Why Are My Gums Bleeding?

Bleeding gums is usually a sign of poor dental hygiene, but the problem may be reversible. Bleeding gums can be a symptom of periodontal disease, which is often caused by lack of proper oral hygiene.

Bleeding gums are usually caused by inflammation of the gums around the teeth due to improper cleaning of the teeth. Gingivitis is almost always reversible and symptoms are gums that are swollen and bleeding after brushing. Gingivitis is one of the most common forms of periodontal (gum) disease. Gingivitis can lead to a more serious form of gum disease called periodontitis if left untreated, and can lead to loss of teeth. Gum disease, not tooth decay, is the number one leading cause of tooth loss!

Bleeding gums can be a symptom of periodontal disease is often caused by lack of proper oral hygiene. Failure to rinse the food and sugar particles from your teeth after eating can allow the harmful bacteria in your mouth to cover the surface of the teeth. This promotes a tartar buildup and can cause inflammation of the gums, leading to bleeding gums.

Gum disease is a serious problem! The bacteria in gum disease can enter your blood stream through damaged blood vessels which run through the gums and can increase your risk of stroke, stomach ulcers, lung disease, pneumonia, heart attacks, insulin resistance and high blood sugar levels.

If prevention fails, the cure for bleeding gums is first found at the dentist's office. Controlling plaque in your mouth is the key to maintaining healthy gums. If bleeding gums are caused by hardened plaque, it may be necessary for a dental professional to remove the plaque layer from the surface of the teeth. After seeing a professional for plaque removal, practice daily brushing after each meal and daily flossing.

Preventing bleeding gums is as simple as following a proper oral hygiene routine. Adults and children should brush after each meal and snack, taking care to reach all places in the mouth. Flossing daily is highly recommended for gum health; using a length of floss, wrap one end around each index finger, pull floss between each tooth and on the backs of the molars. Bleeding may occur the first few times you floss; this is usually a sign that flossing should be performed more often. Dabbing a little lemon oil on the affected area an help provide temporary relief from bleeding gums.

Cavities and Tooth Decay

Dental caries, also known as tooth decay and dental cavities, is the most common chronic childhood disease affecting American children today. Tooth decay occurs when the tooth's mineral content has been dissolved away, and a defect or hole is formed. The hole in the tooth is called a cavity.

The majority of the tooth surface that is visible is made up of tooth enamel, which is the hardest tissue found in the human body. Enamel is more than 95% mineral in its composition, and most of the enamel is made up of a mineral compound that is rich in calcium. Teeth are not completely enamel; the bulk of the tooth is actually made up of a calcified tissue called dentin that is about two thirds the mineral content of enamel, so it is softer than enamel. The dentin protects the tooth nerve tissue and is protected by the tooth enamel on the surface.

Tooth decay is caused by demineralization in a spot on the surface of a tooth, and takes place because of the presence of harmful acids on the tooth's surface. The tooth decay can be reversed until a cavity forms, at which point the tooth can not be restored to its original mineral composition.

The degrading acids are produced by the bacteria mutans streptococci and lactobacilli that live in the dental plaque. These bacteria utilize the sugars we eat as their food source, and acids, usually lactic acid, are the waste products they create from digesting these sugars, and cause the demineralization of tooth enamel and dentin. Acid formation can begin within minutes of the bacteria receiving a sugary meal, and it can take several hours for saliva to penetrate the layer of dental plaque to neutralize these acids. Dental plaque not only provides a home for the harmful bacteria that cause tooth decay, but plaque also holds the acids produced by these bacteria against the surface of the teeth.

The first step in preventing tooth decay and cavities in children and adults is by practicing good oral hygiene. Children and adults should ideally brush their teeth after every meal and snack, making sure to reach all corners of the mouth, as places that often get missed are those most likely to develop a cavity or tooth decay.

Flossing daily is highly recommended, as well as semi annual visits to the dentist to have teeth thoroughly inspected and cleaned. If bleeding occurs during flossing, this is a sign that flossing needs to be done more frequently, but should be no cause for alarm. For a quick, temporary fix for bleeding gums, just dab a little lemon oil on the affected area.

Saliva has a hard time getting into pit and fissures deep in the grooves of the teeth, so chewing a fibrous vegetable like celery daily can aid in pushing saliva into places that the tooth brush and floss can't reach.

An important way to prevent tooth decay and cavities is to avoid the foods and beverages that are most likely to lead to tooth decay and cavities. Reducing your overall consumption of sugar is not as important as avoiding constant snacking of sugary or sticky foods such as dried fruits and candy. Consider avoiding beverages that are high in sugars to limit the amount of food given to the harmful bacteria that cause tooth decay and cavities. By following these simple steps, you can go a long way toward preventing tooth decay and cavities!

Dental Decay in Children

Dental caries, also known as tooth decay and cavities, is the leading chronic childhood disease affecting American children today. Dental caries is a disease where the bacteria streptococcus mutans and lactobacilli damage the hard tooth structure of enamel and dentin.

These bacteria like to eat sugary foods, and they create acid waste products that cause the erosion of tooth enamel over time. The bacteria live in plaque that forms on the teeth, and the acid can become trapped between the plaque and the surface of the tooth, leading to tooth decay. When holes begin to form where acid is decaying the tooth, this is officially creates a cavity. If left untreated, dental caries can lead to pain, tooth loss, infection, and in severe cases, death.

In young children dental caries can be found in the baby teeth, and are often called "baby bottle caries" or "baby bottle tooth decay". Dental caries usually affects the top front teeth, and is typically caused by allowing children to fall asleep with sweetened liquids in their bottles or from feeding children sweetened liquids multiple times during the day. Dental caries in children can also be caused by regular snacking and ingestion of sweetened liquids frequently throughout the day.

The best way to prevent dental decay in children is to have them follow proper oral hygiene while limiting the amount of sugary snacking and beverages they consume. For young children still using a bottle, only water should be left with the child to drink at night. Children should brush after each meal, at least twice a day and floss at least once per day. Children should take care to reach all areas of the mouth, as any that are neglected are most prone to tooth decay.

A good rule of thumb for children is to sing the "Happy Birthday" song to themselves while brushing as a guideline for how long they need to brush their teeth. When brushing the teeth, children should use a circular motion, reaching top and bottom, front and back. Children should also brush the inside of the teeth in the same manner. Small children should be supervised during brushing to ensure they do not swallow the toothpaste.

Regular dentist checkups and cleanings are important to catch tooth decay before it forms a cavity in children's mouths. Encourage your children to start practicing an oral hygiene regimen today and lead them to healthy teeth and gums for a lifetime!

A Fresh Look at Fluoride

We are brought up to believe without question that fluoride is "good for us". Most dental care products on the market, and even our nationwide water supply, contain fluoride, the same chemical that scientists in the lab can't handle without gloves. So what are the facts on fluoride?

The United States government introduced fluoride into the public water supply in the 1940s, reportedly to decrease the rate of tooth decay and cavities. The rate of tooth decay and dental caries has decreased significantly over the past decades in the western world, and the United States is working toward a goal of 75% fluoridation in community waters by 2010. The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention hails mass fluoridation as "one of the great public health achievements of the 20^th century".

It is known that when fluoride makes direct contact with teeth, the fluoride helps to strengthen tooth enamel and resist cavities. The government claims that adding fluoride to the water supply is the best way for all people to have equal access to fluoride, irrespective of income. Other countries may add fluoride to table salt instead of water to promote wide public use of fluoride.

For such a pervasive and popular chemical additive, why did the American Dental Association announce in 2006 that parents should prevent their infants from drinking fluoridated water? Emerging evidence suggests that exposing children to fluoride is leading to a condition called dental fluorosis, which can lead to severely damaged, stained and pitted teeth in children. Dental fluorosis occurs when overexposure to fluoride in developing teeth are affected in the mineralization process.

This raises some ethical issues with adding fluoride to the water supply: first, it is the only form of medication the United States mandates in the water supply today (but with many people improperly disposing of their pharmaceutical medications, that doesn't mean it's the only chemical present in the water supply. It's just the only chemical that's federally mandated). Some countries believe that compulsory mass medication is unethical, and most countries in Western Europe refuse to fluoridate their water supplies.

Fluoride has also been linked to a host of medical conditions. Shockingly, these include dental fluorosis mentioned above, fluorosis of the bones (skeletal fluorosis) which is similar to arthritis, reduced IQ scores in children, lead exposure in children, and sperm damage in animals who were given fluoride through water.

Silicofluorides are the most common fluoride additive in drinking water in the United States; this highly toxic industrial byproduct replaces the original additive used in 1945, sodium fluoride. It has been suggested that the use of silicofluorides began as a convenient way to dispose of industrial waste that would otherwise cost too much to properly dispose of, and currently used in 90% of fluoridated U.S. water.

Fluoride was once thought to be most effective when ingested, but dental researchers now know that fluoride is most effective only when applied topically to the outside of the tooth. The CDC admitted in 1999 that fluoride's purposes "primarily are topical for both adults and children."

The rate of dental cavities and tooth decay has been dropping steadily for the past 30 years in areas with fluoridated water supply, however the declining rates are about the same for areas that did not add fluoride to their water supply or table salt. It is believed that the lower tooth decay rates are due to the use of fluoride in toothpaste, not from actually ingesting fluoride.

For overall health and safety, it may be best to avoid ingesting fluoride (a known toxic chemical) and fluoridated water. Your best dental plan is daily maintenance with brushing and flossing, as well as ensuring your diet is rich in vitamins and minerals that will support overall health and good dental health.

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The Rising Costs of Dental Care

• 108 million Americans lived without dental insurance in 2000 according to the Surgeon General's Report
• For every child covered by dental insurance in the United States, there are 2.6 children without dental insurance
• Dental caries (tooth decay and cavities) are the most common chronic childhood disease, affecting 50% of first graders and 80% of 17 year olds
• Dental care in the United States is excellent, but mostly unavailable through private and public insurance
• Dental cavities and tooth decay are an easily preventable problem!

With dental costs rising 50% above inflation rates in the last ten years, and the average American spending $600 a year in dental premiums, deductibles and out-of-pocket costs, how can you take control of your family's dental health?

The average price to fill a cavity is $115, and 34% of Americans did not visit a dentist last year. With dental issues among American children on the rise, and the knowledge of proper dental care as high as it has ever been, it seems there might be something missing from our diet.

Most dental care dollars are spent on preventable dental problems that result in:

• Caries (also known as tooth decay or cavities) in permanent teeth
• Pulling permanent teeth
• Root canals
• Gum disease like Gingivitis
• Protective sealants (can actually trap bad bacteria in the with the tooth)

Do these issues sound familiar to your family? Then you need to know that you could save thousands of dollars and many painstaking hours at the dentist by encouraging your family on the road to preventive dental health. Your best dental insurance plan includes living a healthy lifestyle, teaching your family to brush, and floss. Seek regular dental checkups and eat more alkaline than acidic foods to stay on top of your dental care and costs!

Benefits of Good Oral Health

The benefits of good oral health last a lifetime, and can also make a big difference in a person's quality of life. People with poor oral health may be teased by peers, passed over for promotions at work, may not get hired for the job they are qualified for, and may suffer loss of self esteem and self confidence needed to navigate the competitive world.

Good oral health means that you are not suffering from dental cavities or tooth decay, you do not live with periodontal diseases such as gingivitis that causes bleeding gums, and your mouth is generally not a source of anxiety and concern for you. It means you can flash a bright smile, powerful enough to open doors and melt hearts, even making up for other areas of yourself that may be lacking.

Sometimes bleeding gums can be a sign of systemic underlying problems, so having good oral health can alert you to such problems when something out of the ordinary appears.

Good oral health means that you are rarely eating sugar, as sugar feeds any harmful bacteria in your mouth; you also take care to eliminate these harmful bacteria as much as possible. If a cavity does form, you know there is no reversing the process. The best that you can do after that point is to get a filling, or if left untreated, have crowns put on or possibly a root canal when the entire tooth rots from the inside out.

Having poor oral health practices can lead to serious problems: when you have harmful bacteria in your mouth, they can enter the blood stream through damaged blood vessels in the gums and increase your risk of stroke, stomach ulcers, lung disease, heart attack, insulin resistance and high blood sugar levels.

The benefits of good oral health can stretch into promoting your overall health, as well as a good response from people when you meet or speak to them. Having a healthy smile is your best accessory in life!