Gum Disease

Gum Disease

Article courtesy of Doctors Bruce Lachot and Kent Loo

Are you really healthy? Not if you have gum disease.

Studies indicate a relationship between health of gums and overall health. The link between periodontal disease and cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and other serious systemic diseases is well documented.

Multidisciplinary state of the art treatment and coordination of care are now becoming the norm in treating the entire persona, not just a single tooth. Periodontal disease is considered to be chronic and incurable since it almost always recurs.

Have you had previous gums surgeries and therapies that left you displeased with the outcome and gave you little hope of benefit? Controlling advanced periodontal disease is now a reality. For decades, the standard surgical operation involved removing diseased tissue and bacteria through open incision and removing bone. Therefore, to be fair; patients apprehension about periodontal surgery is not unjustified.

In recent years, with the development of dental lasers, this same radical procedure can now be performed with a minimally invasive small laser tip. This results in faster recovery, less periodontal disease, and better overall results. The Millennium laser protocol, LANAP, is an FDA-approved procedure that is very effective in targeting the bacteria that causes periodontal disease directly and precisely. With this procedure, the laser energy targets just the tissue at risk, avoiding a lot of collateral damage. Therefore, improved post-operative comfort and shorter healing time are significant. This reflects a dramatic shift towards a greater recognition that negative side effects have a great impact on patients well being.

The new focus in the more advanced dental community is to help folks with dental problems by utilizing new treatments to help clarify the bigger picture of total health and well-being, hopefully, leading to a better quality of life.

Missing teeth have a dramatic effect on overall health and decrease quality of life. If you have been unfortunate enough to have lost a tooth or many teeth, implants may be the best option for regaining your confidence and improving your quality of life. Dental implants can restore a single missing tooth, several missing teeth or multiple missing teeth by supporting bridgework. Dental implants can also help loose partials and dentures to be anchored and stabilized which can provide many functional advantages to patients. Implants prevent bone loss after the loss of natural teeth and provide optimal stability resulting in greater health and function.

Dental implants can be placed on most adults that maintain a level of good health. Certain uncontrolled medical conditions may decrease the effectiveness of implant treatment so be sure to discuss your full medical history with your dentist before beginning treatment. He/she is a trained doctor who can access whether you can improve your overall health by having implants placed.

Gone are the days when people said “My grandparents, my parents, my uncle all wore dentures. Therefore I will wear dentures.” That mentality is in the past. You can say, “No”, whether it is your first lost tooth, your tenth lost tooth, or even if you have lost all of your teeth.

Become empowered with knowledge. It will be beneficial in the quest for total health and wellness. Ask your dentist to explain the benefits and risks to see if tooth replacement with implants is right for you.

Doctors Bruce Lachot and Kent Loo’s full-service dentistry practice is located at 8535 East Hartford Drive, Suite 202 in Scottsdale. Additional information can be found at www.lachotsmiles.com or by phone at 480-515-1000