Oral Health
The Basics of Preventing Tooth Decay
Cavities are awful. They create ugly holes in teeth, resulting in fillings, in severe cases root canals, crowns, or even extraction. There is no guaranteed way to ensure a natural tooth never gets a cavity, but there are a certain things that can make it far less likely to happen. The factors involved are: the presence of bacteria, the sugars in your diet, and Fluoride.
To start, bacteria are the cause of tooth decay. Many different types of bacteria are found in plaque (biofilm) build-up. There are certain types that cause cavities between the teeth, and they feed on carbohydrates. Read More
Periodontal Disease and Your Health
In ancient times, your doctor was your dentist. They were one and the same. As civilization and medicine progressed, those who practiced dentistry became their own sort of specialty. In a nutshell, your doctor and dentist became, and are still, separate. So then the idea that your overall well being was separate from your oral health became the norm.
Not everyone accepted this idea, of course, and in recent years scientific research has proven that the two are bound together, and not separate at all. Your dentist understands in depth, the part of you that your physician does not typically address. Your physician looks after the rest of you, diagnosing and treating the conditions that the dentist cannot. Read More
Causes of Periodontal Disease
Periodontal disease, also known as bone loss, is bacterial infection. It is caused mainly by plaque, the sticky white film that is constantly forming on your teeth. The bacteria in the plaque cause the gums to become infected, resulting in gingivitis, or gum disease. If this condition goes untreated, the infection in the gums can spread to the surrounding bone.
Although plaque is the main cause, there are other factors that can play a significant role in periodontal disease. Some of those factors are smoking and tobacco use, genetics, systemic diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular disease, stress, pregnancy and menopause, and obesity and poor nutrition. Read More