Posts Categorized: Gum Disease

Plaque vs Tartar: What is the Difference?

Plaque vs Tartar

Plaque vs tartar. You probably know both dental terms. You may even understand that they are both bad for your teeth and oral health. The terms are related but not interchangeable. What’s the Difference Between Plaque vs Tartar? Before your next visit to the dentist, it wouldn’t hurt to brush up on some dental terms…. Read more »

Gum problems | 80% Of Americans Have It

gum problems

A gum problem (periodontal disease) is a chronic infection of the gums. It is caused by bacterial plaque that accumulates on teeth and destroys the gums.  Plaque can accumulate on teeth if proper oral hygiene habits are not observed, although some people are simply more prone to plaque buildup than others. Various medications and health… Read more »

All About Dental Cleanings

preparing for a dental visit

Brushing twice daily with fluoride toothpaste and flossing once a day are certainly important steps to keeping your smile beautiful, but it’s also important to schedule professional dental cleanings and checkups every six months. Our Lake Forest dentist Dr. James Fondriest wants you to know the benefits of regular dental preventative care examinations and how… Read more »

How to remove plaque from teeth

how to remove plaque from teeth

Did your dentist ever really show you how to remove plaque from your teeth? Dental plaque is the sticky, uncomfortable biofilm that forms around your gum line just hours after brushing your teeth. It’s the product of hundreds of types of oral bacteria gathering in your mouth. When left unattended, it can quickly calcify into… Read more »

Gum Recession | Is it inevitable?

gum recession

Your gums are crucial for supporting the roots and crowns of your teeth. Their soft tissues offer protection from harmful oral bacteria in plaque and extreme temperature fluctuations. They also play an active role in keeping teeth firmly in place and aligned. Therefore, gum recession, or shrinking gum lines, is an issue that must be… Read more »

Flossing your teeth is very important

flossing your teeth

Do you brush your teeth regularly? Perhaps you wouldn’t think of skipping a brushing. There are many people that brush religiously, yet do not floss. Less than half of Americans floss daily and 10 percent don’t floss at all. Both brushing and flossing are important to your dental health. Flossing helps prevent cavities, gingivitis, and… Read more »

Straight teeth | How important is it?

Is it important to have straight teeth?

Why straighten crooked teeth? Have you ever wondered why it is so important to have straight teeth?  Do your choppers really need to be straight? Are truly straight teeth attractive as well as necessary? The answer is yes to all of these questions. Making everything straight offers a multitude of benefits. Dr. James Fondriest in… Read more »

Whoopi Goldberg’s Struggle with Gum Disease

Whoopi Goldberg gum disease

Celebrity gum disease Whoopi Goldberg has struggled with gum disease for many years. Sharing her problems has put light on a topic that many suffer from. Learning to brush your teeth is a right of passage for all children. We’re told about the importance of brushing your teeth twice a day and going to the… Read more »

Best ways of preventing gingivitis

Gum disease affects the body

Preventing gingivitis is similar to preventing most other dental issues. Keep your teeth and gums clean with regularly good hygiene and preventive dental care, and you can avoid allowing oral bacteria enough time to infect your gums. However, while gum disease is highly preventable, it only takes one small mistake for oral bacteria to infect… Read more »

Can I Get Dental Implants with Gum Disease?

Can I Get Dental Implants with Gum Disease?

Can I get dental implants with gum disease? The good thing about dental implants is that most patients who’ve lost one or more teeth qualify for them. Therefore, more patients can enjoy the many benefits they offer, such as more lifelike replacement teeth and a healthier, stronger jawbone. However, there are a few circumstances that… Read more »

Bleeding Gums – It Is More Serious than You Might Think

bleeding gums

Some dental health issues are only obvious once you know you have them. Until then, the symptoms may not seem serious, especially if they don’t include pain in and around a tooth. For instance, if you notice a small amount of blood mixed in with your saliva when you brush and floss your teeth, you… Read more »

Preventing Gum Disease

Preventing Gum Disease

One of the more widespread dental health issues among adults today is gum disease. As a progressive issue that goes through several stages of severity, gum disease can be a bigger threat to some people’s smiles than it is to others. Typically, the difference lies in how successful you are at preventing gum disease, or… Read more »

Sour breath | Tips for a better smelling mouth

Fix sour breath

The term sour breath refers to foul breath caused by mouth acids. These mouth acids are caused by gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD, bacteria in the mouth, or some other general health issue. There are many recommendations for fixing sour breath but many people don’t know them. Are you afraid to stand too close to… Read more »

Why don’t I feel my gum problems

truth about gum disease

Even if you aren’t currently undergoing treatment to control gum disease, it might still be an impending threat to your oral health. As one of the most frequently-experienced dental issues, gum disease can affect nearly anyone at some point in their lives. Without proper care and maintenance, and a healthy understanding of its causes and… Read more »

What are the symptoms of gingivitis?

Symptoms of gingivitis

Gingivitis is the first stage of gum disease Do you know the symptoms of early gum problems, known as gingivitis, or even what it is? Many people know that overly sensitive or deeply stained teeth can be warning signs of dental cavities. Yet people rarely know the early indicators of gingivitis, which is the earliest… Read more »

Pancreatic Cancer and Gum Disease Linked

If you’ve been keeping up on the developments with periodontal disease and other health problems, then you probably won’t be surprised to find that periodontal disease may also be linked to pancreatic cancer.  So far periodontal disease has been linked to a host of other chronic illnesses including heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, high blood pressure,… Read more »

Periodontal Disease And Impotence

Men beware, not only has periodontal disease been linked to many systemic health problems including diabetes, heart disease, and stroke, it has been linked to impotence as well. So if you are a man looking for a reason to take better care of your teeth and gums, don’t wait to make a New Year’s resolution…start… Read more »

Gums Bleed When Brushed | Why?

gums bleed when brushed

If you only floss occasionally then it is usually normal that your gums bleed when brushed. Hopefully at least they then consider flossing more. When there is bleeding with brushing, most people brush their teeth less vigorously. This is actually usually the wrong thing to do. It may be that you actually don’t know how… Read more »

Best Toothpastes that most dentists recommend

What is the best toothpaste? A search on the internet is likely to turn up around 200 results for different types of toothpaste you can easily purchase. With so many types, brands and flavors to choose from, how can you know which is the best toothpaste for your oral health? In years past, consumers could… Read more »

Heart Disease and Oral Health

It has been theorized since the 1920’s that heart disease and oral health are linked. Recent research has indicated links not only between heart disease and oral health, but between oral health and diabetes, hypertension, lung infections, and dementia. Although the links are not perfectly clear, research continues to try to narrow down specifics as… Read more »

Periodontal Disease | Risk Factors, Treatments

stages of periodontal disease

Other than tooth decay, periodontitis is the leading threat to dental health. Numerous studies have indicated a link between dental health, mental health, and your overall health.  Poor oral health has been associated with heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, and lung infections. In the old days when no links to systemic issues were know, tooth… Read more »

Allergy medications affect dental health

Allergy medications affect dental health

Allergy medications will affect dental health. Aeroallergens exist indoors and outdoors, and spring is ripe with pollen and allergy inducing fungi. Airborne spores and other fungi may originate in fields, forests, agricultural crops, flowers, or grass. Because they are light, sticky, and plentiful, they are easily transferred into homes, offices, and cars. Impossible to get… Read more »

Systemic diseases from gum disease

Are you worried about gum disease affecting you at some point in your life? Did you know that there are many systemic diseases associated with and caused by gum disease? If you haven’t already, there’s a good chance that you might, considering that gum disease affects over 70% of adults in the United States today…. Read more »

Female hormones and gum disease | Hormones Heighten Risk

female hormones and gum disease

Research from the Journal of Periodontology suggests women are more likely to floss, and visit the dentist regularly. They are less likely to smoke and drink excessive alcohol than men.  Women have more cosmetic dental procedures while having less tooth decay. Although women have historically been better caretakers of their teeth, females are more susceptible to… Read more »

Gum disease and arthritis | What Do My Knees Have to Do with My Teeth?

Your dental health can have wide-ranging consequences for your overall health. According to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Rheumatology, researchers from the Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland have connected rheumatoid arthritis to periodontitis. The link between gum disease and arthritis comes from the bacteria released into the blood stream. Every time… Read more »

Obesity linked to gum disease | Shedding Pounds Can Improve Gum Health

More than 70 percent of Americans struggle with gum problems. From gingivitis, or simple gum inflammation, to periodontitis, an acute form of the disease, unhealthy gums lead to various health issues. Not only does gum disease lead to cavities and tooth loss, studies now link it to heart disease, stroke, preterm birth, and diabetes. Unhealthy… Read more »

Untreated gingivitis | Treat Gum Disease to Prevent Tooth Loss

Gum Disease Treatment in Chicago One of the worst things you can do for your oral health is ignoring the signs of gum disease. Leaving gingivitis untreated can lead to periodontitis. The advanced stages of gum disease include gingival recession, extreme tooth sensitivity, and possible tooth loss. While gum disease is not curable, the progression of… Read more »

Gum Disease Myths Dispelled

Gum disease is common. Recent findings show up to 80% of the population in the United States has gum disease. Despite the fact that gum disease is very common, many patients lack awareness and information on the disease. Early stages of gum disease (gingivitis) are reversible with regular dental cleanings and thorough oral hygiene. If… Read more »

Connection between diabetes and gum disease

As scientists and researchers discover more about the connection between oral health and overall vitality, we would like to provide our patients insight into how diabetes and gum disease are connected. Dr. James Fondriest strives to continually educate his patients, especially patients with certain conditions and special needs. Below are some commonly asked questions about… Read more »

Oral Health Hazards of Smoking

Oral health is definitely affected by smoking. You’ve probably heard about the link between tobacco and heart disease, stroke, and cancer, but do you know what smoking does to your teeth? Let’s examine the most common oral health problems associated with smoking. Social Factors Bad breath: The bacteria in your mouth mix with the tobacco… Read more »

Receding gums | Are your roots starting to show?

receding gums

Receding gums is a common dental problem, but it is also among the lesser known conditions. Receding gums can also be referred to as gingival recession. Let us examine the causes of this condition and the treatments. What causes receding gums? There are several causes that can contribute to recession. It’s important to work with… Read more »

Eating whole grains can reduce risk for inflammatory diseases, including gum disease

In celebration of Whole Grains Month… what’s that? You didn’t know that it’s Whole Grains Month?! Well, it is! In celebration of Whole Grains Month, Dr. Fondriest wants you to know, that eating whole grains can reduce your risk for inflammatory diseases, including gum disease, as well as tooth loss, heart disease, stroke, type 2… Read more »

What is plaque and how to get rid of it

what is plaque

What is plaque? Plaque is a sticky, yellow substance that naturally and constantly is forming on teeth. Plaque is made up of a complex microbial community with over ten billion bacteria per milligram. Each milligram contains approximately 400 different types of bacteria that produce acids. The bacterial products and acids combine with saliva to create… Read more »

Interdental Brushing | Proxy Brush for ideal gum health

Do you skip flossing, or is it difficult because of dexterity issues, spacing between your teeth, or dental work? If you hate flossing or find that it isn’t effective, you’re not alone. Dr. James Fondriest, a Chicago dentist, recommends interdental brushing (also called using a proxy brush) as a fantastic, and often better, alternative to… Read more »