Gum Disease & Health Tips
Everyone can benefit from following the standard guidelines for oral health: daily flossing, twice daily brushing, maintaining a healthy diet, avoiding tobacco use, and having regular dental checkups. Staying on top of your oral hygiene will help you avoid gum disease and keep your teeth healthy and strong for a lifetime.
Advanced, untreated gum disease degrades the tissues and bone structures surrounding the teeth and can eventually cause tooth loss. But the effects of gum disease can be felt well beyond the mouth and jaw. Research links gum disease to a variety of systemic conditions that affect overall health, including heart disease, diabetes and osteoporosis. We refer to this as the mouth-body connection.
In some cases gum disease can cause problems in other parts of the body, while in other instances conditions seemingly unrelated to the mouth can contribute to the development or advancement of gum disease.
It’s important to let us and your general dentist know about any illnesses or conditions you are experiencing. An awareness of difficulties outside your mouth can help us treat certain problems related to your teeth and gums. In turn, we may be able to identify diseases affecting other areas of your body based on the symptoms we observe inside your mouth.