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Periodontal (Gum) Disease

Does Gum Disease Cause Heart Attacks & Strokes?

I was recently reminded of claims that periodontal disease is associated with medical conditions like heart attacks, strokes, pre-term births, and diabetes.  Yes, there is an association among those conditions, that's true.  However, some dentists and hygienists try to scare patients into treatment by claiming that gum disease actually causes those conditions.  That's simply not true! One of the most recent articles touching on this touchy subject was by Dr. Chris Kammer, titled “Your Gums are a Cesspool of Infection...and Most Dentists Don’t Care!” as a blog article for the American Academy for Oral Systemic Health; an organization that he coincidentally co-founded in 2010.  The entire purpose of this organization, incidentally, is based on the idea that oral disease (primarily periodontal disease) has significant links to disease in the rest of the body. This link between the oral cavity and the rest of the body was first hypothesized and published in 1989 in two Scandinavian reports (Mattila et al in the BMJ, and Syrjanen et al in the J. Inter. Med) and studies continue to this day.  To this day, however, the results are simply not strong enough to make claims about causality. Correlation Still Doesn't Equal Causation Just as I've criticized holistic and alternative medicine and dentistry as junk, it's crucial that dentists be honest about the level of evidence for anything that we recommend - even flossing!  When we see things that seem to be connected, like gum disease seems to be connected with heart attacks and strokes, we have to ask: is it correlation (coincidental), or is it actually causal (one thing directly leads to the other).  Yes, there seems to be a strong correlation between gum disease and heart attacks and strokes, [...]

By | 2017-06-09T20:28:27-04:00 September 9th, 2016|Gingivitis, Periodontal (Gum) Disease, Taking Care of Your Teeth|0 Comments
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Another Fabulous LANAP Experience

Can Gum Surgery Work and Actually Be Comfortable? Well, to answer that question, let me tell you about a recent patient who found us online through my website devoted to LANAP, aka Laser Periodontal TherapyTM, which is www.LaserDentistCharlotte.com.  Remarkably, he drove over 4 hours to see us from just north of Myrtle Beach, SC because he couldn't find anyone else near him (there are a few, but not that many) to provide this incredible treatment.  When he came in, he related that his last dentist wanted to pull anywhere from 8-12 teeth that were thought to be hopelessly loose due to his really severe periodontal (gum) disease, but his genuine hope was that he would not need to lose any more teeth than he already had lost, which is why he was willing to drive so far. His consult was late morning on a Tuesday, and we determined that he was indeed a very good candidate for LANAP, and I was confident that we will not need to take out ANY teeth for many years to come with LANAP.  Due to the length of his drive, we were able to rearrange our afternoon schedule to do the entire treatment that day (for which he and I are very grateful to our understanding patients).  His treatment included the following: The Steps In LANAP Laser Gum Surgery Molds of his teeth to have our lab make nightguards for both top and bottom teeth, which will prevent his tooth-grinding from putting undue pressure on his teeth at night, and Splinting of his teeth: this means that we used bonding to "connect" all his top teeth together and then all his bottom teeth together, so no 1 tooth would [...]

By | 2017-06-09T20:42:53-04:00 November 9th, 2010|LANAP - Laser Surgery for Gum Disease, Laser Dentistry, Periodontal (Gum) Disease|0 Comments
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The Southern Women’s Show from a Dentist’s View

Well, it's been almost 2 whole days for Smiles by Payet Dentistry here at the SWS, and it's been a blast.  Admittedly, as a happily married guy, I've probably not enjoyed it as much as the women or as if I were single :-) , but it's been a blast as an exhibitor for the first time (it won't be the last for sure).  We put a lot of work into our booth, so of course we'd love it if you stopped by Booth 204-206, which is right by the Fashion Stage to the left of the Main Entrance. A couple of my awesome staff, Rosie and Kay, set it up with some help from Kay's friends, Patti and Chuck. Check it out: It's a lot of fun watching people, of course, and it's been fun watching people and getting to talk to so many as they go by, or as they stop and ask questions about our Oxyfresh Fresh Breath products, the Six Month Clear Adult Braces, Laser Periodontal Therapy, or Invisalign.  Since I have my camera with me, fellow professional photographers do stop to chat as we're shooting the fashion shows (it's easy to spot us with big white lenses LOL); we've also gotten to meet a number of the models after they've finished their shows, and I'm excited to say [...]

By | 2017-06-09T20:43:05-04:00 September 17th, 2010|ANNOUNCEMENTS, Cosmetic dentistry, Dental Care Payment Options, Dental photography, LANAP - Laser Surgery for Gum Disease, Laser Dentistry, Periodontal (Gum) Disease, Six-Month Braces|0 Comments
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Saving Teeth from Gum Disease and the Trash Can – Ain’t This Awesome?

Having practiced dentistry now for 12 years, I've seen a lot of different stuff, tried different technologies, different techniques, etc.  Most of it works pretty well, some of it we discard and look for something new or better, and occasionally we scrap the new and return to the tried-and-true techniques and methods that have been around for a long time.  The ultimate goal, of course, is to provide the best dentistry possible that will last the longest time, right?  Because after all, I know that you want to sit in my chair as little as possible.  :-) LANAP and Six-Month Braces for Healthy Gums and Straight Teeth Of all the different things we do, though, there is now 1 that is just so incredibly satisfying to provide our patients, and that is LANAP, or Laser-Assisted New Attachment Protocol, which we perform with our Periolase MVP-7 laser.  First of all, it's is just pretty cool that we have a laser!  (Imagine here Dr. Evil from Austin Powers putting his fingers up and saying "Laser"  LOL)  But what's simply AWESOME about having the Periolase is what we can do with it, and that is to treat periodontal (gum) disease more comfortably and effectively than anything else available.  Because of how amazingly well the Periolase works, it is just this terrific feeling we get every time we treat a patient, or when we see patients coming back in for follow-ups, because they actually LIKE coming to see us!  And I have to tell you, there aren't many things that patients WANT and LIKE coming to see us about.  The other one, of course, is [...]

By | 2017-06-09T20:43:10-04:00 August 19th, 2010|LANAP - Laser Surgery for Gum Disease, Laser Dentistry, Periodontal (Gum) Disease|0 Comments
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Six-Month Braces if you have Gum Disease? YES!

Patients with periodontal (gum) disease often end up being very embarrassed about their smiles, because as the disease progresses and more bone is lost, the teeth start drifting.  It's not uncommon to see the teeth flared out with a lot of spaces between them, or the bottom front teeth really crowded as the teeth shifted with the bone being lost. Very often, these cases are the kind that would respond very well with our Six Month Braces, but there's a little problem......if you try to move teeth with braces while there is active gum infection going on, you will only make the situation worse, with the result being even more bone loss, more gum recession, and eventually even looser teeth than before you started.  While it might seem like your smile is improving during the process, once the braces came off, and the support they provided was gone, you'd suddenly realize you were closer than ever to losing your teeth entirely.  So it's not uncommon that people simply become resigned to not only having gum disease, bad breath, etc., but to living with a smile that embarrasses them. Now There is a Way! As one of only 4 dental offices in the city of Charlotte (along with 1 in Salisbury and 1 in Fort Mill, SC) with the Periolase MVP-7 dental laser, with which we perform Laser Periodontal Therapy(TM), a patented procedure that treats gum disease more effectively and more comfortably than any other procedure currently available, we can actually regenerate bone and healthy gum attachment.  And THAT is why it allows us to offer patients a way to not only save their teeth from gum disease and dentures, but also to give them a [...]

By | 2017-06-09T20:43:15-04:00 August 13th, 2010|Dental Care Payment Options, Dental Insurance, LANAP - Laser Surgery for Gum Disease, Laser Dentistry, Periodontal (Gum) Disease, Six-Month Braces|0 Comments
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Dr. Oz talks about Periodontal (Gum) Disease and Total Health

I guess it's because I don't watch a lot of TV, but I confess that - until quite recently - I had absolutely no idea who this guy Dr. Oz is.  A friend recently told me that Dr. Oz has some really good material about dental health that can be shared, and since it's sometimes easier to use someone else's material instead of having to write it all from scratch myself  :-) , I figured I'd check it out, and WOW!  I'm impressed!  It's sad to say, but many physicians really have no idea about how the health of the mouth is connected to the rest of the body, and how valuable their dental colleagues can be in diagnosing a number of medical conditions.  Dr. Oz is definitely not one of them!  I'll kick things off here with one of his articles.  I have added some bold italics for emphasis (all mine). [...]

By | 2017-06-09T20:43:20-04:00 July 13th, 2010|Broken tooth, Bruxism & Parafunction, Bulimia, Cavities, Migraine headaches, Periodontal (Gum) Disease, Sleep Apnea & Snoring, Snoring|0 Comments
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Is There a Comfortable Treatment for Periodontal (Gum) Disease? YES!

I just got off the phone with one of our patients from yesterday for whom we had done LANAP, also known as Laser Periodontal TherapyTM, as I wanted to check and see how she is doing today.  And even though I have heard the same exact story practically every single time, I still find it wonderful to hear, and so I wanted to relate it to you (I'll ask her at her first follow-up appt. next week if she wouldn't mind doing a short video herself): Bear in mind......this lady has moderately advanced periodontal (gum) disease, and so when we were doing her treatment yesterday, we had to do a LOT, not just with the Periolase itself, but also with the ultrasonic scaler/cleaner that we use to remove all of the tough tartar build-up; to treat her whole mouth took about 2.5 hours, so she was in our office for quite some time.  Fortunately, she was able to watch Dr. Phil during the procedure, which kept her pretty well distracted LOL. So what did she say when I asked her how she felt immediately afterwards and also today?  Basically, she said that she took just 1 (ONLY ONE!!!!) 800mg Ibuprofen tablet yesterday "just in case," but since then, she has had practically no pain, and only a tiny bit of soreness, and she has not had to take ANY further pain medication of any kind!  That is one of the things I simply LOVE about doing LANAP -- even though we are treating the gum disease very aggressively, the physical properties of the laser stimulate healing so much and soothe the body so much, that patients are always amazed at how well they feel afterwards. [...]

By | 2017-06-09T20:43:24-04:00 June 11th, 2010|LANAP - Laser Surgery for Gum Disease, Periodontal (Gum) Disease, Six-Month Braces|0 Comments
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What’s the difference between Gingivitis and Periodontal Disease?

This is one of those simple questions that can seem quite confusing to the public, because most dental offices don't do an adequate job explaining the difference, and sadly, periodontal disease is still one of the most under-diagnosed and under-treated diseases in the United States.  Part of the reason for the lack of treatment does come from the lack of proper diagnosis, but the other part is most commonly that patients believe that treatment for periodontal disease is too uncomfortable or that it doesn't seem to work very well.  Fortunately, we now have a genuine treatment that both works and is comfortable: Laser Periodontal TherapyTM.  Still, it is important to understand the difference, so you can know if you do or don't have either gingivitis or periodontal disease, and what you can do about it. Gingivitis In the simplest terms, Gingivitis is inflammation of the gums, caused by a build-up of plaque around the teeth that is not completely and regularly cleaned by good brushing and flossing. You could think of it as a paper cut on your skin -- you know, it gets really red and irritated and sore, will bleed a bit, but if you take good care of it by putting ointment on and a bandaid (the equivalent of good brushing and flossing), it will go away quickly. What do you need to do to cure gingivitis? Brushing at least twice/day Flossing at least once, preferably twice/day, with good technique, and possibly Using a non-alcohol-based, fluoride mouthrinse. If left untreated, gingivitis can progress to become periodontal disease if there are other contributing factors, but it does not automatically do so, and it can be reversed with improved care of your teeth and [...]

By | 2017-06-09T20:43:48-04:00 February 16th, 2010|Gingivitis, LANAP - Laser Surgery for Gum Disease, Periodontal (Gum) Disease|0 Comments
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2009 is Almost Over – Use Your Dental Benefits/Flex Plan $ or Lose Them!

USE IT OR LOSE IT! Your Dental Insurance, that is.  Did you know that, when your dental insurance year runs out, you LOSE whatever benefits you have left?  Unlike phone minutes, there’s no “roll-over” for your insurance, so once they’re gone, they’re GONE. We are rapidly approaching the end of 2009, and our schedule is already filling up for those last appointments of the year; if you don’t schedule now, you could easily miss out on the opportunity to use your benefits to help you get the dental treatment you need.  If you want to use Flex Plan dollars (‘cause you lose those, too, don’t forget!) or Dental Insurance that is still available, please call Liz at your first chance so you don’t miss out. END-OF-YEAR SPECIALS In addition to using your Dental Benefits, we are offering some really cool End-of-Year specials to help you out (hey, if you save some money and I get to stay busy, we BOTH benefit, right?) 1)      Get up to an ADDITIONAL $500 off our amazing Six-Month Braces! This has been incredibly popular, and patients tell us almost every day that they can’t believe how fast their teeth are straightening out.  Many are going to have the smiles straight and white by Thanksgiving or Christmas already.  Since we already have the coupon for $500 off, if you chose this option, you can save UP TO $1000!  If you’re doing 1 arch, you save $250 extra, but $500 off if you do both top and bottom teeth. 2) SAVE YOUR TEETH FROM GUM DISEASE AND $500 OFF! If you have gum disease and we’ve talked with you about LANAP, here’s the best way to go: We are scheduling blocks of [...]

By | 2017-06-09T20:43:59-04:00 November 16th, 2009|ANNOUNCEMENTS, Cosmetic dentistry, Dental Insurance, LANAP - Laser Surgery for Gum Disease, Periodontal (Gum) Disease, Six-Month Braces|0 Comments
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Best Treatment for Gum Disease

It's easy for me to tell you that Laser Periodontal TherapyTM is both effective and comfortable, but we both know that it's easier to believe when you talk to someone who has actually been through it.  So, right after we finished up treating a really sweet patient yesterday, we asked her if she wouldn't mind recording a short video so our other patients could hear directly how easy it was.  That said, let me introduce you to Milli:

By | 2017-06-09T20:44:08-04:00 October 25th, 2009|LANAP - Laser Surgery for Gum Disease, Laser Dentistry, Patient Testimonials, Periodontal (Gum) Disease|0 Comments
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