It is easy to think that the key to keeping your teeth healthy is to focus on teeth. However in many instances the greatest threat to your dental health is not a direct matter of teeth, but of gum disease. Commonly known as gingivitis, gum disease is a major cause of tooth loss and a serious risk to health, too.
Were you aware that before going into serious surgery doctors often recommend a complete tooth cleaning, and follow-up antibiotics to cope with gum disease? Or that some studies have indicated a connection between heart disease and gum disease? It’s true: the chronic infection of your gums has a lasting impact on your overall health.
It’s no different than having a constant infection in an eye, or an ulcerating infection on your leg. Your body will respond with the full power of its immune system — and will eventually show the signs of wear and tear that proceed from a system maxed out by the demands placed on it.
So, what can be done about gum disease? First is to learn how it differs from plain old plaque and tartar, and how plaque and tartar provide a safe haven for the germs that cause gum disease. Dental hygiene that is aimed at reducing plaque and tartar helps remove the environment that allows the germs of gum disease to linger on in your mouth.
But you may not be able to manage this environment on your own. The combination of germs, saliva and food can combine to allow plaque and tartar to build up under the gum line, down the hidden face of your teeth and down to the roots and bone themselves. To prevent this dental hygienists perform the process called “scaling”; sliding tools down under the edge of the gum to scrape away plaque and tartar hidden from the eye.
A toothbrush, floss, and mouthwash can’t get that far down. In extreme outbreaks of gum disease you may be prescribed an antibiotic, too, just as you would be with any other infection.
Tooth brushes, floss, antibacterial mouthwashes, and similar dental hygienic tools, combined with regular cleaning and occasional scaling, can help control the devastation caused by gum disease, protecting your overall health and your dental health at the same time.
Remember, having gum disease is not simply a nuisance, it is a real and serious threat to your overall condition, as well as being unsightly and damaging to your dental health.
Working with your dentist and dental hygienist can turn the problem around, helping you maintain healthy teeth, good body health, and a beautiful smile. Don’t ignore gum disease: it is a hidden enemy, but one you can defeat.
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