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Is There a Link Between Gum Disease and Heart Disease?

Researchers have been studying the link between heart disease and gum disease for decades.

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Because gum disease is loaded with bacteria, it enters the blood stream. Although the plaque in your teeth is different to the plaque in your body, which is made up of calcium, cholesterol and fat, it will build up in your arteries, just like the plaque in your bloodstream. Called atherosclerosis, this type of plaque is always present in heart disease.

What is the Link Between Gum Disease and Heart Disease?

Known as periodontitis, or periodontal disease, people who suffer from it have a higher risk of stroke, cardiovascular disease, or heart attack. However, not everyone with heart disease has gum disease and not everyone who has periodontal disease will develop cardiovascular issues. Periodontitis increases inflammation in the body. That inflammation can cause other health issues including heart disease. Other risk factors including an unhealthy diet and ingesting tobacco products.

Preventing Gum Disease

Good oral health habits, such as twice daily brushing and flossing once each day will help you battle gum disease.

Include a healthy diet in the mix and regular checkups with your dentist in Delray Beach and you are well on your way to better overall health. Your Delray Beach dentist also recommends twice-yearly professional cleanings.

Ask Dr. George Sanchez for a quick lesson on brushing and flossing just to make sure you are doing it properly.

Symptoms of Gingivitis and Periodontal Disease

  • Tender, red, or swollen gums
  • Bleeding gums
  • Pus between your gums and teeth
  • Chronic bad breath
  • Tartar along your gum line
  • Loose teeth
  • Moving teeth
  • Dental appliance changes

If you haven’t seen your dentist in some time, or think you may be suffering from gum disease, your health could be at risk. Call or click and schedule an appointment with your dentist in Delray Beach.

Healthy teeth and gums mean a healthy body. Call for a dental checkup today.

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Is Your New Diet Safe for Teeth and Gums?

That new diet may be doing wonders for your waistline, but is it safe for your teeth and gum?

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According to Dr. George Sanchez, some diets can cause serious problems for your teeth and gums. What you put in your mouth has a huge affect on your teeth and gums. 

Below are a few diets to watch out for if you want to keep your teeth and gums safe.

Low Fat Diets and Teeth and Gums

If you have embarked on a diet that is low in fat, it could cause problems with fat-soluble vitamin absorption. Vitamins A, D, E, and K are essential for overall and oral health. For healthy bones and teeth, you need calcium. Vitamin D helps your body absorb much needed calcium.

Diets low in fat also has an effect on the brain. Without Omega-3, fatty acids you are not getting your daily dose of dopamine, which helps, lift your spirits. If you are stressed you could start grinding your teeth. Clenching, known as bruxism, can also cause problems with your temporomandibular joints.

If that isn’t bad enough, brands that are low in fat often add sugar to improve the taste. All of that extra sugar puts in the high-risk category when it comes to tooth decay.

Low Calorie Diet and Teeth and Gums

Certain diet plans are based on cutting calories, and although consuming less calories will brighten your day when you step on the scales, it can cause serious issues with the rest of your body, including your teeth and gums.

Your Delray Beach dentist explains that eating a diet that is low in calories can lead to malnutrition as you are depleting your body of vitamins and minerals. Low calorie diets can cause your jawbone to become weak. If this occurs, your teeth will begin to move and eventually fall out. A diet low in calories also softens the enamel on your teeth and wrecks havoc on your gums.

Fruit Detox and Teeth and Gums

You may think you are doing your body a favor by living on fruit for a week or two, but enjoying a fruit only diet isn’t good for your teeth and gums. A diet that is high in acid and sugar, which most fruits are, can cause problems for the enamel on your teeth and leads to cavities. Surviving on fruit isn’t the best way to lose weight.

If you are planning to lose weight, speak to your doctor and your dentist. Your dentist in Delray Beach will help you come up with an eating plan that is good for your waistline and your teeth and gums.

Call for an appointment today.

Smoking and oral health

Smoking and Oral Health there is a Connection

Smoking and oral health is connected. Just ask the American Dental Association and they will tell you tobacco products cause tooth decay and gum disease, and it doesn’t matter if you inhale or chew.

How is Smoking and Oral Health Connected?

Smoking and oral health

Most people know that smoking causes lung cancer and other deadly diseases, but did you know that it could also cause gum disease and tooth decay? Stained teeth aside, many other tooth related issues occur when you ingest tobacco products.

According to Dr. George Sanchez, gum disease occurs more rapidly in a smoker’s mouth than a non-smoker. Other problems that occur in a tobacco user’s mouth include:

  • Chronic Halitosis
  • Tooth Loss
  • Stained Teeth
  • Gum Disease
  • Loss of Smell
  • Loss of Taste
  • Reduced Blood Flow to your Mouth
  • Plaque and Tartar Buildup
  • Delayed Healing
  • Increase Risk of Oral Cancer
  • Chewing Tobacco Isn’t Safer

Of course, chewing tobacco isn’t any better for your teeth and is just as bad. Smoking and oral health includes any tobacco that you put in your mouth. Sugarless tobacco is loaded with sugar. Although you don’t have to deal with sugar in cigarettes, you do in smokeless tobacco products.

Your dentist in Delray Beach explains that chewing tobacco is full of chemicals and sugar and sugar causes tooth decay. It’s that simple.

Cigars Pipes and Hookah and Smoking and Oral Health

People are led to believe that cigars are healthier because you don’t inhale. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case. Even though you aren’t healing, you are still at risk for oral cancer and mouth lesions. Gum disease is also more prevalent in cigar smokers.

The same goes for Hookah pipes and pipes as you are still inhaling tar and nicotine. On top of that, research indicates that the charcoal used to light the tobacco for the hookah is even more lethal.

Smoking and oral health is connected. If you are having trouble quitting, talk to your primary care physician and don’t forget to schedule an appointment with your Delray Beach dentist as people who smoke should see Dr. George more often than patients who don’t smoke or chew tobacco.

Call and schedule an appointment with your dentist in Delray Beach today.

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Choosing Between Porcelain Veneers and Dental Bonding

If you are considering porcelain veneers, but have also thought about cosmetic dental bonding, there are some things to think about before you schedule an appointment with your Delray Beach dentist.

According to Dr. George Sanchez, both dental veneers and cosmetic dental bonding will give you a beautiful smile. However, there are differences between the two.

Porcelain Veneers

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Porcelain veneers are used to repair chipped, cracked, and damaged teeth. If you have teeth that cannot be lightened with professional teeth whitening products, porcelain veneers are a great choice. Gappy teeth and teeth that are too long or too short are perfect candidates for porcelain veneers.

Keep in mind that dental veneers are permanent. Your dentist in Delray Beach explains that a portion of your enamel needs to be removed to make way for your new veneers. Removing a small amount of enamel gives your new porcelain veneers a natural appearance. Enamel removal prevents teeth from looking to big and bulky.

Porcelain veneers also require two or three dental appointments. The first will be your consultation. If you are a fit for dental veneers, Dr. George will take impressions that are sent to a dental lab for manufacture. During this time, your Delray Beach cosmetic dentist may recommend temporary veneers for unsightly teeth.

Cosmetic Dental Bonding

Although not as strong as dental veneers, which can last up to 20 years with proper care, cosmetic dental bonding is less expensive than veneers. Bonding is also much quicker with most restorations taking place in a single dental appointment.

Dental bonding is applied in the office and is matched to the rest of your teeth. Dr. George, who will mold the bonding material to create the perfect tooth, applies the resin to your teeth. Much like a sculptor, your cosmetic dentist in Delray Beach has the skills to give you a beautiful, natural looking smile with cosmetic dental bonding.

Time to Make an Appointment for Porcelain Veneers or Dental Bonding

Now that you know the difference between porcelain veneers and cosmetic dental bonding, it’s time to make an appointment with cosmetic dentist Dr. George Sanchez.

Your cosmetic dentist in Delray Beach is waiting for your call.