News with tag sugar

Periodontitis – Gum Disease

Periodontitis (gum disease) has been linked with an increase in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (thickening of the blood vessels). This can cause heart attacks and strokes. Periodontal disease is also linked with diabetes, low birth weight and rheumatoid arthiritis. Bleeding gums is often the first sign of gum disease. Call North Road Dental Clinic if you have bleeding gums to be assessed. It is important to establish a good regime at home to prevent oral disease and maintain oral health. Firstly, avoid simple sugars as much as you can. If you are going to have sugary food or drinks (we’re all human!) then try and keep it to a mealtime (when saliva flow is increased to wash away the sugars) or follow the sugar with either water or milk. The people who have the most dental decay may not eat the most sugar, but they do have it more frequently!

About Flouride & Cleaning

Get some fluoride on your teeth! This helps to repair your teeth and keep them more resistant to dental decay. The most common way to do this is to use toothpaste (remember NOT to rinse your mouth with water after for the best result, the longer the contact time, the better it will work). You can supplement this by using a fluoride containing mouthwash – make sure it does contain fluoride as some don’t and stick to alcohol free. Clean your teeth – ideally at least twice a day for 2+ minutes with a brush. Electric ones are proven to be more efficient. You also need to clean the parts the brush can’t reach between teeth, with either dental floss or an interdental brush (Pikster, Tepe brands are common). If you don’t do this regularly you may notice your gums bleed. Don’t let this put you off, persevere and they will stop bleeding when cleaned, usually in a couple of weeks once they are healthy. If the bleeding persists that may be a sign you have more severe gum issues so it is best to make an appointment. Make an appointment at North Road Dental Clinic so we can check your oral health which is so important to your overall health.

It is so important that children have good teeth when young, to set the standard for their adult teeth. Just because they fall out, doesn’t mean they should be neglected! Giving your children a healthy mouth is so important to their overall wellbeing and health. Follow these tips to keep your child’s mouth healthy.

1. Get in a good habit of brushing twice a day, with fluoride toothpaste-use a children’s paste with a reduced fluoride content. This will physically remove decay causing plaque, whilst also providing the correct amount of fluoride for tooth development.
2. Reduce the amount and frequency of sugar intake. Having regular sugar ingestion will cause harm to your child’s teeth. Of course they’re going to have sugar at times, but keep it as a treat, not regular food, and beware of hidden sugars in things like fruit juices, cereals and dried fruit (sultanas etc...)Try and have a glass of water after too.
3. You may want to use a remineralising agent like “tooth-mousse”. This will help to keep any areas where decay is of a higher risk (perhaps in the fissures) more resistant to decay.
4. Bring your child in for regular examinations, and set a good example yourself by coming too! Please, please, please be careful with the language you use when talking about the dentist. Kids are fantastic patients, as long as Mum/Dad/Aunt/Uncle hasn’t been talking to them about how it won’t “hurt”, and how they don’t want “needles”, and there’s nothing to be “scared” about.

Did you know that if you’re not brushing and flossing thoroughly, you could be impacting your overall level of health? Although there are dozens of known medical conditions now linked with gum disease, here are some of the few that most commonly impact our Carnegie patients: Diabetes A diabetic is extremely susceptible to uncontrolled glucose levels if they are also suffering from gum disease. The severity of one often goes hand-in-hand with the other. Unfortunately, it’s extremely challenging (if not impossible) to regulate blood sugar if there’s an active oral infection co-existing. The easiest way to get both under control is to treat the periodontal infection and practice good oral hygiene, to see a reduced strain to the body overall. Preterm Labour Plaque biofilm can spread from the mother, through the placenta, to the baby. When a pregnant woman has active gum disease, she’s significantly more likely to experience:

• Premature labour
• Preeclampsia
• A baby with a low birth weight

Like smoking, periodontitis is a significant risk factor for pregnant women and their babies. Treating gum disease before or during pregnancy can reduce the risks to your child. Cardiovascular Disease Inflammation of the gums in gingivitis and periodontal disease causes an increase in the total inflammatory burden in your body. This has been linked to atherosclerosis, or thickening of the blood vessels which is directly responsible for an increased risk for heart attacks and strokes. Removing plaque and calculus will reduce the amount of inflammation, and hence the risk of heart attack and stroke. Gum Disease Therapy in Carnegie North Road Dental Clinic offers non-surgical and therapeutic periodontal care to help you eliminate active gum infections and boost your immune system’s response to other health problems. If you’re experiencing symptoms such as swollen or bleeding gums, or notice gum recession and tooth mobility, it’s time to give our Carnegie dentist a call.