{"id":82,"date":"2019-04-05T09:33:02","date_gmt":"2019-04-05T09:33:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cochellfd.com\/blog\/?p=82"},"modified":"2019-04-18T09:36:43","modified_gmt":"2019-04-18T09:36:43","slug":"healthy-gums","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cochellfd.com\/blog\/2019\/04\/05\/healthy-gums\/","title":{"rendered":"Dentist Discusses Why Healthy Gums Are Critical To Your Overall Health!"},"content":{"rendered":"<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-83\" src=\"https:\/\/www.cochellfd.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Illustration-of-the-stages-of-gum-disease-.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration of the stages of gum disease\" width=\"215\" height=\"215\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cochellfd.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Illustration-of-the-stages-of-gum-disease-.jpg 215w, https:\/\/www.cochellfd.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Illustration-of-the-stages-of-gum-disease--150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 215px) 100vw, 215px\" \/>Did you know that an estimated 65 million adults in the U.S. have some form of gum disease? You may not spend much time thinking about your gums, but the truth is that they\u2019re incredibly important to both your smile and general health. In this blog, you\u2019ll learn how healthy gums also keep your body healthy and how a dentist can help you prevent or manage gum disease. With this information, you can maintain your smile and lower your risk of many serious diseases at the same time!\r\n\r\n<!--more-->\r\n<h2>How Does Gum Disease Affect Your General Health?<\/h2>\r\nGum disease damages the gums and underlying jawbone that support the teeth and keep them in place, which is why it\u2019s the leading cause of tooth loss.\r\n\r\nAs if that weren\u2019t bad enough, it also causes chronic inflammation of the gums that can spread throughout the rest of the body, including the brain and the heart. Researchers think this is why it increases the risk of:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Heart disease<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Stroke<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Pregnancy complications<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Dementia and Alzheimer\u2019s disease<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Diabetes<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Some cancers<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2>What Are the Signs and Symptoms?<\/h2>\r\nGum disease is similar to high blood pressure or diabetes because it\u2019s a \u201csilent disease\u201d that doesn\u2019t cause pain until later stages. But there are still warning signs to keep an eye out for.\r\n\r\nIn the first stage (called gingivitis) you may notice tender, swollen, or bleeding gums. More advanced symptoms include severe bleeding, chronic bad breath, a bad taste in your mouth, loose teeth, or pus under the gumline.\r\n<h2>How Can You Prevent or Manage Gum Disease?<\/h2>\r\nMany people with gum disease don\u2019t know it, so the first step is scheduling regular <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cochellfd.com\/checkups-cleanings.html\">checkups<\/a>, which include an annual gum evaluation. If you currently have healthy gums or simply gingivitis, regular cleanings and good oral hygiene will usually prevent gum disease altogether.\r\n\r\nHowever, if you\u2019re diagnosed with more advanced gum disease, a dentist will typically start by recommending a procedure called scaling and root planing (also called a \u201cdeep cleaning\u201d) to keep it from progressing.\r\n\r\nThis procedure thoroughly removes the tartar and bacteria under the gumline and smooths the roots to prevent bacteria from re-accumulating. It\u2019s usually done in 2-4 appointments and you\u2019ll be numbed first to make sure you\u2019re comfortable throughout.\r\n\r\nAfterward, a dentist will put you on a maintenance schedule of professional cleanings every 3, 4, or 6 months, depending on your needs. They\u2019ll also give you tips for maintaining your gum health in between visits.\r\n\r\nBecause there\u2019s such a strong mouth-body connection, your gums affect your overall well-being in many ways. But with regular dental care and a few good oral hygiene habits, you can minimize the risks and maintain your health for many years!\r\n<h2>About the Author<\/h2>\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cochellfd.com\/christel-cochell.html\">Dr. Christel Cochell<\/a> is a family dentist with nearly 15 years of experience and a graduate of the Oregon Health Sciences University School of Dentistry. She understands the importance of healthy gums to overall wellness and focuses on early diagnosis and treatment to help patients prevent gum problems as much as possible. If you have any questions or concerns about your gums, she can be reached via her <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cochellfd.com\/contact-us.html\">website.<\/a>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Did you know that an estimated 65 million adults in the U.S. have some form of gum disease? You may not spend much time thinking about your gums, but the truth is that they\u2019re incredibly important to both your smile and general health. In this blog, you\u2019ll learn how healthy gums also keep your body healthy and how a dentist can help you prevent or manage gum disease. With this information, you can maintain your [&hellip;] <a class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cochellfd.com\/blog\/2019\/04\/05\/healthy-gums\/\">(Read More)<\/a>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-82","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cochellfd.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cochellfd.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cochellfd.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cochellfd.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cochellfd.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=82"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.cochellfd.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":84,"href":"https:\/\/www.cochellfd.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82\/revisions\/84"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cochellfd.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=82"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cochellfd.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=82"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cochellfd.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=82"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}