Oral Care Advice

In November of 2000, the Journal of Periodontology published a study about gum disease and genetics. Using identical twins as test subjects it was determined that genetics play a role in a person’s susceptibility to gum disease.

Since the Mayo Clinic’s website mentions that about 80% of adult Americans have some form of gum disease, a genetic predisposition may mean that such a person has to be extra careful to prevent gum disease and ever more diligent to fight off an existing case. If one or both parents have lost teeth due to gum disease you may be a bit more likely than average to contract the disease. On the other side of the spectrum, about 2% of the population seems to have a natural immunity to gum disease. That leaves about 98% of us who need to be concerned about prevention or intervention.

Bacteria infecting the gingiva or gum tissue cause gum disease. The constant assault upon your gum tissue can even harm the bone structure underneath. That bone structure is what supports the gums and teeth. As a result the teeth can become loose and even fall out.

Being young is not necessarily going to preclude one from contracting gum disease. In fact, bacteria infection of the gingiva has been noted in children as young as 6 years old.

So what can you do? Proper brushing and flossing are certainly helpful, but if the Mayo Clinic statistic is correct, they may not be enough. What does it mean to brush and floss correctly anyway? Certainly, this is an excellent question for your dentist or hygienist. I have also formed my own ideas in this area.

I’ve found that using only the edge of the bristles to clean the tooth and the area adjacent to the gums appears to yield superior results. As soon as the bristles are bent instead of the tip of the bristles touching the area to be cleaned the effectiveness of brushing may be reduced.

Not all dental professionals agree that regular brushing and flossing are enough to prevent gingivitis or gum disease or eliminate them once they have occurred. In any case, brushing and flossing are still useful measures and should not be abandoned. And for some, they may very well be all that is needed.

Irrigating with a device designed to shoot a jet stream around and below the gum line is an excellent practice in addition to brushing and flossing. Personally, I’ve made one additional step and added something that has helped me tremendously in the fight against gum disease. You can read more about it on the Gingivitis Killer website.

The outcome of this experiment on my part was being told that I no longer needed a special gum treatment. Furthermore, I was told that there was no bleeding on a subsequent checkup. Bleeding during probing points to the existence of gum disease.

Try to avoid the mistake of thinking you don’t have gum disease. Remember the Mayo Clinic statistic. Those stats show that most people have it. If you don’t, you may very well be the exception rather than the rule. Specifically ask your dentist and hygienist each time you go in for a check up if you have gum disease and to what degree.

Have your hygienist point out the danger areas were plaque and tartar tend to accumulate in your mouth between visits. Then give those areas special focus at home.

If you have or think you might have gum disease, contact your dentist for diagnosis and treatment.

There is one more item worth mentioning. The cornerstone of my personal, overall health regimen is the practice of Falun Dafa. You can read about the peaceful, energizing exercises on the FalunDafa.org website.

David Snape is the author of What You Should Know about Gum Disease – an important book considering that the majority of adults suffer from some form of gum disease. David also answers questions on any health, fitness or wellness topic at his blog: http://tobeinformed.com – David believes in oral irrigation to help fight against gum disease and that the premiere oral irrigation device on the market is the Hydro Floss Oral Irrigator.

Leave a Reply