What does gum disease mean for the health of your mouth?

Gum disease is a problem that most people hear of but something to which we never really pay that much attention. To most it will seem like a rather trivial thing compared to other health problems one can have but research is continually proving the links between gum disease and major health problems such as heart disease strokes and diabetes, as well as problems during pregnancy.

It is also much more common that you would probably imagine. Experts predict that at any one time a massive 3 out of 4 adults in Britain above the age of 35 are suffering from some degree of gum disease. Gum disease, more so than tooth decay, is the most common reason for tooth loss in adults. Caught early; it is a problem that can be reversed with very simple measures such as a more attentive oral hygiene routine but if left to develop, gum disease can have a real impact on your oral and overall health.

What is gum disease when it's at home?

Put simply, gum disease is the result of a build-up of plaque that is not removed during your cleaning regime and therefore develops into tartar. Tartar is not removable by any means other a professional cleaning and tartar left to fester around the gum line causes irritation to the gum tissue and eventually causes infection. Usually gum disease starts out as gingivitis; the mildest form of the disease that can usually be treated very easily. When you develop gingivitis you may experience inflammation and redness of the gums and your teeth may bleed when you brush them or when you eat. A simple visit to the dentist can quickly reverse the effects and by adopting a more rigorous cleaning regime the problem is easily preventable.

ANUG

However, when left untreated gingivitis can develop into more serious forms of gum disease; these are known as periodontitis and acute necrotising ulcerative gingivitis, or ANUG. These problems are often extremely painful and can have a devastating effect on your oral health with symptoms including: gum recession; loss of teeth; ulcers; serious damage to the gum tissue and bone; and with ANUG, the most severe form of the disease, the tissue and bone can be completely destroyed. This is all without mentioning the heightened risk of other health problems already mentioned.

A good oral hygiene routine

Your oral hygiene routine is most likely the main factor in the development of gum disease. If you do not spend those extra few minutes making sure your teeth are brushed and flossed to perfection before you jump into bed at night; let's face it, after a long day at the office and the prospect of another equally long day to come, plaque is probably the least of your concerns; but, unfortunately, you are effectively nominating yourself for a whole host or oral health problems and anyone that has suffered at the hands of gum disease would be the first to tell you that prevention is most definitely cheaper than the cure.

Smoke your way to poor oral hygiene

There are, however, other lifestyle factors that increase your risk of developing gum disease. Unsurprisingly, smoking is at the top of that list! These days it seems there is very little that smoking can't be blamed for but the fact of the matter is that filling your lungs and indeed your mouth with toxic chemicals is going to cause serious damage. In fact, smokers form half of all patients that are treated for gum disease. Diabetes, stress and immune deficiencies can also put you at a higher risk of gum disease purely due to the fact that these problems lead to a weakened immune system that is not as capable at fighting developing infections. A poor diet is another issue due to the fact that a lack of vital minerals and nutrients means that the body is not able to build new cells and tissue as successfully. Bad habits such as grinding or clenching your teeth also heighten the risk due to the unnecessary pressure applied to the gums.

So, as you're probably starting to understand, gum disease is no joke. It is one of those things that seem trivial when it's only in the early stages and not causing you the same headache that your money worries or your Christmas shopping list is doing. However, it is one of those problems that is quickly and easily resolved and that is going to develop into a very large headache if you do not do something about it early.

A visit to the dentist as soon as you notice the symptoms is the best course of action. Early treatment can involve a simple dental cleaning and a revision of your cleaning regime. If you take it upon yourself to pay more attention to your cleaning regime, the chances are that your gum disease troubles will disappear as quickly as they came. When gum disease is left to develop the treatment can get very technical, very intrusive and very expensive, very fast. It's a headache to your bank balance and a headache to your health and it's a headache that we can all probably live without.