The Mouth is the Mirror (2/4)
Did you know there is a connection between the health of your gums and your potential to have a heart attack, a preterm, low birth weight baby, or increased complications with diabetes? How about the association between gum disease, osteoporosis and lung disease? As more and more research and studies are conducted on the associations between oral health and general body health, it is becoming very clear that in order to get healthy, be healthy, and stay healthy, you must have and maintain a healthy mouth.
Periodontal (gum) diseases, including gingivitis and periodontitis, are serious infections that, left untreated, can lead to tooth loss. Periodontal disease is a chronic bacterial infection that affects the gums and bone supporting the teeth. It can affect one tooth or many teeth and it begins when the bacteria in plaque (the sticky, colorless film that constantly forms on your teeth) causes the gums to become inflamed.
In the mildest form of the disease, gingivitis, the gums redden, swell and bleed easily. There is usually little or no discomfort. Gingivitis is often caused by inadequate oral hygiene and, at this stage, is reversible with professional treatment and good oral home care. Untreated gingivitis can advance to periodontitis. With time, plaque can spread and grow below the gum line. When this occurs, toxins produced by the bacteria in plaque irritate the gums. The toxins stimulate a chronic inflammatory response in which the body in essence turns on itself, and the tissues and bone that support the teeth are broken down and destroyed. Gums separate from the teeth, forming pockets (spaces between the teeth and gums) that become infected. As the disease progresses, the pockets deepen and more gum tissue and bone are destroyed. Approximately fifteen percent of adults between 21 and 50 years old and thirty percent of adults over 50 have the disease. Often, this destructive process has very mild symptoms including bad breath, slight bleeding when brushing, and red/tender gums. Eventually, teeth can become loose and may have to be removed.
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Dr David Kaffey - Providing services in cosmetic dentistry, aesthetic dentistry, smile makeovers and extreme makeover dentistry to the areas of Malvern, Wayne, West Chester, King of Prussia, Exton, Devon, Villa Nova, Newtown Square, Berwyn, Radnor, St. Davids, Valley Forge, Main Line, Paoli and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Main Line Cosmetic Dentist
12 South Valley Road Paoli, PA 19301, Ph. 866.930.1921
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