There is a strong connection between your oral health and your total overall health. Here’s why that’s important.
Our health is probably our most important asset. After all, if we don’t have our health, what do we have? But unfortunately as we age, our health can decline. Not just in our bodies, but in our mouths, too. In fact, diseases like gum disease are so prevalent in older people that gum disease is now the 11th most common illness in the entire world!
Preventing gum disease is often easier than we may think. Brushing twice a day for two minutes at a time, and flossing at least once per day (preferably at your last brushing of the day) is the gold standard for preventing gum disease, however it may be genetic for some, making it difficult to prevent no matter how on point their oral hygiene routine is.
But just how important is it to treat gum disease? Here’s some information you won’t want to miss!
Have you ever had the pockets in your gums measured by Dr. Abelar or one of his team members? Usually a probe is inserted into the gum line that measures the pockets between one and five, five being the deepest. When there are many pockets above a three, it is often recommended that a laser treatment be performed to help close these pockets and regenerate gum growth along the gum line. Why do we do this? Well, for starters to help keep bacteria out of the gums and blood stream.
You see, that bacteria can cause a host of medical problems once it gets into your blood, including worsening of many illnesses you may already have, ranging from Alzheimer’s disease to cancer and high blood pressure or hypertension.
It can also affect the roots of the teeth, causing you to have loose teeth or worse, to actually lose your teeth!
Unfortunately, (or maybe fortunately) you cannot usually tell someone has gum disease or periodontitis just by looking at the gums, so many people with this illness do not know they have it. This makes getting treatment a challenge, and is one of the reasons it is imperative to visit Dr. Abelar at least once annually, preferably twice, and even more frequently if you do have gum disease.
To schedule your next appointment with Dr. Abelar, please contact the office today!
