Old Town Dentistry is the Best Dentist for Treating Gum Disease

We are the best dentist in town for treating gum disease because we start by focusing on preventative care.  Having your teeth cleaned and examined twice a year is essential for staying in good oral health because it allows our dental hygienist to remove bacteria and plaque from on and around your teeth and gums.  No matter how diligent you are about brushing at home, there are places in your mouth that are difficult to reach without the help of a professional.

Gum disease is typically caused by a lack of oral hygiene and access to dental care. You can take preventative measures by brushing your teeth at least twice a day and flossing daily.  Flossing is particularly important for the health of your gums as it can remove plaque from the area near the bottom of your teeth.  You can also use an antiseptic mouthwash to help kill bacteria.

Some people are at higher risk of gum disease.  This includes people with diabetes, those who smoke and use smokeless tobacco products.  If you are in this category, it is wise to have your teeth cleaned more than twice a year in order to prevent an infection from forming.  Patients trust Old Town Dentistry as the best dentist in town for preventing infections and treating them quickly if they do develop.

Gingivitis is gum disease in its initial stage.  When caught early during routine dental exams it can be treated by performing a deep cleaning of the gums.  Bacteria are removed from on, around, and underneath the gum line.  This can be done fairly quickly and with minimal discomfort.  The benefit to having a deep cleaning performed is that the gums will typically heal themselves once the bacteria is removed.  This is the best stage to catch and treat gum disease because it won’t interfere with an active lifestyle like advanced stages will.

When gum disease is left untreated, the gums will start to recede.  Teeth will start to appear longer and larger as the gums shrink away.  They will also become red, swollen, and may bleed.  The further they recede the more at risk a person is for additional complications.  Pockets can form in the gum tissue which will expose the tooth and root system.  Bacteria can then start to attack the tooth creating a need for a root canal or even causing the tooth to fall out.  In order to treat this a gum graft may need to be done to close up the pocket and secure the gums back into place.

Catching and treating gum disease early is important and makes it possible to avoid more complex procedures.  Old Town Dentistry is the best dentist in Alexandria because we understand the importance of helping our patients to avoid oral pain and complications.  We are diligent about identifying signs and symptoms of developing conditions so that treatment can begin immediately before complications arise.  To schedule an appointment call our office at (703) 683-0800.

Studies Link Teeth Whitening to How Attractive People Think You Are

As a dentist, teeth whitening procedures are a tool we use to help our patients improve their smile and overall appearance.  This is a non-invasive way of doing so and is both convenient and affordable for our patients.  For years, we have seen the dramatic results that whitening teeth can make to a person’s appearance and how attractive they consider themselves to be.  Now, there is evidence that a beautiful smile also impacts how the world sees you.

Oral-B makes a variety of products for people to use on their teeth and gums.  They also have a sizeable research department and recently completed a study where the polled 2,000 people in an attempt to find out if a beautiful smile impacts how attractive a person is and if so, by how much.  They found that people with a beautiful smile were thought to be 20 percent more attractive and five years younger than they actually were.  This is an important study because it quantified the type of impact improving your smile can make in your overall appearance.

The University of California conducted further research that was not specific to smiles but focused on finding out whether or not being attractive actually made a difference in how successful someone was.  The results clearly indicated that it does.  They found that when a person was considered attractive they typically made 12 percent more money than their peers in addition to being perceived as a better team player and more helpful.  The better looking a person is, the more successful they are at work – statistically that is.  Information provided by Match.com completes the picture.  They found that after polling 5,000 men and women, both sexes thought that a beautiful smile was the most attractive quality in a person.  Fortunately, this is easy to achieve with a teeth whitening procedure.

According to these and other studies, physical appearance can make an impact on a person’s life.  Being attractive has to start with being healthy.  This applies to the health of your body and your mouth.  Regular teeth cleanings can keep your teeth and gums free from an infection, help to prevent teeth from becoming damaged, and prevent future tooth loss.  When teeth and gums are healthy they will naturally look more attractive.

Teeth whitening can produce dramatic results in healthy teeth.  Our professional whitening procedure can whiten teeth by up to eight shades, turning a dull and boring smile into something bright and beautiful.  This is by far the simplest way to improve your smile and is also affordable.  We start by making a mold of your mouth so that customized whitening trays can be created in the lab.  These plastic trays will fit your teeth snuggly and securely so that when whitening solution is added they will stay in place and not fall out.  The whitening solution should be worn for several hours at night until the desired results are achieved.  This typically takes a week or two.  Patients who want to whiten their teeth faster can do so using our in-office whitening procedure that takes around an hour to complete. The end result of both is a beautiful smile that can statistically improve your life in multiple ways.