Gum disease is a condition that seems to plague a good number of people, but most especially those who are advanced in age. It is also said to be a silent killer, spawning certain types of heart disease.

However, the question is, is there even a way to prevent it, given its propensity?  It is said that over thirty million people have this condition. Causes for this range from poor dental hygiene, lack of hydration to other conditions such as diabetes.

What are your treatment options then? Of course, the preventive care would include regular (and proper brushing of teeth) plus flossing. But if you are already afflicted with gum disease, then you may choose from surgical and non-surgical treatments. In either case, it is important to do what you can do keep your own natural teeth – if at all possible.

When it comes to non-surgical treatments, which best follows AAP guidelines stressing that periodontal treatment should be accomplished in the least invasive but most cost-effective manner as well, the most common would be scaling and planing followed by adjunctive therapy.

It is said that after scaling and planning, most patients would not require additional therapy. However, because of its limitations, there may be a need for some patients to undergo surgical treatments.

Surgical treatments would involve pocket reductions procedures, regenerative procedures, crown lengthening and soft tissue grafts. Of course, these could be much more costly but could be a necessary measure in order to prevent the disease from further spreading and branching off into other complications.  Protect yourself from periodontal disease.

*Disclaimer: This article is for information purposes only and does not intend to advise upon, diagnose or treat any health problem whatsoever. If you have or think you might have a health problem, visit your doctor or dentist for advice, diagnosis and treatment The USFDA has not evaluated statements about products in this article.

There is an incredible misconception that you must have broken and crumbled teeth and receding gums as a consequence of aging. Is this really the truth?

I remember a coworker who broke a tooth while eating. The tooth split in half on some morsel of food that may or may not have been very hard. Even in the worse case scenario a piece of the tooth may have chipped, but for the tooth to split in half means there must have been some underlying weakness that allowed this to happen.

Our teeth are very important to us. We need them to eat – that is obvious. But we also need them to insure that our jaw does not deteriorate. You can lose bone mass when the jaw has no tooth to support. In addition, a lost tooth can cause your teeth to shift creating an uneven bite which in turn can cause uneven wear and tear on your teeth.

Therabreath makes a line of products that may be helpful to your dental health.

Oramd is an essential oil blend that is used as toothpaste.

The Hydro Floss is an oral irrigator – irrigators can help you in your efforts to reduce plaque build up between office visits

I will theorize for the rest of this article. I would speculate that my friend’s problem may have had two components. One would be nutritional and the other would be repetitive failure to maintain proper pH of the mouth.

Much depends on both – as I continue to speculate. You can imagine the teeth as being made of calcium and phosphate ions. When there is a more acidic environment those ions can be dissolved or ‘pulled’ right out of the enamel of your teeth, thereby weakening them. You could imagine that over time, this could be a problem.

Energy drinks, coffee drinks and fruit juices can all lower the pH of the environment in your mouth, making it more acidic. What if you consistently were to raise that pH back up after eating or drinking an acidic food or beverage?

Author:  David S.

For meditation – visit FalunDafa.org

Disclaimer: This article is for information and entertainment purposes only. It does not intend to render advice, diagnosis or treatment. If you have or think you might have gum disease or any other health problem, visit your periodontist or physician for advice, diagnosis and treatment. The USFDA has not evaluated statements about products in this article.