San Diego Periodontist: Why Smokeless Tobacco isn’t Safer than Smoking

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hand grabbing chewing tobaccoHopefully, you realize that cigarette smoke presents a serious risk to your oral and systemic health. While smokeless tobacco is just as dangerous, some people seem to be under the impression that chewing tobacco, as opposed to burning it, makes it less of a threat. Unfortunately, that’s not true, and the misconception may be placing some patients at an unnecessary risk for oral cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. Your San Diego periodontist, Dr. Ann Kania, explains what’s in your smokeless tobacco, and why it’s just as much of a bane to your health as smoking cigarettes.

What’s in Your Smokeless Tobacco?

Nicotine is one of tobacco’s most notorious ingredients, but there are over 3,000 chemicals found in smokeless tobacco, many of which are known to cause cancer and other serious health issues. Below are just a few of the harmful chemicals found in smokeless tobacco, along with their surprising true natures; (more…)

Dr. Ann Kania Explains the Science of Periodontics

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healthy gumsPeriodontics is a dental specialty that involves preventing, diagnosing, and treating all forms of periodontal disease, as well as placing and repairing dental implants. More than a general dentist, a periodontist must undergo an additional three or more years of school beyond dental school and receive extensive training in periodontal-related areas. As a result, your Encinitas periodontist is specially trained to address the most problematic periodontal cases and help you maintain your new or dental implant-supported smile.

Foundational Care

Periodontal (gum) disease attacks the gums and jawbone that support your teeth. The first stage of periodontal disease, called gingivitis, describes a bacterial infection that is often sparked by dental plaque buildup. Plaque consists of myriad oral bacteria, some of which target your gums and the tissues that connect them to your teeth.  If inflammation is left untreated, periodontitis (gum disease resulting in bone loss) may result. Regular dental checkups and cleanings can help Dr. Kania detect and treat periodontal disease early using a variety of innovative treatments, such as laser-assisted periodontal therapy. (more…)

Encinitas Periodontist Discusses–Which is the Better Toothbrush?

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beautiful woman brushing her teethMany people continue to debate whether the electric toothbrush is more effective than its manual predecessor at controlling harmful dental plaque and protecting your smile. Studies conducted suggest that electric brushes are generally more effective than manual brushes, and can provide additional features that make them especially beneficial to good oral hygiene care. Your Encinitas periodontist, Dr. Ann Kania, takes a glimpse at why the unique shapes and features of some electric toothbrushes give them an advantage at protecting your smile from developing dental diseases, and how to help your toothbrush remain effective with regular professional care.

Electric vs. Manual Toothbrushes

Manual toothbrushes can successfully remove dental plaque from the surfaces of your teeth, but by automatically generating the majority of necessary mechanical power, electric toothbrushes can make the task easier to accomplish, reducing the risk of a tired hand causing you to miss a spot or brush too harshly. Some electric toothbrushes offer additional protection through special features. For instance, some power brushes produces sonic vibrations to help weaken bacterial plaque and make it easier to remove from your teeth and gum line. Others have small heads that are specially designed to reach those hard-to-reach places around and behind your back teeth, where bacteria are fond of hiding. Dr. Kania will advise you whch option is best for your unique condition. (more…)

A Few Good Reasons to Relax this Summer

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summer relaxingAlthough summertime is typically associated with rest and relaxation, that’s not always the case for many people. As a dedicated periodontist in San Diego, Dr. Kania understands well that stress is no friend to your dental or physical health, and that relieving excessive stress is a vital component to your continued wellbeing. If you need a push to ensure that you take time to relax this summer, read on to learn a few ways in which your body and your smile can suffer from inadequate down time.

Your physical health

Stress is a well-known and significant risk factor to cardiovascular health, but even if your heart and vessels are in good shape, stress can still affect more-immediate health concerns. For instance, prolonged anxiety can inhibit your immune system, making you more susceptible to the common cold and other systemic illnesses. (more…)

Dr. Kania Explains How Summer Sunshine Can Improve Your Oral Health

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mother and daughter sunny smilesThe warm feel of the bright sun caressing your skin can rejuvenate many people, bringing with it thoughts of beautiful summer skies and fun activities. The smile that often comes naturally at this feeling may also benefit from the sun’s summer presence, since your body reacts to moderate sun exposure by producing vitamin D (often called the sunshine vitamin). Encinitas periodontist, Dr. Kania, lists a few of the ways that summer and the sunshine vitamin can significantly improve your oral health.

What You Should Know About the Sunshine Vitamin

  • Vitamin D is essential to your oral health for a number of reasons, one of which is necessary role in your body’s calcium absorption. Aside from strengthening your supportive jawbone, calcium helps keep teeth strong by forming and maintaining tooth enamel. The mineral also helps your muscles and blood vessels work properly, and helps transmit your nerves’ impulses, thereby facilitating good oral health and function. (more…)

Encinitas Periodontist Explains Why Dental Implants are a Big Deal

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what's the big dealWhen it comes to replacing a lost tooth (or several), there’s more to consider than how good your replacement tooth looks. Discretion is important, and the porcelain used for most of today’s fabricated tooth replacements bear a striking resemblance to your natural teeth, but your teeth serve more important functions than looking pretty. Therefore, your teeth’s replacements should provide the same functionality to preserve the integrity of your oral health. Your Encinitas periodontist, Dr. Ann Kania, explains how the addition of dental implants can help your replacement teeth act like natural teeth, and how they help preserve the strength of your smile’s foundation.

The Foundation Your Replacement Teeth Deserve

Healthy teeth consist of more than just a crown that protrudes above the gum line. Below your gums, your teeth’s roots extend into your jawbone, which supports and nourishes your teeth. Traditional dental prostheses, like dental bridges and dentures, consist of replacement crowns secured in place with adhesives, clasps, and the support of remaining teeth. (more…)

Advanced Diagnostics with Your San Diego Laser Periodontist

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lady with a beautiful smileThough the basic concepts of caring for your oral health have remained largely the same in recent history, the methods and means of approach to total oral health care have vastly improved, and continue to do so. In our continuing effort to provide our patients with excellent, personalized dental care, your San Diego laser periodontist remains dedicated to staying abreast with the latest technology, practices, and procedures. Our advanced diagnostic tools, like digital X-rays, allow more comprehensive exams, and can significantly increase your chances of detecting dangerous dental issues early enough to prevent extensive damage.

The Advantage of Digital X-Rays

For quite some time, dental X-rays have helped dentists gain a thorough understanding of their patients’ oral health by providing clear images of teeth,  jawbone, and other oral structures. With digital X-rays, Dr. Kania can capture a clearer, crisper image in less time and with considerably more accuracy. Because the digital capturing process is more sensitive than traditional, film-based X-rays, your exposure is also greatly reduced. (more…)

Why Not Smoking Can Improve Your Chances of Preventing Gum Disease

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trying to quit smokingHopefully, you don’t need any more reasons to not smoke, or to quit smoking if you already practice the habit. The risks to your health associated with tobacco use are well-known, and include an increased risk for most types of cancer, a weakened immune system that leaves you more susceptible to infection, and an inhibited ability to heal. Your San Diego periodontist, Dr. Kania, explains how the various effects of smoking also combine to significantly increase your risk of developing destructive gum disease.

The Forest in Your Mouth

Your mouth is an ecological forest that contains over 600 different kinds of bacteria. Some of these microbes are responsible for processes that, when left unchecked, can lead to gum recession and inflammation that damages your periodontal tissues and facilitate the development of gum disease. The majority of these bacteria, however, facilitate your mouth’s wellbeing by acting as a shield against harmful pathogens. Smoking can kill these helpful microorganisms, as well as inhibit your saliva flow and lead to dry mouth, creating a hospitable environment for malicious bacteria to multiply and thrive. (more…)

How a Smile Can Change a Bad Mood

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good mood smileIf you were told that your smile and your mood are related, your first thought might be, “Duh.” Smiling is a universal sign of happiness, openness, excitement, and a host of other positive emotions and moods. However, research suggests that smiling doesn’t just reflect your mood; it might actually affect it, as well. Your Encinitas periodontist, Dr. Ann Kania, explores the influence that a smile can have on your mood, and vice versa.

Examining Smiles and Dispositions

There are countless clichés about smiling, such as “smile and the world smiles with you.” Actually, that one has proven the subject of research across the globe into the relationship between smiling and emotion. In the search to discover whether we smile because we’re happy, or we’re happy because we smile, studies suggest that the visual expression of happiness can actually trigger the same emotion in those who witness it. In one trial, participants were asked to look at photos of varying expressions, including smiling, frowning, and neutral faces. While looking at smiling pictures, the participants had trouble forming frowns on their own faces. (more…)

San Diego Periodontist Discusses Warning Signs You Shouldn’t Ignore

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warning signMuch of dentistry’s advancement has focused on improving early detection, which can drastically increase your chances of successful, noninvasive treatment. For instance, digital x-rays provide clearer, more concise images than traditional X-ray film and allow for much earlier detection of pathological changes that could signal disease. However, good old fashioned diligence can still play a vital role in maintaining your oral health. San Diego periodontist, Dr. Ann Kania, explains a few of the signs that can warn you of impending danger, but that you might miss if you’re not careful.

Early Detection at Home

Sensitive and/or loose teeth

Sudden, intense toothaches may leave little doubt that your tooth is in trouble, but what about the dull ache that comes and goes at times, sometimes barely even bothering you? Tooth sensitivity can occur for a number of reasons and to varying degrees, such as when gum recession exposes your tooth’s roots. If ignored, receding gums can become significant defects, and can erode your tooth’s foundational support. If you don’t notice that your tooth hurts or is loose, or if you ignore the warnings, then your tooth is on the path to be lost. (more…)