A Specialist Presents 6 Shocking Facts You Didn’t Know About Gum Disease PART 2

This two-part article series presents some pretty scary facts about a common disease many Arizona residents have, but don’t even know it: gum disease.

Welcome to the second half of this two-part article series on gum disease and the six surprising facts many Arizona residents didn’t know about this prevalent ailment. In Part 1, the first three facts were discussed and they were:

Fact 1: According to the CDC, 80% of Americans present with some stage of gum disease, whether it’s gingivitis or full-blown periodontitis.

Fact 2: Gingivitis is the beginning stage of gum disease and is characterized by bad breath, inflamed and swollen gums and gums that bleed when brushed and flossed.

Fact 3: If you don’t go to your dentist for gum disease treatment, you WILL ultimately lose all of your natural teeth.

Let’s take a look at the final three facts about gum disease…

 Fact 4: Gum disease is often left untreated because it doesn’t typically cause patients any pain.

Most of the time, Arizona residents will wait out an illness, rather than spend any money seeing a doctor. However, the number one symptom that provokes patients to seek medical attention is pain and this is the problem with gum disease: it doesn’t usually cause any!

“Gum disease can cause your gums to be uncomfortable, to bleed easily and to feel a little tender when brushed, but this discomfort is rarely enough to compel patients to see the dentist for professional treatment,” says a gum disease specialist. “Without urgent symptoms from which patients need relief, gum disease can be left without treatment for many years, by which stage the damage can be irreparable.”

Remember, avoiding the doctor out of a concern for cost might work with the common cold, avoiding professional treatment for dental problems does not. You will only end up with more extensive damage and more expensive bills. 

Fact 5: Gum disease puts you at risk of a suite of serious illnesses, including heart, respiratory, liver and kidney disease.Your mouth is the portal through which your body receives it’s life-giving air and nutrition, so if it heavily diseased and infected, what do you think’s going to happen to the rest of your body?

“There is a great volume of scientific literature on the connection between oral health and general health and as far as gum disease is concerned, there are some greatly alarming truths for patients to come to terms with,” says a gum disease treatment expert. “For instance, patients with gum disease are at a far greater risk of developing diabetes and heart disease than those who have healthy gums. A greater prevalence of liver and kidney disease and respiratory disease are also linked with a chronically unhealthy mouth.”

So, neglecting to look after your teeth and gums isn’t only a death sentence for your smile, it could literally be a death sentence for you too!

Fact 6: Gum disease is easy to prevent, but it has devastating effects if left without treatment.

And so we can see from the fact that gum disease (1) shares a relationship with a host of potentially fatal systemic diseases and (2) can totally destroy your smile if left without treatment that this ailment is indeed truly devastating. The good news is it’s easily preventable and treatable. It’s only in cases of profound neglect and ignorance that gum disease is left to inflict the full caliber of damage it’s capable of.

So, be sure to brush and floss thoroughly every day and see your dentist and oral hygienist at least once every six months for a dental check-up and cleaning!

6 Shocking Facts You Didn’t Know About Gum Disease, PART 1

This two-part article series presents some pretty scary facts about a common disease many Arizona residents have, but don’t even know it: gum disease.


Chances are you’ve heard of gum disease, whether it’s from your dentist, the warnings on the back of a packet of cigarettes or from a friend or relative who’s received a diagnosis for it. And while you may be aware that gum disease makes your teeth rot, your breath smell and your smile look positively awful, most Arizona residents know little else about the disease that’s ravaging the state’s oral health.

That all changes in this two-part article series, in which an experienced gum disease specialist explains six really important facts we didn’t know – but should know – about gum disease. Let’s begin!

Fact # 1: 8 Out of 10 Arizona residents have gum disease

This may sound like an exaggeration - after all, you wouldn’t say the majority of the people you share your life with have rotten teeth! But according to the Center for Disease control, as much as 80% of the population suffers from some degree or stage of gum disease. This is a shocking statistic that really brings home how staggering our neglect for good oral hygiene and routine preventative care is.

“If your gums bleed when you brush or floss them and if they’re red and swollen, as opposed to pink and firm, then you may have gum disease,” explains a treatment specialist in Arizona. “You may not have full blown gum disease, but you may certainly be suffering from the beginning stages known as gingivitis. It’s not normal for gums to bleed when you brush or floss them: that’s a sign of infection.”

Fact # 2: Gingivitis marks the beginning stages of gum disease

Many toothpaste ads boast their ability to fight the germs that lead to gingivitis, so the word means something to most Arizona residents. But did you know that gingivitis is actually the beginning stages of gum disease and is marked by a bacterial infection of the gums surrounding the teeth?

“Gingivitis is an infection of the gums caused by prolific bacterial activity, which is typically brought on by a lack of oral hygiene and routine professional healthcare,” says a gum disease treatment expert. “Frequent and thorough brushing and flossing and twice-yearly visits to the dentist are crucial for preventing the progression of gingivitis to full-blown gum disease, at which stage it becomes known as periodontitis.”

Fact # 3: Gum disease can cause you to lose ALL of your teeth

Most Arizona resident who have lost all of their teeth and who now wear dentures, had to have their natural teeth extracted because they had gum disease, which they ignored for many years.

“This is not a condition that goes away on its own,” says a gum disease specialist. “You’ve got to receive professional care and you’ve got to change your oral hygiene habits and lifestyle.”

The message is simple: if you don’t receive prompt gum disease treatment, you WILL ultimately lose all of your teeth!

Stay Tuned for Part 2

To find out more shocking facts on gum disease, stay tuned for the second half of this four-part article series.