Periodontics & Implantology Blog

Is there a link between gum disease and Alzheimer’s? Can taking care of your gums and teeth also help protect your brain?  Studies show that there is a modest connection, but researchers are being cautiously optimistic before making conclusive statements.

As Alzheimer’s afflicts millions of our loved ones - more than 3 million US cases per year, many of us try to understand why and how this happens.  New research has found a link between gum disease, dementia and the bacterium found in both infected gums and brain tissue of Alzheimer’s patients.

A study published last year in the journal Science Advances, found that people with chronic gum disease for 10 years or more had a 70 percent higher risk of Alzheimer’s than those without gum disease.

It’s almost Halloween, and you’re probably geared up for all sorts of spooky stuff, like witches, goblins, ghosts and ghouls. There’s one thing, however, that’s scarier than all the rest: Halloween candy. We know what you’re thinking, “Halloween candy isn’t scary, SA Perio!” Maybe it isn’t by itself, but once those sugary treats enter your mouth, they create a phenomenon that is spookier than the most daunting haunted house. We promise, this isn’t a trick to scare you out of enjoying Halloween treats. We still want you to have fun this October 31st, so we’re going to help you to indulge responsibly using our list of treats ranked from spookiest to healthiest for your teeth and gums.

It seems like every day the public gets bombarded with tips and suggestions on how to be healthier. And sometimes, just when you’ve gotten into a new “healthier” regimen, the news comes out that new studies suggest that particular regimen isn’t so healthy after all! So, when your dental professional tells you that good oral hygiene is important to your health, you may be asking why.

Even though it seems like summer has just gotten started, the reality is that many children and teens will head back to school in a month or less. As you are probably aware, good oral hygiene habits need to be encouraged and started early in life to avoid serious dental problems down the road. But can you do anything besides policing the recommended twice daily brushing and flossing? Yes, as a parent or guardian, you sure can!

But First… When Should I Start Taking My Child to the Dentist?

According to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), ideally you should take your child to the dentist when the first tooth appears or by their first birthday. Here’s a startling statistic – according to the AAPD, tooth decay is the single most common chronic childhood disease!  This is almost entirely preventable by early starting and maintaining of good oral habits.

Many people believe that dental work is painful, but with today’s technology and knowledge, beneficial dental work will most likely cause only minor discomfort, in most cases. At San Antonio Periodontics & Implants, our staff is trained to be gentle and to make sure your experience with us is as comfortable as possible.

Scaling and root planing, while sounding a little scary, is actually a very beneficial procedure that can help you keep your teeth is the best of shape. Scaling and root planing is not a surgical procedure, but more of a deep cleaning that is necessary when harmful bacteria-caused plaque begins to threaten your healthy teeth and gums.

Today’s typical American diet carries much of the blame for tooth decay. Back in the 1930s, a Cleveland dentist undertook a study to compare the diets of isolated Australian Aborigines, remote tribes in Africa, Canadian Indians and isolated groups of Eskimos and found they had no tooth decay. Once exposed to modern foods and food habits, there was a rapid loss of immunity to tooth decay. At San Antonio Periodontics & Implants, we want your teeth and oral health to be the best it can be.

We Are What We Eat

We’ve all heard the saying “You are what you eat”. First coined in 1826 in French, the term simply means that in order to be fit and healthy – and that includes oral health – you need to eat good food. It’s always possible to change your eating habits and become a healthier consumer. It’s better to start children at a young age on a path of lifetime healthy eating habits.

Nobody really wants to hear that they need dental surgery. And when the surgery is associated with correcting things with scary-sounding names, like gingivitis and periodontitis, it can be even worse. 

At San Antonio Periodontics and Implants, we understand that the prospect of surgery can be scary. Our professional staff, Dr. Steven Maller and Dr. William Stalker, are experienced and caring. You’ll find that we can make your experience with dental surgery a less scary idea.

What Are Dental Implants?

Before we get into how to care for dental implants, why don’t we start with the basics. You probably have a vague conception of dental implants and their function, but what are they really? 

Endosteal vs Subperiosteal

There are two types of dental implants: endosteal implants, which are implanted right into the jawbone, and subperiosteal implants, which include a metal frame that is attached and fitted to the jawbone, eventually becoming fixed to it. Like endosteal implants, artificial teeth are mounted to posts that are attached to the frame. We know this all sounds very technical and intimidating, but don’t worry. These false teeth are designed to appear and function just like natural teeth! 

Did you know that people have been brushing their teeth since 3500-3000 BC? History actually confirms that Babylonians and Egyptians used a twig with a frayed end to “brush” their teeth. “Toothsticks” have been found alongside their owners in tombs. The Chinese also started “brushing” their teeth around 1600 BC, by using aromatic tree twigs to freshen their breath.

You might be interested to learn that the first “toothpastes” used were varied and included powdered ox hooves’ ashes, burnt eggshells, crushed bones, oyster shells, powdered charcoal and bark, ginseng, herbal mints and salt. Although today’s toothpastes don’t generally use those ingredients (whew), the reasons why ancient cultures brushed their teeth – and why it’s important for you to brush yours – contain some of the same reasons: keeping teeth and gums clean, whitening teeth and freshening breath.

These ancient peoples faced some pretty tough challenges, but they didn’t have to face the challenge of walking into the toothpaste aisle at the grocery store or drugstore and being faced down by a huge variety of toothpastes – all touting their reasons why you should pick them. So how do you choose a toothpaste for you and your family? There are some simple things to keep in mind as you decide. Remember, teeth should be brushed at a minimum twice a day for two minutes each time.

Pro football player and now television celebrity Michael Strahan sports a huge gap between his front teeth that has become a trademark for him. And while Michael can carry this off, most normal people feel self-conscious when they have large gaps or missing teeth. Missing teeth can cause gaps in the remaining teeth. Not only can missing teeth realign remaining teeth in unattractive ways, they can also cause problems with chewing, leading some to nutritional deficiencies. Additionally, tooth loss commonly causes loss of bone density and gum tissue.

There are several options when missing teeth become a problem – and it’s not an uncommon problem. According to the American Dental Association, the average adult between the ages of 20 and 64 has three or more decayed or missing teeth. When addressing missing teeth, you and your periodontist may have several choices, depending on your situation.

Flossing: the bane of human existence. We’ve all been there (aside from a few outliers who actually have their lives together), laid back in a dental chair, bright light shining in your face. Maybe you’re wearing awkward sunglasses, maybe you’re not, but you feel that stinging in your gums as your dentist pokes you with a metal tool. Then they’re looking down at you with that face, telling you that your gums wouldn’t be bleeding if you would just floss more! Maybe you floss every once in a while, maybe you do it every single day or maybe you don’t do it at all.  

The New Year is upon us and we all know what that means. Lots of reflecting over the past year, fresh starts and New Year’s resolutions. Most resolutions are doomed to fail since people try to immediately implement major lifestyle changes as soon as the new year begins. Despite that reality, we’ve got a few potential resolutions that we think you’ll find a bit easier to integrate into your everyday life at whatever pace feels most comfortable to you. San Antonio Periodontics and Implants is here to provide you with the best information to maintain your dental health. We believe that a healthy smile goes a long way and some of these resolutions can be a benefit to you in more areas of your life than just one. 

Your teeth are an important part of you. Not only are they vital to your everyday functioning, allowing you to chew, talk, bite your nails, etc., but they also help you to brighten the lives of those around you by allowing you to flash a dazzling smile! Your teeth do so much for you, and you owe them the absolute best treatment possible, which means that choosing the right dental specialist for your complex treatments is vitally important. If you’re in need of dental implants, bone grafting or treatment for any periodontal-related issue, you can never go wrong with San Antonio Periodontics and Implants, where we are committed to providing you with the absolute best service catered to your individual dental needs. 

We’ve all had an encounter with bad breath. You’re in class or at work, and somebody gets too close for comfort as they’re talking to you. As their face inches toward yours, you can just feel the warm air rolling from their mouth. You can barely stop from flinching at the scent. What do you do? Just take the nasal beating or risk being rude to move away? Nobody likes to talk to somebody with bad breath, and many people who suffer from this affliction may not even realize that they have it. You could be assaulting the nostrils of your friends and family without even realizing it! Luckily, we here at San Antonio Periodontics & Implant have all the information you need to be sure you never unwittingly stink up a conversation.

San Antonians are ready to come out of hibernation after a milestone winter where we actually enjoyed snow for the first time in a long time and saw plenty of freezing, rainy days and nights. Spring Break is right around the corner and many of you may be planning a family trip. College students are getting ready for the annual free-for-all in more southern climates. As you prepare for your get-away, don’t forget to put some mental to your dental.

Gingivitis is a periodontal disease caused by the inflammation of the gums. There are two types of gingivitis: dental plaque-induced gingival disease and non-plaque induced gingival disease. When left untreated, gingivitis can lead to periodontitis, a more serious infection that can lead to tooth loss.

Many people don’t realize that medications, whether they are over-the-counter drugs or prescription treatments, can take a toll on their teeth. A lot of medications include symptoms that are damaging to your oral health such as dry mouth, oral thrush, burning mouth syndrome, and various gum issues. What is even more threatening is if you are taking more than one type of medication, it can be much harder to pinpoint the exact source of the problem.

We get it. Going to the periodontist isn’t your favorite thing to do. Between balancing work, family, school and so on, making a periodontist appointment may be the last thing on your mind. You have to sit back in a chair with all of these foreign tools prodding your mouth, wait for the assistant to take her hands out of your mouth to answer a question and by the way, what does that tooth numbering system on the assistant’s computer even mean? At San Antonio Periodontics and Implants, we can promise that the benefits of our routine checkups far outweigh any concerns or hesitations for going in for a checkup. Your oral health is important to us, and we want to help you maintain a beautiful, healthy smile.

Did you know that nearly 30 million Americans suffer from diabetes? Diabetes decreases the body’s ability to control the blood sugar level and, similarly to other illnesses, can increase susceptibility to other infections and complications. The most commonly known complications from diabetes are heart disease, stroke, and kidney damage - but, more recent studies have shown a connection between diabetes and periodontal (gum) disease.

With increased susceptibility, the rate at which the infection worsens can also be affected. For example, periodontal disease is broken up into various stages; from gingivitis (the beginning of infection) to periodontitis (the most advanced cases). If your body is having a difficult time fighting the infection, it could quickly progress.

Most of us are sufficiently aware that plaque is a leading cause of gum disease. However, there are a multitude of other risk factors to consider, that can all contribute to periodontitis, or advanced gum disease. We’ve listed seven of these risk factors below to help you stay on top of your oral health and wellbeing!