Plaque and Gingivitis – Dangerous health busters

The bacterial plaques visible on the teeth are not merely a threat to one’s oral health but could have a potential to play havoc with one’s entire system. Due to their sticky nature they are continually building up on the teeth when one eats or drinks any kind of food items that have sweet or starch present in them. The plaque produces harmful acids that have a gluey nature that keeps the acids lodged to the teeth, thus majorly destroying the tooth’s enamel leading to eventual tooth decay, inflammation and bleeding gums that could escalate to chronic gum disease. Due to plaque, the tissues of the gum are pulled away from the teeth thus facilitating easier access to the bacteria to damage the underlying bone that provides support to the teeth.

Researchers have discovered numerous facts that strongly link improper oral health and several associated health issues. It is believed that mouth bacteria have a potential to spread to the blood and harm the vital organs.

Through the years there has been a strong relation between persons with gum problems and having inferior heart condition inclusive of heart attacks. Due to these strong findings a recent practice adopted by cardiologists is to question patients regarding the presence of gum problems. Periodontists also inquire about the patient’s family past of heart ailments and the general condition of the heart.

Those with diabetes are more prone to develop gum infections especially in those with unregulated glucose levels. Gum problems are also been related to the increased chances of imminent development of dementia. A latest research carried out has also uncovered that periodontal or gum diseases might be strongly linked to a certain degree of mental impediment like memory loss that leads to major problems in carrying out routine tasks. People with major gum problems even performed badly on memory related testing and computation skills.

Those ailing from Rheumatoid arthritis or RA are more prone to having gum problems and a research has noted such individuals had greater number of teeth that had fallen off as compared to those that did not suffer from RA.

RA, an auto-immune form of disease is known to cause inflamed and painful joints, though severe inflammation is a condition that is noted in both RA and gum disease. A new study also noted that those chronic RA cases that underwent treatment for gum disease has lesser inflammation and morning rigidity.

There have been inconsistent outcomes on the relation between gum disease and premature labour, though women with periodontal disease were more prone to pre-term delivery that raises the health threats to the newborn. While other studies detected no links, the research work is still in progress regarding this association.

In spite of these contradictory finding, other studies have revealed that those women with gum diseases that underwent treatment prior to the thirty-fifth week were noted to have lesser likelihood to having premature delivery than those who did not get treated.

Hence, maintaining oral hygiene is crucial that should involve brushing twice daily using fluoride based toothpaste and flossing regularly. A mouthwash with anti-bacterial properties must be used after brushing to ward off bacteria in the mouth.

Getting teeth cleaning done by a certified dentist on proper intervals of time is crucial. One could also opt for the insulating coating or sealant that can be professionally applied in the rear teeth of the mouth where normally tooth decay commences.

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