gum disease

Feb22

What Is Lurking Under Your Gumline?

Categories: General Dentistry, Gum Disease

Fighting Gum Disease In Grand Rapids

Hello Grand Rapids residents! Your overall dental health depends not only on healthy teeth but also healthy gums. Proper oral hygiene helps keep both your teeth and gums in good shape.

When brushing, hold your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle with the bristle tips aimed at the line where the tooth and gum meet. The bristles of a soft toothbrush can clean the food particles in the pockets in front and in back of the tooth, but you need floss to clean between the teeth. Make sure you get the floss into the pocket between the teeth and scrape food particles up and out of the pocket.

Back to toothbrushing: if the toothbrush is not held at the correct angle, the bristles can’t get in the pockets to clean out the bacteria before it turns into enamel-damaging plaque. If plaque multiplies in the pockets around the teeth, the gum will start pulling away. Eventually, the pockets will become too deep for your toothbrush bristles to reach. Unfortunately, the tooth structure below the gumline is more susceptible to decay than the enamel above the gumline.

There is more than one way to damage your teeth – even if the visible parts of your teeth are cavity-free, gum disease can cause problems with the parts you can’t see.

We are Dr. Bruce Stewart and Dr. Eric Hull. We, along with our friendly staff, promote preventative dentistry by working with our patients of all ages to establish essential oral hygiene habits.

If you haven’t had a check-up in a while, or are experiencing gum soreness or recession, call our Grand Rapids area dental practice today at 616-827-7019 to schedule a thorough tooth and gum examination in Comstock Park. During your exam, Dr. Bruce Stewart or Dr. Eric Hull will measure the depth of the pockets around each tooth. If you already have gum disease, we will help you restore gum health.

At Stewart & Hull Aesthetic & General Dentistry in Comstock Park, we provide full general and cosmetic dental services including dental veneers and restorative dentistry. If you have healthy teeth and gums but want to brighten your smile, ask us about tooth bleaching procedures we perform in-office.

Bruce A. Stewart, DDS, FAGD
Eric D. Hull, DDS
769 York Creek Dr NW
Comstock Park, Michigan 49321
https://www.greatmismiles.com/

 

Feb1

Do You Have Sore Gums?

Categories: Gum Disease, Oral Health

Gum Disease Treatment In The Grand Rapids Area Every dentistry patient’s mouth provides a cozy home for over 600 types of bacteria. If you are diligent about oral hygiene and have healthy gums, these microbes usually don’t affect your health. However, if you have gum disease, bacteria can enter your bloodstream through your gums and cause problems.

Gingivitis is the term for the mild gum disease. At Stewart & Hull Aesthetic & General Dentistry, we routinely discover gingivitis in Grand Rapids clients who are not even aware they have the condition.

The first signs of gingivitis are swollen, sore gums.

It is important for our Comstock Park and Rockford MI area dental patients to understand that it is not normal for gums to bleed when they are brushed or flossed. If you haven’t had an oral examination in a while and live in the Grand Rapids area, call Stewart & Hull Aesthetic & General Dentistry at 616-827-7019. Dr. Bruce Stewart thoroughly exams teeth and gums and takes time to discuss the results and recommendations with each general dentistry patient.

Stewart & Hull Aesthetic & General Dentistry is a full-service dental practice at 769 York Creek Dr NW in Comstock Park. We provide comprehensive general and cosmetic dentistry for clients who live in the nearby communities of Grand Rapids, Comstock Park and Rockford MI.

During your dentist consultation, we can discuss any cosmetic or restorative procedures in which you are interested. Some of the dental procedures that we use to create perfect smiles are porcelain veneers, clear braces, dental implants and tooth bleaching. Our hygienists are skilled professionals who perform the ultimate in dental deep-cleanings.

Oral health and overall health go hand in hand. Schedule a dental consultation today by calling 616-827-7019 or visiting us online at https://www.greatmismiles.com/.

Aug18

The health benefits of dairy, from Dr. Stewart

Categories: Oral Health

Dr. Stewart wants to know: Is dairy a major part of your diet? If not, it should be! A study from the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) found that regular consumption of dairy products, such as milk, cheese and yogurt, can actually lower your chances of contracting periodontal disease (also known as gum disease). Results of the study also showed that adults who consume at least 55 grams of lactic acid a day are less at risk for gum disease.

Cheese is one of the healthiest snacks for your child’s teeth. In addition to providing large amounts of much-needed calcium, cheese also does its part to fight cavities. Cheddar, Swiss, Mozzarella, and Monterey Jack all stimulate the body’s salivary glands to clear the mouth of debris and protect them from acids that weaken them, according to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. This means cheese disrupts the development of cavities, especially when eaten as a snack or at the end of a meal. Calcium and phosphorous found in cheese reduce or prevent decreases in the plaque’s ph level and work to re-mineralize the enamel of your child’s teeth.

Gum disease is caused by a bacterial infection in the mouth that affects the gums and jaw. Gum disease results in a loss of teeth and bone, and has been connected to certain cases of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, respiratory disease and osteoporosis.

Eating dairy is not just healthy for building strong bones, but is essential for maintaining a strong, healthy mouth. Next time you reach for a quick snack, choose some cheese, or a glass of milk, and remember with each bite, and every sip you are preserving your teeth for a lifetime of smiles and good oral health!

For more information about which dairy foods are best for keeping your teeth healthy, please give us a call.