Healthy Mouth, Healthy Life
Although gum disease is terribly pervasive, it's also preventable. Conservative estimates report that up to 80% of people unknowingly have some amount of chronic gum disease. What's worse is that this disease is responsible for up to 70% of adult tooth loss. Part of the problem is that the early signs of gum disease are both silent and serious, requiring a dentist's trained eye to detect, treat, and arrest the tell-tale gum inflammation and infection. However, once arrested, you can prevent gum disease from recurringÉsimply by developing healthy hygiene habits.
Bacteria, Bad Choices, & Bad Genes
Several factors contribute to periodontal disease: plaque build-up, heredity, and lifestyle choices. By far the most common and controllable factor is bacterial plaque-- the sticky, colorless film produced by normal oral bacteria. Unhindered, they release toxins that break down the natural fibers holding your gums to your teeth, allowing even more bacteria and toxins to invade. Over time, this process can permanently damage or destroy the affected tooth, tooth root, and even the jawbone! Further, plaque deposits quickly harden into calculus or tartar-- a rough, porous, gum-irritating substance that brushing will not remove.
Besides poor oral health habits, your poor lifestyle choices can affect your body's ability to fight infection or increase irritation in the gum tissue area. Poor nutrition, poorly managed stress, leukemia, AIDS, and diabetes all reduce your body's natural ability to ward off periodontal disease. Smoking and chewing tobacco greatly irritate the gum tissue, setting it up for disease. And finally, some people are simply born with a low resistance to gum disease. All of this explains why we carefully check for the warning signs at every visit: red, swollen, tender, or bleeding gums, gums pulling away from teeth, loose or separating teeth, pus between the gum and tooth, persistent bad breath, bite changes, and/or a change in the fit of partial dentures. These symptoms are overlooked by most people, making regular dental exams even more important.
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Did You Know?
01: What do powdered fruit, talc, honey, dried flowers, mice and lizard livers have in common? They have all been ingredients in ancient toothpaste and powder. Yummy.
02: Attention Chocolate Lovers...Many dentists agree raisins can cause more tooth decay than chocolate. Sticky foods such as raisins and dried fruits can stay on the teeth longer and develop more decay.
03: According to a study by the Gallop Organization and Consumer Reports, dentists are among the top five most trusted professionals.
04: According to a study at the University of Connecticut, too much toothpaste early in life is responsible for more than 70% of fluorosis cases (staining or mottling of tooth enamel that develops when children swallow fluoridated toothpaste). Although this problem is only cosmetic, it is recommended children under six only use a pea-sized amount of toothpaste and be reminded to spit it out after brushing.
