2016 Wellness Expo

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2016 Wellness Expo Lincoln Daily Tuesday, February 16, 2016 Page 15
A healthy future
with tooth care now
A common conversation between
dental professionals and patients
goes like this:
“Do your gums bleed?”
“Yes, most of the time, but my
gums always bleed.”
Dental Hygienist, Mary
Southerlan, says that she begins
each appointment with this
question and usually gets the same
answer in the affirmative.
However, she says, “Healthy gums
should not bleed when brushing or
flossing.”
Southerlan says, “I usually follow
up with the question: If your arm
bled every time you took a shower,
would you worry? And the
response is always, yes. So, if you
notice that your gums are bleeding
you should be worried.”
Southerlan illustrates the level
of the problem, the causes and
what you can do:
Over 75 % percent of Americans
over age 35 have some form of
gum disease. At the earliest stage,
you might notice bleeding and
inflammation. The end stages
result in loss of teeth.
Teeth can last a lifetime, if you
take care of them.
The mouth contains millions
of bacteria. Some are harmless,
while others can attack the teeth
and gums. Harmful bacteria is a
colorless sticky film called plaque,
the cause of gum disease. Plaque
builds up on all of our teeth daily
and if not removed by brush
and floss it will irritate the gums
causing swelling and bleeding, and
left untreated will progress.
Early gum disease is called
gingivitis. It affects the gums, but
as the disease progresses it actually
causes bone loss with the eventual
loss of teeth.
The bacteria that cause gum
disease is also closely associated
with diabetes, and heart disease,
strokes and low birth weight
babies.
Your mouth is the gateway to
having overall health.
The Surgeon General issued a
report in May 2000 calling bad
oral health a “silent epidemic”
and called for a national effort to
improve oral health.
From the Logan County Department of Public Health Dental
Clinic Registered Dental Hygienist, Mary Southerlan, explains how
important it is, and how to take care of your gums and teeth
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