Enhance your smile with our Kansas City Dentist!!

There are many reasons for a person to be searching for a new Kansas City dentist.  Some have changed jobs and their new insurance is not accepted.  Maybe they are making the switch because they are new to our beautiful city, and are looking for a new team to help keep their smiles their brightest.  Whatever the reason, you are searching for your new Kansas City dentist, you have found your team with the friendly, knowledgeable staff at Dr. Thomas L. Anderson and Associates.  We make it easy to feel right at home, even when you’re visiting the dentist!! 

With summer just around the corner, many people are getting ready for vacations, reunions and bikini season and are working to make sure they are looking their best!  What act of self-improvement did you choose for this summer?   As a whole, we all care about our bodies and want to make empowering decisions to live a longer, healthier life.  Dr. Thomas L Anderson is a local Kansas City dentist, and he is challenging all of his patients to add flossing daily to their to-do lists!  

You know the routine… every time you go to the dentist for your cleaning; the hygienist is going to ask you how often you are flossing.  One of the most common answers we receive is, “I’m not flossing, but I’m brushing every day.”  While brushing is important, it does nothing in comparison for what flossing does for your oral health.  Our body has a natural way of cleaning the teeth above the gum line.  As we are eating and talking the saliva we create rinses over the smooth surfaces of our teeth to clean away debris and plaque, much like in a river when the water rinses over rocks leaving them smooth and clean.  Only when the rock is lifted from the water can you see the buildup underneath.  This is the same in our mouths; the only way to effectively clean under your gums is by flossing.  The unremoved plaque and bacteria causes a myriad of concerns for our bodies both in and out of our mouths. 

Our Kansas City dentist consults with every patient on how to maintain a healthy mouth and body. 

• We don’t just say, “Brush your teeth!”  We say, “Brush your teeth at a 45 degree angle, pointing the bristles to your gum tissue, and brush in circular motions.  This stimulates your gum tissue, and removes the plaque that is lingering just millimeters below your gums!!” 
• We don’t just say, “Floss your teeth!”  We say, “Use a “c” shape formation, and floss daily.  “C” shape formation flossing is important because our teeth are round.  If we just go straight down with the floss, some surfaces of the teeth are not being cleaned.  You need to make a “c” shape with your floss to hug the tooth, and floss underneath your gums to thoroughly clean them.  Not just in between the teeth!!”  

I always hear Dr. Anderson telling the patients to brush, floss, and rinse with Listerine at the end of their appointments.  If you add these simple steps to your home cleaning techniques with a regular checkup & cleaning every six months, you can not only save your teeth, but you could save your life!       

Daily flossing removes harmful plaque and bacteria that hides underneath your gums.   When this harmful bacterium goes unremoved, it causes periodontal disease, or gingivitis.  Periodontal disease is a chronic inflammation of your tissue that causes a lot of damage over time.  It works its way under your gums and sets on the bone that holds the teeth in place.  If it is untreated for long periods of time, it erodes away your bone structure until the teeth have nothing to support them.  And over time, causes the loss of many, if not all, of your teeth.  Some symptoms include painful bleeding gums, bone loss, and bad breath. 

Some people seem to believe that the mouth is its own isolated chamber from the rest of the body, but studies show differently.  Research has shown gum disease can lead to diabetes, strokes, heart disease, and many other complications inside our bodies.  Your gums are full of blood vessels, and your mouths are full of bacteria.  This bacterium can get into your blood stream and trigger inflammation throughout the body, which causes damage to the blood vessels even the ones in your heart.  With all of this information adding flossing daily to your summer to-do list (and beyond) seems like the best choice to this Kansas City dentist!

So make the switch to our Kansas City dentist office, and take our flossing challenge!  You will always get a warm welcome when you make an appointment at one of our three convenient locations.  Call to make an appointment with our team at Thomas L. Anderson and Associates today; we can’t wait to meet you!