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!

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

Do Your Gums Bleed When You Brush Your Teeth?

Bleeding gums can be a sign of periodontal disease or the degradation of the tissue which holds your teeth in your jaws.  When you brush your teeth you should see no bleeding in a healthy mouth.  How do you obtain a healthy mouth?  Some people are lucky. Their genetics lead to a condition where it is hard to develop tooth decay or gum disease.

However, for most of us this is not the case.  For this group going to the dentist for routine cleanings and restoration of diseased teeth is the answer.  When you brush your teeth you bring air into your mouth.  The air has 20% oxygen and oxygen causes bacteria to break down.  The bacteria in your mouth are anaerobic meaning living without oxygen.  This bacteria desires warm, dark places without air.  Your mouth is a perfect environment for this

It is warm around 98.6 degrees, it is dark inside – no light here and there is limited oxygen around the teeth.   When you brush your teeth you bring air and oxygen into your mouth.  You can brush the top, front and back of your teeth but you cannot get in between your teeth.  Dental floss that thin waxed string has the ability to move between your teeth and bring oxygen into this area.  More importantly there is a cuff around each tooth.  In a healthy situation this cuff is one to three mm in depth.  You can therefore wrap the floss around each tooth and move into this cuff or sulcus to aerate the area and remove any food residing there.

When you eat, food begins to break down in your mouth and produce acids.  If you do not remove these acids on a regular basis it will lead to tooth decay and gum breakdown or gum disease.  You notice the beginning of the breakdown when you brush or floss your teeth and you begin to bleed.  

If your gums are not 100% healthy they are ulcerated so when touched they open up and bleed.  You can ignore this situation since it usually does not hurt but it will progress into a worse situation where you begin to lose bone called periodontitis.

By coming in for regular exams and cleaning we can check your mouth for decay and if found restore your tooth to health.  If your gums are bleeding we can do a thorough cleaning and resolve the issue.  If your gum condition has already progressed to a direr situation we have procedures to resolve that.

Your gums, teeth and breath will thank 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.