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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 recurring…simply 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 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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