This 8-part series provides an in-depth look at seven different habits, addictions and behaviors that are deadly to your oral health.
When trying to understand the habits, addictions and behaviors that affect our oral health, who better to speak to than Bronx dental implants specialists? After all, these highly trained and qualified professionals replace teeth that have sustained irreparable damage and/or decay on a daily basis. They have seen what happens to the health of teeth and gums when patients smoke, avoid the dentist, don’t replace missing teeth or lead an unhealthy lifestyle with a poor diet.
In this 8-part series, Bronx dental implant specialists shall provide an in-depth discussion on the 7 deadly dental sins. Committing these sins immediately puts the health of your teeth and gums in danger of infection and the terrible oral diseases that ultimately lead to tooth loss. Some of the habits that will be discussed are fairly obvious in their connection with oral health: virtually everybody knows that smoking is bad for you, for example. But some habits are a little more unexpected and surprising, such as the fact that allowing a missing tooth to go without replacement can lead to further tooth loss.
Armed with this information, it is hoped that every reader will go on to take better care of their oral health; that they’ll perform the daily necessary steps to keep their teeth and gums squeaky clean while avoiding the bad habits, addictions and behaviors that can lead land you up in the NYC dental implants specialist’s office! But, before we get started on this epic journey through the 7 deadly dental sins, let’s first take a look at your mouth under the microscope.
Bacteria, Bacteria, Bacteria… Everywhere!
That’s right. Under the microscope, your mouth is teeming with bacteria. Every single surface, nook, cranny, crack, groove and cusp is practically moving with the amount of microscopic organisms writhing across it. In fact, there are more bacteria in your mouth than there are people on the planet!
Most of the kinds of bacteria in your mouth – scientists have identified 700 different species – are perfectly harmless and even necessary for good oral health. But then there are the bad guys and these bacteria are responsible for forming massive acid-excreting and disease-spreading colonies. Plaque, the white sticky substance you can scrape off your teeth with your fingernail, is bacteria – legions of microorganisms (alive and dead) along with their odorous wastes.
When left to sit on your teeth for long periods of time, plaque hardens to form tartar and this irritates the gums, causing them to become inflamed and swollen. At this stage in the game, a person will have a condition known as gingivitis: inflammation of the gums. If not removed frequently enough by thorough brushing and flossing, the bacteria continue to multiply, forming swarming metropolises that are visible as whitish-grey structures (calculus) on the teeth and bridges between the teeth.
Ew! Who on Earth would allow this to happen to themselves? According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 80% of Americans, because 80% of our population presents with some form or stage of gum disease. Shocking isn’t it? Well, now that you have a better understanding of what’s going on in your mouth beneath the microscope, let’s begin examining the 7 deadly dental sins that lead to the unmanageable proliferation of oral bacteria.
Stay Tuned for Part 2
Stay tuned for the second installment of this 8-part article series in which Bronx dental implants specialists provide an in-depth discussion on the 7 deadly dental sins that lead to tooth decay, gum disease and tooth loss. In part two, we begin our journey with the number one transgression against oral health: poor oral hygiene.