Floss for Life

You’ve heard it all before – floss and brush your teeth every day or face the threat of tooth loss and decay later in life. However, the bad news can exceed far beyond oral health, and can occur much earlier in life, going virtually unnoticed until the damage has taken its toll on the body.

About 15 percent of adults in this country have advanced periodontitis, while potentially half of all high school students suffer from gingivitis. The result? Potential health problems that’ll make you wish you’d slid that 12-inch piece of string between your teeth on a more regular basis.

It’s true, flossing should be an integral part of maintaining good oral hygiene, in order to maintain good overall health. Hundreds of bacterial species dwell in our mouths, ready to infect the deep crevices and pockets of our gums. Hundreds of Americans are susceptible to these bacterial infections in the mouth, causing the inflammation attributed to gingivitis. Eventually the condition can progress and become periodontitis, causing bacterial infections to deepen within the gum line and affecting the teeth’s sockets, and in turn, their bone structure.

If this potential sequence of events isn’t enough incentive, you should be aware that studies have correlated periodontitis to heart disease, strokes, diabetes, pneumonia, and even premature births/low birth weights. Once an infection in the gums, sockets, or jaw becomes serious enough to spread to other parts of the body, it can affect other major organs, potentially harming fetuses, and possibly inducing an untimely death.
Sound dramatic?

Well, did you know that people with periodonitis:

• May be two times more likely to suffer a fatal heart attack
• Can be three times more likely to suffer a stroke
• Are more susceptible to developing pneumonia or a bronchial infection
• Struggle to maintain normal blood-sugar levels, if diabetic
• Are at risk of delivering babies prematurely

All because the bacteria dwelling in deep within their mouths’ crevices may eventually spread to other parts of their bodies. What’s more, periodontal disease bears no symptoms until it is in its more advanced (and less reversible) stages. Which is why it is critical to get a professional dental examination at least once a year. And which is why it is mandatory to regularly (and thoroughly) brush and floss your teeth. All this because you wouldn’t take the extra five minutes in your day to floss!

If, however, you do suffer from periodontitis, Tribeca Smiles provides both surgical and non-surgical options. However, we do encourage non-surgical treatments if and when possible. Our time-released antibiotics placed below the gum line, such as pharmaceutical Arestin, Periostat, and Atridox are state-of-the-art modalities which will ensure painless treatment for your condition.