Gum Disease Prevention At Klein Family Dental

Gum disease normally follows a progression. It begins as gingivitis, which is an acute inflammation of the gums and the soft tissue surrounding the teeth. If this infection is not treated and corrected then the natural progression is for this to turn into periodontitis, which is a breakdown of the soft tissue and the hard tissue, or bone, around the teeth. Advanced periodontitis can eventually lead to very dangerous bacterial abscess and loss of teeth. Periodontitis is know in dentistry to be the "silent" disease, because usually the symptoms are not apparent to the patient until the disease progression is advanced. Many times patients with severe periodontitis are not experiencing any pain at all! They may notice some slight mobility to their teeth, but that could be the only symptom that they notice. This illustrates the extreme importance of coming in for regular maintenance cleanings. First of all, the cleaning itself helps to prevent and intervene during this disease process, but the cleaning also allows us the opportunity to diagnose the problem and educate you on treatment options before the progression of the disease. There are many treatment options that we offer at Klein Family Dental that will treat and prevent gum disease. The most important of these is your dental cleanings!

Treatments and Recommendations for Gum Disease:

Regular Dental Cleanings/Maintenance: 2-4/year depending on your specific need.
Daily brushing for 2 min. 2-3/day
Sonicare Toothbrush-we have them available to our patients!
Daily flossing!--Let us show you the correct way to floss!
Tobacco Cessation- Talk to us if you are interested in this!
Pharmaceutical Therapy
Localized pocket antibiotic delivery systems.

Sometimes, if gum disease is either non-responsive to our treatments, or if it has progressed into advanced stages we will make a referral to a periodontist, that will be able to offer even more treatment options.

Don't become one of the 64+ million adults with active gum disease. Make your appointment today to stay on top of your dental health!

Sincerely,

Drs. Aric and Amy Klein

This is an excellent article from the NIH on periodontal health!

Dental Implants at Klein Family Dental

Dental implants are a wonderful treatment option for many patients who need to replace one or more missing teeth. Implants are a relatively new treatment in dentistry, first introduced in the 1970's. There have been many advancements in the science behind implants. Today the success rate is hard to ignore.

Advantages of Dental Implant Restoration for a Single Missing Tooth:

No need to disrupt or treat the teeth that are adjacent to the space!
High success rate.
Functions very much like a natural tooth

Disadvantages of Dental Implant Restoration for a Single Missing Tooth:

Usually this is the most expensive treatment option
You must be patient...this is a several month process...although temporaries are always available to get you through.
When there are complications, they are not as easy to address. (Removal of the implant, sometimes bone grafting, and implant replacement just as an example)

Implants are used in dentistry for many situations that extend past the single tooth restoration. For example, two implants can be placed and a bridge can be fabricate to replace multiple missing teeth.

Implants can also be placed to retain either an over denture, or a hybrid denture.

We just love this infographic that we found on Pintrist! We think it is a great pictorial representation of some of the facts about dental implants.

Please call our office today to set up a free consultation to see if dental implants may be a good option for you!! 281-531-9258

Sincerely,

Drs. Aric and Amy Klein

See what the American Dental Association has to say about Dental Implants here.