Dr. Mogell Dental Blog

Boca Raton Cosmetic Dentist

Preventing Gingivitis

Thursday, July 08, 2010

You Can Prevent Gingivitis

We are all familiar with television commercials advocating the use of this Listerine product or that Crest product to ensure the health of your gums or teeth. They all can be of benefit in your arsenal of oral care products but what is the cause of the disease? Why do we need to use such materials to alleviate the illness?

Gingivitis is the earliest form of periodontal disease. The disease begins when we fail to adequately remove plaque that is constantly forming on our teeth. Plaque is a colorless sticky deposit of bacteria and their byproducts. The plaque acts as an irritant, think of how a pebble might irritate your foot if it is stuck in your shoe. Remove the pebble the sore on your foot heals, likewise remove the plaque and the gums heal and remain healthy!

Unfortunately, if the plaque is not removed, it will begin to form tartar. Tartar, or as the dental profession calls it, calculus, is a hard calcified substance that can not only affect the gums but also the jaw bone.

Moral of the story, make sure that you brush your teeth thoroughly and floss daily. Be sure to have your teeth professional cleaned several times each year. The impact of periodontal disease goes well beyond your mouth. It is well known that periodontal disease is directly related to cardiovascular disease, diabetes and low-birth weight babies.

If you should have any questions regarding your oral health, please do not hesitate to give us a call at 561-394-9000. We will arrange an appointment to complete a comprehensive examination to make sure that we are getting you on the right path of excellent periodontal health.

Kenneth A. Mogell, D.M.D.