Pericoronitis and Extractions at Ardas Family Dental

Wisdom tooth extractions are one of our specialties at Ardas Family Dental in Parker. Although no kind of surgery should be undertaken lightly, wisdom tooth removal is often necessary to prevent future oral health problems, including ones that can be painful and put a patient at risk for more severe infections. One of the most common problems that can be avoided through wisdom tooth removal is pericoronitis. However, there may be instances in which a different kind of treatment for pericoronitis is more appropriate, so we want our patients to understand why it’s important to address and what their treatment options may include.

Wisdom teeth, particularly the ones in the lower jaw, are often unable to fully erupt. They are the last teeth to emerge, and often do so after the other teeth have undergone orthodontic therapy. (People can get braces for minor adjustments at any age, but by mid-adolescence, the jaws have solidified enough that orthodontics are no longer effective for major interventions.) The wisdom teeth commonly get stuck partially-emerged, with a flap of gum tissue called an operculum covering the remainder of the crown. Bacteria can easily get caught under the operculum, causing infections and inflammation. In the worst cases, the infection may spread to the neck, and patients will often experience soreness in their jaws and foul-tasting discharge.

It is possible to cut away an operculum, but it may grow back. Additionally, the impacted wisdom tooth may continue to cause soreness and be difficult to clean. Removing the tooth would solve both these problems. Extracting it may require an incision into the gum tissue or for the tooth to be sectioned, but patients usually recover well and are able to eat and speak normally within a few weeks. If an impacted wisdom tooth is caught early, it may be possible to guide it into place with orthodontics, but for older patients, extraction is usually recommended.

Dr. Roopi Kattaura operates Ardas Family Dental at 10233 S Parker Rd, Suite 205, Parker, Colorado. Call 720-459-8420.

Dental Implants

There are a variety of reasons why people lose their teeth. Gum disease, tooth decay, or physical trauma all have the potential to cause teeth to fall out. The only treatment options available to these patients were prosthetics like dentures and bridges. Today, dental implants have become a popular option for patients seeking to replace missing teeth. Dr. Kattaura at Ardas Family Dental in Parker, CO, is proud to offer dental implants to her patients. If you are missing a tooth or multiple teeth, Dr. Kattaura can help you achieve a smile you feel confident in. 

Dental implants replace the tooth root, creating a strong foundation for prosthetic teeth to be built upon. Proven to be successful and able to last a lifetime, dental implants have many other advantages for the patient. This includes improved:

- Oral health

- Comfort

- Appearance

- Speech

- Eating

- Confidence

Dental implants also provide better durability and convenience. Unlike dentures where you have to remove them from time to time, dental implants eliminate this step altogether. Once they’re in your mouth, they act as a natural part of your mouth. After a while, you might even forget that they’re there!

Are you missing a tooth or multiple teeth? Do you think you could benefit from dental implants? We are happy to address any questions or concerns you might have! Ardas Family Dental is located at 10233 S Parker Rd, Suite 205, in Parker, CO 80134. For more information or to schedule an appointment, please visit ardasfamilydental.com or call the office at 720-459-8420.

 

Gum Disease and Heart Disease at Ardas Family Dental

Dental care from an early age is essential for health throughout life. At Ardas Family Dental in Parker, Colorado, we accept Medicaid and treat patients of all ages. Part of the reason for this is that poor oral hygiene not only puts people in pain, but also increases their risk for other diseases. Recently, scientists have been examining the correlation between gum disease and heart conditions, and we thought it would be good for our patients to understand the possible links.

Childhood dental habits influence children’s adult oral health, with children who have cavities being likelier to lose permanent teeth. A recent study also found that children with dental infections are likelier to develop thickened blood vessels. Another recent study found that people with gum disease are likelier to have high blood pressure, and a third found that people who lost teeth to gum infections are likelier to have angina, strokes, and heart attacks.

It’s too soon to say that gum disease and heart disease directly cause each other, and they share common risk factors, such as smoking and alcohol. But we are learning more about how oral bacteria are able to travel to other parts of the body and trigger inflammation. We also know that infections of tooth root tips and dental pulp can lead to blood poisoning. During regular cleanings, we provide scaling to remove bacterial build-up below the gum line. We can also do scalings on people with outbreaks of gum inflammation, and if we are able to intervene quickly enough, we may be able to save their teeth and implants. 

Dr. Roopi Kattaura operates Ardas Family Dental at 10233 S Parker Rd, Suite 205, Parker, Colorado. Call 720-459-8420 or visit Ardas Family Dental and fill out a contact sheet.

 

Scaling and Root Planing

If you’ve neglected your oral hygiene, the new year is the perfect time to resume it! Brushing and flossing twice a day is essential for good oral health, but twice-a-year visits to the dentist will allow you to get a deeper cleaning. This is when people get scaling, and if necessary, planing. We want all our patients at Ardas Family Dental in Parker, Colorado to feel informed about our procedures, so let’s look at what happens during a deep cleaning.

Scaling is the process by which a hygienist uses a hooked wand, called an explorer to break apart tartar. Plaque is the sticky mixture of bacteria and acid that accumulates on teeth, and it contributes to tooth decay and gum recession. Tartar is the hardened version of plaque which commonly builds up near the gum line and on the sides and back of the teeth. Removing it prevents the gum tissue from retreating from around a tooth, allowing the gum pocket to stay tight and free of infection.

If the gum pockets have developed an infection, we may carry out a root planing procedure. What this means is that, after administering local anesthesia, we’ll smooth the tooth roots. This will eliminate crevices that bacteria hide in, making the teeth easier to clean in the future and reducing the risk of the infection returning. Patients may also be advised to take an antibiotic for a brief period and to make a return visit so we can confirm the gum pockets are healing.

Dr. Roopi Kattaura operates Ardas Family Dental at 10233 S Parker Rd, Suite 205, Parker, Colorado. Call 720-459-8420 or visit Ardas Family Dental and fill out a contact sheet.

 

Alzheimer's and Gum Disease

Preventing gum disease isn’t just important for keeping your teeth; it may be essential for the health of your brain. We at Ardas Family Dental are dedicated to helping our patients understand how serious oral health is. Scientists have already linked gum disease to a large number of ailments, including diabetes and rheumatism. Now, it appears that gum disease can also be a major factor in the development of Alzheimer’s disease.

Porphyromonas gingivalis is a disease-causing species of oral bacteria that defends itself by producing toxic enzymes called gingipains. In animal testing, gingipains were found to produce the neural plaque that causes Alzheimer’s disease, and in a recent study, scientists found unusually high numbers of gingipains in the saliva, brains, and spinal fluid of people who displayed Alzheimer’s symptoms. It is also well-established that gingipains move from the mouth to the brain in other species.

In a recently published study, scientists announced that gingipains can also travel from the mouth to the brain in living humans. This is strong evidence that P. gingivalis is a driver of Alzheimer’s disease, and not just something that develops because people already suffering Alzheimer’s symptoms have difficulty brushing their teeth. Although it’s too early to say that gum disease is the primary contributor to Alzheimer’s, it’s certainly a good reason for people to brush and floss twice every day and to see us if they develop gingivitis.

Dr. Roopi Kattaura operates Ardas Family Dental at 10233 S Parker Rd, Suite 205, Parker, Colorado. Call 720-459-8420 or visit Ardas Family Dental and fill out a contact sheet.

 

 

Gum Abscess Treatment at Ardas Family Dental

Although many people suffer from bleeding gums, they’re not something you should think of as normal. Bleeding, redness, and soreness are all potential signs of gum disease. We’ve helped a lot of people with their oral hygiene at Ardas Family Dental in Parker, but it’s much easier to eliminate gum disease when it’s caught early. Otherwise, a patient may form a gum abscess.

Pus is a liquid made up of dead tissue, bacteria, and bacterial waste. An abscess is a pocket of pus that forms as a result of an infection. Gingival abscesses are those near the gum line. If a gum infection is allowed to grow, the walls of a gum pocket surrounding a tooth may become loose and form a pocket. A periodontal abscess is an abscess that forms within the infected gum pocket, and in addition to causing pain and a bad smell, it could also cause the patient to develop a fever and have difficulty working their jaw.

If the gums are badly infected, a patient should be prepared for the possibility that their dental pulp is, too. Regardless of whether we do a root canal to remove infected pulp, we’ll need to drain the pus out of the gum abscess. After removing infected gum tissue, we may do a process called planing to the tooth root, in which we smooth it. This will deprive bacteria of crevices to hide in, making it easier for hygienists to do deep cleanings on in the future.

Dr. Roopi Kattaura operates Ardas Family Dental at 10233 S Parker Rd, Suite 205, Parker, Colorado. Call 720-459-8420 or visit Ardas Family Dental and fill out a contact sheet.

Infections around Crowns

Ardas Family Dental in Parker carefully monitors the progression of our pediatric patients’ teeth. Misalignments can make flossing and brushing difficult, disrupt the bite, and contribute to a low self-image. But there is an additional risk when a tooth is impacted, meaning it is unable to erupt fully. Such a tooth could become the site of pericoronitis—infection around a crown.

Orthodontic work is usually done when children are between the ages of eleven and fourteen. At that age, they have most of their permanent teeth, but their jaws are still malleable. The wisdom teeth often do not erupt until late adolescence, and there is usually not enough room for them to emerge without disrupting other teeth. The lower ones are especially at risk of becoming impacted part-way, resulting in them being partly covered by a flap of gum tissue called an operculum. The operculum is a trap for food debris and oral bacteria, which will result in inflammation.

There are some easy ways to combat oral infections. A patient could take antibiotics and swish salt water around in their mouth twice a day. But an operculum is very difficult to clean, and infections will likely reoccur as long as it exists. Wisdom tooth extractions are among our routine services at Ardas Family Dental, and when patients visit us regularly, we’ll be able to identify dangerous situations and take care of them before pericoronitis develops.

Dr. Roopi Kattaura operates Ardas Family Dental at 10233 S Parker Rd, Suite 205, Parker, Colorado. Call 720-459-8420 or visit Ardas Family Dental and fill out a contact sheet.

Periodontal Treatments and Cirrhosis at Ardas Family Dental

Oral health is a critical component of overall health. At Ardas Family Dental in Parker, we recognize that people with gum disease are often fighting complicated health battles, and we want to help them. Lots of new research has come out in recent years indicating that improved oral health may improve a patient’s odds against other diseases, as well, which is why we’re passing along a study examining the link between gum disease and cirrhosis.

Cirrhosis is caused by inflammation of the liver that has become so chronic that the liver is covered in scar tissue. It causes inflammation throughout the body and cognitive decline. It is unsurprising that cirrhosis often occurs alongside gum disease since both can result from smoking and overuse of alcohol. But people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, another cause of cirrhosis, also are at elevated risk for gum disease.

To investigate whether there is a causal link, scientists divided people with cirrhosis and gum disease into two groups: a control, and people who received periodontal therapy. They found that the people who got treated for gum disease had a significant reduction in cirrhosis symptoms, including inflammation, and cognitive decline. More research is this exciting area is needed, but in the meantime, we hope our patients will understand that good dental care could have life-changing results.

Dr. Roopi Kattaura operates Ardas Family Dental at 10233 S Parker Rd, Suite 205, Parker, Colorado. Call 720-459-8420 or visit Ardas Family Dental and fill out a contact sheet.

Inflammation and Implants in Parker, CO

Ardas Family Dental has provided many patients with tooth restorations, giving them a second chance at oral health. Dental implants bring several benefits, including increased jaw stability and vertical dimension. But implant-supported teeth need to be taken care of, or patients may fall prey to peri-implantitis.

Peri-implantitis is the name we give to inflammation of gum tissue surrounding an implant. When gum tissue is inflamed, it will be sore, red, puffy, and may bleed. It is possible that inflammation is being caused by a foreign object, such as leaking dental cement, or by an autoimmune condition, such as rheumatism. But in most cases, gum inflammation is due to a bacterial infection in the gum pocket. Bacteria excrete acid, which harms the gums, and if gingivitis turns into periodontal disease, gum tissue, jaw bone tissue, and the implant may all lose material.

Natural teeth might be salvageable if they become loose, but implants are not. If a patient’s jaw bone loses twenty percent of its mass surrounding an implant, the implant needs to be removed. The good news is that it is rare for peri-implantitis to progress this far. If a patient comes to see us as soon as they notice inflammation, we can provide them with a deep cleaning.

Dr. Roopi Kattaura operates Ardas Family Dental at 10233 S Parker Rd, Suite 205, Parker, Colorado. Call 720-459-8420 or visit Ardas Family Dental and fill out a contact sheet.

Support for Rheumatoid Arthritis and Gum Disease at Ardas Family Dental

Ardas Family Dental has long provided quality dental care to people in the Parker area with oral health complications. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a serious threat to oral health that the public isn’t always aware of, which is why we want to educate our patients about its consequences.

RA is an autoimmune disease, which means it causes the body’s immune system to attack healthy tissues. Specifically, it targets synovium, the soft tissue that lines the joints. People with RA have higher than average rates of periodontal disease, with one study finding 70% of people with RA have at least moderate gum disease. This had long been thought to be due to arthritis preventing people from brushing their teeth properly, but evidence suggests that’s not the whole story. Gingivitis often sets in before people with RA lose control of their motor skills and scientists have discovered that synovium and gum tissue share similar cellular structures.

People with RA need to be careful about their oral hygiene, but gum disease is not inevitable. Although RA is caused by genetic and environmental factors, people can reduce their risk for it by not smoking. Patients with RA should also ask us about preventing dry mouth, which is commonly caused by autoimmune disorders.

Dr. Roopi Kattaura operates Ardas Family Dental at 10233 S Parker Rd, Suite 205, Parker, Colorado. To learn more about periodontal disease, call 720-459-8420 or visit Ardas Family Dental and fill out a contact sheet.

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Scaling and Root Planing in Parker, CO

In its most advanced stages, gum disease can lead to gum recession and even tooth loss.  At Ardas Family Dental, we want to help protect you and your family from gum disease.  When plaque builds up on a tooth, the gum starts to pull away from the tooth and form a pocket around the buildup, which only leads to more gum recession.  A scaling and root planing procedure is used to treat this buildup and prevent the later stages of gum disease.

Scaling and root planning are two parts of a deep cleaning procedure your dentist can perform to help repair gums.  It begins with scaling, the process of removing plaque from the surface of your teeth all the way down to your gums. Then comes root planing, which means minor contouring to smooth the surface of a tooth near the root.  When plaque has been removed and the tooth root has been smoothed, the gums that have pulled away will have a clean, smooth surface to reattach to as they heal.  

To learn more about scaling, root planing, and all the services we offer, please give us a call or visit Kids and Family Dentist, Parker CO for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Roopi Kattaura at Ardas Family Dental in Parker, CO, call 720-459-8420.