I Have Gum Disease! What Are My Options?

Your gums are bleeding when you brush or floss. Now what? If you have been diagnosed with gum disease all is not lost. You do have a few options and alternatives depending on the severity of disease.

 

Gingivitis can be reversed with regular professional cleanings, and excellent home care including daily flossing. It is also important to eat healthy foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables. These types of foods have important anti-oxidants and phytonutrients your body needs to remain healthy.

Once your condition has progressed to periodontitis, surgical intervention is usually necessary to eliminate the deep pockets which develop between the teeth and fums. If these pockets persist, they will become sites where bacteria can grow.

Familiarize Yourself With Dental Insurance Terms

If you have dental insurance, trying to figure out how it works and what it covers is very important to maximize your benefits. We have compiled this list of key insurance terms that you may need to help you decipher some of the verbiage you may hear when speaking with your dentist or provider about your coverage.

 Usual, Customary, and Reasonable (UCR)

Usual, customary and reasonable charges are the maximum amounts tat will be covered by the plan. Although these terms make it sound like a UCR charge is a kind of standard rate for dental care, that is not the case. The terms “usual” customary” and “reasonable” are misleading for several reasons:

What Is Gum Disease?

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Gum disease is probably a term that most everyone has heard. But do you know what gum disease really is or how it is caused? Gum disease begins when a film called plaque accumulates on the teeth. Certain strains of bacteria that live in this plaque damage gum tissue and bone. Your body will try to fight this infection with an inflammatory assault, sending white blood cells to the area to destroy bacteria. This inflammation causes the tissue to bleed easily when you brush or floss. This stage of the condition is called gingivitis.

Why Doesn’t My Dental Insurance

If your employer offers dental insurance, you should consider yourself very fortunate. This benefit works like a valuable”coupon” that can greatly reduce the costs of dental care. Unfortunately, no dental benefit plan is set up to cover all of your costs. 

To avoid any surprises in your dental bill, it is important to understand what your insurance will cover, and what you will need to cover. Dental benefits should not be confused with the dental services that you actually need, which are determined by you and your dentist. 

Warning Signs of Periodontal Disease

Periodontal disease is widespread. According to a recent study in the Journal of Periodontology at least 35 percent of the U.S. population age 30 and older has periodontitis. Periodontal disease is a bacterial gum infection that destroys the attachment fibers and supporting bone that hold the teeth. If left untreated periodontal disease can lead to tooth loss. In fact, it is the primary cause of tooth loss in adults 35 and older.

Periodontal disease can be a silent disease, so the majority of people with it do not even realize that they have it. There are some warning signs that you can watch for however.

Dental Implants Create Beautiful and Functional Teeth

Hiding a smile? Difficulty chewing? Dentures feeling insecure? Does this sound familiar because of missing teeth? The good news is that dental implants can correct these problems.

Dental implants are placed for esthetic and teeth-saving purposes. They can give the patient freedom and confidence. Dental implants are permanent replacements that look and feel so much like natural teeth, patients usually forget they are implants.

Why Does Brushing Your Teeth Make Things Taste Bad?

I am sure you have pondered this same question after brushing your teeth and drinking something too soon after.  That gross taste that you get when drinking right after you brush has to be one of the worst things ever. But what is the cause of this unpleasant effect??