What Is Arestin?

When the body develops a bacterial infection, an antibiotic is used to treat it. The same applies to infections that start in the gums.  Southern Cross Dental can use arestin for patients with periodontitis who need a scaling and root planing procedure performed. Periodontitis is a chronic bacterial infection, caused by plaque, which has settled underneath the tooth’s surface below the gum line.

Arestin has the ability to reduce the severity of periodontal disease.  After a scaling and root planning procedure, the medicine is applied to gums in powder form.  In a clinical study, when used in addition to scaling and root planing, arestin reduced harmful bacteria by nearly 2 times as much as scaling and root planing alone. This is because adding arestin to the mix disrupts the progression of periodontitis by specifically targeting the active infection.

If you have questions or concerns about the status of your periodontal health, please give us a call. To learn about all the treatments provided at the practice, visit www.scdsmile.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with one of our doctors at Southern Cross Dental in Colorado Springs, CO, call 719-471-1717.

Smoking and Dental Pulp Infections

The body contains natural defenses against tooth infections, but smoking can compromise them. At Southern Cross Dental in Colorado Springs, we frequently provide reliable endodontic treatment to people with infected dental pulp. But new scientific research has uncovered why smokers are likelier than other people to suffer pulp infections, and why their infections tend to be more severe.

Dental pulp becomes inflamed as an automatic immune system response to an infection or injury. This prevents bacteria from spreading and flushes the infected area with white blood cells and antimicrobial peptides. The latter are molecules that attach to the disease-spreading bacteria, neutralizing or killing them. But smokers suffer from pulp infections that are twice as likely to require root canals, and a new study found that their pulp has far fewer antimicrobial peptides.

A root canal removes infected dental pulp, but there is always a possibility of an infection returning. We use antibacterial washes to reduce that chance and provide periodontal therapy to combat infections that spread to gum tissue. But patients should be aware that worse pulp infections are one more consequence of smoking, and that there is some evidence that renewed antimicrobial peptide production is one of the benefits of quitting.

Drs. Navid and Faranak Rahimpour operate Southern Cross Dental at 1855 S Nevada Ave, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 80905-2516. To schedule an appointment, call 719-471-1717 or visit Southern Cross Family Dentistry and fill out a contact sheet.

 

What Is An Apicoectomy?

The doctors at Southern Cross dental perform many root canals to save and repair teeth that are badly damaged or infected.  A root canal procedure involves removing any inflamed or infected tissue, and thoroughly cleaning the root canal system.  In most root canal cases, the tooth heals and doesn’t require further treatment. When an infection won’t go away or the canals become re-infected, our doctors can perform an apicoectomy.

An apicoectomy removes damaged tissue and seals a tooth’s root from any further infections.  The procedure involves a small incision in the gums, followed by removal of any infected tissue and finally the end of the root tip itself.  A root-end filling is placed there to act as a seal, preventing reinfection. The gum is sutured, and most patients only feel slight discomfort or swelling during healing.  If you have a tooth infection lingering after a root canal gone wrong, please contact us to discuss your treatment options.

To learn more about the apicoectomy procedure and all the services provided at the practice, visit www.scdsmile.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with one of our doctors at Southern Cross Dental in Colorado Springs, CO, call 719-471-1717.

Water Flossing

A little floss goes a long way when it comes to oral health. Flossing is an important step to remove food particles that have been left behind after brushing. Flossing can significantly reduce periodontal disease and cavity-causing causing bacteria that leads to tooth decay, but sometimes the act of flossing is difficult for a patient with orthodontics.  The doctors at Southern Cross Dental may suggest using a water flosser for those hard to reach places!

A safe, easy, and effective way to remove plaque around dental braces is to use a water flosser. A water flosser is a handheld device that sprays streams of water in steady pulses. Not only is this beneficial to patients with traditional braces, water flossers are also an option for people who have trouble flossing by hand. You should never get by on flossing alone. It’s important to brush your teeth at least twice a day and floss at least once a day to reap the maximum benefits of a healthy mouth.

To learn more about flossing and the services provided at the practice, visit www.scdsmile.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with one of our doctors at Southern Cross Dental in Colorado Springs, CO, call 719-471-1717.