Diabetics face a number of challenges every day, including greater health risks. Diabetes can damage the kidneys, eyes, heart and nerves. However, many are unaware of the higher risk for periodontal (gum) disease.

Gum disease attacks gum tissues and tooth supporting bone structures. In early stages, gum disease symptoms cause tender gums that bleed when brushing and persistent bad breath. As the disease progresses, it can lead to painful chewing and eventual tooth loss.

As the nation’s leading cause of adult tooth loss, periodontal disease also increases your risk for serious problems elsewhere in the body. Like diabetes, gum disease can create an inflammatory reaction in the body. Research has linked gum disease bacteria with heart disease, stroke, preterm babies, and memory loss.

Dry mouth is often a symptom of diabetes even before it is diagnosed. Dry mouth occurs when you do not have enough saliva to keep your mouth moist. Saliva is your body’s oral cleanser that moves bacteria out of the mouth. Dry mouth can cause tender and sore gums, ulcers, infections and cavities. For diabetics who smoke, these problems are far worse.

To prevent gum disease and other health risks, controlling blood glucose levels is highly important. Those with poor glucose control are more prone to gum disease and have it at more severe levels than people with controlled diabetes.

If you are diabetic, you CAN put the odds for a healthy mouth in your favor. Control your glucose, brush twice a day, floss daily and have regular dental check-ups. If you are experiencing symptoms of gum disease, call us at (828) 274-9440 for an appointment. Once gum disease is underway, it will only worsen without treatment.

Mouthwash is a common component of many oral hygiene routines at home. For many patients, we recommend certain mouthwashes for their ability to kill oral bacteria, add fluoride, and treat particular mouth sores. Too, some mouthwashes are advised following extraction of teeth to curtail bacteria in areas where brushing must be postponed.

While many people assume mouthwash is a beneficial addition to brushing and flossing, not all are recommended by our office. Some mouthwashes contain alcohol, which dries out oral tissues. Even though alcohol kills oral bacteria, it also serves as a drying agent. This actually increases your risk for cavities and bad breath since alcohol decreases saliva flow.

Saliva is the mouth’s natural cleanser, keeping oral tissues moist and moving bacteria (and food particles that cause bacterial growth) out of the mouth. Some medications, smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages can also lead to dry mouth.

Additionally, it is suspected that regular use of mouthwash containing alcohol can lead to dental erosion.

Mouthwashes that contain alcohol have also come under fire for increasing the risk of oral cancer. Although these findings are still in research stages, it is suspected that alcohol becomes a carcinogen in the mouth, which is a cancer causing agent. Researchers have found that oral cancer risk is five times higher for those using alcohol-containing mouthwashes, even if they are non-smokers.

Like any product, always read the label of mouthwash before purchasing. Look for alcohol-free types and those with fluoride additives. Use after brushing and flossing and practice a gargling action to get the mouthwash to the back of your mouth. Since the back of your tongue harbors more oral bacteria than the front, consider using a tongue scraper prior to mouthwash. This loosens oral bacteria that are embedded in the tongue’s surface. You can also brush your tongue with your toothbrush following teeth brushing.

Remember, any mouthwash use is an addition to brushing and flossing, never as a replacement. However, certain mouthwashes can help keep your breath fresher, decrease your risk for cavities and support your oral health overall. Swish away!

As a Periodontist, I’ve heard every reason in the book why people don’t floss. And, for every reason, there is an even better one to make daily flossing a priority!

Flossing removes food particles that become wedged between teeth. It also helps remove the sticky buildup of bacteria that forms plaque. Keeping oral bacteria at a minimum helps to prevent bad breath, cavities, gingivitis and gum disease.

Everyone can floss easily with some basic pointers and a little practice. For easy flossing instructions, read up on these tips:

• Use about 18 inches of floss. Nylon floss (waxed or unwaxed) is inexpensive but can shred between teeth with tight contact points. If this occurs, try the single filament floss (although higher-priced), which slides easily between teeth and is shred-resistant.
• Use a mirror with good lighting so you can see the inside of your mouth.
• Wind the floss around the middle fingers of each hand with a couple of inches hanging loose to work with.
• Stretch the floss between your thumbs and index fingers and slide it in-between your teeth, curving the floss around the base of each tooth and beneath the gumline. Avoid popping the floss down between the teeth. This can tear tender gum tissue. Remove the floss using the same back-and-forth motion, moving it up and away from the teeth.
• About every 3-4 teeth, loosen the floss from fingers and retighten to use clean sections. This will also keep your fingers from becoming uncomfortable.

Do this every night for one week. After seven nights, flossing should be easy enough to do in about half the time it took on the first night. You may also find you no longer need the mirror!

Our Hygienists are terrific instructors. Their goal is to help you avoid problems in the first place. Flossing is definitely an effective means of doing so.

If your gums are tender or bleed when you brush, you already have the beginning stage of gum disease. Call (910) 254-4555 to arrange an examination as soon as possible. Gum disease only worsens without treatment, which can eventually lead to tooth loss.

While your six-month cleanings and exams remove plaque and tartar, many people fail to have an effective routine at home. When a thorough regimen of oral hygiene at home twice daily is not followed, the potential to develop early stage gum disease increases greatly. This can result in symptoms of gum disease before the next visit rolls around.

Gingivitis is the first level of gum disease. This is when bacterial accumulation develops to the point of showing obvious signs of damage to oral tissues. These signs include frequent bad breath, tender gums and gums that bleed easily when brushing. As oral bacteria reproduce, gingivitis will develop into periodontal disease. This occurs when oral bacteria are reproducing at a rampant rate and damaging gum tissues at a more destructive level.

The good news, however, is you CAN reverse the progress of gingivitis before it moves to a deeper level that is more time-consuming and expensive to treat. As soon as you notice signs (as mentioned above), begin a twice-a-day regimen of brushing your teeth a minimum of two minutes, flossing daily, swishing after brushing with an oral rinse and either using a tongue scraper or brushing the tongue to remove embedded bacteria.

Additionally, increase your water intake. A moist mouth supports the cleansing effects of saliva. Avoid or greatly limit between-meal snacking and minimize your intake of sugary foods and beverages.

With proper measures, you should begin to see symptoms subside in a few days. However, that doesn’t mean you should back off! Continue this regimen to maintain a healthy mouth and control bacterial buildup. And be sure to keep your regular hygiene appointments. Those visits will help you have a ‘clean slate’ twice a year so you can avoid problems in the first place.

Once you are in the routine of this oral hygiene commitment, you’ll find it takes very little time and the payoff is well worth it! If you haven’t had regular dental check-ups and feel your gum health needs more than what home care can provide, call us at (828) 274-9440 for an appointment. Gum disease only worsens without treatment and early treatment can save you time and money.