Did you know that there are various ways in which your risk of developing periodontal disease can increase? Periodontal disease, or the infection of the areas surrounding your teeth, is just one of the many oral ailments that may occur if proper preventative measures are not taken.
Fortunately, our dentist, Dr. Stephen Babin, is familiar with the factors that increase the risk of developing gum disease and is here to help you prevent it. Our team at Stephen Babin DDS in Metairie, Louisiana, is highly qualified and ready to help with whatever dental care matter they can.
Although the bacteria in plaque are what initiate periodontal disease, other diseases, medicines, oral habits, and additional factors can increase your risk of developing the disease. Some of these include:
– Poor nutrition: Eating healthy foods is essential to overall good health, because this contributes to a healthy immune systems and healthy gums and mouth. Severe vitamin C deficiency can sometimes cause the gums to bleed.
– Stress: Stress has been known to worsen periodontal disease and make it harder to treat, because stress weakens the bodies immune system. Therefore, the body becomes less able to fight of infections including periodontal disease.
– Fluctuating hormones: Whenever hormone levels fluctuate in the body, changes can occur in the mouth as well. Both puberty and pregnancy are periods where the levels of hormones in the body fluctuate at a higher rate, which temporarily increases the risk of gum disease in these individuals as the fluctuations occur.
– Grinding, gritting, or clenching of teeth: These habits by themselves will not cause gum disease, however they can exacerbate already existing conditions.
These and many more are ways that you could be at increased risk of developing gum disease. If you have any questions or concerns about periodontal disease or any other oral health matter, please call our capable team at 504-887-2428.