General Health Information

A message from a survey report on dental health for the elderly,
presented to politicians by dental and aging organizations showed that
gum disease has been a growing problem among older Australians and
funds spent on tackling it would save more taxpayers’ money than it
would cost. It was found out that 54 per cent of Australians over 65
have gum disease - more than double the rate of younger people (25 per
cent). It mentioned that gum disease, also known as periodontal
disease, was linked to a range of medical conditions, including heart
disease, stroke, peripheral vascular disease and pancreatic cancer. The
cost of poor dental health associated with these conditions has been
put at $412million a year. The report, moreover, also found that it
would save $714million by avoiding the need to treat the health consequences of gum disease,
creating an overall saving of $42million. Extending dental entitlements
in this way is taking the big role in improving dental health for a
large mass of people.

The root of dental health is the foundation and source of your teeth -
your gums. If your gums are not healthy, your teeth are at risk,
jeopardizing your smile. Gum disease is the second most common type of
dental problem, after cavities. Depending on the severity of the
problem, you could suffer bad breath, soreness, bleeding gums, loose
teeth and tooth loss. The dental health risks of gum disease
are crucial enough to take your gum health seriously. If you don’t, all
your work in obtaining and maintaining a perfect smile may prove for
naught. The good news is that gum diseases can often be prevented or
even reversed. Just maintain regular brushing and flossing, eating
proper diet and regular dental checkups and your dental health can be
free from gum disease.

Gum disease is a silent epidemic in any country. The disease ranges
from simple gum inflammation called gingivitis to a serious disease
called periodontitis that can infect the gums, bone and other tissue
surrounding the teeth. Arising is a number dangerous consequences of gum disease.
If a person has gum disease, he has greatly increased his risk of
having a heart attack or stroke because the bacteria-rich plaque (which
causes gum disease) that builds up on the teeth releases toxins into
the bloodstream that can inflame the arteries and cause small blood
clots. But that’s not all. There are other health problems linked to
gum disease such as pancreatic cancer, respiratory diseases, kidney
disease, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, stomach ulcers and even
pregnancy complications. Therefore, maximum oral health care should be
considered.

Although the causes and effects of gum disease
linked to other diseases is not absolutely proven, the data on the
connection between serious health complications and gum disease
continues to pile up. People are urgently advised to take aggressive
action against this usually unattended but actually serious disease. In
the case of American adults, it was estimated that 80 percent of them
have some form of gum disease. A kind of bacteria, which is found in
plaque, a sticky, colorless film that constantly forms on the teeth and
tongue is found to be the main cause of gum disease. Daily brushing,
flossing, tongue scraping and other forms of inter-dental cleaning
usually remove plaque to keep the gums healthy. American adults are
encouraged to make dental hygiene their major concern.