Dr. Kalil Abide, DDS Harmony Dental Care

Welcome to the Harmony Dental Care Blog.

A big part of my dental practice is helping my patients learn how they can enjoy good dental health for as long as they live. To a large degree, you control your oral health.

I decided to create this blog so I can address my patient’s questions and concerns. There’s a lot of bad information on the internet about topics like cosmetic dentistry, dental care, tooth whitening, and mercury-free dentistry.

I hope to shed some light on those topics so you can make dental health care choices.

If you have any questions you’d like answers to, I’d be happy to post my answer here. Use this comment form to contact me. I’ll be checking it often and I’ll post my answer as soon as possible.

I look forward to hearing from you and I hope you decide to come in to my office for a free smile consultation some time soon!

In healthy teeth, this space is usually 3 milimeters or less.  The enlarged pockets allow harmful bacteria to grow and make it difficult to practice effective oral hygiene.  This causes an infection that affects the tissue and bone that support the teeth.  Left untreated, periodontal disease may eventually lead to tooth loss.

The most effective treatment for periodontal disease is preventative care. With proper oral care, the process of bacterial growth and infection can be reduced or even reversed. If you already have severe periodontal disease, Dr. Abide can provide treatment that addresses the issue before tooth loss occurs. Call (601) 713-2647 to schedule your appointment today.

If you have been putting off a visit to your dentist, there are some things you should know about the direct correlation between your oral health and your general health. Inflammation and infections in the mouth can be linked to many serious health problems including diabetes, heart disease, strokes, respiratory conditions and problems during pregnancy, just to mention a few. In fact, our teeth have a lot to do with how we feel everyday.

What is Plaque?

We all have heard about plaque since we were children. Remember the red discoloring tablets that helped show us the plaque we left on our teeth, so that we might become more efficient at brushing. If you hadn’t done a good job at brushing when you smiled at your mom, you were sent straight back to brush again.

Plaque is a soft sticky film that forms on our teeth after we eat or drink. The bacteria in plaque can cause gum inflammation, gingivitis and more. The bacteria in plaque, which causes tooth decay as well as bone and tooth loss, are closely linked to other systemic conditions in your body.

In order to keep the bacteria found  in plaque under control, it not only requires good home care and routine dental hygiene visits, it also requires treating tooth decay and infections. One way your dentist detects infection around your teeth is with x-rays.

Did you know you should have a full series of x-rays that include the standard bite x-rays as well as x-rays that radiograph the entire tooth, every 3-5 years? The less common x-rays,which radiograph (or provide an image of) the whole tooth, allows your dentist to check, not only for tooth decay but also infection around the root of the tooth.

What is Periodontal Disease?

Periodontal disease develops when the space between the tooth and gum, called a sulcus, collects plaque, and the bacteria in the plaque produces a toxin that stimulates an inflammatory reaction causing the gum and bone around the teeth to break down and be destroyed. Your dentist measures the severity of periodontal disease, to determine appropriate treatment based on the amount of bone and gum loss.

By Dr. Kalil Abide, DDS

Which would YOU choose?

Composite (white) fillings are an attractive, durable alternative to almalgam (silver fillings). While silver fillings contain the harmful toxic substance mercury, white fillings are mercury free and blend in seamlessly making them very natural and attractive. The life span of a composite filling is usually 7-10 years.

Interesting fact:

The U. S. government has banned mercury in pesticides and interior paint, but not in dental fillings.

While there’s controversy about the possible health consequences of mercury filling (read this article on Wikipedia), one thing’s certain: new materials and technologies allow me to replace old mercury fillings in a way that looks completely natural and healthy.

Should you lose a mercury filling, or if you simply want to upgrade your smile, call me for a free consultation.

The system is a series of clear aligners which are changed out every 2-3 weeks. The number of aligners depends on the individual patient. Invisalign is comfortable to wear, will not affect your speech, and  can be removed easily to eat, brush, or floss your teeth. Invisalign can give you that beautiful smile by straightening your teeth without anyone knowing.

Schedule a complimentary consult appointment with Harmony Dental Care to see if you are a candidate for Invisalign.

According to Wikipedia, Osseointegration is also defined as : “the formation of a direct interface between an implant and bone, without intervening soft tissue”.^[1] Osseointegrated implant is a type of implant defined as “an endosteal implant containing pores into which osteoblasts and supporting connective tissue can migrate”.^[2] Applied to oral implantology, this thus refers to bone grown right up to the implant surface without interposed soft tissue layer. No scar tissue, cartilage or ligament fibers are present between the bone and implant surface. The direct contact of bone and implant surface can be verified microscopically.

After osseointegration, implant is then uncovered and a healing screw is placed which allows the gum to heal around the implant.  The implant is then ready to be restored with a tooth.

Here’s a great article from yourdentistryguide.com, entitled “Dental Implants: Consultation, Procedure, Recovery and Aftercare“