All about Periodontal Disease

We all know that brushing our teeth and flossing is important when it comes to maintaining our dental health, but few people realize exactly what kind of problems can occur with your mouth when you are not maintaining a decent level of oral hygiene. In this article, we’ll examine periodontal disease, which occurs as a result of improper oral hygiene. We’ll let you know what it is, how you can prevent it, and how you can treat it if you become afflicted.

Many people think that periodontal disease is a problem that only occurs when you completely neglect your oral health. It couldn’t be farther from the truth; as it turns out, as many as seventy five percent of all American adults are afflicted with some degree of periodontal disease. In the early stages of periodontal disease, the problem is reversible; changing your oral hygiene habits can help you to negate the harmful effects of the disease. Once the disease is present for long enough, however, it begins to affect other parts of the body and becomes irreversible. Some warning signs that you may be developing a case of periodontal disease include having gums that are red or inflamed, or having gums that bleed when you brush your teeth or floss. More advanced cases of periodontal disease can result in a loss of teeth, pain when you chew your food and a change in your bite. These are the least of the problems that advanced periodontal disease causes, however; periodontal disease can actually contribute to the development of other damaging diseases such as heat disease, diabetes, and various respiratory illnesses.

You are more likely to develop a case of diabetes when you have periodontal disease because periodontal disease causes the body to be unable to even out blood sugar levels like it normally does. Heart disease is more prevalent in those with periodontal disease because of the bacteria that are present in the mouth when periodontal disease is present. The bacteria that are present in the mouth from periodontal disease may also travel to the lungs when you breathe, which can cause several different types of respiratory problems. Oral cancer is another problem that is much more likely to occur when one has periodontal disease, and thirty thousand people die per year as a result of the cancer.

As you can see, taking care of your oral health may be more important than you once considered. If you think that you are in the beginning stages of periodontal disease, you should do all that you can to work towards reversing the effect. Brush your teeth regularly and floss to ensure that your gums are healthy and strong. Make your mouth as resistant to bacteria as possible by using a tongue brush as well as mouthwash. Also, be sure that you visit your dentist at least twice per year so that you can get your teeth cleaned and they can monitor the progression (or hopefully the regression) of your periodontal disease.