Your oral and dental hygiene affects your overall health in many ways we are only beginning to understand. Recent studies, for example, show the importance of a healthy mouth, teeth, and gums in preventing or managing diabetes, the connection between oral health and heart health, the way that periodontal inflammations can lead to inflammations in other parts of your body, and more.

Thus, doing all you can to protect and prolong your dental hygiene is about more than the more obvious aspects of maintaining healthy gums and teeth. It’s really about your total health and wellness.

Your Periodontist And Your Dental Health
Given the importance of dental and oral health, you want to maintain a proper, regular oral health regimen at home. But you should also be quick to take advantage of what your periodontist can do for your oral hygiene.

You’re glad that modern, effective periodontal treatment is available, but an ounce of prevention here is worth two pounds of cure. Periodontal care can help you maintain a healthy mouth and a confident smile for most or all of your life. Here are some of the most important ways that your periodontist can benefit your oral health:

1. Annual periodontal check ups. By having a professional “gum doctor” examine your gums at least once a year, you can catch and correct any problems early, before they get out of hand.
2. Good oral care advice. Your periodontist can give you reliable advice on how to better care for your gums and teeth. For example, using an antiseptic mouth rinse, brushing lightly along the gum line with a soft-bristled brush, and eating fruits and vegetables like apples and carrots that can naturally clean your teeth, are all helpful.
3. Periodontal treatments. If your dental hygiene does suffer and you need a corrective, a periodontist can offer treatments that most general dentists can’t. Root planing and scaling, for example, will remove plaque built up on your roots below the gum line. Crown lengthening will lower your gum line to correct a “gummy smile;” while a pinhole surgical graft procedure is a minimally invasive way to raise a receding gum line.
4. Other treatments. Besides procedure done directly on your gums, a good periodontist will offer a variety of other services that will improve your overall dental health. These include: Alveolar ridge preservation, sinus augmentation, bone or soft tissue grafts, extractions, dental implants, and implant-based dentures.

Periodontal Care Prevents Many Oral Problems
Any and all of the periodontal services mentioned above (and more), plus good oral hygiene practices at home, can greatly reduce the risk of such oral problems as the following:

• Gingivitis or more advanced forms of gum disease (periodontitis.)
• Oral infections that can spread from the mouth to other parts of the body.
• Tooth loss, which often follows extreme periodontal disease or poor dental hygiene.
• A receding gum line that will expose tooth roots and affect “the aesthetics” of your smile. This can also lead to increased sensitivity of teeth to hot/cold temperatures.
• Gums that bleed easily and/or are overly sensitive to the touch.
• Halitosis, which is the dental term for “chronic bad breath.”

Seeing a professional, experienced periodontist regularly and whenever a special need arises, is a wise move when it comes to protecting your dental hygiene and preventing all manner of oral diseases and conditions.

To learn more, or to schedule a free initial consultation, contact Dr. Kenzik in Ormond Beach, FL, today!