Periodontics: Caring for your gums

Periodontics: Caring for your gums

Caring for your teeth is an essential part of maintaining good oral health, but your gums also play an important role in your health, and proper care is crucial. Gum disease can be a serious detriment to your oral health and overall wellness, and Dr. Christopher Emuedue of Greenville Family Dentistry provides the regular periodontal and checkups you need to maintain peak periodontal health and prevent gum disease.

 

With periodontal disease responsible for 75 percent of all adult tooth loss cases in the United States, it is critical to check for and treat periodontal issues when they first arise. Periodontal disease is an infection of the gums that starts when a build-up of plaque on your teeth hardens into tartar. As the tartar accumulates, bacteria collect and attack the soft tissue in the surrounding gums. In its early stages, this gum disease is gingivitis, but if it is left untreated, it becomes periodontis. Periodontis can destroy your gum tissue and lead to tooth loss. Periodontis can even result in a loss of bone mass in your jaw bone, and heart disease, diabetes and stroke have also been linked to poor periodontal health.

 

The state of your gums affects the health of your entire body, so come to our office for periodontal cleanings and treatment. We can even refer you to a recommended specialist if you require special treatment. We will make sure your gums are well cared for. Call 903-455-6701 to schedule an appointment. For more information about our practice, visit www.GreenvilleFamilyDentistryTX.com. 

Wisdom Teeth Extractions

Wisdom Teeth Extractions

At Greenville Family Dentistry in Greenville, TX, wisdom teeth extractions are a fairly common procedure. Your last set of molars to come in, wisdom teeth usually emerge when you are between 17 and 21 years old. Since wisdom teeth can often become impacted, which means they come in at an angle rather than straight through the gums, it is many times necessary to remove them before they cause pain or begin to push on your other teeth.

 

If a wisdom tooth is impacted and can only emerge partially, it is possible for an operculum to form over the tooth. If this flap of skin forms, the tooth will be hard to clean and can be infected. This infection is called pericoronitis.

 

When a wisdom tooth is in danger of causing such problems, Dr. Christopher Emuedue will extract the tooth. It is often necessary to remove all four at once. This is done either by using a local anesthetic or a general anesthetic, based on the preference of the doctors and patient and how far the wisdom teeth have emerged. After the anesthetic is applied, the gum tissue around the wisdom tooth is cut and the tooth is loosened and pulled out. If necessary, the gums will be sutured for healing.

 

After the surgery, rest is required, and you will need to change the gauze applied to the incision. To see if your wisdom teeth may need to be removed, schedule an appointment with us by calling 903-455-6701. For more information on our practice, visit www.GreenvilleFamilyDentistryTX.com. 

Root Canals

Root Canals

While the thought of having a root canal usually fills patients with dread, it is a necessary procedure for those whose teeth become infected in the nerves. Besides causing pain, infections, if left untreated, can become abscesses, which are much more serious and result in a loss of bone mass in the jaw bone. Here at Greenville Family Dentistry, Dr. Christopher Emuedue can relieve your pain with a root canal.

 

Although root canals do not sound pleasant, they are well worth it to stop your pain and improve your oral health. While there may be a little soreness after the procedure, it is only temporary and usually nothing over-the-counter painkillers cannot take care of.

 

During a root canal, Dr. Emuedue removes the infection by applying a local anesthetic to the area and drilling into the tooth to create an opening in the canal. Then he is able to remove the infected tissue and clean the area. Once the infection has been removed, your tooth will be filled with gutta percha, a sealant, and then fitted with a crown to protect it from infection in the future. The crown also helps improve the appearance and strength of the tooth.

 

Once the procedure is complete, you will be able to eat without experiencing pain and sensitivity to heat, cold and pressure. If you’re in pain, you don’t need to suffer. Schedule an appointment with our office by calling 903-455-6701. For more information, visit www.GreenvilleFamilyDentistryTX.com. 

Nitrous Oxide

Dental anxiety is a common occurrence among our patients, which is why we offer nitrous oxide. This helps patients take the edge off while getting dental procedures, whether it is a root canal, root planing and scaling, or an extraction.

 

Nitrous oxide is also referred to as laughing gas and given by having a mask placed over the patient’s nose and mouth so they can inhale the gas. The patient is monitored by Dr. Joseph Alexander the entire time.

 

There are many benefits to choosing nitrous oxide as a way for dental sedation, such as the following:

• It wears off quickly, so you can still drive yourself 
•  It is a safe and effective form of sedation.
• The level of sedation can be controlled by the dentist, increasing or decreasing the gas.
• Patients resume normal activities immediately after their dental appointment.
• Sensations experienced with nitrous oxide include relaxation, euphoria, and relief from anxiety and tension.

If you have a dental appointment coming up, contact Greenville Family Dentistry in TX about nitrous oxide sedation.

Panorex

Here at Greenville Family Dentistry, we utilize advanced technology for a variety of diagnostic and dental procedures, including the impressive Panorex.Panorex is an imaging machine that can identify a wide range of issues with the teeth, gums and bone that traditional x-rays are not able to find. We use the Panorex machine for diagnosing orthodontic and dental problems and looking at the overall structure of the teeth and mouth.

 

Patients who come into our office to use the Panorex will go through the following steps:

 

1. The patient comes into our office and sits on the Panorex chair.

2. Their chin rests on a small ledge on the machine, while we position it properly.

3. The Panorex machine rotates around their head at a 360-degree angle.

 

By orbiting the head at 360 degrees, in about 20 seconds, the machine captures high quality images of the teeth, gums, head, bones and sinuses. With these images, Dr. Joseph Alexander is able to make sure the patient’s teeth are functioning as they could, as well as finding reasons for pain or other issues the patient is experiencing.

 

To experience the digital Panorex machine, visit our office in Greenville, TX.

Ridge Augmentation

If you have lost a tooth quite some time ago and now want to get a dental implant, you may not be eligible for one. This is because after losing a tooth, the jawbone of the missing tooth starts deteriorating. If the tooth was not replaced quickly, it increases the likelihood of this happening.

 

Our patients often visit us wanting a dental implant to replace one of their missing teeth, but then realize they don’t have sufficient bone to support the titanium metal post. Luckily, we offer ridge augmentation, a procedure to restore the bone structure.

 

The ridge augmentation procedure is done by lifting the gum from its ridge and creating an opening where the jawbone is located. Then, a bone graft or other bone-like material is used to fill these defected areas where the jawbone is starting to deteriorate. It is closed up and left to heal before the implant procedure can be completed. By getting ridge augmentation before implants, patients increase their chances of success after having the metal post implanted into the jawbone.

 

Patients looking for the ridge augmentation procedure should call Greenville Family Dentistry at 903-455-6701.

 

Frenectomy

Here at Greenville Family Dentistry, we provide a variety of pediatric dentistry procedures, including the frenectomy. A frenectomy is a common procedure performed right here in our dental practice, which helps remove the frenulum located in the mouth.

 

A frenulum is a small piece of tissue connecting the tongue to the floor of the mouth. The frenulum is usually found while the patient is a child, and prevents them from moving their tongue properly. It can affect eating and speech, which is why we recommend having a frenectomy performed.

 

The frenectomy procedure is quick and simple, usually taking no more than 20 minutes. We use two main methods for the procedure, including using a laser or a scalpel. Many patients choose to utilize our laser technology for the frenectomy because minimal bleeding is involved, and no stitches are needed after it is done. There is also a significantly faster healing time. There is no need to worry about the procedure, regardless of how it is performed, and the benefits of getting it done far outweigh the healing process.

 

Call our Greenville, TX dentist Dr. Joseph Alexander at 903-455-6701 to schedule an appointment for a frenectomy.