Tariq Drabu Shines a Light on Gum Disease

When it comes to oral conditions there are several, including oral cancer and tooth decay that we as a society know of, but don’t fully know about. This is something that we at Tariq Drabu Dentists think is a problem; after all, if we don’t know about the potential harm we could be inflicting on our smile, how will we ever prevent it. Knowledge is power, as the old saying goes, and right now, a fair portion of the British public could be called powerless. That’s why this week we want to shine our light on gum disease; keep reading if you want to find out how this condition can form, why it is so bad for your oral health and what can happen if it’s allowed to linger without treatment.

Gum disease, also known in popular discourse as gingivitis, is a condition where you gums become swollen, sore and infected and it’s a condition that’s actually more common than you think, with statistics revealing that up to 15-20% of the world’s population have to deal with some form of gum disease at some point in their life, and the estimation for the British population is much higher. In Britain it is estimated that half the adult population has some form of gum disease.

Symptoms of gum disease may be bleeding gums when you brush your teeth and bad breath, and this is at the earliest stages where it is still preventable. However, the condition doesn’t stop there and if gum disease is allowed to go on unchecked for a significant period of time it has a strong possibility of developing into periodontitis, a condition which affects the tissue that holds your teeth in place; this can lead to loss of teeth. If this particular condition goes untreated, it can lead to the loss of supporting bone around the teeth, which opens up space between your teeth and gums, further increasing the chance of losing your teeth.

So, now you know what gum disease can do; how do you prevent it? Well, the first thing is obvious; brush your teeth. Brushing your teeth gets rid of the products left behind on your teeth from everyday life, and prevents the build-up of plaque, a primary cause of gum disease. However, it also helps to avoid certain foods such as sugary sweets and drinks such as highly sweet carbonated soft drinks, plaque feeds on these and this can increase the risk of gum disease. It’s also important to avoid cigarettes as they carry a huge risk of the development of gum disease.

So there you have it; gum disease has many causes and many effects and it’s a disease that is not always preventable, even if you’re the picture of oral health. If the worst comes to the worst, you need to come to Tariq Drabu Dentist to get advice on how to treat it.