Do your gums bleed slightly when you brush and floss your teeth? Do you right it off as nothing serious, since your teeth and gums look and feel healthy otherwise? You might not realize it by the discreet nature of its early symptoms, but gum disease is one of the most destructive (and, unfortunately, most common) dental health issues today. To help you understand the importance of good hygiene and preventive care, we examine a few of the more unsettling facts about gum disease, including its influence beyond your dental health.
The Nature of Gum Disease
- When it comes to preventing gum disease, the key to success is to attack it at its source—the bacteria found in the films of plaque and tartar clinging to your teeth. When left alone, some of the germs around your gum line can agitate the tissues until they begin to separate from your teeth, creating pockets for more bacteria to gather and multiply.
- Experts have identified and classified over around 700 different kinds of oral bacteria that dwell in a healthy human mouth. In an unhealthy mouth, such as one at risk of gum disease, specifically harmful bacteria can gain an upper hand. Particularly, Porphyromonas gingivalis, which incites unchecked, severely damaging inflammation in your gum tissues.
- As gum disease and inflammation progress, the disease does more than just damage your gums. The bacterial infection can eventually reach the jawbone underneath, which supports the roots of your teeth, and erode it until you suffer single or multiple tooth loss.
- Besides costing teeth, gum disease and the bacteria responsible for it can also pose a threat to your systemic health. Inflammation is a significant risk factor in several chronic health issues, and the presence of gingivalis infection can increase the risks of rampant inflammation throughout your body’s other tissues and organs.
ABOUT YOUR FUQUAY VARINA DENTIST:
For over 15 years, Dr. Michele Collier and the talented professionals at Waterstone Family Dentistry have provided comfortable, compassionate dental care to patients of all ages from Fuquay Varina, NC, as well as Holly Springs, Angier, Willow Springs, Raleigh, and all surrounding communities. If you’d like to learn more, you can schedule a consultation with Dr. Collier by calling (919) 557-5250 today.
