Don't Neglect Your Oral Hygiene
Posted on 24th January 2022 at 14:14
Good oral hygiene is key to healthy teeth. Oral hygiene mainly focuses on your gum health, which is essential as your teeth require the foundation of healthy gums to stand the test of time. Did you know patients with advanced gum disease (periodontal disease) are three times more likely to develop diabetes, 25% more susceptible to the risk of cardiovascular disease and 20% more likely to develop hypertension? Scary right? With this in mind, it isn’t just your oral health that will suffer from a bad oral hygiene routine.
Poor oral hygiene can lead to tooth loss
Decay isn’t the only thing that can lead to eventual tooth loss. Advanced gum disease is the no.1 reason for tooth loss in adults, and the sad thing is that this is entirely preventable in most cases. Changing your diet and lifestyle habits can totally transform your oral hygiene and allow you to hold on to your natural teeth for many years.
Oral hygiene and the link to broader health concerns
Your mouth is not disconnected from the rest of your body, so it’s no surprise that if you neglect your mouth, this can negatively impact the rest of your health.
In the past decade or so, the research linking oral health to problems like Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and Alzheimer’s has been prolific. And it’s almost certain that there is a link between chronic inflammation and poor general health.
One of the primary reasons we brush twice a day and floss after meals is to remove plaque, the sticky web of bacteria and waste materials it produces. Removing plaque is incredibly important, as some of the bacteria create acids that erode your protective tooth enamel and cause cavities. Meanwhile, some types of bacteria thrive within plaque and cause inflammation in the tissues that surround your teeth.
Failing to remove plaque can cause symptoms like bleeding gums, which give bacteria a route into the bloodstream, where blood clots can occur and lead to heart disease.
So, can’t I just remove plaque on my own at home?
It is exceedingly difficult to remove all plaque every day yourself. If you are one of the extremely dexterous and disciplined people who can, your dentist will congratulate you and offer to see you in a year.
For mere mortals, we will coach you to get the most out of your investment in time brushing, recommend suitable brushes and techniques and help make good the build-up which has occurred where you have been missing. Where the plaque has been left for a few weeks, it will have calcified into more serious ‘calculus’ special instruments and methods are needed to remove calculus safely during a scale and polish treatment.
Your hygienist here in Nottingham will work diligently to remove the calculus deposits present, reducing your risk of gum disease. Should we find signs of gum disease such as bleeding and inflamed gums, or loose teeth, we recommend that you come in and see us more frequently to monitor and stabilise the problem.
In patients suffering from advanced gum disease and who may need to have loose teeth removed, we will discuss how these failing teeth can be replaced
What if I lose teeth to gum disease?
Losing teeth to gum disease doesn’t mean you can’t revert back to having a healthy mouth, with teeth that perform functions like eating and speaking successfully. Treatment such as dental implants can be used in patients with multiple missing teeth and those who have lost all their teeth to gum disease-related problems.
If you have insufficient bone due to gum disease, we can offer you treatment such as a bone graft to build up the healthy bone for dental implants. While this prolongs the dental implants process by a few months, it’s hugely worthwhile, not just for your oral health and tooth function but also for your emotional wellbeing and general health.
Contact Us
Contact us today to book yourself in for a hygienist appointment at Park Dental Care, here in Nottingham. We welcome both new and existing patients.
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