Month: August 2013

As we wrap up our three-blog series on gum disease, let’s take a moment to recap what we’ve discussed. You know what gum disease is. You know what symptoms to look out for. You know that it can cause greater health problems and affect your overall well-being. Now all of us at Lawrence J. Winans, DMD in Lewisburg want to make sure you know how, together, we can prevent gum disease

Pairing good dental habits at home with regularly scheduled dental appointments can help maintain a healthy mouth and prevent gum disease from ever occurring. Visiting your dentist in Lewisburg at least twice a year for exams and cleanings can help keep you healthy and can also help catch any potential problems before they have a chance to progress and affect the rest of your body.

In between your dental checkups, it’s important to practice good dental habits at home to ensure a clean mouth, healthy gums, and health body. Brushing your teeth at least 2-3 times a day and flossing in between your teeth and below the gum line once a day are easy and effective ways to help remove any plaque and bacteria that can cause gum disease. If you can’t brush, chewing sugar-free gum with xylitol can also help.

In addition to these simple yet very effective habits, other lifestyle factors can also help keep gum disease at bay.

• Eat a healthy diet and limit your intake of sugar

• Avoid bedtime snacks

• Stop smoking – people who use tobacco are six times more likely to develop gum disease and are less responsive to treatment than those who don’t

If you’re due for a dental cleaning and checkup, or if you’re concerned about your gum health, contact our Lewisburg dental office at 877-377-1952 to schedule an appointment today and we’ll work together to prevent gum disease. If we do happen to find active gum disease, don’t worry. It’s often easily treated. And if we catch it early, it’s even easier. Don’t wait for your gums to show signs of a problem. Be proactive and call us today.

In our last blog, we discussed what periodontal (gum) disease is, some of the signs and symptoms that may indicate the disease, and how important it is to come see us at our Lewisburg dental office as soon as possible if you’re experiencing any of those symptoms. Today we’re going to tell you why a quick diagnosis and early treatment of periodontal disease is so important.

Your gums are the window to your overall health. They not only let us know if there is an issue in your mouth, they can also indicate other problems within your body. And when they’re infected, they can make you more susceptible to serious health issues and diseases.

In fact, people with gum disease are more prone to strokes, heart attacks, heart disease, certain cancers, and diabetes, among other severe health concerns.

How can a disease in your mouth cause problems in the rest of your body?

There are four main ways that periodontal disease can lead to other serious health concerns.

1. Bloodstream – Chewing food injects infectious bacteria into your bloodstream, which is then carried throughout your body.

2. Breathing – Periodontal bacteria can be breathed into the lungs and increase the chance of lung disease.

3. Transmission – Periodontal infection can be transferred directly from spouse to spouse and parent to child through a simple kiss.

4. Immune System – Gum disease can lower your immune system, making you less effective at fighting off infections.

While we know that gum disease can lead to serious medical problems and diseases, at Lawrence J. Winans, DMD in Lewisburg, we also know that early diagnosis and proactive