Baton Rouge Dentist

Bleeding and Peeling Gums Between My New Crowns

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For the past two months, I’ve been bleeding and peeling gums between my center front teeth. The two teeth and the two behind them on either side are crowns. I asked my dentist for a certificate of the alloys, but the assistant gave me a piece of paper that said the crowns were GC LiSi Impress. Is this product causing an infection? If so, I would rather not return to my dentist. I’m afraid to schedule an emergency dentist that I don’t know. This is frustrating. – Brianne from Tampa

 

Brianne,

Ten dental crowns for various tooth positions on black glass
A skilled cosmetic dentist will ensure your dental crown matches your surrounding teeth.

If all your crowns are made of the same material, you should react—inflammation or discomfort—near all the crowns, not just the center front one. GC LiSi Press is ceramic — is a high-density lithium disilicate, and we cannot find credible, documented allergies to the material. We are unaware of a dental allergy causing bleeding, but something may be irritating your gums.

Food particles or something else can sometimes get trapped on an overhand behind a dental crown. Floss thoroughly around and behind the crown to remove anything that is trapped. If you feel a ledge beneath your gum tissue while flossing, it is an overhang that your dentist must correct.

Rather than schedule an emergency dental visit, schedule an exam and X-ray. You and the dentist would not accomplish much during an emergency visit anyway. Look for a dentist with advanced cosmetic dentistry training to see if either dental crown is causing bleeding and peeling gums.

Baton Rouge family dentist Dr. Ryan Perry sponsors this post. Please read about how he strives to provide his patients with the best care possible.

What are the Dangers of Periodontal Disease?

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I’m writing you because my mother has gingivitis and I believe it stems from periodontitis. Over a week ago, she felt extreme tooth pain at the back of her mouth. Twenty-four hours later, she began to suffer from a fever and body aches.

My mother visited her dentist and was told that part of the bone at the back of her mouth has been eaten away. Luckily for her, it was caught early and she didn’t lose her molar. The dentist removed the bacteria, applied oral medicine, prescribed antibiotics, cleaned her mouth and told her to make another appointment for scaling.

Is this is a severe case of periodontitis and has the bone loss been stopped? Also, with the fever and other issues, will this affect her body systems like her heart, etc? I read periodontal disease may cause many health issues. What can be done now?

– Theresa from Louisiana

Theresa,
To answer your question, periodontal disease stems from gingivitis left untreated over a period of time. To educate you a little further, gingivitis happens when the gums bleed easily, become tender, red and swollen. Gingivitis occurs when people lack in their brushing and flossing techniques. If people don’t attend to regular brushing, flossing and cleanings, periodontal disease (gum disease) will happen. Periodontal disease if left untreated, leads to tooth loss.

Your mother’s dentist cleaned around one tooth that was painful but also recommended that your mother get scaling done as well.

Root planing and scaling is recommended to remove debris and bacteria from under the gums on the teeth surfaces in order to prevent the disease from destroying bone around the teeth. Infection must be removed or tooth loss will happen. Without dental x-rays, a clinical exam, and measuring depths of the pockets, it’s a challenge to determine how severe your mother’s periodontal disease is.

If periodontal disease is left untreated, tooth loss may occur and this disease may cause fever as well as affect the heart, diabetes, lung and respiratory system.

We recommend that you speak to your mother’s dentist to determine the severity of the disease and treat it properly to prevent dental and health issues from occurring.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Ryan Perry

My Mom’s Breath Stinks

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I don’t know if me telling my mother that her breath stinks is the best idea. Every time she talks to my face directly I smell it. I find myself ducking my head or moving my head to the side. I feel bad when she asks me, “What’s wrong Honey”? She brushes her teeth twice a day and uses the fanciest toothpastes. She chews gum and has mints on a regular basis but it does not seem to make a difference. Her bad breath is so strong, it over comes the mint, smelling like bad breath with a small hint of mint. I don’t think she realizes how bad her breath is. Can you help me?

Thanks Stacy,

Dear Stacy,

The best way to handle this is to be honest, show concern, and let your mother know. If you are noticing her bad breath so are her friends and coworkers. One of the main causes of bad breath is gum disease which is an infection of the tissues and bone surrounding the teeth. Signs and symptoms of gum disease besides bad breath are gums that are red, swollen, and bleed easily as well as pain in the teeth. If gum disease has been left untreated for sometime teeth start to shift and become loose in the socket.

Gum Disease is the major cause of tooth loss and is quite common among the adult population, especially when dental checkups are avoided on a regular basis. Besides the possibility of losing one’s teeth due to gum disease it also causes other health issues like heart disease, diabetes, and chronic inflammatory diseases. Gum Disease is very treatable, especially in the early stages and one can keep their teeth for the remainder of their life with good hygiene and frequent dental cleanings.

We recommend you discuss this issue with your mother and advise her to make an appointment for a dental exam to see if she does indeed have gum disease. If she is in the early stages of the disease her dentist will recommend a deeper cleaning to remove all the bacteria off of her teeth which will stop the disease from causing more damage to her surrounding tissues and bone however if she has severe gum disease he may recommend her to go see a periodontist who specializes in the treatment of this disease for further treatment. Once the disease is treated good oral hygiene and visiting your dentist on a regular basis are vital in order to keep the disease from progressing.

Post courtesy of Dr. Perry, Baton Rouge Dentist.