Chances are high that you will have periodontal disease or gum disease in your lifetime. Over 80% of adults do. With those odds, it may seem inevitable that you will have it, but why not be in the 20% that don’t? You can, all it takes is diligent, thorough and proper oral care.  

First – THE DESCRIPTION: periodontal disease is the chronic infection of the soft tissue around the teeth caused by plaque producing bacteria. The gums hold the teeth in place. As the gums become infected, they loosen their hold on the teeth and pockets are formed. These pockets collect debris and cause more infection and bone loss to the tooth. Imagine the tooth as a fence post in the ground, cemented in place. The post starts out sturdy and strong with no movement. The cement is doing its job. Now imagine that chemicals (from acid rain or blowing debris or winter salt trucks) start to erode the cement. Soon the post becomes wobbly and the wood under the ground starts to rot. The cement in this example is the gum tissue and the post is the tooth. Unfortunately, gum disease is worse than one rotting fence post. It is infectious and contagious. It can spread from tooth to tooth in the mouth and from one person’s mouth to another through saliva.  

Second – THE SYMPTOMS: This is not so easy. Often gum disease has no symptoms so it is left untreated until it becomes so bad irreparable bone loss occurs. Outward signs of periodontitis are:

• Bad breath that won’t go away
• Red or swollen gums
• Bleeding gums especially after tooth brushing
• Tender or sore gums
• Loose teeth
• Receding gums

 Third – THE DIAGNOSIS: During regular six month cleanings, a dentist can diagnose periodontal disease in its very early stages. Xrays determine if any bone loss has occurred. Periodontal probing determines the depth of the pockets or space that the gums have loosened around the tooth. High levels of plaque or tartar build up that have spread to below the gum line is another indication.  

Fourth – THE TREATMENT: If you have perio issues, there are several steps that a dentist may recommend depending on the severity of the case. The most important action is meticulous at home daily oral care. Teeth must be brushed twice or more times each day for at least two minutes and flossed at least once per day. Other treatments include prescription oral rinses, three month perio cleanings, scaling and root planing (SRP) and surgery.  

Last but not least – PREVENTION: The most important preventative measure to avoid the insidious gum disease is to take excellent care of your teeth. Proper cleaning at least twice a day is imperative. The goal is to keep the bacteria that cause the plaque at very low levels.   Not everyone gets gum disease, make sure you are among those that don’t.

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And if you would like to improve the health of your teeth, going to your dentist is one way of doing it but as they say, you also have to do your part to guarantee great results.  Here are some of the tips on dental hygiene that you could incorporate to your daily routine for you to have a perfect smile and have a healthy teeth and gums.

Listen To What Your Mom Says

We often hear our moms say that we should brush our teeth after every meal and true enough, it is one thing that we should do when it comes to having a great dental hygiene that would guarantee results, preventing us to have plaques and combat tartars.  And brushing daily, after every meal also means that we must have the necessary tools that would be effective in helping clean out our teeth. 

Part of the tools for a healthy dental hygiene is to have the right kind of toothbrush and you could ask your doctor which kind of bristle would be perfect for your teeth and gums.  Aside from that, a toothpaste that would help combat the problem signs like plaque, gingivitis, tartar, tooth decay, would help prevent cavities, bad breath, and at the same time, help with the whitening of your teeth.  After brushing, you could always use a nice mouthwash that could also help you with your dental hygiene and guarantee fresh breath for hours. 

There are also some other things that could help you have a great dental hygiene like the dental floss, which you could use before or after brushing to get rid of all the unwanted dirt that could be stuck deeply in between of your teeth.  Also, it would help if you would use a tongue scraper to help you get rid of all the bacteria that is lurking in your tongue that could not be washed away by gargling or brushing. 

And of course, last but not the least, you must visit your dentist twice a year to have a prophylaxis or professional cleaning and be updated to the health status of your teeth, examined by a professional.  Always remember, it is always better to be safe than sorry so always incorporate these dental hygiene tips to have the perfect smile.

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A person who has had limited or no dental health throughout their life may also end up with diseases such as gingivitis as well as severe cavities and rotting teeth. While the teeth may affect their appearance gum diseases can lead to complications in other health care concerns. Plaque is made up of colonies of bacteria and poor oral hygiene allows the bacteria to grow and infect other parts of the body. It is also a major contributor to bad breath.

While bad breath is often attributed to poor dental health, it is not the only cause. Food, such as onions, is digested and put into the blood stream. As the blood returns to the lungs to be re-oxygenated, it puts the odor of the food back into the lungs where it is released as bad breath. This also happens to others such as smokers and no amount of brushing, flossing or scraping of the tongue will eliminate this source of bad breath.

Oral Hygiene Is Big Business

Taking care of the teeth is so important to most people and the country spends over $3 billion a year on dental health products such as toothpaste, toothbrushes, dental floss and tongue scrapers as well as breath mints and gum. While many will spend hundred of dental health products, they shy away from trip to the dentists and have a feeling of pain before they enter the dentist’s office.

In part, dentists may be to blame for some of the reluctance of people to seek professional help with their dental health. Previously, many dentists were judgmental in their approach with patients, which made them feel even more uncomfortable than the actual work being done. Today’s non-judgmental approach to dentistry is having a positive effect on good dental health.

Recent studies have also concluded that that poor dental hygiene can be a contributing factor to ischemic stroke, one of the most common types of stroke in the United States. The plaque buildup can cause release of plaque which can settle into small blood vessels more common in the brain.

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Visit Your Dentist Regularly

It is very important that you visit your dentist for regular check ups and dental hygiene. You need to have your teeth cleaned every six months to make sure that your teeth and gums and healthy. If you feel that there is something wrong with your breath, do not wait for your next scheduled visit to the dentist, set an appointment with your dentist immediately and get help is solving your dental problems.

Since visits to the dentist can be quite expensive, be sure to update your dental care insurance regularly so that you will receive continued coverage. If your dental health coverage is limited, try to explore other types of dental health care insurances that will give you comprehensive coverage.

Brush Your Teeth Properly

A cardinal rule is dental hygiene is the proper brushing of teeth. You need to brush your teeth twice daily to remove any plaque and food particles from your teeth. When brushing your teeth, use toothpaste that is recommended by your dentist. Never mind those advertisement about toothpaste that whitens the teeth and all, you can’t really be sure that these type of toothpaste work. The best way to take care of your teeth is to follow the dental hygiene directors given by your dentist.

When brushing your teeth, do not forget your tongue. According to studies, you tongue harbors bacteria that may cause bad breath. As part of your dental hygiene routine, you need to brush your tongue to remove the bacteria from it. There are some types of toothbrushes that have built in tongue massagers or cleaners. Your dentist will know where you can get these types of toothbrush.

Use Dental Floss

When it comes to dental hygiene, brushing your teeth may not be enough. There are certain areas in your mouth that cannot be cleaned with the use of a toothbrush. To clean the areas between your teeth, you may use dental floss as part of your dental hygiene routine. Use dental floss to remove food particles lodged in between your teeth. Note food that are trapped between your teeth will start to rot in a few hours and will cause bad breath so make sure that you remove these food particles right after eating.

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