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Recognizing Gum Disease Early: Why It Matters

Recognizing Gum Disease Early: Why It Matters

Why Early Detection Is Crucial

Periodontal disease affects nearly half of adults aged 30 and older in the United States, according to the CDC. Often painless in its initial stages, it can easily go unnoticed until significant damage has occurred. Early detection and intervention are essential for preserving healthy gums, teeth, and even systemic health.

“Many people don’t realize the impact gum disease can have, not just on their oral health but their entire body,” says Dr. Todd Britten. “By recognizing the signs early, we can prevent more severe complications, including tooth loss and increased risks for conditions like heart disease and diabetes.”

Early Signs of Gum Disease 

The following symptoms that may indicate the presence of gum disease:

  • – Red, swollen, or tender gums
  • – Bleeding during brushing or flossing
  • – Persistent bad breath or a bad taste in the mouth
  • – Gum recession, where teeth appear longer
  • – Loose or shifting teeth

“These symptoms are your body’s way of telling you something is wrong. Ignoring them could lead to advanced periodontal disease, which is more challenging and costly to treat,” explains Dr. Todd Britten.

The Benefits of Early Treatment 

Treating gum disease in its early stages—gingivitis—can often reverse the condition entirely. Professional cleanings, improved oral hygiene, and lifestyle changes can restore gum health and prevent progression to periodontitis, a more severe form of the disease that can lead to bone and tooth loss.

“Early treatment is not only more effective but also less invasive and more affordable,” adds Dr. Todd Britten. “Our goal is to help patients maintain their natural teeth for life.”

Why It Matters for Overall Health 

Emerging research links periodontal disease to systemic conditions, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, respiratory infections, and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Maintaining healthy gums can play a vital role in preventing these health issues.

Take Action Today 

Britten Periodontics and Implant Dentistry urges the community to prioritize regular dental check-ups and educate themselves on gum disease prevention.

To schedule a periodontal evaluation or learn more about gum disease, visit www.brittenperio.com or contact our office at 727-586-2681.

About Britten Periodontics and Implant Dentistry 

Britten Periodontics is a leading provider of periodontal care and dental implant solutions in Clearwater, Florida. With a patient-first approach and a commitment to using the latest technology, our practice helps patients achieve healthy, confident smiles.

Soda Destruction in Kids & Teens

Soda Destruction in Kids & Teens

From ADA:  “It’s not just soda that’s contributing to an increase in tooth decay. Nationwide, students are drinking more sports drinks and fruit juices, which also contain high concentrations of sugar. The problem is with the frequency that a child’s teeth are exposed to sugar throughout the day. Nursing soft drinks significantly contributes to the development of tooth decay.

For example, if a student takes one small sip of soda, and then a minute later, takes another small sip, and then another sip—and this goes on during the course of one day—teeth are exposed over and over again to high concentrations of sugar and acid without any kind of break.

Even sugar-free soda is harmful to teeth because it contains high amounts of acid, leading to a breakdown in dental enamel. Because students typically do not brush their teeth during school hours, their risk of getting cavities increases dramatically.”

Benefits of Drinking Water:

“There are many benefits to drinking water:

  • Reduces muscle cramping and fatigue when consumed before, during, and after exercise.
  • Regulates body temperature. To sweat, you need plenty of water.
  • Helps you get well when you’re sick by controlling fever and replacing lost fluid.
  • Keeps you hydrated, alert, and energized. Even minor dehydration can cause a loss of concentration, fatigue, and irritability.
  • Prevents you from confusing hunger with thirst, which can help you control your weight.”

In the above picutre, we have both photos and x-ray images of a healthy mouth vs. a mouth that has had major decay caused by a soda drinking habit. Soda: It’s not hip to sip!

Broken Crown: Before and After

Broken Crown – Before and After

Your dentist can either repair or replace a broken crown

For a broken crown, your dentist will assess the issue and correct it right away. If the crown is still repairable, the dentist will use techniques like dental bonding to revitalize it. Yet, if the broken crown is beyond repair, replacing it will be the only option. Seeing your dentist for an evaluation will help determine which suits your case.

You can see in this picture the tooth in the middle was repaired with a beautiful new crown by one of our talented referring dentists! Materials in dentistry continue to improve function, esthetics and strength of crowns!

Periodontal Disease May Be More Serious Than You Realize

A silent disease.

With periodontal disease, you may not feel any discomfort. You may not notice any symptoms. But treating periodontal disease quickly is of the utmost importance.
 
With proper diagnosis and professional instruction from a dentist, you can protect your pearly whites for years to come.
 
Do you think you’re suffering from periodontal disease? Or has it been years since your last checkup?
Then please schedule an appointment with your dentist or periodontist ASAP! #brittenperio #clearwaterperiodontist

How Periodontal Disease Can Progress

Bacteria in our mouths are constantly creating plaque. If bacterial plaque on the teeth isn’t removed, the gums can become infected and inflamed.
 
– Plaque builds up and gum tissue becomes infected. Redness, tenderness, swelling and bleeding may occur, but are not always present.
 
-Pockets deepen between teeth and gums. Gums pull away from the teeth while bacteria begin to damage supporting structures.
 
-Infection spreads around teeth. Bones, gums, and connective tissue can be permanently damaged, and teeth may need to be removed.
If you think that you may be suffering from early, moderate or severe periodontal disease, contact your dental professional ASAP!

Why Choose a Dental Implant Specialist

Dental Implants, explained:
While regular brushing, flossing, and checkups allow many of us to maintain our natural smiles for a lifetime, sometimes our teeth just can’t keep up. If you’ve lost a tooth (or a few teeth) due to injury or disease, dental implants can rejuvenate both your smile and your oral health.

An implant is a synthetic tooth root in the shape of a post that is surgically placed into the jawbone. The “root” is usually made of titanium (the same material used in many replacement hips and knees), a metal that is well suited to pairing with human bone. A replacement tooth is then fixed to the post. The tooth can be either permanently attached or removable. Permanent teeth are more stable and feel more like natural teeth.

Implants often require planning through the use of CT scans performed in our office, or surgical implant guides, such as the one shown in this video.

When it comes to Dental Implants, Why Choose a Specialist?
We get this question a lot, especially since a lot of general dentists are starting to place more implants. Placing dental implants is often not part of the normal general dentist curriculum. Many general dentists received their training in implant dentistry after graduation where they attend weekend courses or classes and get to place around twenty implants before they begin to implement implant placement in their office.

A graduate periodontal program or residency includes three years of training beyond dental school. During that time periodontal residents are taught the history, science, healing, and proper placement and management of dental implants. An average periodontal resident will place upwards of 100 dental implants during their residency, and are trained to manage surgical complications, including, bleeding, infection, and bone grafting procedures to enhance the success of the procedure.  Because of their advanced training, periodontists are often more equipped to provide the success and deal with the complications that may arise when evaluating a patient for implant placement.

Dental implants may be the best choice for an individual whose gum disease has reached the point of infection that can not be treated, and periodontists are the most highly-trained specialist for treatment of gum disease.

Periodontists are also highly trained in the following procedures and skills:

  • Removing infection from the implant site – removing infection is one of the most important steps of a dental implant procedure. If an implant becomes infected, the patient may experience extreme levels of pain. Periodontists are able to adequately prepare and treat periodontal disease prior to the implant procedure.
  • Implant site monitoring – periodontists are also able to monitor the implant site following the procedure. They are able to recognize any signs of infection, if the implants are successful in integration, and any other issues that may arise with the implant itself.
  • As an implant specialist, Dr. Britten is highly trained and experienced in the most advanced and current technologies used for long-term implant health and success. He believes in using the best diagnostic tools as well as the highest quality implants in his practice. Dr. Britten works closely with the best restorative dentists in the Tampa Bay area to obtain the best possible outcome for his patients’ implants. For more information, contact us at 727-586-2681.

Reflecting on 2020: A Letter From Dr. Britten

Dear Patients,

The holiday season is once again upon us.  As we reflect upon this year, I’d like to acknowledge how grateful I am for all our patients, my team, our extraordinary colleagues and our community.

We hope you know how much we cherish the opportunity to treat you, our patients.  2020 has been a time like no other in our lives. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to produce uncertainty and stress. By now, we have all been impacted by this virus, which has been devastating for many. Despite the challenges we are all facing every day, this is also a time that is bringing out the best in many people—from healthcare staff and first responders fighting on the front-lines, to the essential workers providing food, products and services.

Our number one priority has always been to keep our patients & team safe and protected. We have implemented additional rigorous cleaning and hygiene protocols throughout our facilities and are practicing other safety precautions including social distancing, daily screening, increased personal protective equipment (PPE) for all clinical and non-clinical staff and temperature checks daily.

The strength, restless sacrifice, compassion around us, and the level to which our team, colleagues, patients and community have come together through this pandemic has been extraordinary and inspiring. Because of this, we will emerge from this much stronger and more resilient in the future.

Thank you for continuing to help us with our community outreach again this year with our Metropolitan Ministries food drives, our annual Free Dental Day for Veterans, breast cancer awareness month, and building with Habitat for Humanity.

Most importantly, I want to take this opportunity to let you know how grateful I am for the support and confidence you have shown in allowing us to provide your periodontal care.  Many of you have also referred your family, friends and colleagues.  I want to express my deep gratitude to you, as I consider your referrals to be the greatest acknowledgment of our team’s vision and values!

We are all in this together. We are always here to assist you, and we encourage you to reach out at any time. In the meantime, please stay safe and healthy, and thank you again for all you are doing in the fight to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and save lives.

I would like to extend my warmest wishes to you, your staff and family for a joyous holiday season.  I wish you a healthy, prosperous and safe New Year.

With warmest regards,

Who should see a periodontist?

Some patients’ periodontal needs can be managed by the general dentist. However, as more and more patients are exhibiting signs of periodontal disease, coupled with research that suggests a relationship between periodontal disease and other chronic diseases of aging, periodontal treatment may necessitate a greater understanding and increased level of expertise by a trained specialist. Patients who present with moderate or severe levels of periodontal disease, or patients with more complex cases, will be best managed by a partnership between the dentist and periodontist. A referral directly from a general dentist is not necessary to visit a periodontist.

Periodontists often treat more problematic periodontal cases, such as those with moderate to severe gum disease or a complex medical history. Periodontists offer a wide range of treatments, such as scaling and root planing (in which the infected surface of the root is cleaned) or root surface debridement (in which damaged tissue is removed). They can also treat patients with severe gum problems using a range of surgical procedures. In addition, periodontists are specially trained in the placement, maintenance, and repair of dental implants.

If you have questions about your gum health, contact us today!

Easy Ways to Protect Your Smile During Quarantine

  1. Clean BETWEEN your teeth daily – gum disease and deep pocketing often starts BETWEEN the teeth!
  2. Brush your teeth gently to avoid dental abrasion to the teeth and gum recession. 4 minutes with a manual brush, 2 minutes with a powerbrush such as the Sonicare Powerbrush.
  3. Prevent Dental Erosion by limiting acidic beverages such as soda (even Diet soda is highly acidic).
  4. Avoid eating VERY hard foods to avoid fracturing or chipping teeth.

Let’s talk about cavities!

A diet high in sugar certainly promotes the formation of cavities, but sugar itself isn’t the only culprit behind tooth decay.

Cavities are formed when bacteria living in the mouth digest carbohydrates left on the teeth after you eat. This includes refined sugars found in cookies, candy or other treats, however they may also come from healthy foods like whole grains, vegetables and fruits.

When digesting carbohydrates, bacteria in your mouth produce an acid that combines with food debris and saliva and forms plaque.

It’s the plaque — not sugar — that directly leads to tooth decay. Plaque starts building up after every meal, and if it isn’t brushed away frequently, it can erode the hard, outer enamel of a tooth, resulting in tiny holes in the tooth’s surface. These holes mark the first stage of cavities and can do a lot of damage to a tooth if left untreated.

Eventually, acid and bacteria in plaque can eat through the other layers of your teeth, as well — from the softer layer of teeth under the enamel, known as dentin, to the third layer (the pulp), which contains your teeth’s blood vessels and nerves. Cavities affecting the pulp of a tooth, as well as the bone supporting the tooth, can cause severe toothaches, sensitivity, pain when eating and even abscesses in the mouth.

It is important to know that the kinds of foods and drinks you consume, and how you are consuming them is also important to oral health.

Sticky foods — like hard candy, breath mints, raisins and dry cereal — can get stuck in the grooves and crevices of your teeth, where they could cause decay. Fruit and yogurt, on the other hand, wash away easily with saliva and are, therefore, less likely to cause plaque buildup.

Quickly finishing a can of soda does less damage to your teeth than sipping on it throughout the day, because the acid created by mouth bacteria stays in the mouth around 20 minutes after eating or drinking. Every time you eat carbohydrates, sugary food, or take a sip of soda, you restart the plaque-production clock and increase your risk of developing cavities.

In addition to a high sugar content, soft drinks and sports drinks also contain phosphoric and citric acids that erode tooth enamel. Eating or drinking highly acidic foods — even healthy foods, like citrus fruits — can lead to tooth decay if oral hygiene is not properly maintained.

None of us can totally avoid eating all carbohydrates, sugars, or acidic foods all of the time but we can limit the amount and more importantly the frequency of consumption. And we can also work on effective and regular plaque control by using oral hygiene aids to remove the plaque colonies which are forming constantly on the teeth.

Dr. Britten recommends brushing at least twice a day with a power toothbrush for two minutes as well as cleaning between the teeth at least once a day using floss or other interdental aids.

For more information, contact us today!

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