Fighting Periodontal Disease – Keeping Your Teeth Healthy and Clean

Gum disease hits almost everyone. Though, middle-aged adults are the ones who typically suffer from some form of it. In its earliest form, gum disease or periodontal disease will lead to swelling and bleeding gums. If left untreated for a long time, gum disease can and will lead to loss of teeth. The point here is if you’d like to keep your teeth the way they are, complete and beautiful to look at, you better start taking better care of them.

What Causes Periodontal Disease?

Periodontal disease is widely recognized as the result of dental plaque build-up in your mouth and teeth. While plaque is a sticky substance that naturally forms on the teeth, its build-up can be prevented by regularly brushing, flossing and rinsing with mouthwash. If left unchecked, however, plaque build-up will cause your gums to start bleeding or swelling, an early sign of gingivitis. In worse cases, your teeth will slowly start becoming loose, a sign of severe periodontitis.

There are also cases where the plaque hardens or calcifies over time, turning into calculus or better-known as tartar. The tartar attracts even more plaque, which in turn causes your dental problems to grow even worse than it already is.

The Different Risk Factors Involved

While regular visits to the dentist on top of proper oral hygiene are both equally important, it’s also important for you to know the different risk factors involved in keeping your teeth healthy and free of periodontal disease.

  • Genetics – Some people are genetically predisposition and more prone to suffering from periodontal disease more than others. Though, practicing good oral care can help control and even prevent the disease.
  • Regular consumption of tobacco and alcohol – Smoking can either lead to periodontal disease or make it worse. The same goes for alcohol. Avoiding regular consumption of both substances, especially tobacco, can help keep gum disease under control.
  • Misaligned and crowded teeth – Misaligned and crowded teeth promotes plaque and tartar formation, something that we all already now know will eventually lead to gum disease. And, while orthodontics can help fix both problems, having braces and bridgework isn’t exactly all good news either as both procedures make it more difficult to brush or floss teeth. Consult your dental practitioner ASAP and ask for help on how to best brush and floss your teeth to prevent plaque buildup.
  • Stress – Stress weakens your immune system, making it less likely that your body can fight against bacteria. Living a stress-free of a life as possible is key to controlling and preventing gum disease.
  • Puberty and Pregnancy – Going through puberty or pregnancy can temporarily put you at risk of periodontal disease or make it worse. The same goes for menopause or basically, any other condition that makes your body’s hormone levels fluctuate.
  • Medication – Medicines with side effects that include dry mouth may make you more susceptible to gum disease. The lack of saliva encourages the formation of plaque, resulting in tooth decay. There are also certain medicines that cause enlarged gums, encouraging the production of plaque even more.
  • Diseases – Diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and HIV all are diseases that have been linked to increased risk for periodontal disease. Though, like with genetics, proper oral care and help from a good periodontist can help make periodontal disease more manageable, or even prevent it from happening.
  • Malnutrition – We all know that proper nutrition and diet is good for our overall health and oral health included. Also, the lack of certain vitamins and minerals, such as in the case of scurvy, which is often the result of severe vitamin C deficiency, can cause bleeding gums.

Periodontal disease is preventable. Make an appointment today with Theodore Haines DDS for a check-up and cleaning to make sure your gums stay healthy. Call 360-568-8577 or visit the website at tedhainesdds.com.

Dr. Haines of Snohomish, CA also proudly accepts patients from Monroe, Lake Stevens, Everett, Mill Creek, Woodinville, and surrounding areas.