Healthy Mouth, Healthy Body

Taking good care of your mouth does more than help ensure you have a bright, white smile. Having a healthy mouth and healthy body go hand-in-hand! Gum disease is the number one cause of tooth loss in U.S. adults and has been linked to an increased risk for serious health complications.

The Dangers of Gum Disease

There are millions of germs that live in your mouth. If you have gum disease symptoms or suffer from gum disease, it is important to seek gum disease treatment, as you have open wounds in your gums that allow the bacteria to enter directly into your blood stream and circulate throughout your body. Some of the bacteria normally found in the mouth enter your bloodstream through infected gums and can relocate to other parts of your body with the potential of creating disease in organs and systems.

Much research is being done to investigate if a definitive link exists between periodontal disease and other systemic illnesses. Many of the results are inconclusive. However, research has shown some links between periodontal disease and heart disease, ischemic stroke, respiratory disease, head and neck cancer, kidney disease, diabetes, and increased risk of pre-term delivery. Seeking gum disease treatment early on is vital to protecting your oral and general health.

Gum disease has been linked to an increased risk for many serious health complications, including:

• Heart Disease
• Premature Birth or Low Birth-Weight Babies
• Stroke
• Pancreatic Cancer
• Memory Loss or Dementia
• Diabetes
• Head and Neck Cancer
• Kidney Disease

Gum disease is the leading cause of tooth loss

While many gum disease symptoms exist, tooth loss is the most severe. Gum disease is the leading cause of tooth loss for the majority of adults in the United States. Losing your teeth, however, is not the only danger of this disease. When teeth become lost, it is more difficult for patients to chew properly and may even affect the types of foods that they are able to consume. Without a healthy, nutritious diet, overall health can decline, further leading to systemic illness. If you notice that your teeth are becoming loose or if any other gum disease symptoms are occurring, seek treatment right away.

When you have gum disease, there is an active, living infection in your mouth.

 This infection releases toxins throughout the entire body via the blood vessels in your mouth causing a variety of health related issues. Many people have this condition, yet are not even aware.

Given the potential life threatening effects of gum disease, it is very important to maintain regular dental exams and cleanings. Your dental professional will provide periodic screenings for gum disease. If the presence of gum disease is detected, either non-surgical or surgical gum disease treatment will be provided to address and control the disease. There is no cure for periodontal disease. We must treat this condition and maintain your oral health to prevent the progression of periodontal disease.

Dr. Withers is a Periodontist in Fairfax, VA. Dr. Withers and his team are here to serve you and meet your dental needs as comfortably as possible. It is our goal to make your experience in our Fairfax VA Dental office a pleasant visit and restore your dental health quickly and professionally.

Gum Disease Can Cause Loose Teeth in Fairfax, VA

Loose teeth are one of the signs of advanced gum disease and oral health problems that can cause permanent damage to your mouth. If you notice that your teeth are shifting or becoming loose, you need to schedule an appointment with Dr. Withers in Fairfax, VA as soon as possible! There are several signs of an active indication in the mouth, or that gingivitis has progressed to periodontitis. Signs and symptoms of underlying oral health issues include:

• Sore gums
• Inflammation of the gum tissue
• Bleeding gums
• Pus accumulation
• Food getting stuck between the teeth
• Receding gums

​Loose Tooth Prevention

​The best way to prevent loose teeth is to make sure that you are getting the treatment you need when you have signs of gingivitis, and are exercising good oral care habits at home. Eating a healthy, well balanced diet to support your oral health and immune system can also help to reduce your risk of tooth loss. Current therapies and treatment options for loose teeth include: locally administered antibiotic therapy, deep cleanings, laser gum surgery, gingival grafts, bone grafts, tooth extractions, and tooth replacement with dental implants.

Tooth Loss Affects Your Whole Body Health

Teeth can be lost for a variety of reasons. Anything from disease, injury, birth defect, to decay can result in teeth being lost or removed. Things that may occur as a result of tooth loss include:

• Change in Diet
• Difficulty with Speech
• Bone Loss in the Jaw
• Misalignment of the Teeth
• Changing Facial Appearance

Tooth and Bone Loss in Fairfax, VA

Teeth can be lost for a variety of reasons. Anything from disease, injury, birth defects, to decay can result in teeth being lost or removed. However, many dental and health problems can result from tooth loss or removal. The number one reason that adults lose their teeth today is due to periodontal disease, or gum disease. Therefore, if you notice that your teeth are becoming lose, it is very important to seek gum disease treatment from an experienced doctor as soon as possible.

Diet

Without properly aligned teeth, an individual might not be able to chew correctly, and the diet could be affected. With missing teeth, or no teeth altogether, chewing becomes very difficult or even impossible. The diet then becomes restricted to soft, easily chewed foods. This kind of diet might not meet the nutrition needs of the body which can cause constipation, weight loss, arthritis, indigestion, and rheumatism. Teeth are important to meeting the nutritional needs of the body. Without them, the health of the body can be severely impacted. Seeking gum disease treatment from a doctor can help to keep your diet healthy, providing your body with the proper nutrients that it needs

Speech

Teeth play a major part in speech. Some letter sounds such as s, z, d, x, n, th, and sh are made with tongue to tooth contact. Without teeth, these sounds are difficult to make and may result in a lisp. Lisping can be an embarrassing condition and may make it hard for you to be understood. The tongue is also affected by lost teeth. With no teeth to keep it in place, the tongue tends to broaden out and fill in the newly open space. This thickened tongue is harder to control and may also result in difficult to understand speech.

Bone Loss in the Jaw

Teeth do more than just help us chew our food and speak. They actually serve to stimulate the bone in the jaw. Each time you chew, the teeth stimulate the bone. Without this natural stimulation, the alveolar bone, which is the portion of the jaw bone that anchors teeth in the mouth, begins to break down and is resorbed by the body. If there are no longer teeth present that need the jaw bone, the bone deteriorates and disintegrates. The rate of deterioration varies per person, however, it begins almost immediately after a tooth is lost or removed and continues throughout life. Once deterioration reaches a certain point, dental prosthetics, such as dentures, may no longer be useful if there is not enough bone to support them. A doctor can help to determine if you have suffered any bone loss. If you have experienced bone loss that is too far gone to be addressed with gum disease treatment, your doctor can discuss tooth replacement options during your consultation. Since gum disease is the primary cause of adult tooth loss, it is imperative to seek treatment from a doctor at the earliest sign of this condition. Schedule your appointment with an experienced doctor it determine if gum disease treatment is right for you.