Our smile is one of the first things people notice about us, which makes our teeth something people place a lot of aesthetic importance on—but did you know that your teeth are often a gateway to your overall health?
Years ago, a doctor who suspected things like diabetes or heart disease would not be referring his patients to a gum specialist. However, advancements in healthcare and more interest in a holistic approach to healthcare have opened the doors to the connection between oral health and a person’s overall health. If you have unhealthy teeth and gums, this can make you more likely to develop a chronic illness as well. In fact, recent studies have shown that those with serious gum disease were up to 40% more likely to have a chronic condition as well.
Gum disease is a nasty condition. It refers to an infection of the tissues and bones that enclose and support your teeth. There are many stages to gum disease, which is why it’s important to be educated on the symptoms and causes of gum disease so that you can spot it quickly and stop it early.
The two types of gum disease:
- Gingivitis – this gum disease only affects the soft tissue (the gums) around the teeth.
- Periodontitis—a more serious form of gum disease that has spread below the gum line to begin to damage the bone and other tissues that support the teeth.
Over time, gingivitis can progress into periodontitis—though not all forms of gingivitis cause this. In its early stages, gingivitis can be easily reversed. However, if it has progressed into periodontitis, then the treatments are more aggressive and often surgical.
Bacteria and gum disease
This infection of the tissues is caused, in part, by the buildup of plaque on the teeth and gums. This sticky film is made up of bacteria and can eventually harden into tartar that has to be professionally removed.
Our mouths have more bacteria in them than most people would be comfortable knowing. Even after a good flossing and brushing, there is lots of bacteria remaining. In fact, there are over 700 different strains that can be found in the human mouth (though most of us only have between 35 to 70 strains in our mouths at one time). However, not all bacteria in your mouth is bad.
Probiotics and your oral health
Most of the bacteria that inhabit your mouth are harmless, or even beneficial. You can even introduce healthy bacteria to your mouth in the form of probiotics. The same good bacteria that inhabit your gut can also benefit your oral health. Research has shown that taking oral probiotics can help balance your oral microbiome, which—combine with proper flossing and brushing—can help prevent tooth decay. When you eat too much simple sugars, the bad bacteria in your mouth feast on it and grow out of control. By taking probiotics, you can help increase the beneficial bacteria that fight against harmful bacteria like Streptococcus mutans and Porphyromonas gingivalis. Oral probiotics also help heal the mouth and act as an anti-inflammatory, which can help speed up the healing process.
Oral health and developing gum disease
Beyond probiotics, good oral health can be directly attributed to good oral hygiene. On a daily basis, you should floss, brush, and rinse your mouth after every meal to remove food particles on your teeth. Not only does doing this regularly give you fresher breath and a whiter smile, it also helps get rid of the bad bacteria’s “food”.
Beyond basic oral healthcare, there are a number of risk factors for gum disease you can help control. Things like diabetes and, hormonal changes in women, and medications that lessen the flow of saliva can all contribute to the proliferation of bad bacteria and the growth of cavities. However, one of the biggest threats to your oral and dental health is smoking.
Smoking has been well-documented to show the damages it can wreak on your body, and your oral health is no exception. Smoking weakens your body’s immune system, which means it’s less capable of fighting infections—which is exactly what gum disease starts as. Smoking also makes it harder for your gums to heal from general damage or injury. The more cigarettes you smoke and the longer you do it for will both exponentially increase your chances of developing gum disease. Even worse? Once you develop gum disease, it will be harder to successfully treat if you are still smoking.
What are the symptoms of gum disease?
Developing gum disease is a process that takes time. Improperly cared for teeth will first be afflicted with plaque, which will harden into tartar, which will then begin to deteriorate the health of the teeth and its surrounding tissues.
As gum disease progresses, you will start to notice persistent bad breath that won’t go away. This is caused by the buildup of plaque and tartar on the teeth. You will also notice that your gums may bleed easily when brushed or flossed. This is one of the earliest warning signs of gum issues.
Gums that are swollen and red, prone to bleeding, and tender, will eventually progress into difficulty chewing due to pain and teeth becoming more sensitive to heat, cold, sugars, and acids. Eventually, your teeth may begin to loosen, and your gums will deteriorate, making your teeth appear longer as more of the root is exposed by the receding gum line.
You may also notice other symptoms such as sores in the mouth, pus between your teeth and gums, or a change in the way your teeth fit together when you bite down.
Preventing gum disease
Before you reach this point, know that gum disease is easily preventable with a simple, at-home routine. Each day, you should brush your teeth at least twice a day for two to three minutes at a time, bring sure to brush along the gum line and along the backs of your teeth as well. Brushing your tongue is also beneficial for removing bacteria that cause bad breath. You can also use a tongue scraper for this. Following brushing, you should floss at least once a day to remove food particles lodges between the teeth.
While it’s not a substitute for brushing and flossing, a mouth rinse can also help decrease your chances of developing cavities and gum disease and reduce plaque.
Proper preventative care also includes regular checkups and cleanings with your dentist. This is one the surest ways to prevent and detect periodontal disease.
Other tactics for preventing gum disease include eating a healthy diet full of nutrients and rich in vitamins A & C, avoiding cigarettes and smokeless tobacco, and drink water regularly to flush the mouth and stay hydrated. There has also been research into the antibacterial properties of CBD dental products helping to prevent the overgrowth damaging bacteria.
Treatment for gum disease
If you suspect you have gum disease or have been diagnosed, the first step to treatment is a thorough, professional cleaning by your dentist. This cleaning is different from regular visits since it will tackle tartar and plaque below the gum line and not just above it. You may also have scaling performed. This is when your dentist scrapes tartar off your teeth both above and below the gum line. If you gum disease has advanced to your roots, your dentist may also do root planing. This process smooths out the uneven surface of your roots and gives them the chance to reattach to the tooth.
If your gum disease has progressed far enough, surgical intervention may be required. This could include a gum graft (when your oral surgeon takes tissue from another part of your mouth and uses it to cover exposed roots), or flap surgery (where your gums will be surgically lifted so tartar deep below the gum line can be removed. Your gums are then stitched back into place).
With either of these interventions, medications may be prescribed. These could include oral antibiotics or antibiotic gels, antimicrobial mouthwashes, or an enzyme suppressant tablet that will prevent enzymes from breaking down the tender gum tissue after a deep cleaning.
The success of treatment depends a lot on your behavior after the procedure. Keeping your teeth clean and practicing good oral hygiene will help immensely with preventing gum disease from progressing or returning. Maintain your checkups with your dentist (ideally once every six months) so they can keep an eye on your teeth’s overall health and fix any issues, including loose fillings or cavities.
If you are a smoker, it’s time to quit. Not only will smoking contribute to the destruction of your gums and teeth and make it harder to recover from treatments, it also is a well-known cause of lung cancer, throat cancer, tongue cancer, and a host of other serious, chronic, and fatal illnesses.
Your oral health is often a reflection of your overall health. If you’re at a point in your life where you feel you could benefit from healthier eating habits and an exercise regimen, then your teeth and gum health will benefit as well.
