One of the most common questions asked to dental professionals is: “what are receding gums?”. In simple terms, receding gums are a result of gum disease — causing your gums to have a “receding” appearance.
What causes receding gums?
Typically, gum disease plays the largest role in causing receding gums. In simple terms, bacteria that enters the oral cavity as a result of gum disease starts to form plaque. Plaque accumulation can cause inflammation of the gums and this inflammation results in erosion of gum tissue – giving your gums a recessed appearance.
How to prevent receding gums?
Luckily, gum disease is very easy to diagnose. If you have noticed a receding of the gum line, then you should make an appointment at Coquitlam General and Sedation Dentistry, your Coquitlam sedation dentist, to confirm the diagnosis and start proper treatment. Sensitive teeth, especially increased sensitivity to hot and cold foods, are another symptom of gum recession – the sensitive roots of the teeth become exposed and that’s why you might feel pain.
Gum recession can be a slow progression, but the end result can be quite serious and drastic. In the initial stage, the gums are pink and appear scalloped around the teeth. Afterwards, the gums turn a bright pink or red, soften and begin to bleed. You can actually see the gums receding away from the teeth as days go by. The teeth also loosen and liquid begins to collect in the space between gums and teeth. The final stage of receding gums is when the roots become visible along with increased pus formation. This is extremely painful and causes severe bleeding along with tooth sensitivity.
Is there treatment for receding gums?
Don’t delay and book an appointment with a health care professional at your Coquitlam sedation dentist, Coquitlam General and Sedation Dentistry, for proper diagnosis and treatment. There is no one product or medication that offers a cure for receding gums. The treatment usually focuses on gum disease – treating gum disease will usually also treat receding gums. However, you might require gingival flap surgery, tissue graft, bone graft and cosmetic dentistry to save your teeth as well as to restore the appearance of your gums and teeth.
The best treatment for receding gums is to understand the importance of a good and healthy oral routine to prevent and curb gum recession. Most often, there is no special treatment undertaken if the gums have begun to recede. Practice a good oral regimen to control the condition followed by periodic visits to the clinic to ensure that the recession has not progressed and that your gum disease is under control.
Receding gums can turn out to be a major problem if not treated immediately, so contact Coquitlam General and Sedation Dentistry, your Coquitlam Sedation dentist, for an appointment today and we will help you keep your smile beautiful and healthy.
Simply brushing your teeth is not an effective solution for preventing tooth decay and erosion. The general dentistry team at Coquitlam General and Sedation Dentistry recommends dental sealants, which give teeth solid protection against the bacteria that infiltrates your mouth and causes cavities.
What are dental sealants?
Sealants are made of durable, stain-resistant plastic and are bonded to the grooves of your teeth. After a dentist at Coquitlam General and Sedation Dentistry seals the tooth, the grooves are smoothed down and make it hard for plaque to build. Sealants make brushing teeth easy and efficient.
Dental sealants are safe for children and are a great way to prevent tooth decay after their permanent teeth have erupted. Sealants, however, can only be placed on healthy teeth. Sealing permanent teeth is much more common that sealing baby teeth; however, each person has different needs and your dentist at Coquitlam General and Sedation Dentistry can tell you if dental sealants are a good option for you or not.
Sealants last for a few years, although it is common for adults to have older sealants that are still functional. A dental sealant is only effective when it is in good shape, so if your sealant falls out, let your dentist know and book an appointment so we can reseal your teeth.
To learn more about dental sealants, or to book an appointment with your dentist at Coquitlam General and Sedation Dentistry to reseal your teeth, contact us today.
We all know that sugary junk food isn’t going to do us any favors for our waistlines, but eating lots of sugar will also rot your teeth and lead to tooth decay. At Coquitlam General and Sedation Dentistry, we will ensure your teeth feel healthy and can give you strategies to prevent tooth decay.
Let us break it down for you: sugar that lives in the mouth gets devoured by bacteria which create acids that break down your tooth enamel. This leads not only to decay but to other problems, including gingivitis.
Because we live in such a fast-paced culture, it’s common to neglect a balanced diet in favor of an unhealthy one made up of convenient foods with high-sugar content. It is obvious that this type of lifestyle is detrimental to not only people’s oral health, but to their overall well-being.
Experts say that because we live in such a stressful society, fast food is a quick and easy fix for most people.
So what can you do to prevent tooth decay and lead a healthy lifestyle? Staying away from fast food and foods high in sugar is the obvious answer, but there are other things you can do as well.
Ways to Keep Tooth Decay At Bay:
Be sure to book an appointment with an oral health expert at Coquitlam General and Sedation Dentistry for your regular dental check-up.
X-rays are essential to a person’s oral health, and at Coquitlam General and Sedation Dentistry in Coquitlam, we want to ensure that people are getting regular X-rays for their teeth.
So what is the big deal about getting X-rays? X-ray exams reveal the state of your teeth, and the composition of the bones in your face. They are also able to spot gum disease and abnormal growths (including cysts and tumors). X-rays can also locate where impacted and unerupted teeth are, and can find cavities or disease that a simple checkup couldn’t.
X-rays for Coquitlam dental patients at Coquitlam General and Sedation Dentistry can be vital for maintaining oral health. For most patients, they will receive a full set of mouth X-rays to determine the state of their oral health. Patients may need to follow up so we can analyze the condition of their gums or their odds of tooth decay.
Our patients’ health is important to us, so schedule an appointment at Coquitlam General and Sedation Dentistry in Coquitlam today to book your X-ray. Here’s a wonderful video that explains the many benefits of digital X-rays:
We all know that nail biting is a bad habit, but do you know why? The dental team at Coquitlam General and Sedation Dentistry in Coquitlam want to clarify why this habit is so detrimental to your overall oral health.
Nail biting is a common habit within certain age groups, including children, teens and young adults. Stress often triggers nail biting, and can diminish as you get older. However, nail biting should be stopped at a young age because it is unclean and unhealthy.
Biting your nails can be detrimental to your oral health for a variety of reasons:
It’s unsanitary. Nails are filled with dirt and they’re even filthier than your fingers. If you bite into your nails, germs will easily get into your mouth and help the spread of bacteria.
Chewing objects is bad for your teeth – When you bite your nails, your teeth will be chewing constantly. The motion of chewing wears down teeth quite fast and puts stress on your teeth which can cause them to misalign.
They harm braces – If you have braces, you know how much pressure is placed on your teeth. If you want to add to this pressure, biting your nails is a great idea! This will stress your teeth out and weaken them, harming your orthodontic treatment and your overall bite.
It can end up costing you – You wouldn’t think that nail biting would be an expensive habit, but it can end up costing you thousands of dollars in extra dental bills during your life!
So what can you do about your problem? Just knowing the facts and how damaging nail biting can be should help you take action and kick that habit for good. The dental team at Coquitlam General and Sedation Dentistry in Coquitlam can answer any questions you might have about nail biting. Contact us today!
It is a commonly known fact that smoking leads to health problems such as lung cancer, but did you know that smoking and oral health problems often go hand in hand?
In fact, smoking is the leading cause for almost 75% of gum disease in adults. This percentage includes adults who smoke from pipes and cigars, as well as those enjoying smokeless tobacco.
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| “As soon as you begin using tobacco products, you are more likely to experience these common problems that are tied with smoking and oral health problems” |
As soon as you begin using tobacco products, you are more likely to experience these common problems that are tied with smoking and oral health problems:
At Coquitlam General & Sedation Dentistry, we are always dedicated to helping you maintain optimal oral health, that is why we strongly recommend patients to quit using any tobacco products.
For the sake of your teeth, gums and oral health, use these steps recommended by the Surgeon General to help make quitting smoking easier.
The team at Coquitlam General & Sedation Dentistry understand how difficult and time-consuming quitting smoking can be. However, we are dedicated to helping you protect your most valuable asset—your beautiful smile.
Contact our clinic if you are in need of any support or advice on your journey to understanding smoking and oral health issues.
At CGS Dentistry, we’re very proud and fortunate to be members of BC’s own 123 Dentist – Community Dentist Network.