Gum Disease

Gum Disease Linked To Alzheimer’s: Keep Those Gums Healthy!

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Categories: Dental health, General Dentistry, Gum Disease, Oral health

gum disease treatment Kelowna

If you need another reason to keep your gums as healthy as possible, read this post from Love Your Smile in Kelowna.

Scientists have found a connection between a bacteria that causes periodontitis (advanced gum disease) and Alzheimer’s Disease.

A bacteria called Porphyomonas gingivalis contributes to chronic periodontitis. The bacteria was discovered in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients. Researchers concluded:

“Chronic periodontitis and infection with Porphyomonas gingivalis have been identified as significant risk factors for developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.”

Periodontal disease, commonly called gum disease, is inflammation or infection of the gums. For the most part, periodontal disease is preventable.

Risk factors for periodontal disease include tobacco use, poor oral hygiene, genetics, teeth grinding, inflammatory conditions, and poor nutrition.

This study should dispel the misconception that oral health is somehow separate from physical health.

It is critical to see your dentist regularly to keep your gums healthy (as well as your teeth). To schedule a periodontal disease exam, call Love Your Smile in Kelowna. Our services include gum disease treatment and general dentistry. Make an appointment today.

Contact Love Your Smile – Dr. Stephen Malfair:

250-860-8900

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

301-1890 Cooper Rd
Kelowna, British Columbia
V1Y 8B7

The research study, “Porphyromonas gingivalis in Alzheimer’s disease brains: Evidence for disease causation and treatment with small-molecule inhibitors,” can be found at Science Advances. https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aau3333

ArticleID 8096

The Prevalence of Gum Disease

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Categories: Dental health, General Dentistry, Gum Disease

Gum disease treatment in Kelowna BCHere is a statistic that should make everyone sit up and take notice: nearly half of all people over the age of thirty have some form of gum disease. It is the leading cause of tooth loss in adults. The good news is that it is treatable. Gum disease treatment is available at Love Your Smile Dentistry in Kelowna.

Those statistics refer specifically to periodontal disease, the more advanced form. In its earlier, milder stages, gum disease is called gingivitis.

Gum disease is usually the result of poor brushing and flossing habits. When you don’t brush and floss on a regular basis, there is a build-up of plaque, which hardens into a substance called tartar. That’s why we recommend our patients brush and floss twice a day. It’s the best way to prevent plaque from building up.

No amount of brushing and flossing will remove tartar from your teeth. It takes a professional cleaning to remove it, which is why we want to see our patients twice a year.

Risk factors for developing gum disease include:

  • Smoking, which is the most significant
  • Diabetes
  • Genetics
  • Certain illnesses, like AIDS, and their medication
  • Medication that reduces the flow of saliva

The symptoms of gum disease include:

  • Red or swollen gums
  • Chronic bad breath
  • Painful chewing
  • Sensitive teeth
  • Receding gums

The type of treatment a patient gets for gum disease depends on the extent of the condition. Part of the treatment might include behavioral changes, like giving up smoking. And it is essential that the patient adopts good daily dental care.

The stark truth is that anyone can get gum disease. But there is hope; the earlier it is detected, the sooner treatment can begin. Love Your Smile dentistry in Kelowna provides gum disease treatment, as well as general dentistry. Schedule an appointment with us today.

Contact Love Your Smile – Dr. Stephen Malfair:

250-860-8900

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

301-1890 Cooper Rd
Kelowna, British Columbia
V1Y 8B7

The Cure, Not the Cause: Root Canals in Kelowna

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Categories: Cosmetic Treatment, General Dentistry, Gum Disease, Root canal

The dentist’s office is sometimes seen as a painful place. At Love Your Smile in Kelowna, we do our best to dispel that image with a welcoming atmosphere. Even so, when patients hear they need a root canal, a lot of them are going to get tense.

It doesn’t need to be that way. With modern dentistry, a root canal isn’t much different than getting a cavity filled.

A root canal is a procedure done to relieve dental pain, and to save a tooth. That point gets lost sometimes. They usually become necessary when there is inflammation or an infection in a tooth’s root. We clean the inside of the tooth by removing bacteria, soft tissue (called pulp), decayed nerve tissue, and any debris. The tooth is then sealed, and a crown is put in place.

In other words, an abscessed tooth is what causes pain. A root canal is done to relieve it.

We want root canals, and all other procedures, to be as comfortable as possible. An option we provide is sedation. We offer oral conscious sedation, which means taking a sedative, and IV sedation, which is administered intravenously.

In addition to root canals, Love Your Smile in Kelowna provides general and cosmetic dentistry, and gum disease treatment. Call our office today to schedule an appointment.

Contact Love Your Smile – Dr. Stephen Malfair:

250-860-8900

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

301-1890 Cooper Rd
Kelowna, British Columbia
V1Y 8B7

Raise Your Dental IQ: Gum Disease in Kelowna

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Categories: Cosmetic Treatment, General Dentist, General Dentistry, Gum Disease

Raise Your Dental IQ

There are many things we can do in Kelowna to prevent gum disease and improve our oral health. One simple lesson involves bacteria, and everyone’s mouth has a lot of it.

But, don’t worry, bacteria per se isn’t the problem. Dental problems occur when the balance of bacteria becomes unhealthy. This is where brushing and flossing come into play. Like your mother always said, brush and floss your teeth every day (and twice is best).

When it comes to a good toothbrush, don’t get sentimental. We recommend replacing your toothbrush every three to four months. If you can avoid the unhealthy balance of bacteria in your mouth, you can avoid gum disease, tooth decay, and even bad breath.

A regular routine of brushing and flossing your teeth, along with twice-a-year visits to Love Your Smile in Kelowna, will go a long way toward preventing gum disease. Early signs of gum disease include bleeding when brushing. If you think you might have gum disease, do not delay: call us for an appointment, and if necessary, we’ll begin gum disease treatment. We also provide general and cosmetic dentistry.

Contact Love Your Smile – Dr. Stephen Malfair:

250-860-8900

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

301-1890 Cooper Rd
Kelowna, British Columbia
V1Y 8B7

 

Five Facts About Enamel Erosion

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Categories: Braces, General Dentist, General Dentistry, Gum Disease, Orthodontics

enamel erosion treatment Kelowna

Our teeth work hard and are constantly under assault. It’s no wonder that nature encases them with an armor of enamel—the hardest substance in the body. One of our jobs at Love Your Smile in Kelowna is to use general dentistry to help our patients protect their teeth.

Sadly, enamel erosion is widespread, though largely preventable. Its chief enemies are acidic foods and beverages. Other factors that can weaken enamel or wear it away are certain medications, teeth grinding, acid reflux, chewing ice or other hard substances, and eating disorders.

At Love Your Smile, we educate our patients about how to keep their enamel strong and prevent future erosion if some has already transpired.

Here are five quick facts about enamel erosion:

  1. Enamel is unlike many other tissues in the body; once it has been worn away, it can’t be regenerated.
  2. According to the NIH, 41% of adolescents already have enamel erosion.
  3. Vigorous brushing can hurt enamel.
  4. Diet sodas, sports drinks, and energy drinks are just as detrimental as sugared sodas.
  5. Dry mouth can weaken enamel because it results in less saliva which helps keep enamel healthy and strong.

If you have already experienced enamel erosion, it’s vital to do something about it. There are several dental procedures that can protect the teeth that have been affected. Call Love Your Smile in Kelowna. We provide general dentistry, orthodontics, and treat conditions like gum disease. Schedule an appointment with us today.

Contact Love Your Smile – Dr. Stephen Malfair:

250-860-8900

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

301-1890 Cooper Rd
Kelowna, British Columbia
V1Y 8B7

 

A New Reason To Eat More Fish

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Categories: Gum Disease

Kelowna Family Dentists Hello Kelowna dental blog visitors, welcome to the Love Your Smile – Dr. Stephen Malfair blog. I am Dr. Stephen Malfair.

I came across an interesting dental article on the Web MD Health News site the other day. The article is entitled ‘Fatty Fish, Nuts May Prevent Gum Disease.’ Author Jennifer Warner explains that a recent study links diets high in polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) with a lower risk of periodontitis.

Gum disease is a common dental issue for many V1Y 8B7 residents. When gum tissue pulls away from a tooth, it forms a pocket. This pocket is a warm, moist place for bacteria to flourish. (You know what they say about nature abhorring a vacuum.)

If gum disease (periodontitis) goes untreated, the tooth and jaw bone are at risk. During dental examinations, I carefully measure gumline pockets and examine all teeth for gum disease.

“Researchers found that people whose diets were rich in PUFAs were as much as 30 percent less likely to have gum disease than those who ate little or none of this type of fat.”

Foods high in PUFAs include salmon, tuna, trout, mackerel, sardines, herring. Oils high in PUFAs include safflower oil, soybean oil, corn oil, sunflower oil, and margarines made with the previously mentioned oils. Almonds, pine nuts, walnuts, pecans, brazil nuts, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds and flax seeds are high PUFA nuts/seeds.

I don’t know many families in V1Y 8B7 that regularly eat mackerel and herring. Maybe some of us could benefit from becoming more adventurous when it comes to seafood.

The possible prevention of gum disease is not the only reason to eat high PUFA foods. These foods pack a nutritional punch and have myriad health benefits. The next time you are stocking up at your Kelowna grocery store, you may want to add some salmon and walnuts to your list.

It is important to 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 been to your V1Y 8B7 family dentist in a while, I urge you to schedule an examination and cleaning today. We are currently taking new V1Y 8B7 dental patients at Love Your Smile – Dr. Stephen Malfair.

If you are interested in teeth whitening, smile makeovers, tooth-colored fillings or invisible braces, call us today to schedule an appointment.

 

Contact Love Your Smile – Dr. Stephen Malfair:

250-860-8900

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

301-1890 Cooper Rd
Kelowna, British Columbia
V1Y 8B7

 

Tooth Brushing Basics For Healthy Smiles In Kelowna

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Categories: Gum Disease

Kelowna Oral Care Why should everyone in Kelowna brush at least twice a day? Let’s take a look at why this is so important.

Brushing and flossing is the best way to prevent decay.

Brushing with fluoride toothpaste and carefully flossing removes the food from our teeth and inhibits the build up of plaque. If we let food stay on our teeth, the starches in the food will mix with the plaque. This nasty mixture forms an acid which immediately starts drilling into the enamel to form cavities. Brushing can’t get all the spaces between your teeth, so you’ve got to floss also.

Brushing and flossing keeps gums and bone healthy.

If you let gum disease go untreated, you can lose teeth that are cavity-free!

The progression of gum disease (gingivitis) goes like this:

  1. Plaque build-up irritates gums.
  2. Irritated gums pull away from teeth.
  3. Bacteria multiplies in the spaces between the gum and tooth.
  4. The bone holding the tooth is eaten by the bacteria.
  5. Say goodbye to the tooth.

The good news is that gingivitis can be reversed if detected early.

Call Love Your Smile – Dr. Stephen Malfair at 250-860-8900 to schedule a gum disease evaluation at our office in Kelowna.

 

Contact Love Your Smile – Dr. Stephen Malfair:

250-860-8900

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

1890 Cooper Rd Ste 301
Kelowna, British Columbia
V1Y 8B7