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Why Gum Disease Is More Sinister Than You Think

Cherrywood Dental • Apr 23, 2014
Not no scared of gum disease? As your dental staff, it’s our job to motivate you into cleaning and caring for your gums. Of course, we don’t want to frighten anyone – but once you know the facts behind periodontitis, it’s hard to not be concerned about its effects. Long-term gum disease has a connection to a range of systemic (whole body) health problems, as well as tooth and bone loss. Hoping to get your gums into better shape? Cherrywood Dental offers laser periodontal treatment to soothe, heal, and generate new tissue growth.

Gum Disease and Systemic Health

More and more research is showing a link between periodontal disease and the health of your entire body. This association can have an effect on heart disease, stroke, diabetes, complications during pregnancy and delivery, and other health concerns (even cancer, although that research is still in progress). Why does this connection exist? Scientists are still speculating, but there are a few theories behind the phenomenon.
  • Increased presence of bacteria – When you have gum disease, the number of harmful bacteria in the mouth increases exponentially. If the disease is severe, there may be bleeding and open wounds in your mouth. Through these channels, the bacteria enter the blood stream, where they migrate to other areas of the body. They may then attach to plaque in the coronary arteries, leading to clots and heart problems.
  • Side effects of oral inflammation – Because of the increased bacterial presence, the gums become inflamed and irritated. This inflammation could also increase plaque buildup in the arteries, and may also aggravate other inflammatory problems like diabetes, arthritis, kidney disease, and some cancers.

Woodbridge Periodontal Treatment Prevents Tooth Loss

While the grave health problems we mentioned above are some of the most unexpected side effects of gum disease, the damage it causes to your mouth is just as severe. As periodontal disease progresses, the tissue connection between your teeth and gums weakens. Your gums pull away as pockets of bacteria (periodontal pockets) form between the two structures. If this is allowed to continue, the bone below the teeth will also weaken. Between the weakened bone and receding gum line, your teeth will struggle to remain in place. The disease will ultimately cause tooth loss. Because the bone will be compromised, it will also be more difficult to replace the missing teeth with tooth loss.

Avoiding periodontal disease in the first place is the simplest way to avoid these dire problems. But if your gums fall prey to disease, we’re here to help. Seeking periodontal treatment as soon as possible is the best possible course of action. If you’ve been feeling uncomfortable, with sore, bleeding, swollen gums, schedule an exam. Don’t wait – the sooner we catch the disease, the less damage will be done.

Moving on From Periodontal Disease

After you’ve had periodontal disease, there will be repercussions in your mouth and throughout your body. If you have diabetes, you should be especially careful – changing levels of blood sugar could help disease resurface. You should take extra care with your oral hygiene and maintain regular exams. Your dentist may recommend that you visit more often so that everything can be carefully monitored. Your dentist may recommend special products or cleaning practices to ensure that you’re fighting bacteria and plaque at the gum line.

There are risk factors that increase the chances of gum disease, including tobacco use, age, other dental problems, genetics, and stress, medication, obesity, and poor nutrition. If you’re in a high-risk category, get in touch so that we can set up an appropriate interval for your dental exams.
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