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Hello Friends!
Today’s topic isn’t a glamorous one, but important nonetheless. Your gums are the foundation and cornerstone to your overall oral health and it’s imperative that you care for them. Gums protect and support your teeth and the tissue that holds them to the bone. When they aren’t healthy, you risk tooth loss and damage to your overall health.
You’ve probably heard the phrase “gum disease”, but what is it? What does it mean if you’ve been diagnosed with it? Is it really that big of a deal? WebMD featured an informative article on the topic and we’ve included some of that information below.
How Gum Disease Happens
It “usually starts in areas that you’re not brushing or keeping clean,” says Mark Ryder, DMD, chair of periodontology at the University of California, San Francisco School of Dentistry. “Bacteria build up in a film on your teeth and you get a reaction to that bacteria — inflammation.”
Swelling of the gums (also known as gingivitis), can be one of the first signs of gum disease. Other symptoms include:
- Gum redness
- Bleeding while brushing or flossing
- Receding gum line
- Loose teeth
- Constant bad breath
- Mouth sores
Pain isn’t one of the first symptoms of gingivitis.
“What’s unique about early gum disease is that it doesn’t cause much discomfort at all,” Ryder says. “So you really have to pay attention to these other symptoms.”
Gum problems can get worse if you don’t get gingivitis treated.
“Infection and inflammation will spread deeper into the tissues that support the tooth,” Ryder says. “When that happens, the inflammation becomes destructive.”
The gums begin to pull away from the teeth, which lets in more bacteria. At this stage, gum disease is called periodontitis.
That condition “causes the tissues and bone that support the teeth to break down,” Ryder says.
This creates pockets where bacteria can grow.
“As you lose bone, your teeth get looser and looser, and eventually, they fall out,” he says.
What’s more, oral health affects your whole body. People with gum disease are more likely to get heart disease and are less able to control their blood sugar, studies show.
The CDC found that 47% of adults older than 30 have periodontitis. After age 65, that number goes up to 70%.
Your odds of getting gum disease are higher if you:
- Use tobacco products
- Are pregnant
- Have a family history of gum disease
- Have diabetes
- Have high stress
- Grind or clench your teeth
Some birth control, antidepressants, and heart medicines may also raise your risk. Tell your dentist about any medications you take regularly.
“Stop smoking, manage diabetes correctly, and if you’re pregnant, think about visiting the dentist more often during your pregnancy,” Ryder says.
How to Treat Gum Disease
Your dentist will remove the root cause: plaque on your teeth.
“The dentist would clean around all the affected areas, and really go down to the bottom of the pocket of the tooth, because that’s where the most harmful bacteria is,” Ryder says. This deep-cleaning process is called scaling.
Other causes will also be explored, like loose fillings or crowns. Your dentist may take X-rays to check for bone loss. You might need surgery if the disease is severe or doesn’t get better with time. You might visit a periodontist, a dentist who specializes in gum disease.
Tips to Manage Gum Disease
To keep it at bay, you should:
- Brush with fluoride toothpaste twice a day.
- Clean between the teeth, with floss or another cleaning tool.
- Swish twice daily with antiseptic mouth rinse.
- See your dentist regularly.
It seems like common sense, but so often people underestimate the importance of maintaining their teeth and gums. Oral health is often overlooked, especially if there is no pain involved. But as is so often the case a little prevention can prevent a lot of trouble later. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms or have any concerns about your oral health, contact your dental professional.
As always, if you have any questions or need more information, we would be happy to help. Contact our office at http://www.brunnerprastdental.com.
Yours in Good Dental Health:)
Brunner Prast Family Dental
***The above information is for informational purposes only and not intended to diagnose or treat any condition or disease. If you have any concerns please contact a dental professional.
Hello Friends!
You’ve probably heard that it’s not normal for your gums to bleed. Or that you should brush and floss at least twice a day. And rinse with a fluoride mouthwash. And see your dentist for a professional cleaning and exam every six months. And stay away from sugary foods and beverages. And avoid highly acidic foods. The list goes on and on! But life is busy! You’re rushing out the door in the morning and often fall into bed exhausted at night. Like so many other things that are good for our health, it can become easy to fall into the “I’ll do it tomorrow” trap. But, much like other aspects of our health, dental neglect will begin to show warning signs. Often one of the first is bleeding gums. If your toothbrush bristles are always pink when you brush or the water you spit into the sink afterwards is tinged with blood, that’s probably an indicator of mild gum disease or gingivitis. Your gums bleed because they are swollen, inflamed and irritated by the bacteria that has hardened into plaque. Left untreated, gingivitis can progress into periodontal disease.
Aside from the obvious negative oral side effects (bad breath, cavities, tooth and bone loss) of periodontal disease, there have been numerous studies linking periodontal disease to overall health problems. According to the ADA, the harmful bacteria that is in your mouth can travel to other parts of your body and has been linked to the increased risk of heart disease, diabetes and stroke.
The only way to truly maintain good oral health is to brush and floss your teeth regularly and see your dental professional every six – twelve months. Like most things, catching problems early is the best way to avoid more serious problems and potentially more expensive treatment later.
So as hard as it may be to add more things to your ever-growing “to-do” list, it is so important to take care of yourself and make time to brush and floss!
Yours in good dental health
Your friends at
Brunner Prast Family Dental
Hello Friends!
We came across this excellent article at the Huff Post by Tim O’Neill, M.A. in Medieval Literature.
Did you know?
People in the Middle Ages considered healthy, white teeth a sign of beauty and wrote of sweet smelling breath as a desirable attribute. So, not surprisingly, we have extensive evidence that people liked to keep their teeth clean and a large amount of evidence of tooth pastes, powders and treatments, as well as mouth washes and treatments for halitosis.
Contrary to the depiction of medieval peasants with blackened and rotting teeth, the average person in the Middle Ages had teeth which were in very good condition. This is substantially due to one factor – the rarity of sugar in the diet. Most medieval people simply could not afford sugar and those who could used it sparingly – usually as a seasoning or minor ingredient and almost never as a condiment or the basis of a dish. This means that most people used natural sugars such as those in fruits and honey and even then ate this kind of sugar sparingly. Taken with a diet high in calcium via dairy foods, high in vegetables and cereals and low in foods that cause decay, the average medieval person ate the way most modern dentists would recommend for good teeth.
Not surprisingly, tooth decay was actually much less prevalent in the Middle Ages than it became in later centuries, when mass imports of sugar from the tropics made it a staple rather than a rarity. Surveys of archaeological data from the medieval period show that an average of only 20% of teeth show any sign of decay, as opposed to up to 90% in some early twentieth century populations. A more common dental issue for medieval people was not decay but wear. Eating stone-ground bread daily as part of almost every meal meant medieval people’s teeth saw considerable abrasion from grit which, over years led to the teeth being worn down. To an extent this actually helped prevent decay, as their molars had less crevices in which plaque could accumulate. But in the long run it could lead to the complete abrasion of dentine and tooth loss.
Medieval people cleaned their teeth by rubbing them and their gums with a rough linen cloth. We have various recipes for pastes and powders that could be put on the cloth to help clean the teeth, to whiten them and to aid fresh breath. Sage ground with salt crystals was one popular mixture. Powdered charcoal from rosemary stems was another. A crushed paste of pepper, mint and rock salt was also used, and there were many more. Most consisted of an abrasive and a scented herb, though others included a range of spices such as cinnamon, mace and cloves.
Mouth washes tended to be wine or vinegar-based, with herbs and spices steeped in these acidic liquids. Again, mint features heavily in these recipes, along with marjoram and cinnamon. Chewing fennel seeds, parsley or cloves were the most common recommendations for bad breath.
The fact that dental hygiene was relatively good compared to later periods would have been a benefit to people at the time, given that dental surgery was pretty bad. Most treatment consisted of simply removing the tooth, which tended to be done by the local barber and with no anesthetic other than perhaps getting drunk before hand. More skilled surgeons had treatments for mouth cancer, involving the cutting out of affected tissue and then cauterization. We also have evidence of dentures made from cow bone or human teeth, though only for the very rich. On the whole though medieval dental hygiene was based on the same concerns as today – white teeth and fresh breath – and medieval people developed some reasonably effective ways of maintaining both.
So next time you are at a party and need a fun fact, feel free to share:)
And if you or someone you know need dental care or have questions, please visit our site at http://www.brunnerfamilydental.com We would be happy to help:)
***The entire article can be seen by visiting the link below at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/quora/dental-hygiene-was-actual_b_7590896.html?utm_hp_ref=tw
Hello Friends!
We came across a great article by Dr. Gary Vance from the “ahealthiermichigan” website. Hope you enjoy the following information.
The health benefits of an afternoon cup of tea have been well-documented. For example, a simple mug of green tea can improve heart health, boost your immune system and protect your body against cancer thanks to its high levels of antioxidants. But what you may not realize is that drinking tea can also benefit your teeth and gums. Here are just a few ways steeping some tea for a warm drink can improve your next dental visit:
•Reduces gum inflammation: Researchers have found that people who regularly drink green and black tea have healthier gums than those who don’t. They believe that the anti-inflammatory effects of the tea improve the harmful bacteria levels in the mouth.
•Strengthens teeth: Studies have shown that people who drink green tea are less likely to lose teeth as they age than those who don’t. They key here is drinking it without adding any sugar, since sugar can lead to tooth decay.
•Fights plaque build-up: Black tea affects a bacterial enzyme in your mouth that helps plaque stick around. Drink more of it and the plaque won’t be able to attach itself to your teeth.
•Disrupts oral cancer cells: A report by the Academy of General Dentistry showed that the antioxidants in green tea can stop the growth of oral cancer cells and even kill them. It’s still too early for this to be considered an effective stand-alone cancer treatment, but it shows the far-reaching impact tea can have on your dental health.
•Freshens breath: Research shows that drinking green tea can also help reduce bad breath. The polyphenols in the green tea modify the bad-smelling sulfur components in your mouth.
About Dr. Gary Vance
Dr. Vance has been a practicing dentist for more than 35 years and is currently a dental associate at a private practice in Plymouth, Mich. He graduated from the University of Detroit’s School of Dentistry and is a member of the American Dental Association, Michigan Dental Association, Detroit District Dental Society and the American Association of Dental Consultants. Dr. Vance has been a dental consultant for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan for the past 15 years and is the newest blogger for A Healthier Michigan.
http://www.bcbsm.com/index/health-insurance-help/faqs/plan-types/dental.html
Thanks to Dr. Vance for the great information!
I hope you enjoyed this month’s article. As always, if you are in the Pinckney, MI area, stop in to say hello.
Your friends at
Brunner Family Dental
http://www.brunnerfamilydental.com
Tagged WITH dentist, healthy gums, mouth, oral health, Tea
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