Gum disease, also known as periodontal disease, affects millions of people a year and shows no sign of slowing down in the future. It’s so common that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 46 percent of adults aged 30 and older show signs of it.
If that’s not enough to make you cringe, then continue reading. These facts are sure to make your skin crawl and give you an overwhelming urge to floss.
1. It Causes Tooth Loss
Unchecked periodontal disease is one of the leading causes of tooth loss. As bacterial plaque builds up around your teeth and gums, it can get wedged down into the spaces between your teeth that you can’t easily reach.
Soon, the infection that follows causes a weakening of the periodontal ligament. This ligament is responsible for holding your teeth in place. Without it, they will simply loosen and fall out.
2. It Can Make Your Breath Smell Bad
You may think that bad breath is caused by eating foods like garlic, cheese, and other pungent edibles. While this is true, it’s more complicated. As you eat, bacteria that live in your mouth begin to eat the food particles. The result is a waste product called volatile sulfur compounds.
It’s these smelly particles that are the real cause of bad breath, and when you suffer from gum disease, these VSCs can stick around under the surface of your gums indefinitely.
3. It Can Cause Heart Disease
While the actual mechanisms associated with this correlation aren’t fully understood by science, the research is clear. Those who have gum disease are up to 20 percent more likely to have a heart attack or stroke than those who don’t.
4. It’s Contagious
Gum disease can be spread by saliva contact. This means that if you have periodontitis and share food, drinks, or kisses with someone who does not, you could pass the disease-causing bacteria to them.
Periodontitis can affect people even if they have otherwise impeccable oral hygiene, so there’s always a chance of infection with each exposure.
5. The Early Stages Are Hard to Detect
There are definitive stages to the progression of periodontal disease, but until it progresses into more obvious symptoms, it can go undetected without a proper examination. This is why it’s so important to go to your dentist to get regular checkups.
Gum disease can be insidious and incredibly difficult to manage on your own. If you have bleeding gums when you brush your teeth or floss, head to your dentist for an oral hygiene screening. Early detection and intervention can save you a lot of headaches and money down the road.
About the Practice
At Aesthetic & Family Dentistry of Washington, Dr. Yelena Obholz, Dr. Nhu Thuy H. Luong, and Dr. Aimée DeLorenzo make up the heart of the dental team. Together with their highly professional support staff, they can expertly guide you through your personalized treatment. To schedule a periodontal disease screening, call (202) 364-8989 or visit the website to learn more.