Gum Disease in Diabetics

Diabetic patients are more likely to develop periodontal disease, which, in turn, can lead to blood sugar and diabetic complications.People with diabetes are more likely to have periodontal disease than people without diabetes, probably because diabetics are more susceptible to contracting infections. In fact, periodontal disease is often considered the sixth complication of diabetes. Those people who don’t control their diabetes are especially at risk.

Severe periodontal disease can increase blood sugar, contributing to increased periods of time when the body functions with a high blood sugar. This puts diabetics at increased risk for diabetic complications. Thus, diabetics who have periodontal disease should be treated to eliminate the periodontal infection.

Studies indicate that osteoporosis may lead to tooth loss because the density of the bone that supports the teeth may be decreased, which means the teeth no longer have a solid foundation. However, hormone replacement therapy may offer some protection.There are also researches that people with gum disease are almost twice as likely to suffer from coronary artery disease.Another possibility is that the inflammation caused by periodontal disease increases plaque build up, which may contribute to swelling of the arteries.Periodontal disease can also exacerbate existing heart conditions. Patients at risk for infective endocarditis may require antibiotics prior to dental procedures. Pregnant women who have periodontal disease may be seven times more likely to have a baby that is born too early and too small.It appears that periodontal disease triggers increased levels of biological fluids that induce labor.Bacteria in your mouth can be aspirated into the lungs to cause respiratory diseases such as pneumonia, especially in people with gum disease.

Untreated gingivitis can advance to periodontitis and eventually lead to tooth loss and other health problems.Periodontal (gum) diseases, including gingivitis and periodontitis, are serious infections that, left untreated, can lead to tooth loss. The word periodontal literally means “around the tooth.” Periodontal disease is a chronic bacterial infection that affects the gums and bone supporting the teeth. Periodontal disease can affect one tooth or many teeth. It begins when the bacteria in plaque (the sticky, colorless film that constantly forms on your teeth) causes the gums to become inflamed.

Gingivitis is the mildest form of periodontal disease. It causes the gums to become red, swollen, and bleed easily. Untreated gingivitis can advance to periodontitis. With time, plaque can spread and grow below the gum line. Gums separate from the teeth, forming pockets (spaces between the teeth and gums) that become infected. As the disease progresses, the pockets deepen and more gum tissue and bone are destroyed. Often, this destructive process has very mild symptoms. Eventually, teeth can become loose and may have to be removed.

There are many forms of periodontitis. The most common ones include the following.

* Aggressive periodontitis occurs in patients who are otherwise clinically healthy. Common features include rapid attachment loss and bone destruction and familial aggregation.
* Chronic periodontitis results in inflammation within the supporting tissues of the teeth, progressive attachment and bone loss. This is the most frequently occurring form of periodontitis and is characterized by pocket formation and/or recession of the gingiva. It is prevalent in adults, but can occur at any age. Progression of attachment loss usually occurs slowly, but periods of rapid progression can occur.
* Periodontitis as a manifestation of systemic diseases often begins at a young age. Systemic conditions such as heart disease, respiratory disease, and diabetes are associated with this form of periodontitis.
* Necrotizing periodontal disease is an infection characterized by necrosis of gingival tissues, periodontal ligament and alveolar bone. These lesions are most commonly observed in individuals with systemic conditions such as HIV infection, malnutrition and immunosuppression.


Regular treatment is a must, as well as the change in regime to our oral hygiene, and it is only through these precautions that we can expect to fight the progress of any gum disease. Root planning is a method of neutralising deeply impregnated bacteria at the root of the tooth. To treat this your dentist will set out a plan to treat each tooth separately, and it can cause discomfort for a few days after the treatment has been completed. Remember that the treatment doesn’t stop when you leave the dental surgery; it is you who needs to make sure that you have a regular routine of brushing, flossing and mouth-washing to keep the disease at a slow rate. Drinking water throughout the day will also help to neutralise acid build up.Periodontists are experts in the diagnosis and treatment of gum disease and can help you keep your teeth for life!

Invisalign Braces

If you have suffered from the negative effects on your self-esteem and happiness from uncomfortable or irregular teeth and jaws, braces can help to turn your hidden smile into a stunning straight grin, using a variety of options. The need for properly aligned teeth and jaws goes beyond simple aesthetic appeal, providing the individual with an effective bite, chew and fluency of speech, all contributing to your sense of comfort and happiness. Straight teeth also help to prevent physical health problems in the future, maintain healthy gums and improve your facial profile.

Orthodontic technology has come a long way in the last ten years. There are now available a whole new range of more aesthetically pleasing straightening devices that offer a much higher degree of discretion. By far the most discreet brace available is the Invisalign retainer. Introduced in 1999 by Align Technologies, the Invisalign retainer is a one millimetre thick plastic retainer that is designed to fit over the teeth making small adjustments. Each retainer is worn for a period of two to three weeks before a new retainer is used, again with a small adjustment. In all, an average of twenty retainers are used throughout the course of the treatment, although this varies on a patient-to-patient basis.

As most braces are fitted to patients in their teenage years, the level of discretion offered by Invisalign is invaluable. In the emotionally charged and difficult teen years nobody wants to stand out from the crowd, so a virtually invisible Invisalign retainer could be perfect for straightening teeth and retaining the patient’s confidence. Similarly for more mature patients keen to avoid the stigma attached to wearing braces at a later time in life, the Invisalign system can offer teeth straightening while maintaining the patient’s mature and professional appearance. One of the other major advantages of the Invisalign system is that the braces are completely removable. This means they can be taken out for meal times and important meetings or social occasions.

With recent advancements in the field of orthodontics, traditional methods such as brackets have undergone a change from the older ‘train-tracks’ of the past and can now be implemented smaller and are often clear in appearance, while treatment times have lessened, making the overall experience one that causes minimum interference to your life. If you are considering teeth straightening treatment, speak to your dentist about Invisalign braces.

Smile Makeover For Beautiful Smile

Even though you may keep up with proper dental care and alignment procedures, you may still need a smile makeover from time to time. Typically, this includes a range of services that are designed for the sake of appearance, as opposed to dental health. Without a question, having these procedures done can be the perfect reward for having reached some goal, or even to celebrate some passing some type of milestone. Fortunately, you will find that there are a number of dentists at Goma dental that are specially trained to give you the most beautiful smile possible.

Aside from teeth whitening, there are a number of other things your dentist can do to make your teeth more attractive. This includes altering their basic shape and size in order to create harmony and balance within your mouth. Your dentist will also take the motions of your mouth and face into consideration when shaping your teeth. As may be expected, what looks attractive on someone else may not work for you. Therefore, this tends to be a highly individual process.

Once your teeth are reshaped, it will be time to start working on improving their color. For example, if your teeth have become stained from drinking coffee or smoking, whitening agents can remove all of that discoloration. In addition, your dentist will also look for ways make sure that veneers, fillings, and the natural color of your teeth all combine to match your face and hair coloring.

When you go for a smile makeover, you will be amazed at how much more attractive you will look. You may even wish you had gone for this type of procedure when you were younger. That said, if you are still thinking to put these procedures off for a few more years, consider that your teeth will only become less attractive as time goes by. On the other hand, you can enjoy a beautiful smile now, and have it for the rest of your life.

Dentures : Way To A Great Smile

Dentures are becoming less and less common as the standard of oral care increases. However, due to knocked out teeth from head trauma and dental decay, there are still a number of people who require artificial sets of teeth.Dentures are prosthetic devices constructed to replace missing teeth, and which are supported by surrounding soft and hard tissues of the oral cavity. Conventional dentures are removable, however there are many different denture designs, some which rely on bonding or clasping onto teeth or dental implants. Dentures come in the form of flexible plastic palates attached to a set of artificial ceramic teeth. They can be used to restore the appearance of a whole or partial dental arc.

Dental decay begins when plaque acid breaks down the enamel that surrounds the teeth. If these cavities penetrate to the centre of the tooth it can cause an infection that leads to tooth loss. Tooth infections are difficult to treat and can easily spread to other teeth. When many teeth have succumbed to infection it removes the rigid structure that supports the facial tissue. This causes sagging in the facial tissue which adds years to the patient’s appearance. An absence of teeth also causes an extensive erosion of the gums and makes eating very difficult. Dentures replace the teeth as facial supports and enable the patients to eat and live a normal life.

Dentures can help patients in a number of ways:
* Mastication - chewing ability is improved by replacing edentulous areas with denture teeth.
* Aesthetics - the presence of teeth provide a natural facial appearance, and wearing a denture to replace missing teeth provides support for the lips and cheeks and corrects the collapsed appearance that occurs after losing teeth.
* Phonetics - by replacing missing teeth, especially the anteriors, patients are better able to speak by improving pronunciation of those words containing sibilants or fricatives.
* Self-Esteem - Patients feel better about themselves.

Problems with dentures include the fact that patients are not used to having something in their mouth that is not food. The brain senses this appliance as "food" and sends messages to the salivary glands to produce more saliva and to secrete it at a higher rate. This will only happen in the first 12 to 24 hours, after which, the salivary glands return to their normal output. New dentures can also be the cause of sore spots as they compress the soft tissues mucosa (denture bearing soft tissue). A few denture adjustments for the days following insertion of the dentures can take care of this issue. Gagging is another problem encountered by a minority of patients. At times, this may be due to a denture that is too loose, too thick or extended too far posteriorly onto the soft palate. At times, gagging may also be attributed to psychological denial of the denture. (Psychological gagging is the most difficult to treat since it is out of the dentist's control. In such cases, an implant supported palateless denture may have to be constructed or a hypnotist may need to be consulted). Sometimes there could be a gingivitis under the full dentures, which is caused by accumulation of dental plaque.

Dentures should be secured by suction alone but often this is not enough due to erosion of the gums. Denture wearers often resort to using denture adhesive strips or gels, which can be very messy and prevent patients eating certain foods. A more permanent approach is to have a set of mini-implants secured to the jawbone to which the dentures can snap on or off. This provides a good level of security meaning patients do not have to feel anxious about loose dentures.Implant technology can vastly improve the patient's denture-wearing experience by increasing stability and saving his or her bone from wearing away. Implant can also help with the retention factor.

Dentures are fairly hard wearing but do need regular cleaning just like real teeth. They are usually taken out over night and cleaned. Dentists usually offer more extensive cleaning services as part of their wider denture treatments.

If you are suffering from missing teeth and want to restore the appearance of your smile, make an appointment with Goma dental to see what dentures could do for your teeth and life.

Dental Hygiene Prevents Teeth Problems

When it comes to dental hygiene, prevention really is better than cure. Nothing is better for your teeth than maintaining a regimented routine of oral hygiene. By spending just a few extra minutes a day to keep your teeth and gums clean and healthy, you could avoid a lifetime of painful and costly dental procedures. Ask any one who has suffered from tooth decay, gum disease or who has suffered form a serious toothache and they will tell you that that extra few minutes brushing and flossing are definitely worth it.

Dentists recommend brushing your teeth twice a day, in the morning after breakfast and in the evening before bed, using suitable toothpaste (ask your dentist about fluoride content) and a suitable brush with appropriate bristles. They also strongly recommend flossing your teeth at least once a day. These are the two main front-line defences against a whole array of painful and unpleasant dental problems.

By not brushing and flossing regularly you are allowing bacteria to build up in a filmy substance called plaque which surrounds the teeth, attacking the enamel and causing cavities. If these cavities are allowed to penetrate to the root of the tooth it can cause an infection that will be very painful and can eventually lead to tooth loss. It is also possible for the infection to spread to other teeth in the mouth and even infiltrate the bloodstream causing serious health problems such as heart disease.

It is an unpleasant thought, but the mouth is in fact one of the dirtiest places in the human body. Its warm and moist conditions make it ideal living conditions for the 500 million or so bacteria that live there. If this bacteria is not properly controlled by cleaning it will thrive and cause health problems.

Good oral hygiene also eliminates unfortunate social conditions such as yellow teeth and bad breath. Over 90 per cent of cases of bad breath are caused by poor dental hygiene. Food and bacteria trapped between the teeth break down releasing foul smelling sulphurous compounds that are the cause of bad breath. Brushing and flossing help to remove the bacteria and keep your breath fresh.

A good dental hygiene routine, accompanied by the all important six-month visits to the dentist can help you maintain a happy and healthy mouth. Look after your teeth and they can last you a lifetime. Ask your dentist about how to correctly brush your teeth and which brush is most suitable for your teeth and gums.

Bone Grafts : Reverse Jaw Bone Loss

Bone grafting is a surgical procedure that replaces missing bone with material from the patient's own body, an artificial, synthetic, or natural substitute. Bone grafting is possible because bone tissue, unlike most other tissues, has the ability to regenerate completely if provided the space into which to grow. As native bone grows, it will generally replace the graft material completely, resulting in a fully integrated region of new bone. The biologic mechanisms that provide a rationale for bone grafting are osteoconduction, osteoinduction and osteogenesis.The most common use of bone grafting is in the application of dental implants, in order to restore the edentulous area of a missing tooth. Dental implants require bones underneath them for support and to have the implant integrate properly into the mouth. People who have been edentulous (without teeth) for a prolonged period may not have enough bone left in the necessary locations. In this case, bone can be taken from the chin or from the pilot holes for the implants or even from the iliac crest of the pelvis and inserted into the mouth underneath the new implant.In general, bone grafts are either used en block (such as from the chin or the ascending ramus area of the lower jaw) or particulated, in order to be able to adapt it better to a defect.Another common bone graft, which is more substantial than those used for dental implants, is of the fibular shaft.

When bone graft is implanted in the jaw, it doesn't just simply fill a void in the bone; it may also help promote new bone growth in that location. When successful, bone grafting can restore both the height and width of your jaw bone.There are several bone graft options, and they differ in how they help promote bone formation. They include:

* Autogenous Bone Grafts. Also called autografts, these types of grafts are made from the patient's own bone, harvested from elsewhere in the body. Typical harvest sites include the chin, jaw, bone of the lower leg (tibia), hip (iliac crest) or the skull (cranium).Autogenous bone graft has traditionally been considered the "gold standard" as a graft material because it is "live bone" complete with the living cellular elements that enhance bone growth.
* Allogeneic Bone. Allogeneic bone, also called allograft, is bone derived from a genetically unrelated member of the same species. It's typically non-vital (dead) bone harvested from a cadaver, then processed using a freeze-drying method that extracts all the water via a vacuum.
* Xenogenic Bone. Similar to allogeneic bone, xenogenic bone is non-vital bone derived from another species, usually a cow. Because the potential for immune rejection and contamination by viral proteins is higher in bovine bone than in human cadaver bone, xenograft material is processed at very high temperatures (600-1,000 degrees Celsius). Xenograft's mechanism of action is similar to that of allograft – it serves as an osteoconductive framework on which bone from the surrounding area can grow to fill the void.

Bone graft substitutes are commercially produced synthetic products that have many of the same bone forming properties as human bone, and are a safe and proven alternative to autograft and allograft.One of the advantages of using a bone graft substitute instead of autogenous bone is that it eliminates the need to harvest the patient's own bone, thus potentially reducing the risk and pain associated with the harvest procedure.
Some bone graft alternatives include:Demineralized Bone Matrix (DBM)/ Demineralized Freeze-Dried Bone Allograft (DFDBA),Bone Morphogenetic Proteins,Ceramics and Graft Composites.