Many People Have Gum Disease, Are You At Risk?

Image by Shawn Econo via Flickr

Gum disease is an infection in your mouth, causing the gums and underlying bone to become unhealthy.

With this disease, if it continues to go unchecked, you might lose your teeth and you could also notice your overall health declining.

There are some people who are more apt to experience periodontal disease.  Possibly due to diabetes or Down syndrome.  Both of those medical conditions can affect a person’s mouth and cause them to be more susceptible to gingival disease easier than others.

Periodontal disease may even be hereditary in some cases. Children of parents who’ve always experienced problems will want to keep a close watch on their teeth.

People who smoke and use chewing tobacco are more apt to experience gum disease, too. The chemicals in the tobacco not only stain the teeth, but also irritate the gums, causing them to shrink, recede and just be generally unhealthy.  Not to mention the possibility of several cancers from using those products.

Eating a lot of sugar will certainly put you into the category of a person likely to have periodontal disease.  But it doesn’t necessarily guarantee it.

Really, it’s all about your oral hygiene.

That’s why it’s important to begin a good regimen of taking care of your teeth when you’re young.  When you get home and eat a snack after school, brush your teeth as soon as you’re done eating.  Or at least vigorously swish with warm water for a minute or two after eating or drinking anything with calories in it.

Today’s diet consists of mostly processed, carbohydrate-rich foods.  These are the perfect foods to facilitate cavity formation and gum disease.

Why?  Because they are easier for the bacteria in our mouths to consume and use in their activities.  And those activities consist mainly of eating and reproducing.

But, it’s all that activity that produces a whole lot of waste products, like a construction site does.

The waste products in this case are acids and other toxins that cause cavities, gum disease and other issues in a person’s mouth and even their entire body.

And all this takes places within a convenient, ever-forming matrix – plaque!

Right, all those bacteria do most of their damage if you allow plaque to form and remain on your teeth or gums for some period of time.

In fact, within 24-72 hours, unattended plaque will begin to gradually harden, using the minerals in your saliva, into tartar.

It is this tartar that causes the most damage.  Because it still “houses” colonies of harmful bacteria, while being chemically bonded to your teeth.

Plus, it must be mechanically removed, usually with a dental hand instrument by a professional…

Which is why a habit of brushing or swishing after each meal, snack or drink with calories in it is one of the best ways you can keep plaque and tartar formation – and bacterial development – to the minimum.

And eating raw food over pre-processed foods also plays a major role in minimizing plaque development.  Since the bacteria need the plaque as a matrix to grow and thrive in, they can’t affect any damage if there is no plaque, right?

Therefore, it naturally follows that the more raw foods a person eats, the less plaque and fewer disease causing bacteria will be found in their mouths.

And the fewer bacteria of that type, the less chance of any disease process setting in.

Disclaimer: If you have or think you might have gum disease or any other health problem, please visit your doctor or periodontist for advice, diagnosis and treatment. This article is for information purposes only and does not intend to provide advice, diagnosis or treatment for any health condition.

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