Most people are concerned with the appearance of their smiles, especially their teeth. A bright and shiny smile can make a person feel confident and ready to face the world. Unfortunately one of the greatest threats to oral health is often overlooked, even by those with diligent dental hygiene routines; it’s gum disease. If you’re not concerned with your gums, here’s what you need to know about the potential consequences and why your dentist keeps telling you it’s important to floss, attend checkups, and generally take care of your whole smile, not just those pearly whites.
The Role of Gums, and Why Plaque Is Such a Problem
A smile is made up of two equally important parts, the teeth and the gums. In order to have a truly healthy not to mention beautiful smile, you need both healthy gums and teeth, but many people forget about the importance of their gums, neglecting their care until there are some unfortunate consequences to face.
So what makes flossing such a big deal? Well, flossing helps eliminate food particles and bacteria that have a habit of settling between the teeth. When these are left behind after brushing, they can create an acidic environment which may lead to cavities on your teeth, but could also lead to gum disease, a condition that affects as many as half of the adults in America.
The first stage of gum disease, called gingivitis, is often marked by red gums and chronic bad breath, as well as bleeding. If you seek treatment at this stage it is possible a thorough dental cleaning will be enough to reverse the symptoms. Otherwise, ultrasonic scaling may be needed to help remove the plaque buildup and improve the gums’ health.
Over time, if left untreated, gum disease will only progress until the gums have so greatly deteriorated that they can no longer support the teeth. In this case you may lose some of your teeth, and you will likely require more extensive restorative treatment to save any remaining teeth and restore your oral health.
If you want to maintain a healthy smile, remember, you need to care for both your teeth and gums. And one of the best ways you can do is by attending regular professional cleanings, but also flossing each night before bed.