Start Early – Tips For Fighting Gum Disease

What can you do to prevent severe gum disease problems later in life?

At Jacas Family Dental, where we work proactively on our patients’ behalf, we tell all of our patients that it's important to start early in developing good habits and warding off the situations that can lead to this type of chronic disease. That’s information that you can take to the bank!

First of all, gum disease is a widespread epidemic. The ADA found that gum disease or periodontitis affects almost half of all American adults. But so many people just aren’t thinking about how this happens, and they pay the price as they age.

With that in mind, here are some good tips that can benefit you as a young person.

Regular Cleanings

Regular cleanings do a lot to help you to avoid serious dental problems that can happen over time. By getting rid of the plaque and tartar, there's less of a chance of the gums getting irritated and receding, where deep pockets can lead to things like bone loss. So cleaning is really a front line intervention that has to be done, and that’s part of what we are here for as one of the most popular family dental offices in the area.

Frequent Checkups

Going to the dentist regularly also helps, because these professionals can look at the situation before things start to deteriorate, or early on in the process, and recommend preventative care or something that clinicians would call an “intervention.”

It might mean specific brushing and flossing schedules or other kinds of home care.

But your professional dentist is an early warning system for things like gingivitis and gum disease that can compromise the bone. So don’t neglect your relationship with your dental provider!

Medications

In some cases, dentists will recommend things like prednisone or steroidal medications to be used with toothpaste.

We can talk about this in more detail in a particular patient exam, but the key is that dentists know how to recommend the right interventions to keep you healthy.

Bone Density and Bone Loss

Modern x-rays can detect bone loss. That's extremely important in treating things like gum disease. But it can also spot other incipient problems that can get a lot worse if not treated.

So you see that a dentist’s approach x-rays on a timeline that will help keep patients safer and avoid these types of disease.

This is just part of what we do for the entire family at Jacas Family Dental. A pediatric and family dentist that cares about you is a big value in these days. Talk to us about getting everyone to come in for routine dental work and happy smiles…!