Don’t Let Gum Disease Ruin Your Health

Here at Boulder dental Designs, we are experts in the field of dentistry. We are dedicated to making sure that our Boulder area neighbors are as educated as possible in regard to their personal oral health and, in today’s post, we wanted to continue where we left off last time by listing out some of the most common causes of gum disease. Gum disease, or periodontal disease as it is commonly referred to, can have a major effect on an individual’s health if left untreated. For this reason, we feel that it is important for people to be aware of what can lead to gum disease so that they can avoid these causal factors as much as possible. A little education can go a long way and we hope that this post, and the post before, give you some ideas on how to make sure that your mouth is as healthy as possible.

A Healthy Mouth is a Happy Mouth

Bacteria, generally, is a bad thing. As most people know, bacteria are responsible for many illnesses and, for all intents and purposes, should be avoided by people as much as possible. Unfortunately, no matter what a person does, there is going to be bacteria present in their mouth. This bacteria is perfectly normal, however, if certain conditions arise in the mouth this bacteria can get wildly out of control and lead to gum disease. Below, we have listed out some of the ways that contribute to the flourishing of bacteria in the mouth and what you can do to make sure that your mouth stays as healthy as possible.

• Dry Mouth: The average human produces between 0.75 to 1.5 liters of saliva every day. While this might be a gross fact to some, saliva is necessary for making sure that the mouth stays healthy. Saliva works to naturally wash away bacteria in the mouth, ensuring that the bacteria does not cling to the crevices between the teeth and develop into plaque. If saliva production is interfered with, the bacteria are able to cling to the teeth much easier and, unfortunately, can lead to an infection of the gums. If you notice that your mouth has been particularly dry, make sure to note if you are taking any new medications that could be interfering with your saliva production. To help with dry mouth, we suggest that stay as hydrated as possible and, if necessary, carry water with you to sip on throughout the day. While this won’t help with the root cause of dry mouth, it will help to wash away bacteria before it can cause major damage.

• Nutritional Deficiencies: Everyone has heard the saying “you are what you eat.” Making sure that you are taking in all of the necessary vitamins and minerals that you need on a daily basis can be quite a challenge and, sometimes, people don’t necessarily get everything they need from the food they are eating. While nutritional deficiencies impact multiple areas of the body, they can take a particularly heavy toll on the gums. Our gums rely on vitamin C to remain healthy and if they are deprived of this vitamin for a long enough time period, they will eventually begin to weaken and bleed. This compromises the overall health of the gums and leaves them susceptible to infection. Luckily, even small doses of vitamin C are enough to keep your gums healthy so fixing this particular issue is as simple as eating a piece of citrus fruit every few days.

We hope that this blog has been helpful and that you that you know a little more when it comes to the causes of gum disease. If you are worried that your gums might already be compromised, please contact us today at Boulder Dental Designs. Our dentists will run a full diagnostic evaluation to determine what is causing issues with your gums and take the appropriate steps to fix the issue. We are dentists dedicated to helping people and we are certain that we can help with whatever dental issues you may be experiencing.