases and will start inside your mouth without you knowing their presence. These gum diseases can be removed at later stages as well, but it will cost you a lot of pain and money. To avoid this you will have to see your dentist regularly and this is one and the only way to stop these gum diseases to start inside your mouth.

Another important reason for you to visit your dentist regularly is to keep your teeth permanent inside your mouth. With the passage of time, the physical condition of your teeth will start weakening and if you were not that type of a person that visited dentist regularly then, believe me, there are a lot of worst possible things that you will have to face. In order to save yourself from all of those problems, my advice to you will be to visit your dentist regularly and to keep your clean all the times. By doing these simple things, you will be ensuring that your teeth remain healthy and so do you.

Dentists in Dallas are of the idea that if some disease can be controlled at earlier stages then there is no need for it to grow inside you. You should also visit your dentist regularly because it will help you in staying away from different types of emergencies regarding dental problems. This is a very important thing and if you will not visit your dentist regularly then there are a lot of problems that you will have to face.

Last but not the least, you should visit your dentist regularly because it will allow you to enjoy overall healthy life. Visiting your doctor will allow you to not only enjoy better oral health but it will also allow you to enjoy overall healthy life as well and due to that you should see your doctor regularly.