There is a reason why dental practitioners continue to call for regular preventive dental care. It is through routine check-ups at the dentist in Tunbridge Wells along with correct oral hygiene practices at home that can effectively prevent the development of dental diseases like gum disease.
Gum disease is a type of chronic inflammatory disease that affects humans. In the UK, it is said that nearly half of the adult population show symptoms of periodontitis. Of this group, 60 per cent are aged over 65.
This poor oral health issue is considered a serious health issue, so much so that it falls under the label of a major public health concern. Gum disease has a negative widespread influence on the mouth as well as the body and mind. This is not the only problem with gum disease, it is also challenging to treat especially when the condition is in advanced stages. Patients on treatment for gum disease usually have to endure lengthy treatment plans.
What leads to gum disease?
Gum disease may become a complex problem to treat, but its cause is a simple one – poor oral hygiene control that leads to bad bacteria outnumbering the good kind in the mouth. There are no escaping bacteria in the mouth. The oral cavity is a moist environment in which both good and bacteria live.
Bad bacteria tend to feed off the sugar from food and beverages and bits of food left behind in the mouth. After a while, bad bacteria cause deposits of plaque to form on enamel. It is plaque that eventually leads to cavities and gum disease.
The trick is to limit the population of the bad kind and this is done by keeping the mouth clean. By simply looking after teeth and gum health by ensuring teeth are cleaned twice a day, by limiting the consumption of sugar and by having bi-annual dental checks, one can avoid gum disease.
On these dental check-up visits, the dental practitioner will look closely at teeth and gums to try and identify problematic symptoms such as plaque and cavities. If the patient shows any of these symptoms, the dental practitioner can begin to implement preventive care measures such as deep dental cleaning procedures. Professional dental cleanings are highly efficient in removing plaque deposits off teeth.
Preventive dental care is a suitable measure that saves the patient from having to experience complex problems that can impair dental function and trigger dental emergencies.
Why gum disease is such a threat
It is the all-pervading ill-effects of gum disease that creep into mental, physical and dental health that make dental disease a significant threat to health.
Scientists continue to find links between gum disease and numerous other serious health disorders. Gum disease can raise the risk of potentially fatal illnesses such as strokes and cardiovascular disease, inflammatory lung illnesses and mental health conditions including depression, dementia, Alzheimer’s and anxiety disorders.
The link between these serious health disorders and gum disease is the bad bacteria which find their way into the deeper recesses of the body through deep pockets that open up at the gum line.
No one needs to suffer gum disease and its ill effects on the body. Regular preventive care at the hands of a qualified dental practitioner and a pro-dental attitude can put up a strong fight to stave off this dreaded dental disease.
