"Our teeth have gotten stronger and stronger," Dr. Braich elaborates, "but our gums have gotten weaker, and eventually those deteriorating gums will have an impact on the health of our teeth. It is important for patients to realize the importance of maintaining the health of their soft gum tissue."

He further notes that since patients do not often experience pain until the advanced stages of periodontal disease, they tend to overlook early warning signs like inflamed or bleeding gums.

Several things contribute to the decline of periodontal health, according to Dr. Braich. They include diets that provide fewer fresh fruits and vegetables, stress that causes people to clench or grind their teeth while asleep, food preparation and purity standards that decrease the abrasive content that stimulates gum activity, and processing or preparation that eliminates aggressive exercising of the dental ligaments of periodontal structures.

A BETTER SYSTEM

To counteract the rise in periodontal disease, Dr. Braich has evaluated a number of office and home care systems, looking for one that yields appropriate results in the dental office, yet is convenient and workable for most patients who continue following a home care regimen.

"People are proud that they visit the dentist twice a year, brush twice daily, and floss often," comments Dr. Braich, "but only about ten percent of the population really knows how to floss their teeth properly. If this regimen of semi-annual visits and twice-daily brushings worked properly, we would not be seeing the high incidence of periodontal disease throughout the population. I was sure there had to be a better system.

"Regardless of the stage of periodontal disease, except in very extreme cases, treatment is relatively simple and affordable," reassures Dr. Braich. "In fact, the most affordable treatment in dentistry, and the most important treatment, involves taking proper care of the gums.

"The Pro-Dentec company has developed a Soft Tissue Management program (STM) that I consider the best choice for encouraging patients to take an active and effective role in their periodontal health," advises Dr. Braich.

Pro-Dentec has developed a brand new machine for helping clean patients' teeth in the office, the Pro-Select III Piezo-Ultrasonic Scaler. It has several advantages over the older methods of scaling that used heavy vibration, leaving teeth feeling sensitive, mouths numb and gums sore.

This new instrument uses a very high vibration to apply gentle pressure that is at all times under the control of the dental hygienist; it does not dig into the tooth structure, yet provides a thorough and gentle deep cleansing of the tooth surfaces. In addition, the machine warms the medicaments which are put into the pockets of the gums to treat inflammation and reduce bacteria growth.

"Another extremely important device from Pro-Dentec is the Rota-Dent, available only in conjunction with the Soft Tissue Management regimen, and is one of the best home care machines developed for gum patients, in my opinion," asserts Dr. Braich. "It is so gentle, it can be used on children."

The Rota-Dent is the only device on the market that offers 330-degree rotation. It provides micro-filament technology, with bristles as fine as a human hair that gently floss and brush in a single stroke, and can even clean difficult-to-reach back teeth. Patients no longer have to wait until their semi-annual dental cleanings to realize the benefits of thorough yet gentle cleansing. With the Rota-Dent they can improve the effectiveness of their oral hygiene as part of their regular, twice-daily brushing regimen. "It doesn't get much easier than this," assures Dr. Braich.

Yet another device, the Hydro-Floss, uses magneto-hydro-dynamic principles to change the polarity of the molecules of water so bacteria can not attach to the surfaces of teeth to form bacterial colonies in the space between the teeth and gums. So effective is the Hydro-Floss that patients can realize a 44% reduction in plaque and calculus formation if they use the device properly twice a day.

Because Soft Tissue Management is such a comprehensive home care system, Dr. Braich introduces his patients to its use in stages, ensuring their understanding and proficiency at each step along the way.

"Ninety-five percent of the care we give to our gums should be home care," advises Dr. Braich. "Only five percent should truly require intervention from a periodontist. If a patient is diligent about home care, we can significantly reduce the development of advanced periodontal disease and, consequently, the need for surgical procedures to cut away damaged tissue." He warns, though, that gum disease is recurrent. "The best treatment is only a temporary success if the patient fails to continue a strict home care regimen," Dr. Braich reminds. "With the patient's commitment and dedicated support from our office, we can maintain the healthy condition of a patient's gums for a lifetime."

For information about the Soft Tissue Management system, call Pro-Dentec 1-800-752-2565