Healthy gums can make a difference in your life

When you keep your teeth and gums healthy, life is more enjoyable for you with a greater variety of food in your diet, a more attractive smile and a healthier outlook. Sadly, however, gum disease is present in almost 50% of teens and 75% of adults over 35. The contributing factors are:

• Diet (sugar and starch)
• Poor oral hygiene
• Stress
• Smoking

The consequences of ignoring the warning signs can be severe. If left untreated, gum disease can:

• Affect the weight of newborn children
• Contribute to heart disease and stroke
• Limit the effectiveness of insulin for diabetics
• Lead to osteoporosis, diabetes or bacterial respiratory infections

Gingivitis is the first stage of periodontal disease

          • During the first stage, gingivitis appears in these familiar symptoms:
          • Plaque forms on the teeth creating a "Bio-film"
          • Bio-film is the term used to describe the many types of bacteria that grow
            in layers on teeth and gums Gum tissue becomes red and swollen, 
            and bleeds easily
          • These bacteria then penetrate into your blood stream and create
            many problems for your heart, your unborn child, your blood sugar
            and other issues
          • Did you know that Bio-film is contagious and can spread from one person to
            another by way of saliva?
          • Bio-film is our office's main focus on removing and preventing

Gingivitis is reversible with proper hygiene treatment

Periodontitis is the more dangerous progression of the disease.

If gingivitis remains untreated, it can advance to periodontitis. Periodontitis leads to irreversible damage to the gums and bone around the roots or the teeth as well as other far-reaching health problems. It can start in the following ways:

• Plaque spreads and grows below the gum line
• Plaque bacteria produces toxins, which irritate and inflame the gums
• Bacteria enters the blood stream, endangering vessels, organs, fetus
• Tissue and bone that support the teeth break down

Tissue Therapy is not a basic 6-month cleaning

Tissue therapy is a treatment regime to help prevent chronic, potentially life-threatening gum disease. Treatment timelines depend on the extent of your disease and healing response, and can involve any or all of the following:

• Ultrasonic tissue therapy
• Laser therapy for tissue
• Chemical therapy to speed healing
• Surgical treatment (rarely)

(note that we do not depend on SCRAPING teeth to give you better tissue health. Our protocol relies on low frequency ultrasonic scalers that are both gentle and effective at removing the "Bio-film" that are bacteria on your teeth and gums. This Bio-film is the cause of gum disease and our hygiene team is focused on making sure your gum tissue is healthy without causing undue stress to you and your nerves)

Schedule a Complimentary Consultation with a Treatment Coordinator or a more In-Depth Evaluation with Dr. Westersund ($200.00). Dr. Westersund will answer your questions, discuss treatment options with you and help you find solutions that fit within your budget.