When it comes to most common, not even winter colds strike as many of us as gum infection (periodontal disease). As many as 75% of adults will be a victim sometime in their lifetime.
If this infection could grow on your arm, you’d be horrified. Instead, periodontal disease does its dirty work out of sight: inside your mouth. Left alone, it opens up gaps between gums and teeth. Too soon, you’re on your way to losing your teeth entirely.
Gum infection comes from sticky, invisible colonies of bacteria called plaque that live in the crevices between gums and teeth. Left by themselves, these critters organize to do their damage. If they’re disorganized at least once every 24 hours, they never get time to recolonize and continue the infection.
Home dental hygiene is a matter of disturbing these bacterial pests daily. That means first brushing your teeth with a soft toothbrush. Then working dental floss down between the margin of your teeth and gums to dislodge plaque colonies that have built up during the day.
So much of your dental health depends on what you’re willing to do about it. With vigilant home care and regular exams, together we can beat the statistics.
