Gum Disease is an interesting and terrible phenomenon at the same time. It seems that the prevalence of gum disease can really be blamed on the ‘out of site, out of mind’ blind spot that human beings have.

Preparing and planning are not one of our strong suites as a species. We lack the ability to foresee very far or very much into the future.

In addition our days are filled with many things to keep us busy. We simply cannot maintain focus on every aspect of every detail that might affect us in the future.

Hence, we have this problem with gum disease. You often hear that gum disease afflicts people in their mid-thirties and above. Actually, it has been found in children as young as six years old.

Gum disease doesn’t just show up magically at the age of 35. No, it has been there for quite some time. It just becomes EVIDENT for most people in their thirties.

When tissue is younger, the evidence of the disease is not apparent when you look in the mirror. Yet, it is precisely this time that we have to start worrying about gum disease. Because, if we don’t work on preventing it’s progression at the time when it is not visible, there won’t be as much wiggle room when it does become evident.

Generally, it is believed that receded gum tissue will not regenerate. Therefore, once you become ‘long in the tooth’ as the saying goes, there are less options available. You can possibly get a periodontist to do some expensive, time consuming and painful work to get your receded gum line back, but why let it get there in the first place?

Tartar build up is the big issue. Plaque forms so fast and so readily that it is difficult to keep it off. You have to brush and floss several times a day. Yet, over time, brushing and flossing alone don’t seem to be enough to prevent gum disease.

Commercial toothpastes may not have what it really takes to stop gum disease from setting in.
I’ve found this ‘mouthpaste’ to be much more effective, personally.

Another modern invention that has helped many control the progression of gum disease is the oral irrigator. I personally like to use the hydrofloss. It is powerful and employs something that other irrigators do not: hydromagnetics. These hydromagnetics have been criticized but the hydrofloss company obviously believes they are helpful in removing the harmful bacteria and possibly plaque that is believed to be responsible for giving a place for the anaerobic bacteria to hide from our mouths’ natural defenses and then multiply and thrive, to the detriment of our oral health.

Since the Mayo clinic website suggests that about 80% of adult Americans are afflicted with gum disease, it is safe to assume that regular brushing and flossing are not enough. Therefore, oral irrigation and mouthpaste may be helpful additions to your normal daily oral hygiene regimen.

If you have or think you have a dental health problem, including gum disease, visit your dentist for diagnosis and treatment. This article is just for entertainment and information purposes only and is not meant to advise in any way.

 

 

 

Tags: gingival health, gingival tissue, gingivitis, gum infection, gum pockets, gums, oral irrigator, periodontal disease, periodontitis, oral health, gum tissue

 

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 25th, 2007 at 2:15 am and is filed under Gum Disease, Health. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.