OPEN WIDE!   You may think you have a preconception plan all figured out:  take vitamins, no alcohol or sushi, are vaccinations up to date?, and of course go to as many  movies as possible while you still can!   But are you planning to schedule an appointment with your dentist too? 

Getting a complete dental examination, including an evaluation of your gum health, before you conceive is as important as an overall medical check-up.  Mounting research has indicated a link between poor oral health and pre-term birth, low birth weight, and possibly pre-eclampsia.

The Journal of the American Dental Association found that pregnant women with chronic gum disease were four to seven times more likely to deliver prematurely (before 37 weeks) than those with healthy gums; women in the group with more severe periodontal disease delivered even earlier (before 32 weeks)

Another study shows that women with gingivitis who received periodontal therapy before 28 weeks gestation had a significantly lower incidence of perterm low-birthweight babies than women who did not receive periodontal therapy. (American Academy of Periodontology)

Symptoms of gum disease:

Red, tender, or swollen gums.

Gums that bleed when you brush or floss (no, this is not “normal”!!!)

Dark red, or receeding gums

Bad breath or a bad taste in your mouth

Loose teeth

Some people have no symptoms at all

If you have a family history of gum disease, you may be at a greater risk.

Dr. Hughes at Boulder Valley Dental in Louisivlle, Colorado

303-666-8820

HOME CARE INSTRUCTIONS

After Laser (LANAP) Treatment

• Vitamins, dietary supplements, or medications may be prescribed to improve your overall health. Take any prescribed medication according to directions.
• Dental laser procedures result in little or no discomfort following surgery.  Take prescribed pain medications according to instructions if needed.
• Carefully avoid chewing food in the areas of the mouth where the laser has been used.  One of the most important results of laser surgery is the healing that occurs following the initial procedure.  It is extremely important not to dislodge the tiny clots (scabs) that form in the gums.
• Daily Care: 

Only brush the chewing surfaces of the treated teeth gently for the first two weeks following surgery.  Do not brush along the gums on the surgical side.  Rinse with ½ oz. Peridex for 60 seconds twice daily (in the morning after breakfast and at bedtime). 

Use Peridex until bottle is empty.  

During the first three days drink liquids only. A liquid dietary supplement may be recommended.  Gradually increase to soft foods diet for the next two weeks.  After that, you may then add back your regular diet choices.

Do not floss for 2 weeks.  When you begin flossing after this time frame, carefully place the floss between the teeth and avoid pushing the floss under the gums until instructed to do so.

The length of time it takes for the gums to heal depends upon the severity of the disease.  Most healing in the surface areas takes 2 – 4 weeks. Deeper pocket areas may take from 6-9 months to completely heal.

Oral Hygiene Timeline

1. Liquid Diet for 3 days
2. Mushy consistency Diet for 2-3 weeks
3. Manual extra soft toothbrush for 2-3 weeks
4. Resume normal diet after 2-4 weeks
5. Resume flossing above the gumline after 4 weeks healing
6. Electric TB usage after 6 weeks healing
7. Oral Irrigator ie. Waterpik usage after 6 months of healing

Dr. Tracey Hughes

Boulder Valley Dental

303-666-8820

LANAP, Laser Gum Therapy, Osseous surgery, Periodontal surgery

Recently our new team member Stephanie and I were having a quick conversation about the effects of periodontal disease on our systemic health. Stephanie, being new to the dental scene has been doing some  in-depth research on our laser gum treatments (LANAP) and was shocked to hear that periodontal disease can cause pre-term labor in pregnant women. I, being in the dentistry field for the past 12 years, realized that I forget that not all people have access to my dental hygiene journals and multiple sources of periodontal information. And, unless you have been diagnosed with periodontal disease, it is hard to find a platform to speak on this subject.  I realized that most of the population probably isn’t aware of the effects periodontal disease can have on our systemic health. It made me ponder “how can I get this information to the public?” I figure this is a start. Here is some information on the devastating effects periodontal disease can have on pregnant women. Research has shown that having an active periodontal disease can increase the risk for preterm births and low term birth weight in babies by seven times.  Pre-term pregnancy is defined as a gestation of less than 37 weeks and low birth weight is defined as less than 5lbs. 8 oz.  The American Academy of Periodontology strongly recommends that any woman considering pregnancy have a periodontal evaluation before conceiving.  The reason for this is when disease there is significantly more bacteria present in the oral cavity. Subsequently,  during pregnancy your immune response is lowered so as to not harm the fetus. With a lower immune response comes an increased opportunity for bacteria to grow, therefore increasing the bacteria load exponentially. When disease is present in the oral cavity it increases you chances of bleeding gums upon daily homecare routines (brushing and flossing). When this happens bacteria can enter your blood stream and travel to the placenta triggering biological fluids that induce labor and/or prevent the fetus from maturing at a healthy rate .

If diagnosed with periodontal disease it is encouraging to know that we can treat the disease with laser gum treatments. Based on the severity of the disease we now have options to treat the disease in a very comfortable manor. The LANAP procedure which is the first FDA approved laser treatment for gum disease is highly effective in not only removing the bacteria present, but only removing the diseased tissue and leaves behind the healthy tissue to regenerate. Due to minimal post-op sensitivity, faster healing time, minimal post-op recession, and overall patient satisfaction, I feel the LANAP (laser assisted new attachment procedure) treatment is far superior than the cut-and-sew procedure periodontist have done in the past.  Thank goodness dentisty has progressed to a more comfortable and effective way of treating gum disease. I think this will help the population conquer their fears of dentistry and start taking care of their oral health which directly impacts their systemic health.

I am so happy with the results from my LANAP procedure that I wanted to write to you to say a big thank you! Even with a really rigid dental regime I have always had issues with periodontal disease and by 30 I really felt very hopeless about it and figured I would end up having gum surgery (not a happy thought!). So hearing about LANAP seemed too good to be true, but worth a try, and now only 9 months later I got my first readings and I am so glad I did LANAP because the readings were amazing! My pockets went from 6’s and even 9’s to 1’s, 2’s, 3’s, and just a few 4’s and I feel like I have a whole new perspective on the future of my teeth and gums and even on just going to the dentist.

Thank you so much for making this wonderful new technology available to me and for all of you and your staff’s efforts to make me feel comfortable and encouraged during this process!  Shanna Jirka 4/19/10

i wouldnt change a thing!! i love my new dental office and to be able to say that is huge!!! thanks so much for all that you guys do!!!  Danelle G.  4/1/10

Days 1-3:  The first three days following your Laser Peridontal Therapy you will only be allowed a liquid diet to allow for proper healing.  Anything you can process in a blender is ideal.  The purpose of this is to protect the clot that is acting as a “band aid” between the gum and teeth. 

DO NOT drink through a straw, as this creates a vacuum in your mouth that can disturb the “band aid”.  This is important for the success of the LANAP procedure.

Days 4-7:  The next four days after treatment, foods with a “mushy” consistency such as those listed below are recommended.

Day 8-10:  Eight to ten days after treatment, allowable soft foods may have the consistency of pasta, fish, chicken or steamed vegetables.  You may then, gradually add back your regular diet choices.

Please remember that even after ten days, healing is not complete.  The first month following treatment, you should continue to make smart food choices.  Softer foods are better!

DIET SUGGESTIONS:

• DAILY VITAMINS!!!!
• Fruit juices, milk, tea, hot chocolate
• Anything put through a food blender
• Cream of Wheat, Oatmeal, Malt-O-Meal
• Mashed banana, mashed avocado, applesauce
• Mashed potatoes, baked potatoes OK with butter and sour cream
• Broth or creamed soups
• Mashed steamed vegetables
• Mashed yams, baked sweet potato or butternut squash
• Cottage cheese, cream cheese or soft cheeses
• Eggs any style, with or without melted cheese
• Jell-O, pudding, ice cream or yogurt
• Milk shakes, smoothies-OK to blend with fruit except NO BERRIES with SEEDS!
• Ensure, Slim Fast, nutritional drinks

DO NOT EAT

*Chewing gum or candy                    

*Anything hard or crunchy

 *Cookies                                            

*Anything with seeds

*Chips                                                

*Raw vegetables/salad

*Nuts                                                 

*Popcorn

*Meat that shreds and can be lodged under gums and between teeth

* No alcoholic beverages for 48 hours.  Minimize alcohol consumption for 2 months.

Having LANAP done by Dr. Tracey Hughes, Laser gum therapist, can give you an more comfortable alternative to traditional osseous sugery.

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For people suffering from gum disease, aka. periodontal disease, there is an alternative treatment to traditional gum surgery.  LANAP, laser assisted new attachment procedure, is a minimally invasive procedure, performed with a laser.  There is minimal to no discomfort during and after the procedure.  There is fast healing, and exceptional results.  Also known as laser gum surgery, LANAP kills bacteria that can be potentially harmful to your body as a whole. 

For those of you who know what “pockets” are when you go to the dentist, Dr. Tracey Hughes has taken patient’s with 9mm pockets, treated them with LANAP, and the 9mm pockets heals to 3mm within 6 months.   The treatment is extremely successful in non-smoking patients and patient’s are very satisfied with the experience.

So, if someone has recommended gum surgery to treat your gum disease, call Dr. Tracey Hughes for a consultation regarding LANAP as an alternative therapy.  303-666-8820

Sedation available for LANAP procedures!

Louisville, Colorado laser gum therapy

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“I’m seeing Dr. Hughes for the LANAP procedure to help restore the health of my gums in a more comfortable fashion. I had visited a dentist before and he had performed gum surgery. It was comfortable at first but a week or so later, when they took the pads out, I had no gums left! It was horrible! I needed to find a way to treat my gums that was less traumatic.

Dr. Hughes offers Sedation dentistry.  The benefit of the sedation in conjunction with the LANAP procedure was that I could just walk in, be completely relaxed and have my work done. My childhood dental procedures were very traumatic and I didn’t want to go to the dentist – ever – hence the need for the gum treatment. If I can continue to see Dr. Hughes, I believe that my dental health can dramatically improve. She makes me completely confident to sit down in her chair.”  Danelle Giron (Thornton, CO)  3/14/10

If you or someone you know has periodontal disease and you are looking for a less invasive, comfortable alternative, call Dr. Tracey Hughes at Boulder Valley Dental for your LANAP consultation today.  303-666-8820

I always thought that going to the dentist meant discomfort, misery and pain; and then some more pain. I don’t think so any more thanks to Dr. Tracey Hughes!!!

I grew up in Bulgaria and had terrible experiences with dentistry that were always painful.  I dreaded even the simplest filling. When I moved to the US I began to realize that dentistry doesn’t have to be painful.  I have been a patient of Dr. Hughes for the past two years.  I love it here because of the level of service I receive from Dr. Hughes and her entire team. They always make sure that I am well educated about any procedure before performing it. My gums were unhealthy – I had pretty severe gum disease, and I had had several deep cleanings prior to becoming Dr. Hughes’ patient. Dr. Hughes suggested LANAP, and this procedure has eliminated my gum disease, and restored my overall health. And all this without any discomfort!

With Dr. Hughes, my dentistry is totally comfortable. She takes time to listen and explain procedures.  No one had ever explained things so well before. Dr. Hughes is the best! I recommend her over and over.   

Petia Topalova (Superior, CO)  3/13/10

“Hidden” Gum Infections Can Lead to a Stroke or Heart Disease!  Find Out How Comfortable and Quick our Gum Therapies Can Be With Conscious Sedation.

New studies link gum disease to stroke, heart disease, diabetes, low birth-weight babies and more.  The truth is, if you haven’t been to a dentist in over 5 years, chances are you have gum disease right now and don’t even know it.  Conscious sedation dentistry can help you reverse years of dental neglect in just a few hours.

So what does gum disease have to do with your health?  For starters, gum disease is an infection of the tissues that support the teeth, including the bone.  As with any infection, bacteria can travel through the bloodstream and affect other areas of the body.  Gum disease is usually caused by dental neglect.

The early stages of gum disease, called gingivitis, affects only the gums.  Without treatment, the condition progresses into advanced periodontitis, which eventually destroyes gum tissues, ligaments and bone that holds your teeth in place.  You healthy teeth can acutally start falling out of your unhealthy gums.

But that’s not the only loss that can occur.  As the infection spreads, there is a greater chance that it can reach your heart and other vital organs with serious, sometimes fatal consequences.  Studies have made a connection between plaque build-up in the gums and plaque build-up in the arteries.

Some form of gum disease affects as many as 50% of the population.  You do not have to be in pain or have symptoms to have gum disease.  You could have this serious condition right now and not even know it.

The accumulation of calculus, the hardened plaque that forms around the teeth and under the gum line, leads to gum disease.  Calculus deposits form “pockets” in the gums.  These deep pockets open the door to spreading infection. 

The only way to remove calculus is through regular in-office, professional dental cleanings.  The truth is, without frequent cleaning (two to three times per year) gum disease is inevitable.

Perhaps you’re feeling uneasy or anxious about having an oral exam and teeth cleaning.   You are not alone, I see guests in our office weekly who have similar anxieties and fears.   We acknowledge your fears and can help you experience dentistry unlike you have in the past.   I invite you to contact us.  Dont let dental anxiety rob you of your enjoyment, your youthful smiles and a healthy life.

Compassionately,

Dr. Tracey Hughes