Rheumatoid Arthritis and Gum Disease

Autoimmune disorders often complicate peoples’ oral health, and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is no exception. Scientists have recently made great strides in understanding how this disease affects the gums, and we want patients at Dr. Amit Pandya’s dental practice in New Hyde Park to know what they’re facing.

People with RA have extremely high rates of gum disease. A recent study by Johns Hopkins found the number could be as high as 70%. While scientists formerly believed this was because people with RA have difficulty moving their hands, they noticed that people whose RA was still in its early stages also had high rates of gingivitis.

New research has found similarities between gum tissue and synovium, the joint lining that becomes inflamed when the immune system mistakenly attacks it. Some of the medications that are used to combat RA may also cause dry mouth, which increases the risk of gingivitis. Patients may need an electric toothbrush to maintain their oral hygiene, as well as throat moisturizers and water picks. They can also reduce their risk of RA and other oral health diseases by not smoking.

The office of Amit Pandya, DDS, is at 1575 Hillside Ave, Suite 207, New Hyde Park, New York, 11040. To schedule an appointment, call 516-233-2135, or visit his website at Going Grin and fill out a contact sheet.

 

Types of Teeth

Every tooth needs to be brushed and flossed to stay healthy. But the teeth also have specialized functions. At Dr. Amit Pandya’s New Hyde Park dental practice, we believe patients should have an understanding of basic oral health issues, which is why we wanted to provide a guide to what makes teeth distinct.

Adults typically grow thirty-two permanent teeth to replace the twenty-two they grew in childhood. There are sixteen teeth in each jaw. The four in the front of the jaw are called incisors, and they are used for speech and for tearing food. To the sides of the incisors are the cuspids, so called because they end in a point. They are also called canines or eye teeth. The upper cuspids sometimes have difficulty breaking through the gum line, and in rarer cases, so do the lateral incisors.

The premolars and molars are used for chewing. Their crowns have multiple cusps, but the premolars (four per jaw) only have one root. The molars (three per jaw) in the lower jaw have two roots and the ones in the upper jaw have three. Molars have strong ligaments and have to withstand incredible force. The wisdom teeth, which are the largest molars and the ones furthest in the back, also commonly have difficulty erupting.

The office of Amit Pandya, DDS, is at 1575 Hillside Ave, Suite 207, New Hyde Park, New York, 11040. To schedule an appointment, call 516-233-2135, or visit his website at Going Grin and fill out a contact sheet.

 

Preventive Dentistry

Preventive dentistry emphasizes the importance of ongoing hygiene procedures and daily practices to prevent tooth decay and dental diseases. Preventive oral care strategies begin with home care, such as brushing at least twice a day and flossing after each meal. When Dr. Amit Pandya, DDS, and the patient work together, this can prevent costly, invasive procedures in the future and allow you to keep your permanent teeth for a lifetime.

Diagnostic and preventive dental services include, but are not limited to, oral evaluations, routine cleanings, X-rays, and fluoride treatments. These procedures help prevent dental diseases such as periodontal disease, cavities, dry mouth, and potential tooth loss. It’s important to visit the dentist twice a year to maintain optimal oral and periodontal health. Because very few dental problems can be treated alone, delaying treatment will only put your oral health at risk.

If you have questions or concerns about preventive dental care or periodontal disease, please give us a call. To set up an appointment with Dr. Amit Pandya, DDS in New Hyde Park, NY, call us at (516) 233-2135 or visit our website, www.goinggrin.com. 

Aggressive Periodontitis

If you’ve been told by Dr. Amit Pandya, DDS that you have gingivitis, you should take treatment seriously, as gingivitis is reversible with good oral habits. If left untreated, gingivitis will progress to a more aggressive form of gum disease called periodontitis. Periodontitis means inflammation around the tooth. When inflammation becomes aggressive, this can destroy the surrounding bone, potentially leading to tooth loss.

Periodontitis develops when bacteria and plaque build-up around the tooth, and the immune system launches a reaction. Periodontal disease in any form can be prevented by brushing at least twice a day for two minutes and flossing at least once a day every day. To restore periodontal health, Dr. Pandya may suggest scaling and root planing treatment to clean underneath the gums and remove harmful bacteria.

If you have questions or concerns about preventive dental care or periodontal disease, please give us a call. To set up an appointment with Dr. Amit Pandya, DDS in New Hyde Park, NY, call us at (516) 233-2135 or visit our website, www.goinggrin.com. 

Causes of Bleeding Gums

When patients have bleeding gums, Dr. Amit Pandya of New Hyde Park is here to help. Unfortunately, many people are not even aware that bleeding gums are a problem, and think that seeing blood when they brush their teeth is normal. Perhaps they would think otherwise if they knew what they are seeing is caused by an infection.

Having some bacteria in our mouths is necessary for our health, but bacteria grow in excessive numbers when there is food debris available to them. Bacteria produce acid as a by-product of their metabolism, and the acid gets stuck in the sticky plaque surrounding teeth. Plaque in gum pockets is hard to remove, so bacteria often grow there, and the resulting acid damages gum tissue.

When gums first become inflamed, they are said to be suffering from “gingivitis.” If the infection becomes more severe, a patient develops “periodontal disease.” At this point, their gums will not only bleed, but recede, imperiling the stability of the teeth. Patients can prevent this by brushing their teeth thoroughly, but it is still a good idea to regularly come to our office for deep cleanings.

The office of Amit Pandya, DDS, is at 1575 Hillside Ave, Suite 207, New Hyde Park, New York, 11040. To schedule an appointment, call 516-233-2135, or visit his website at Going Grin and fill out a contact sheet.

 

Shopping for Mouthwash

Not everyone chooses to incorporate mouthwash to his or her oral care routine, but doing so will benefit your smile. The main function of mouthwash is to freshen breath, but certain mouthwashes contain fluoride that will protect tooth enamel. Mouthwash has a few beneficial properties and Dr. Amit Pandya, DDS would like to address a few of them.

Mouthwash contains:

• Antimicrobial agents act directly on oral bacteria to help reduce plaque, decrease the severity of gingivitis and control bad breath.


• Fluoride helps reduce tiny lesions (tooth decay) on tooth enamel and make teeth more resistant to decay.


• Astringent salts can serve as temporary deodorizers that mask bad breath.


• Odor neutralizers act by chemically inactivating odor-causing compounds.

If you have questions or concerns about preventive dental care, please give us a call. To set up an appointment with Dr. Amit Pandya, DDS in New Hyde Park, NY, call us at (516) 233-2135 or visit our website, www.goinggrin.com. 

Intrinsic Staining

As part of his quest to provide optimal dentistry, Dr. Amit Pandya of New Hyde Park helps people with stained teeth to brighten up their smiles. The most common way of doing this is with chairside whitening, which leaves patients with teeth that are several shades lighter for months. But some stains, those which are intrinsic to the tooth, require a more involved approach.

Usually, stains are acquired from things consumed in adulthood, such as smoke or coffee. These can be bleached away. But intrinsic stains may be the result of something the tooth was exposed to during its formation, such as excessive amounts of fluoride or tetracycline antibiotics. These stains are too deep to be bleached, but they are not a health hazard and can be covered with veneers.

Intrinsic stains resulting from infection are another matter. An infection in the dental pulp may not be painful initially, but it is likely to become so and can imperil the patient’s life if it spreads to the bloodstream. A root canal will be done to remove infected pulp, after which the tooth may be given a new crown.

The office of Amit Pandya, DDS, is at 1575 Hillside Ave, Suite 207, New Hyde Park, New York, 11040. To schedule an appointment, call 516-233-2135, or visit his website at Going Grin and fill out a contact sheet.