General Health Information

If the bacteria population is not brought back under control and the infection eliminated, the problem will progress into periodontal disease
and then no simple bad breath medicine will be sufficient-surgery is
typically necessary once the disease spreads below the gum line.
However, if you understand how to treat bad breath and can stop the
infection before it reaches this point, you should be able to avoid
surgery and multiple visits to the dentist. Use these simple bad breath
prevention strategies to stop the problem from spreading below the gum
line: drink plenty of water and be sure to avoid dry mouth (saliva
helps control bacteria and stop bad breath), chew sugarless gum, brush
after every meal, use mouthwash or bad breath product to kill bacteria
and brush and floss daily and be sure to remove plaque.

Once the bacteria spread below the gum line, advanced periodontal disease
treatment procedures are the only way to stop the infection caused by
the bacteria. Procedures used in the treatment of advanced periodontal
disease include: pocket reduction, regeneration procedures to replace
the destroyed gingival and bone tissue, crown lengthening and soft
tissue graft.

Advanced periodontal disease, on the other hand, is literally an
infection caused by harmful bacteria in your mouth which attacks the
tissue supporting your teeth. Gingivitis is considered to be one of the
more common dental problems but it is merely a less advanced form of
periodontal disease and is caused by the same bacteria. If the
infection continues and no periodontal disease treatment is performed,
it will destroy the tissue that supports the teeth causing them to
loosen and eventually fall out. The only effective periodontal disease cures are procedures that kill off the harmful bacteria and stop the infection from spreading.

For nearly 15% of the adult population over the age of 40, periodontal disease cures
are a very hot commodity. This is because this is the estimated number
of people (according to the CDC) that have advanced periodontal
disease. However, there are different stages of this condition and it
is important to understand how it develops and progresses in order to
better understand why periodontal disease treatment is so vital to your
health.

Unfortunately, the stage is often set for the development of advanced
periodontal disease when child dental health education fails. Far too
much emphasis tends to be placed upon common dental problems such as
crooked teeth and cavities-and far too little upon advanced periodontal
disease. By the time a person realizes how bad the condition has
become, only costly and painful periodontal disease treatment procedures can reverse the condition.

One of the biggest reasons why smoking can lead to periodontal problems
is because it will deprive your body of the very nutrients that are so
vital to a strong immune system. With lower levels of saliva in the
mouth, there is less protection against the bacteria when you are not
brushing or flossing (which is the majority of the time because we
spend relatively little time doing either). Even using a mouthwash may
not be enough and can in fact make things worse because it may be made
from alcohol, another cause of dehydration and dry mouth.

Severe periodontal disease
(advanced gum disease) is a problem that affects as much as 15% of the
adult population. While not one of the more common dental problems like
tooth decay, advanced periodontal disease may actually be more
dangerous to your long term health. Studies have consistently
illustrated how dental health and heart disease problems are connected
but few of us really take this threat as seriously as we should.
Perhaps this is because advanced periodontal disease begins as
gingivitis, a very mild form of the condition which has the following
symptoms: gums sore to the touch, bleeding may occur when brushing or
eating hard foods like apples, halitosis and inflammation and/or
reddening of gingival tissue.

So how does a parent make sure that they help their children avoid those common dental problems?
In particular, for parents of newborns and children under the age of
six, what specific steps can be taken? Here are some simple guidelines
that should help: check for the appearance of spots on teeth every
month-nearly 25% of children aged 5 or under have some degree of tooth
decay and the appearance of a spot on the teeth is the first sign of
trouble. Be sure to set-up a dental screening by the age of 1. This
allows the dentist to make sure that the child is off to a good start
and a plan can be put in place to rectify any early signs of common
dental problems like cavities. Fluoride drops-when a dentist does see
cavities in this early screening, it may be an indication that the
community water is not fluoridated. Fluoride has helped reduce tooth
decay by nearly 50% since it was first introduced into dental care and
most communities add this vital element to their water. In places where
this does not occur (or is not occurring at the proper level), the
dentist may recommend fluoride drops. Do not share toothbrushes. Help
children with brushing through age six to make sure that the proper
brushing techniques are taught and followed daily.

Although the addition of fluoride has helped to greatly reduce these numbers over the years, the rate of common dental problems
is still higher than it should be because millions of people still live
in communities without fluoridated water. Many of these areas are rural
and tend to be comprised of mainly low-income residents who may not be
aware of dental health products made with fluoride or how they can help
prevent cavities. However, the high rates of tooth decay are not the
only cause for concern.

An example of a larger problem that might cause periodontal problems
is diabetes. Diabetics also tend to have weakened immune systems
because the body is more concerned (and for good reason!) about
regulating insulin than in fighting the bacteria responsible for gum
disease. However, if you have recently developed a periodontal disease,
it may be worth having your blood sugar level checked. This may help
you overall with not only your health but your dental health care too.