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Everyone
thought dentists had it made because we would always have cavities to
fill.
Then
fluoride came along. Soon it was introduced into our water supply and
while cavities were not eliminated, their number was significantly
reduced.
So
now, some people think we invented this thing called gum disease to
take over where cavities left off, just to keep you coming back into
our office on a regular basis.
Honest.
It isn't like that.
In
fact, not everyone was happy when our government first announced its
intent to fluoridate the nation's water supply. That fear was captured,
heightened and immortalized by director Stanley Kubrick in the movie,
"Dr. Strangelove, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love The
Bomb."
The
movie told the story of a nuclear war run by macho fools, and part of
the film focused on the mad ravings of General Jack D. Ripper:
General
Jack D. Ripper: Mandrake, do you realize that in addition to
fluoridating water, why there are studies underway to fluoridate salt,
flour, fruit juices, soup, sugar, milk... ice cream. Ice cream,
Mandrake, children's ice cream.
Group
Captain Lionel Mandrake: Lord, Jack.
Ripper:
You know when fluoridation first began?
Mandrake:
Aye, no, no. I don't Jack.
Ripper:
Nineteen hundred and forty-six. Nineteen forty-six Mandrake. How does
that coincide with your post-war Commie conspiracy, huh? Its
incredibly obvious isn't it. A foreign substance is introduced into
our precious bodily fluids without the knowledge of the individual.
Certainly without any choice. That's the way your hard-core Commie
works.
Too
many people today believe gum disease is a minor malady that has taken
center stage in the absence of cavities. To a degree they're right
about one thing - detected early, gum disease can be eliminated without
much of a fuss.
Healthy
gums are firm and don't bleed when you brush or floss. That means the
gum tissue is doing its job - holding teeth tightly to the gums and
underlying bone.
Gum
disease is caused by bacteria in plaque, which is a sticky, nearly
transparent film that constantly forms on your teeth. You can prevent
this with a good regimen of daily brushing and flossing.
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Gingivitis
is the beginning of gum disease. It first presents itself as a mild
inflammation of the gums with plaque and tartar (hardened plaque)
built up at the gum line. At this stage, Gingivitis causes gums to
get red, puffy and bleed during brushing or flossing, but the bone
and fiber holding the teeth in place aren't yet affected.
-
Periodontitis
is the next stage in the advancement of gum disease. At this stage,
plaque spreads to the roots of the teeth and infection occurs, which
in turn damages the supporting bone and tissue.
If left untreated, gums separate from teeth and recede, causing a
pocket to form below the gum line and trap more plaque and food,
which speeds up the process. This is where most people start wishing
they'd been more diligent about preventive measures.
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Advanced
Periodontitis is where your head falls off. Just kidding;
however, the discomfort possible at this stage may make your head
falling off seem preferable to the other consequences. Infection at
this stage destroys the bone and fiber supporting your teeth. Gums
recede even more, causing teeth to loosen and shift. Your bite can
change, and loose teeth can fall out.
We
test for gum disease by using a little probe that measures the depth of
the space between your tooth and the gum. The deeper the depth, the
greater the infection. If it looks as though you may have gum disease,
we'll use X-rays to confirm our diagnosis.
When
you come in for a cleaning, we'll show you how to prevent gum disease.
Simple daily measures that take under 5 minutes can keep you from this
serious condition.
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