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There are more bacteria in your mouth right now than there are people on Earth. If those germs settle into your gums, you’ve got gum disease. “Not me?” you say. Here are the facts.

• More than half of all adults have at least the early stages of gum disease.
• About 90% of adults have gum disease during their lives.
• If you have diabetes, you are at higher risk for gum problems. Poor blood glucose control makes gum problems more likely.
• Gum disease can start at any age. Children and teenagers who have diabetes are at greater risk than those who don’t have diabetes.

How should I brush my teeth?

1. Use a soft toothbrush
2. Point the bristles toward the gums
3. Gently wiggle the toothbrush back and forth
4. Brush all sides of your teeth
   • The inside (tongue side)
   • The outside (cheek side)
   • The top where you chew
5. Brush you tongue
6. Removing plaque once a day will prevent cavities and gum disease.

How should I floss my teeth?

1. Pull out 40 - 50 cm of dental floss from the container. Wrap the ends of the floss around each of your middle fingers, leaving about 2 - 3 cm of floss between your two fingers.
2. Use your thumb and index fingers to hold the floss in place.
3. Wrap the floss around the tooth into a “C” shape. Gently slide the floss up and down between your tooth and your gums. This will remove dental plaque.
4. Use a new section of floss each time you move to a new space between teeth.

How does oral health affect my overall health?

Gum disease is an inflammation of the gums, which may also affect the bone supporting the teeth. Plaque is a sticky colourless film of bacteria that constantly builds up, thickens and hardens on the teeth. If it is not removed by daily brushing and flossing, this plaque can harden into tartar and contribute to infections in the gums.

Left untreated, gum disease can lead to the loss of teeth and an increased risk of more serious diseases, including heart disease and stroke. The bacteria in plaque can travel from the mouth into the bloodstream, and has been linked to the clogging of arteries and damage to heart valves. The same bacteria can also travel to the lungs, causing infection or aggravating existing lung conditions.

There is also a link between diabetes and gum disease. People with diabetes are more susceptible to gum disease, and it can put them at greater risk of diabetic complications.

Oral health is also extremely important for pregnant women. Studies show that pregnant women with gum disease are at higher risk of delivering pre-term, low birth weight babies than women without gum disease. This is a concern because such babies are already at increased risk of many ailments, including developmental complications, asthma, ear infections, congenital abnormalities and behavioral difficulties, such as attention deficit disorder. They also have a higher risk of infant death.

Categories: Oral Hygiene, Women