Periodontal disease is also known as gum disease.  There are many reported cases in which thepatients have lost tooth because of gum disease.  Just like any disease, the gum disease can betreated best when diagnosed early.  Youmust know the warning signs of gum disease so you can report it as early aspossible to your dentist.

These warning signs include bleeding gums, swollen gums, expressionof pus when the gums are pressed, increase in the gap between your tooth andthe gum, bad breath, difference in the strength of the bite, loosening oftooth.  It is important to note here asto what causes the gum disease.  Themajor cause of gum disease occurs because of plaque.  The plaque lies between the gum line and thetooth.

It then combines with the sugary substances on which thebacteria act to produce acid and toxins. This then acts on the tooth and the gum resulting in the breakdown ofthe gum tissue.  Brushing the teeth alongwith flossing is truly important in preventing gum disease because brushingalone is not sufficient to remove the food residue that gets stuck between thegums and teeth.

You can also use fluoride toothpaste as it helps preventdecay.  Mouth rinse is also a very goodoption to help remove bacteria, which prevents tooth as well as guminfection.  Some of you might not pay dueattention to the periodontal disease or gum disease.  The periodontal disease is an irreversibledisease process.  In this disease, thesupport of teeth is lost, which results in the tooth to become loose andfinally fall out.

Did you know that gum disease is also directly linked toheart attacks and it is also linked with the increased blood glucoselevels.  Another research suggests thatthe gum disease is also linked to premature birth.  All these facts are the result ofperiodontitis and have very serious health impact on individuals who do nottake proper dental hygiene measures.

There is also a condition known as pregnancygingivitis.  This occurs due to hormonalchanges and has a strong impact on eating habits.  In this condition, the gums are red, swollenand extremely tender and on brushing, the gums bleed.  This condition occurs in about 50% of womenwho are going through pregnancy.  This isalso a situation that requires serious attention.

You might have heard of a very serious infectious conditionknown as Trench Mouth.  It is a verypainful gum infection.  This infectionoccurs due to poor dental and oral hygiene. Other causes of this infection are lack of sleep, smoking, increasedstress.  The name Trench Mouth was givento this condition when the soldiers in trenches suffered from severe guminfections, which resulted in necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis.

The only way that you can safeguard yourself from severe guminfections is taking proper care of oral and dental hygiene.  Therefore the message goes out to allincluding adults and children to take proper care of your oral and dentalhygiene.

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