Discover The Warning Signs for Gum Disease
A multitude of bacteria are busy in our mouths, day and night. These bacteria can cause bad breath (halitosis) and periodontal disease (gum disease).
The warning signs of bacterial attack are bleeding gums, swollen gums or unexplained bad breath. If you or someone you love has these symptoms, you need to mobilize the natural defenses present in a healthy mouth. Here's why.
As infection rates increase, more serious complications in your general health can occur. Research has established a meaningful link between gum disease and halitosis, and other disorders, including:
- increased incidence of heart attack or stroke
- low birth-weight babies
- premature delivery for pregnant women
Periodontal disease should be taken very seriously. If you are experiencing mysterious gum flare-ups, swollen gums or bleeding gums, you could have gingivitis or possibly even periodontitis and should see your primary care physician. Be sure to tell your dentist if you are currently being treated for heart problems.
Build up your natural defenses. With gum disease, the best defense against it and bad breath is a good offense.
+Jim Du Molin is a leading Internet search expert helping individuals and families connect with the right dentist in their area. Visit his author page.
Periodontitis and Gum Disease Treatment
It's natural to want to lump people together in some Big Category. Natural, but wrong. Like, "Baby Boomer." President Clinton and home run slugger Mark McGwire are both "Boomers." But are these two guys exactly alike?
It's the same in health and dental care. Your oral chemistry is as unique as your thumbprint. Yet magazine stories claim "you" need only one dental appointment a year to stay healthy. They don't know you. They're referring to an "average" patient. Dental insurance plans also tend to believe in this mythical "average patient" and may not pay for more than a biannual visit.
Sure, two visits are fine for many patients, even most. But some mouths build up more tartar than others. Others are naturally decay-prone. Still others - and this is critical - may be showing signs of periodontal (gum) disease.
Bleeding gums need to be taken seriously. They're signs of an infection that can be a significant risk factor for heart disease, and, in fact, many serious illnesses. If you had a bleeding sore on your hand that didn't heal you'd get to a doctor for a checkup, right? Type I periodontitis (gingivitis) consists of tender gums and a little bacteria-filled pocket between your tooth and gum. It's easily treatable at this point. But if the infected pockets are allowed to enlarge and you get swollen gums, that inflammation can extend to the bone beneath and erode it.
Your periodontist's concern is for your health and your teeth, not whether you've made the standard number of appointments for this year. He or she wants the chemistry to be right in your mouth... and between the two of you.
+Jim Du Molin is a leading Internet search expert helping individuals and families connect with the right dentist in their area. Visit his author page.