Category: Blog/ News

Serving the greater Triangle area – Raleigh, Cary, Apex, and Wake Forest.

Patients scheduled for more involved procedures or who are simply weary of the periodontist’s office often want to know about the possibility of using nitrous oxide, commonly known as “laughing gas,” during their appointment. This article explains what nitrous oxide is, how it works, and the Dos and Don’ts of using nitrous oxide.

Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a colorless gas that has a faint sweet smell. An inhalation agent, the N2O enters the bloodstream as free gas before entering the brain. The gas is an analgesic, meaning it relieves pain. However, unlike an anesthetic, N2O does not completely eliminate sensation. Therefore, for surgeries that require a local anesthetic, N2O can be used in tandem with an anesthetic. However, N20 should not be relied on solely to eliminate pain.

With the rapid growth of implant technology and the increasing sophistication of implant placement protocols, there are now more options than ever before for patients requiring dental implants. One such option is a zirconia implant. While many implants are still crafted with titanium, implants made of zirconia are rising in demand for a number of reasons. Read on to find out if zirconia implants are the right choice for you.

Serving the greater Triangle area – Raleigh, Cary, Apex, and Wake Forest.

For both the patient and the provider, dealing with insurance companies that overpromise, overcharge, and ultimately underdeliver is a supremely frustrating experience. In this article, we hope to address some common problems insurance companies cause their insured. Moreover, we explain what we are doing in our office to diminish the insurance headache for our number one priority — our patients.

Serving the greater Triangle area – Raleigh, Cary, Apex, and Wake Forest.

If you’ve been reading our prior Perio posts, you’ve learned that periodontal disease affects not only the mouth but also the whole body. For example, there is an established link between untreated gum disease and heart disease. However, recent studies have demonstrated a correlation between periodontal disease and gut health too. Because of this connection, it is important to know how taking care of your oral health may improve the balance of microorganisms in your digestive tract.

Serving the greater Triangle area – Raleigh, Cary, Apex, and Wake Forest.

Maintaining one’s periodontal health is critical in keeping the teeth and surrounding oral structures stable, preventing recession and gum disease, and avoiding tooth loss. Moreover, a recent study confirms what health care professionals have increasingly suspected: there is a critical link between gum disease and Alzheimers.

Serving the greater Triangle area – Raleigh, Cary, Apex, and Wake Forest.

Important minerals like calcium and phosphate help to keep teeth strong and healthy. Yet as we age, we lose these minerals. Moreover, consumption of candy or other sugary foods, soft drinks, alcohol, and acidic foods speeds up this loss of crucial minerals. In fact, this de-mineralization could cause tooth loss entirely. That is why at North Raleigh Periodontics we recommend remineralization therapy to condition, protect, and rebuild the tooth surface, safeguarding your pearly whites for many years to come.

Serving the greater Triangle area – Raleigh, Cary, Apex, and Wake Forest.

Although it is hard to believe, 2020 is upon us. With the advent of the New Year comes the exciting (or dreaded) prospect of making resolutions that hopefully, will make us healthier, wealthier, and wiser. It would be nice to make a resolution that we wouldn’t break within the first few weeks or days. From us at North Raleigh Periodontics to you, we’d like to suggest a New Year’s Resolution that is simple to make, simpler to keep, and results in long term health benefits.

Here it is, folks: brush and floss your teeth when you get up, after you eat, and before bed.

Dr. Singletary and Staff at North Raleigh Periodontics wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! We will be closed for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Thank you all for a wonderful year and we look forward to working with you again next year.

Serving the greater Triangle area – Raleigh, Cary, Apex, and Wake Forest.

When people hear the term “periodontal disease,” many think of the process of gum recession that is associated with age. However, periodontal disease, a serious bacterial infection that destroys the teeth and the structures surrounding the teeth like gingival tissue and bone, is certainly not limited to adults, as some may believe. In fact, periodontal breakdown can occur in children too, since juveniles are susceptible to periodontal breakdown as well as adults. It may come as a surprise to learn that around 50% of children suffer from a form of periodontal disease! Therefore, it is important to understand both the causes and treatment of juvenile periodontitis.

Primarily, periodontitis results from poor oral hygiene in young children. Juvenile periodontitis is a kind of periodontitis that invades the tissue particularly at the time of the eruption of permanent teeth, and localized juvenile periodontitis occurs frequently around the molars and incisors. “Periodontal” literally means “around the teeth,” and younger kids often struggle to thoroughly clean the areas around and between their teeth without assistance. Lacking proper teaching and without regular oral checkups, a child may develop gingivitis that goes unnoticed for a significant period of time. Unchecked, the disease will progress into periodontitis, and ultimately the underlying bone surrounding the teeth will be destroyed and will not effectively hold the teeth in place.

Do the muscles in your cheeks and jaw often feel sore and tender, seemingly for no reason? Are your teeth sensitive when you bite down or consume hot or cold food and drink? Does your jaw pop regularly? Do you have difficulty opening your mouth as wide as you used to? If you answer yes to any of these questions, you are probably suffering from oral myofascial pain syndrome, typically the result of “bruxism,” which is the clenching and grinding of the teeth.