Good dental health means more than a pretty smile. Superior dentists at Hill Avenue Dental talk about the gum disease and its link to overall health.
Your mouth functions with the rest of your body. Oral health affects overall health. Hill Avenue Dental dentists, Doug Clark Jr. DDS and H. Douglas Clark III DDS, see a definite link between gum disease and major systemic health issues. So, they stress preventive dental care to keep your gums and well-being at their best.
What is gum disease?
Gum disease, or periodontitis, is an infection of the soft gum tissue surrounding teeth. Caused by the bacteria harbored by biofilm (plaque and tartar) which forms from food residues left in the mouth, periodontitis causes:
- reddened, swollen, bleeding gums
- tooth mobility
- pus at the gum line
- tenderness
- bad breath
- changes in how teeth bite together
- mouth sores
Left untreated, periodontitis leads to substantial loss of gum and supporting jaw bone and ultimately, to tooth loss. This oral health problem affects almost 50 percent of adults over 30 in the United States, according to the American Dental Association.
Gum disease affects overall health
In addition, research indicates a correlation between periodontitis and systemic health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, and other debilitating and potentially deadly diseases. While researchers cannot establish an exact cause and effect relationship, there’s no doubt that people in poor health often have serious gum issues, too.
Some dentists and scientists suggest that the inflammation resulting from periodontitis has system-wide effects and that toxic oral bacteria in plaque actually moves throughout the body. Doctors at the Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health say that adults with periodontitis have twice the risk of developing Type-2 diabetes because of the “low-grade” inflammation in other areas of the body. This inflammation causes poor sugar metabolism.
Cardiologists who treat patients for heart attack, stroke, endocarditis (infection of the heart valves) and coronary artery disease often report they have gum disease, too. When other things such as smoking, age and gender are factored out of the equation, gum disease appears to stand as a common co-existing health problem in cardiac patients.
Preventive dental care reduces risk
To optimize overall health and reduce or eliminate gum disease and its effects, your Superior, WI dentists like to see their patients twice a year for comprehensive dental exams and hygienic cleanings. A skilled hygienist removes the plaque and tartar not reached by brushing and flossing. She also measures gum pockets, the spaces between gums and teeth to determine if periodontal disease is present or developing.
Dr. Doug Clark and H. Douglas Clark urge individuals to:
- brush twice daily with a quality fluoride toothpaste to remove food residues and plaque
- floss daily
- rinse with an anti-plaque mouthwash
- eat a healthy diet, reducing high-sugar foods and carbohydrates which encourage plaque
- stop smoking
The American Academy of Periodontology, comprised of dentists and other professionals expert on gum disease, tell people to know their risk for gum disease and how it can affect their health.
Contact Hill Avenue Dental
Your Superior dentists desire to prevent oral and system health issues before they occur. If you have questions about gum health or need to come in for your 6-month cleaning and exam, please contact the doctors’ staff today for an appointment.