The FYI on Gum Disease
Do you wonder about the health of your gums? Have you ever seen red, puffy or bleeding gums upon brushing or flossing. Have you grown, 'long in the tooth'? Have you lost any teeth due to gum disease? Know anyone else that has?
Eighty percent of American adults suffer from some form of gum disease according to the Mayo Clinic website. The question begs to be answered, why? Eighty percent? That is quite a high number. No one ever talks about gum disease which leads me to believe that out of that eighty percent, few realize they suffer from it. Eighty percent equates to eight out of ten people.
That means most of the people you know, possibly including yourself, suffer from some form of gum disease. Many people may not know that they have gum disease. They may in the future, though, because eventually their dentist will tell them that they need a 'root scaling and planing', surgery or periodontal work done.
The Surgeon General once described gum disease as a silent epidemic. Studies keep surfacing that suggest that gum disease may be a precursor to larger problems such as heart disease. Gum disease may be a route that bacteria and other pathogens enter the body through. Having gum disease means that you have left an open door to infection.
Despite all of this, few people talk about gum disease and even fewer are doing anything about it. I can foresee a day when people will pay particular attention to their oral health, because it will become common knowledge of just how serious the situation with our gum tissue is.
Unfortunately, many people will lose precious gum tissue before they even realize that they have this disease or before their dentist mentions it to them. That is why the time is precisely now to start working on this, regardless of what stage of oral health you are at. Protecting your gum tissue is protecting your overall health if all the suspected links to other disease are real.
If you are anything like me, you went for quite some time thinking it didn't matter if your gums bled a little during brushing or flossing. Nothing is further from the truth. If you experience any bleeding at all while brushing and flossing, that is probably indicating an abnormal and possibly diseased condition. Check with your dentist for diagnosis and treatment.
Since eighty percent of adult Americans suffer from this disease it is reasonable to suspect that the preventative measures of brushing and flossing that we were all taught are not adequate to prevent or stop gum disease. If you are like me, you found that you have suffered from this disease and have lost bone and tissue as result.
I was determined not to lose any teeth to this villain and researched and tested a number of tools that I could use to arrest the progress of gum disease and keep it away. I wrote the Gingivitis Killer website to report what I have found. This article is for informative purposes only, check with your dentist if you have or think you might have gum disease for diagnosis and treatment.
David Snape is the author of What You Should Know about Gum Disease - an important book considering that the majority of adults suffer from some form of gum disease. David also answers questions on any health, fitness or wellness topic at his blog: http://tobeinformed.com - David believes in oral irrigation to help fight against gum disease and that the premiere oral irrigation device on the market is the Hydro Floss Oral Irrigator.
Disclaimer: This article is for information purposes. It does not intend to provide advice, diagnosis or treatment. If you have or think you have an oral health problem, visit a periodontist for advice, diagnosis and treatment. The USFDA has not evaluated any statements about products in this article.
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The 'silent epidemic' called gum disease rages on around the world just as it has for centuries. It is has been on a never-ending rampage for thousands of years. "So What", You might think? Considering that gum disease is the number one cause of tooth loss, someone with it is probably going to care sooner or later.
As I looked further into the situation, a larger picture began to reveal itself. It became apparent that I was the victim of gum disease, the silent epidemic that stalks most people who don't usually realize it until it is time for a costly and potentially painful treatment and recovery.
Gum disease is a wide spread but silent problem. Many people do not understand the seriousness of this issue until their smiles become less attractive and their gums have receded. If that doesn't draw a person's attention to the situation, loose and lost teeth will.
Gum disease can cause damage to the underlying bone structure that supports your gums and holds your teeth in place. This bone is relatively vulnerable and can be damaged by the effects of bacterial infection.
The words hung in the air and the implied meaning struck me like a hammer. There was no way I was going to allow this dentist to make a permanent hole in my tooth and then fill it after hearing the word, 'reversible'. I was going to do a little research first. I feared that what the dentist wanted to do and what was really necessary were two very divergent realities. Turns out that I was right.
Putting up with damaged or missing teeth is something which modern cosmetic dental dentistry has turned into a thing of the past. Dental implants will fill any gap and replace any tooth, or even teeth, in a manner which is simple, convenient and highly effective.
There are some things you may want to skimp on to save a few pennies: shoes you'll only wear once or twice, generic cereal that tastes just like the real stuff or sticky notes for your office that don't cost an arm and a leg. When it comes to your teeth and the health of your mouth, though, spare no expense. Finding dentists in Las Vegas is made easier when you know exactly what to look for.
When you are trying to decide on which dentist that you should go to in order to have a dental procedure performed, you can easily become overwhelmed by all of the choices that you will have. Chances are extremely high that there are large amounts of dentists that are practicing in your area.
The list of excuses for not brushing or flossing is endless, but according to a new study published in the Journal of Periodontology, these are two tasks that should not be omitted from the daily hygiene routine.
Researchers recently demonstrated an association between gum disease and the increased risk of stroke due to potential blockages of the main blood vessels leading to the brain (carotid artery). These blockages, or atheromas, contain calcium and can be detected on dental panoramic radiographs.
As the list of diseases possibly associated with gum disease grows, it becomes more and more imperative for individuals to focus on insuring that their oral health is not just good, but exceptional. Alzheimer's disease is among those diseases thought to have a possible link to periodontal disease.
Gingivitis sounds rather innocent on the surface. I can assure that it is far from that. You see, we are lulled into a state of complacency when we hear that this disease is fully reversible. That is true, but how do you know when you have slipped over the line between this and full blown gum disease?
There is one thing you really need to know about fighting gum disease: One size does not fit all. The human body is unique to each person. As you may know, in medicine, there is never a single treatment that works 100% of the time. People are different and different treatments or different combinations of treatment work for different people.
Gums bleed for a reason and it is not a good one. Healthy gum tissue doesn't just bleed 'because'. It is like the skin on you hand, it is not normal for it to bleed. Likewise, bleeding gums are abnormal.
I just read the story of a young man in England who is dying of leukemia. He has been through chemotherapy and radiation therapy twice. He has also had a bone marrow transplant. He has suffered through the side effects of the new bone marrow attacking his body. He has been on steroids and other drugs.
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