Did you know that gum disease affects 1 in 2 Americans over the age of 30? In people over the age of 60, the statistics climb to 3 of every 4 Americans have gum disease that is moderate to severe in nature.

Gum Disease, also known as Periodontal disease, largely goes unnoticed because it's a silent disease that causes very little pain. If you like to eat food and stay healthy, you need to know what Gum Disease is and how to prevent it. Because if you ignore it, you can have a very very difficult time eating in the future.

Periodontal Disease is caused by bacteria that get under your gums and cause infection. Well that infection destroys the underlying bone. If you lose bone, you will lose your teeth. If this caught early you can slow and/or stop the disease, But once it gets to a certain point, there is no stopping the disease. So the key is to prevent these bacteria from getting started in the first place.

How do we treat it?

Gum Disease typically starts between your teeth so my first tip is: You guessed it!

1)    Clean between your teeth (use: Floss and Soft Picks) -  yes yes yes, we beat that dead horse to death when you come in for a cleaning but it is so important in preventing gum disease.

So you’ve cleaned between your teeth but wait…There is a reservoir of bacteria that Lives in the back of the tongue. So the next tip is:

2)    Use a tongue scraper (not only will this help with gum disease, it will also help with bad breath!)

The last place people don’t realize is the hard to reach areas that your floss cannot get to. The last tip is:

3)    Water flosser – many different brands out there but I caution you not to crank that sucker on high when you first start using it. It’s like taking a pressure washer to your gums, it can cut and tear your gums. Start low and increase the strength every couple wks.)

Untreated gum disease not only affects your dental health, it also affects your physical health. There are numerous studies out there that associates and directly correlates to Increase risk of Heart Disease, Alzheimers/Dementia, Uncontrolled Diabetes, and Pre-term Birth to name a few.

A well respected Cardiologist states:

“It is imperative that you get your teeth clean and your gums evaluated regularly and get optimal dental therapy because it is Life Saving for the Prevention of Heart Attack, Stroke, and Death” 

- Dr. Bradley Bale

So to conclude; Use Floss, Tongue Scraper, and Water Flosser daily to reduce your risk of Gum Disease and prevent a lot of other health related problems!