gum diseaseWhen your  gums are red, puffy, and bleed easily when brushing or flossing, you are probably suffering from gum disease. It’s actually more common than you might think: thousands of adults and children across the United States have some form of gum disease.
What causes gum disease? There are many factors that go into the disease, but we decided to list off the top 4 causes. Take a look!

Too Much Plaque

One of the biggest causes of gum disease is the build up of plaque. Bacteria found in plaque will feed on sugars in food you eat and drink, which in turn creates toxins and other chemicals that irritate your gums. Over time, plaque can harden and become tartar or calculus which irritates your gums even more causing your gums to swell and bleed. Over time, your gums will begin to pull away from your teeth allowing even more infection.

Not Enough Rinsing

Everyone knows that brushing and flossing are important aspects of keeping your teeth clean and healthy, but many fail to realize that rinsing after brushing/flossing is equally vital for keeping both your  gums healthy. Rinsing with appropriate mouthwash helps prevent gum disease by ensuring all of the plaque and/or tartar in your mouth is completely gone, while killing any leftover bacteria.

Unhealthy Diets

Did you know that the food you eat plays a huge role in keeping your mouth clean? Eating sugary foods or drinking sugary drinks only helps the plaque in your mouth grow. Try to avoid junk foods with lots of sugar and especially sugary drinks like soda.

Smoking

It goes without saying that smoking cigarettes is terrible for you. Not only does smoking damage your heart and lungs, it also does terrible things to your overall oral health — especially your gums. Smoking cigarettes or chewing tobacco only increases your risk of gum disease or worsening the gum disease you may already have.
If you think you are suffering from gum disease, give us a call today!