When it comes to your dental health, it is important to look at your overall health and wellness to understand more about why you are experiencing certain dental problems. The human body contains many small systems, and everything is connected in some way. For example, you might have a seemingly unrelated health problem that could be impacting your dental health.

Diabetes and Gum Disease Connection

In recent years, it has been found that people with diabetes have a higher risk of periodontal disease compared with other people who don’t have diabetes. In fact, gum disease is such a common problem among diabetics that gum disease is now considered a complication of diabetes. Why is there a connection between diabetes and gum disease?

Some doctors have suggested that people with diabetes have a higher risk for infection, so it is more common for their gums to become infected. On the other hand, it might be possible that gum disease makes it harder for people to control their blood sugar levels.

Diabetes Treatment Protects Your Gums

If you want to avoid the complication of gum infections, then you need to focus on keeping your diabetes in check. By managing your blood sugar levels, it is possible that you will also experience a decrease in gum related problems at the same time. People who don’t manage their diabetes have a higher risk of gum disease.

Another important step to protect your dental health is to talk with our team about dental treatment options that are available. Make sure that you share details about your diabetes, so that your dental providers understand the full situation and how your overall health may be impacting your dental health.

Treating your gum disease complications right away is essential to protect your teeth. Severe gum disease can lead to tooth loss, and it is more common for diabetics to lose teeth due to gum disease when they don’t have control over their blood sugar levels.

When you have been diagnosed with gum disease, there are several treatments that might be considered. Common gum disease treatments include plaque removal to get rid of the hardened plaque that is in the area of the infected tissue. It is also possible to use certain types of antibiotics and mouth rinses to reduce the infection.

If your gums are irritated or you suspect that you are suffering from gum disease, then it is important to schedule a dental checkup right away. Contact our Bridgeport dental office for more information!

Why Digital Dentistry?

Here at Bridgeport Family Dental, we incorporate digital technology because we want to give our patients the best possible experience. Digital dentistry is the inclusion in dental practice of any digital or computer-based technology (as opposed to mechanical or electrical). Digital technology makes our lives faster, smarter, and safer in all kinds of ways–and we can use it to improve dental health, too. We’re excited to be on the wave of this exciting new technology! Digital dentistry, especially 3D printing, is expected to quickly grow and become a vital part of the way dental offices practice in the next decade.

What is 3D Printing?

3D printing is an exciting new technology that allows us to use computers to convey manufacturing information to machines that can “print” almost any three-dimensional object using whatever material is best. The benefit of 3D printing is that it helps manufacturing become more efficient and precise. 3D printing has been used to create products in a wide range of industries, from architecture to fashion. We use it in dentistry, too!

How does 3D Printing Work?

In our Bridgeport dental office, we use 3D printing to create dental crowns, onlays and inlays, and veneers for our patients. These dental restorations were traditionally created in a lab after the dentist made a physical impression of the patient’s teeth. Now, that process is made more efficient using digital technology. Because these dental restorations need to be a perfect fit for the exact shape of your tooth, 3D printing is a great option. We send a digital image of your teeth to a computer that evaluates the tooth’s dimensions in order to “print” the crown. The restoration is designed with an extremely high level of precision to match your tooth, and manufactured right here in the office, in a much shorter amount of time than it would take to send impressions of your teeth off to a lab.

How is 3D Printing Different from CEREC Technology?

CEREC technology also creates dental restorations quickly and efficiently, right here in the office. The difference between 3D printing and CEREC is that they manufacture the object in different ways: 3D printing builds an object by stacking microlayer on microlayer of its material based on instructions from digital data, whereas CEREC carves the object out of its material with the help of scanners and special software. CEREC is a very efficient and precise technology. However, because of the intricacies allowed by the micro layering involved in 3D printing, dental restorations created this way can be even more perfectly fitted to your teeth.

3D printing used to take a long time, but the technology is quickly becoming faster and faster. Within a few years, we might be able to print a new tooth for you within minutes!

When Would I Need an Inlay?

An inlay is a dental restoration that is bigger than a filling but smaller than a crown. It protects the health and structure of a damaged tooth. If you have a cavity on the chewing surface of your tooth that is too large for a filling, your dentist may suggest an inlay. These restorations can be made of porcelain or ceramics and designed to match the tooth aesthetically.

When Would I Need an Onlay?

An onlay, like an inlay, is a dental restoration that is “in between” a filling and a crown. These are sometimes called “partial crowns.” The difference between an inlay and an onlay is that an onlay restores not only the chewing surface of the tooth, but also the cusp of the tooth. The cusp is the raised point on the tip of your tooth. If you need this restored or replaced, your dentist will most likely suggest an onlay. Like an inlay, an onlay can be made of porcelain or ceramics and created using either a physical impression or CEREC technology. Onlays protect the structure of your tooth, and they also restore its appearance.

What’s the Process like for Getting an Inlay or Onlay?

Because inlays and onlays are customized to fit your tooth, the process involved is more like that for a crown than for a filling. We create the inlay by taking a physical impression of your tooth or by using digital CEREC technology. If you choose to get a physical impression, the restoration will require two visits, because we will need to send the impression off to a lab to create the inlay/onlay. On the second visit, we will place the restoration. However, with our CEREC technology, we can make and place inlays and onlays in just one visit by digitally photographing the tooth and manufacturing the restoration right in the office. We place the inlay or onlay here in the office, using local anesthesia at the site. You may feel slight discomfort after the procedure, but this should subside within a day or two.

Why Not Get a Crown or a Filling?

If the damage to your tooth is not dramatic enough that a dental crown is clinically necessary, inlays and onlays are less costly. They are also much more durable than a filling, lasting up to 10 years (provided that you take good care of your teeth).

When you think about staying healthy, you might not often think about your dental health. But, you might be surprised how much your teeth and gums matter to your overall health.

Why is it Important to Keep your Teeth Healthy?

Healthy teeth and gums are about much more than appearance. Our mouths are always filled with bacteria, but having too much bad bacteria caused by plaque can lead to health problems in other parts of your body. And bacteria isn’t just dangerous for your teeth. Not caring properly for your teeth leads to gum disease (periodontal disease), which causes a host of other problems. When you keep bad bacteria out of your mouth, you avoid these risks.

How can Gum (Periodontal) Disease Effect My Overall Health?

Gum disease is very dangerous to your health. When bacteria causes inflammation in your gums, it also causes inflammation in the rest of your body and weakens your immune system. Studies have even showed a link between gum disease and heart disease: people with gum disease are twice as likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke. There is also a link between gum disease and rheumatoid arthritis. Both these conditions are caused by chronic inflammation, and there is evidence that people with rheumatoid arthritis are more likely to have gum disease. When the gum disease is properly treated, arthritis pain and symptoms decrease.

What Foods are Healthiest for my Teeth and Gums?

What’s bad for your dental health tends to be bad for your overall health, and what’s good for your dental health tends to be good for your overall health. For example, to prevent plaque and gum disease, it’s a good idea to avoid high-sugar foods, soda, and sticky candy. High-fiber foods like fruits and vegetables and high calcium foods like yogurt and cheese are great for your teeth and the rest of your body.

How Can I Avoid Tooth Decay and Gum Disease?

You exercise and eat healthy to keep your body healthy, and it’s just as important to take preventative measures to keep your mouth healthy. These include:

● Brushing twice a day

● Flossing once a day

● Not smoking

● Replace your toothbrush every three to four months

● See the dentist regularly (once every six months)

● See the dentist immediately for any dental emergency

● Eat healthy meals and avoid snacking throughout the day (to keep bacteria out of your mouth)

Taking these simple steps can prevent many dental health problems and protect your overall health as well.