Hi there!

Thank you so much for stopping by at our practice blog today.

My name is Martina and I am one of the dentists at the practice.

I am super excited to be posting something that is especially important today- gum disease!

So a quick question- how are your gums doing?

Just before you answer that question let us look at some facts about gum disease:

• Did you know that gum disease despite being widespread can be prevented and treated if detected early enough?
• Did you also know that gum disease (also known as periodontal disease) is caused by bacteria that collects around the gum as plaque?

The plaque needs to be removed by brushing and cleaning the teeth twice a day.

If the teeth are not cleaned properly the gums start coming away from the tooth forming pockets that allow the plaque to go down the gum line.

Over time the bone support around the teeth is destroyed, the gums shrink and eventually the teeth become wobbly and fall out.

So back to my previous question, how are your gums doing?

There are some particularly useful ways to tell how your gums are doing:

1) Do they bleed?

2) Are they red or swollen?

3) Do you sometimes notice a bad breath?

4) Are there spaces beginning to appear between your teeth?

5) Are your teeth becoming loose or moving position in the mouth?

6) Are your gums receding?

7) Are you starting to get sensitivity to hot and cold things?

The above may be pointers or red flags that may indicate gum disease.

If you are noticing any of these then you need to call and make an appointment with your dentist as soon as possible.

We will be more than happy to discuss, examine you and offer some advice on management.

In my next blog I will be talking about who can get gum disease.

Thanks again for stopping by!

Sincerely,

Martina