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Understanding Gum Disease and How to Avoid it

Author: Roza Mason
by Roza Mason
Posted: Sep 22, 2016

Gum disease or periodontal disease is the main reason why teeth are lost and many people will have some form of gum disease during their lifetime. Understanding what causes gum disease and how it develops makes it much easier to understand why good dental care is so important. It really isn’t that difficult for most people to avoid this disease and to gain all the benefits of having healthy gums for life.

What Is Periodontal Disease?

Periodontal disease is a bacterial infection and it is caused by bacteria building up over the teeth and gums in a sticky layer of plaque which is called a biofilm. If you run your tongue over your teeth just before you clean them and then trying doing the same thing just after you have brushed your teeth, you should be able to feel the difference. Instead of a sticky layer over your teeth, you should feel nice smooth tooth surfaces that are beautifully clean.

Removing this plaque biofilm is important for healthy gums. If you fail to brush regularly then this layer of plaque soon hardens into calculus which is that hard layer that has to be scraped or scaled away during a professional dental cleaning. The problem with both plaque and calculus is that the bacteria within them produce toxins that will infect your gums. The inflammation in your gums is caused by your body’s immune system trying to fight the infection.

Initially the infection will be confined to just your gums, causing them to look red and swollen and they may begin to bleed. Eventually the infection will begin to destroy the structures directly around your teeth, including ligaments and bone. This can cause teeth to loosen and ultimately they may need to be extracted.

Avoiding Periodontal Disease

Good oral hygiene is the key to having healthy gums. By brushing your teeth at least twice a day you will remove most of the plaque biofilm. It’s vital to floss once-a-day as your toothbrush cannot reach in between your teeth. If you don’t floss regularly then you might want to consider the fact that the contact areas in between your teeth account for approximately one third of your tooth surfaces. These areas are the perfect place for plaque biofilm to begin to build up.

Even the most diligent people will miss out certain areas of their teeth when brushing and flossing and this is why regular dental cleanings are vital. During your teeth cleaning your hygienist will scrape or scale away all the calculus, helping to reduce your health risk of gum disease even more. Most hygienists are also extremely good at patient education and can show you the best way to brush and floss, as well as pointing out areas that you might be missing during your regular oral hygiene routine.

About the Author

Here at Central Park South Dental Care, our periodontists are extremely highly trained and experienced and can provide the most advanced treatments to help control periodontal disease.

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Author: Roza Mason

Roza Mason

Member since: Jul 23, 2016
Published articles: 1

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