Gum Disease II

With such heavy consequences as tooth extraction and bone loss you might be wondering what you can do to avoid gum disease. The first answer, as you might imagine, is to follow your dentist’s orders. This will invariably include correct brushing at least twice a day, correct flossing at least once a day, avoiding sugary snacks, and seeing your dentist for a checkup and cleaning twice per year. Your dentist will likely have additional suggestions like heavily- fluoridated toothpaste or mouthwash that kills bacteria. One more way to avoid gum disease is to change some of your behaviors and consider factors that you might not normally associate with oral health. rnSugar. Just about everyone needs to lay off the sugar. Yes, the bacteria that causes plaque feeds on it. Yes, excessive sugar leads to weight gain, possible heart problems, and possible diabetes. Consider also that if you develop diabetes you then will have a higher risk for gum disease. rnSmoking. Any tobacco use is going to be hard on your teeth and gums. If you smoke you’re hopefully trying to quit or at least thinking about it. If you need another reason, consider that it not only increases your risk for gum disease, it makes the recovery period more difficult and lengthy.rnOther Medications. Are you taking something that causes dry-mouth? Even if a medication causes a modest decrease in saliva production, you will want to take additional steps to make certain that you’re fighting oral bacteria. Saliva helps wash away the bacteria that gets you on the downward slope toward gum disease.rnGenetic Factors. You may be genetically inclined toward gum disease. It’s difficult to know for sure but your dentist can offer indications that you might want to exercise more preventative care based on your family history.rnTimes of Hormonal Transition in Women. These already-difficult events can also cause gum sensitivity which can pave the way for gingivitis, the second step toward real gum problems.rnPeripheral Medical Problems. Treatments for other medical issues can aggravate the gums, opening the possibility for gum disease in an otherwise-clean mouth. rnTalk to your dentist about other factors. Age is a consideration. Since saliva production begins to fall off around 35 that is a good time to become vigilant if you haven’t already. On average, men tend to suffer more gum disease than women. If you need to find a dentist to talk to or want more information on gum disease, take a look at http://www.dentaloptimizer.comrn