Article Written By: Sophia Reynolds
It is a risk that Americans aged 35 years and above face the danger of losing their teeth. The danger is not from tooth decay as many of us would believe. The fact is that the incidence of dental cavities decreases with advancing age. The reason for this is having gum disease or periodontal disease. This kind of disease later on would lead to tooth loss wherein adults would mostly encounter. Adults are most likely to have this wherein in one community, one third of them would have lost their teeth because of periodontal condition. If gums bleed regularly or when you brush your teeth, then this is a sign that you have gingivitis or you are at the early stage of periodontal disease. A worse and severe condition than this is called periodontitis or pyorrhea wherein the tissues and roots of the teeth protected by bones are being destroyed. The teeth are usually filled with dental calculus or tartar which is the major cause of periodontal disease. This sticky invisible substance is formed when saliva combines with food debris in the mouth. Also, this film which seems difficult to see is called bacterial plaque. It is very important to remove this plaque because if not, it hardens and turns into calculus which dwells in between the teeth and along the gum lines. It might even loosen its grip on the tooth once it becomes too inflamed. Inflammation happens because bacteria and other food particles settle in these pockets. You will know that the pockets have worsened once pus starts to form and the damaged tissues spread all over your gums. The time when teeth are being destroyed is once the bones and tissues that support the gums get destroyed. The first thing that you should do in order to prevent bacterial plaque from occurring is to always brush your teeth and gums. To eliminate tiny food remains from the teeth, what most dentist recommend now are irrigation devices which use pressurized water. Prescribed and used under the dentist's direction, these water picks are effective in removing food debris from the difficult to reach recesses of the teeth and gums. Routine twice yearly dental visits should be made for the removal of any calculus that has built up around and between the teeth. If you feel any discomfort such as soreness and bleeding of the gums, do not hesitate to visit the dentist immediately to have it treated. What triggers periodontal disease are gravely three things which are the improper alignment of the teeth, sharp edges of the teeth that hurt the gums and dentures that do not perfectly fit. These factors would lead to the infection of the gums. What you could do is to go to your dentist at once to have your oral condition checked.
This Article Has Been Published on Sat, 19 Feb 2011 and Read 314 Times