Gum diseases are a common cause for concern for many people, with serious repercussions if left untreated. However, in order to treat gum disease, it’s important to know what the underlying causes of the condition are. A professional in dentistry can help you determine the root cause of your gum disease, which will help you to decide on the best way to treat the condition.
One of the top causes of chronic gum disease is smoking. Smoking affects everyone differently, but for most people, it contributes to some serious health problems over time. For example, tobacco smoke reduces the amount of circulating good bacteria in your mouth, meaning that bad bacteria can grow without any kind of control.
Let us now see the main consequences of leaving gum diseases untreated.
- Gum recession
Gum disease can cause the loss of gum tissue. When this happens, your teeth are left exposed, especially when you speak, chew, and eat certain foods. In some cases, it is possible to see these exposures when you smile or talk. This can lead to a person’s teeth looking unhealthy and unattractive.
- Jawbone loss
Exposure to bad bacteria can also cause bone loss. This is something that may not affect you immediately, but over time, it can lead to your jawline beginning to shrink. And it will eventually lead to a person looking older than they are. This is because the loss of the jawbone can eventually result in a sunken-in facial structure.
- Total tooth loss
Of course, one of the most serious consequences of leaving gum disease untreated is that your teeth can become irreversibly damaged. This damage includes tooth decay, which can cause teeth to become rotten or fall out completely.
Again, the best way to treat gum disease is through prevention. This includes not just smoking cessation but also practicing good oral hygiene techniques and visiting the dentist regularly.
- Malnutrition
While gum disease is not necessarily a dietary issue, it can certainly have an adverse effect on your health. This is because sometimes there may be a connection between gum disease and malnutrition. When this happens, your food choices and eating habits become extremely important for your overall health.
- Halitosis
The most common consequence of gum disease is bad breath or halitosis. Bad breath can be caused by many different things, and it may not always be gum related. However, gum disease can definitely contribute to bad breath simply because it makes your mouth much more hospitable to harmful bacteria.