The Unfortunate Link Periodontal Disease Can Cause Systemic Problems If Left Untreated

The bacteria in your mouth are anaerobic meaning that they like places without oxygen and they like warm dark places and to be left undisturbed.  When you eat food there are bacteria all around.  How about that Yankee Stadium hotdog which has been curing all season before you consume it?

So a great incubator for bacteria is your mouth.  It's dark in there, the temperature is around 100 degrees and if you’re not flossing they are being left alone.

When you analyze how your teeth reside in your mouth they are connected to your jaws by little fibers called periodontal ligaments.  These fibers go from your teeth into your jaw bones.  In a healthy situation where your teeth and gums meet there is a little pocket or sulcus which should be 2 to 3 mm in depth.

When you eat food and you do not floss the food remains in the pockets and over time the pocket gets deeper.  Once beyond four mm in depth even if you floss you will be unable to remove the food at the base of the pocket.  So the pocket deepens, the bacteria produce acids which ulcerate your gums leading to bleeding in these areas.

Bleeding is the highway into the interior of your mouth.  So now the bacteria have a highway into your internal organs and they’re going to take a trip and visit the sights within you.  The bacteria in your mouth are not supposed to be here – so they are going to have a good time but not so much for you.

Systemic diseases linked to periodontal conditions or gum problems in your mouth can increase your risk for stroke, heart attack, heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s disease, asthma and rheumatoid arthritis.

They won’t cause these conditions but can exacerbate their occurrence.  Since gum disease can be easily prevented with a little effort on your part, why not come in today for us to take a look and see if you should be concerned.

The problem with gum disease is it silently progresses within the person without them realizing it so they’re in trouble long before they know it.   Now the condition has advanced and more definitive treatment is necessary.  We can still help to prevent its progression but being proactive is always in your best interest.

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Looking for a Dentist in the Upper East Side?

At the practice of Glenn Reit DDS; we provide quality care in a relaxed, comfortable, clean and safe environment. Please contact us today at 212 517 9000 for this or any other of your dental needs. We look forward to seeing and taking care of you!

My Gums are Bleeding; What Will I Do?

If your gums are bleeding when you brush your teeth this is a warning sign that all is not right in your mouth.  Many patients today have no or very little dental decay due to the incorporation of fluoride into the general drinking water.

So having no cavities is a good thing but what about the structures that support your teeth.  Like a building your teeth need a strong foundation to survive.  Here in New York City all buildings have a stable foundation if correctly constructed due to the fact Manhattan Island is supported by solid bedrock.

The foundation for your teeth is the bone in your upper and lower jaws.  In addition to the bone your gums surround your teeth and offer protection and health if maintained.   How do you maintain your gum health?  That’s easy.  All you need to do in addition to brushing twice a day is to include flossing in your daily teeth cleaning regime.

We all know what dental floss is.  It’s that little fine string sold everywhere that you use to clean between your teeth.  Why don’t many people use it?  Well, you have to learn how to do it and it takes a little effort in the beginning.

Think of your teeth as cubes or squares.  There’s a top, front, back, bottom and sides.  Your toothbrush gets the top, front and back but cannot get in between your teeth.  Obviously, you can’t clean the bottom of your tooth unless you are holding it in your hand but with no daily effort to keep your teeth clean over time this might become your eventuality.

So think about it.  If you don’t clean in between your teeth those areas are never clean.  So when you eat food as most of us do and you leave remnants of the food in between your teeth from not cleaning there, the food starts to break down.  As it does it releases acids into your mouth which attack your teeth and your gums.

How do you know if your gums are under attack?  If when brushing or flossing you see blood appearing throughout your mouth then you know you gums are under attack.  If left long enough; this bleeding can become a generalized inflammation leading to tooth sensitivity, decay and eventual tooth loss.

In addition, the bacteria in your mouth when you have bleeding gums now have a pathway into the rest of your body which can cause havoc.

So if you’re bleeding come in for a cleaning and we will teach you how to brush and floss and evaluate your condition.  Being proactive is always better than being reactive.

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Looking for a Dentist in the Upper East Side?

At the practice of Glenn Reit DDS; we provide quality care in a relaxed, comfortable, clean and safe environment. Please contact us today at 212 517 9000 for this or any other of your dental needs. We look forward to seeing and taking care of you!

Gum Disease and Pregnancy

Congratulations; you’re pregnant and your life is going to change for the better.   When you’re pregnant you want to maintain optimum health for you and your developing baby.  One area that needs to be addressed is your oral health.  During pregnancy your hormone levels drastically shift.  This shifting can affect the health of your mouth.   During this time you are much more susceptible to gum disease even if you have never had this problem before.

Concentrated oral hygiene on a daily basis is needed to keep your gums and teeth healthy.  Daily brushing and flossing is a must.  Visiting your dentist for professional cleans will be recommended by your obstetrician to maintain your oral health.

Gingival inflammation during pregnancy has a special name:  Pregnancy Gingivitis where your gums become swollen, red and inflamed.    Bacteria formed within your mouth at this time can actually affect your baby by entering and living inside of the placenta.

We recommend additional cleanings during your pregnancy.  Some insurance plans even allow for additional cleanings during this special time in your life.

If you are pregnant extra precautions are taken. We will first contact your obstetrician for their concerns before beginning any treatment.

At the dental practice of Glenn Reit DDS we are here for you during this special time.  We can easily be reached at 212 517 9000 located at 1498 Third Avenue on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.

We’re excited for you as you progress towards that special day.

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Looking for a Dentist in the Upper East Side?

At the practice of Glenn Reit DDS; we provide quality care in a relaxed, comfortable, clean and safe environment. Please contact us today at 212 517 9000 for this or any other of your dental needs. We look forward to seeing and taking care of you!

A New Reason to Eat More Fish for Your Dental Health

Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don’t. Sometimes you want to fish, sometimes you don’t. However as for your gums they like nuts and fatty fish. Research claims there is a link between diets high in polyunsaturated fatty acids and a decreased risk for periodontal disease.

Gum disease is alive and present in the population.  Many individuals have gum disease and don’t even know it.   Around all your teeth is a cuff or pocket.  In a healthy situation this pocket should be about 3 mm in depth.  When you eat food begins to break down within your mouth.  As it breaks down it releases acids which if not routinely removed can cause decay and gum disease.

You prevent this from happening by brushing and flossing hopefully twice per day.  Your toothbrush can clean the top, front and back of your teeth.  However, it cannot get in between your teeth.  This is where dental floss comes in.  Properly used floss or string can get in between your teeth and remove any accumulated food present. 

If the food is not removed it begins to break down and cause inflammation.  As the inflammation progresses it destroys the ligaments that hold your teeth in your jaws.  Not a good thing.  Enough destruction leads to tooth mobility and eventual tooth loss. 

Researchers have found that people whose diets are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids were as much as 30% less likely to have gum disease than those who ate little or none of this type of fat.  Foods that are a good source of these types of fats include salmon, tuna, trout, mackerel, sardines and herring.

Oils that also have these fats are safflower, soybean, corn, and sunflower.  Almonds, pine nuts, walnuts, pecans, brazil nuts and pumpkin, sesame, sunflower and flax seeds are also good

 The possibility of preventing gum disease is not the only reason to eat foods with polyunsaturated fats.

These foods pack a nutritional punch and have myriad health benefits.

Please understand that diet alone will not treat or prevent gum disease, however it may be an additional tool for maintaining healthy teeth and gums.

If you have not had an examination or teeth cleaning in a while I urge you to schedule an examination and cleaning today.  We are conveniently located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in Yorkville at 1498 Third Avenue between 84th and 85th street.   

The 4,5,6 and Q subway lines along with the MTA bus lines are one block away.  We participate with the major dental insurance carriers.   For most Aetna, Cigna, Delta, Guardian, MetLife and United Health Care patients you are covered at 100% for an exam, x-rays and cleaning with no patient co-payment as long as your benefits have not been used.

Call us TODAY at 212 517 9000.   As a courtesy we will do a benefits check before you come in to confirm your eligibility for a preventive care cleaning appointment at no charge to you.

Looking for a Dentist in the Upper East Side?

At the practice of Glenn Reit DDS; we provide quality care in a relaxed, comfortable, clean and safe environment. Please contact us today at 212 517 9000 for this or any other of your dental needs. We look forward to seeing and taking care of you

How Much Do You Know About Gum Disease?

Think of a picture.  There’s the picture and then there’s the frame.  This situation is somewhat like what’s in your mouth.  There’s your teeth and then there’s the gums that surround them.  The gums along with the bone of your jaws support your teeth.

Healthy gums lead to healthy teeth to a healthy mouth.  When you eat food which contains sugar it starts to break down in your mouth.  Your job is to remove the remaining food to prevent these breakdown materials converting into acids which then can attack your teeth and gums.

You remove the remaining food substances by brushing your teeth.  When brushing you clean the top, front and back of the tooth.  However, you cannot get in between your teeth.  To accomplish this you need to floss.  The floss fits between your teeth and removes any food remaining there.

When food remains in your mouth for extended periods of time the acids produced attack the outer layer or enamel of the tooth.  The enamel is very hard so it takes a real effort for the bacteria to get inside your tooth which leads to a cavity.

Your gums are not as strong.  So by failing to floss the food accumulates within the pocket or cuff which surrounds your tooth.  In a healthy situation the pocket is approximately 3 millimeters in depth.  At this level you can get the floss to the base of the pocket and keep the area clean.

If you are not cleaning the acids attack the ligaments that hold your teeth in your jaws and cause them to become deeper.  Once they become deeper even if you floss you are unable to get the floss to the base of the pocket.  If the condition is not corrected in the next phase of gum disease the bone supporting the teeth starts to deteriorate leading to tooth loss.

At the dental practice of Glenn Reit DDS we want you to keep your teeth and to have a healthy mouth.  No matter what state your teeth or gums are in, we can assist you in having and maintaining a healthy situation.  We are conveniently located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan at 1498 Third Avenue between 84th and 85th streets.  

If you are in need of a cleaning or just a dental check up give us a call at 212 517 9000.  We look forward to meeting you and helping you preserve your oral health.

Looking for a Dentist in the Upper East Side?

At the practice of Glenn Reit DDS; we provide quality care in a relaxed, comfortable, clean and safe environment. Please contact us today at 212 517 9000 for this or any other of your dental needs. We look forward to seeing and taking care of you

My Gums Are Bleeding Should I Stop Flossing?

No , No, No!  The reason your gums are bleeding is because you have not been flossing.  Think of your teeth as cubes in your mouth.  When you brush your teeth you can get the top, front and back.  However, unless you are missing an adjacent tooth you are unable to get in between your teeth with your toothbrush.

Consider that all the bacteria in your mouth are anaerobic meaning they like areas without oxygen.  When you breathe in the air it has twenty percent oxygen and helps to kill the bacteria in your mouth.

When you brush your teeth you are bringing air into your mouth.  But you are not bringing air in between your teeth.  This is where floss comes in.  When you floss your teeth you bring air in between your teeth which helps to reduce the bacterial levels there.

 When you eat, the food remaining in your mouth begins to break down releasing acids.  The acids like to corrode your teeth with the bacteria they contain.  These bacteria also like warm, dark places with food to eat.  Sounds like the environment in your mouth.

 In a healthy situation there is a little cuff around each tooth.  The cuff should be one to three millimeters in depth.  When you fail to remove the food there the acids produced attack your gums and the depth of the cuff increases.  Once the depth gets greater than four millimeters even if you floss you are unable to get to the base of the cuff or pocket and it continues to increase in depth leading to gum disease and after a period of time left untreated, will lead to tooth loss.

 When you begin to floss since your gums are probably inflamed the floss will cause bleeding.  Your gums are ulcerated and the floss ruptures the ulcers leading to bleeding.  Even if you begin a flossing program it can take a week or two before the gums toughen up and become healthy.

 The first step is to visit a dentist for an exam and cleaning.  If your gums are diagnosed healthy we will teach you how to floss to maintain your healthy condition.  If your gums are unhealthy we will diagnose and offer treatments on how to return them to a healthy state where through brushing and flossing your mouth will remain healthy.

At the dental practice of Glenn Reit DDS we like people and want you to have a healthy mouth.  You lead with your mouth and if it is healthy this can only increase your feelings of self esteem.  We are conveniently located at 1498 Third Avenue in Yorkville.  That’s directly across from our very own Mickey Dees, between 84th and 85th streets on the second floor of a five story brownstone.

So if it’s been a while and your teeth may need a cleaning and we’ll give you some flossing encouragement.  Call us TODAY at 212 517 9000 to schedule a checkup appointment.  Your teeth will thank you and happy teeth are healthy teeth, so call NOW.

Looking for a Dentist in the Upper East Side?

At the practice of Glenn Reit DDS; we provide quality care in a relaxed, comfortable, clean and safe environment. Please contact us today at 212 517 9000 for this or any other of your dental needs. We look forward to seeing and taking care of you

Your Little Friend – Maybe?

Everyone has to eat if you’re to survive.  For the food to be of value it must be broken down into its component parts in order for your body to inherit the nutrients within.  Digestion begins in your mouth as the food enters.  Your teeth through chewing reduce the bulk of the food into sizes that your body can more easily handle.

The food you ingest also contains bacteria and some organisms which are not conducive to your health. Bacteria thrive in areas that are dark, warm and without air.  This describes your mouth precisely.  It is warm close to 100 degrees; it is dark when you close your mouth and there are areas around the necks of your teeth if the food gets into where there is little oxygen present.

Brushing and flossing help to clear out any remaining pieces of food after eating.  If you do not clean out this detritus then bacterial colonies will form and grow eventually leading to gum disease.  So now you have an unwarranted city of little friends setting up residence within your mouth.

Not too shabby or maybe it is.  Gum disease takes a long time to hurt and that is why people can get it and live with it.  If you do not want that city developing within your mouth then you need to brush and floss your teeth twice per day.   Proper brushing and flossing will remove the remnants of your meals.

If you are experiencing bad breath, if your gums are bleeding when brushing or flossing, if the roots of your teeth are becoming sensitive and your gums look swollen and red; you may be in the process of building a bacterial colony within your mouth.

Your blood system or circulatory system carries things throughout your body.  It is your internal river system.  So, if you start to increase the supply of bacteria in your mouth some of them will soon decide to move elsewhere causing more mayhem.  Bacteria of your mouth can lead to inflammation of your circulatory system and possibly inflammation of your heart.

At the dental practice of Dr Glenn Reit located on the Upper East Side of New York City in the area of Yorkville we like to meet new people and help them in maintaining the health of their teeth and gums.

Come on in and we will look at what is or is not going on in your mouth.  We can evaluate your home hygiene routine and check to make sure all is well.

If we find anything we will help you correct the situation and give you options and the costs involved before proceeding with any treatment. We have evening and Saturday hours to fit with your busy schedule. We participate with most major dental insurance carriers and in many cases the cost for exams, x-rays and cleaning are covered at 100%.  We can check your insurance benefits before you arrive and tell you exactly what to expect.

 As it is often said Happy Mouth, Happy Life and let’s make sure that you choose who your little friends might be.

Looking for a Dentist in the Upper East Side?

At the practice of Glenn Reit DDS; we provide quality care in a relaxed, comfortable, clean and safe environment. Please contact us today at 212 517 9000 for this or any other of your dental needs. We look forward to seeing and taking care of you.

Bleeding Gums Not Good For You

Do you ever notice after brushing your teeth, a red tinge in your sink on spitting out?  If you do and look into the mirror you will see bleeding from your gums.  This is the beginning of gum disease.  Your gums are inflamed and the act of brushing or flossing causes them to bleed.  Since your gums probably do not hurt this condition will worsen and eventually bite you.

Your gums support your teeth.  Strong gums lead to healthy teeth and a healthy mouth which contributes to a healthy body.  How can gum deterioration or gum disease happen?

When you eat most of the time food remains in your mouth.  If you do not remove the food it starts to break down releasing bacteria into your mouth.  Bacteria like warm dark places with a food supply.  Your mouth is at 98.6 degrees, is dark and as you continue to eat there is always a source of food.  As the bacteria increase they produce acids which attack your gums.

All teeth have a cuff or pocket around them.  The bacteria like to reside in these pockets.  In the first phase of gum disease the pockets become ulcerated and when you brush or floss the action of the floss or toothbrush causes your gums to bleed.

Failure to floss or brush on a continual basis allows the bacteria to continue to increase and if left long enough can lead to actual destruction of the bone that supports your teeth.  In the final phase this can lead to tooth loss.

Coming in to see us on a regular basis will prevent this scenario from occurring.

Looking for a Dentist in the Upper East Side?

At the practice of Glenn Reit DDS; we provide quality care in a relaxed, comfortable, clean and safe environment. Please contact us today at 212 517 9000 for this or any other of your dental needs. We look forward to seeing and taking care of you.