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Dr. David A. Smith

David A Smith

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317-597-8748
12188-A North Meridian Street, Suite 355,
Carmel, IN 46032
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gingivitis

What Happens If Gum Disease Is Left Unchecked?

By on August 12, 2015

Maybe you’ve experienced some of the symptoms of periodontal, or gum, disease: bleeding, inflamed gums, sensitivity, discoloration … the list goes on! You may never have experienced these or other symptoms but that still doesn’t completely eliminate your chances of having or getting gum disease.

For many patients the early symptoms of gum disease aren’t noticeable and are often reversed with better oral hygiene. For other patients periodontal problems never go away, and generally get worse. Over time this can be incredibly destructive on your oral health, which is what brings us to today’s topic: the long-term effects of periodontal disease.

What Is Periodontal Disease?

The soft tissue of your mouth is under assault from the same forces that attack your teeth: plaque bacteria. While it isn’t a problem for your gums under normal conditions there is always the possibility of some plaque bacteria making it below your gum line, where it can start to grow unchecked!

As this process continues your gums start to become irritated and inflamed due to the bacteria. This can cause bleeding and irritation until your gums start to recede, exposing more and more of your teeth.

Gum Recession

It isn’t a problem initially, but over time diseased gums will start to recede. As this continues you start to become at risk for losing a tooth! Your gums are an important part of keeping your teeth securely in place, and without them your teeth won’t have anything keeping them in place!

Gum recession can continue and your gums will eventually pull back from your teeth, forming large pockets that can easily become infected. At this point you’ll likely start to experience a loosening of teeth: the first sign that tooth loss is possible!

Tooth Loss

Damage to your gums eventually progresses to tooth loss, and the loss of one tooth isn’t the end! When you lose a single tooth the neighboring ones are left with nothing supporting them. They’ll shift and move, causing changes in your bite and the position of your top row of teeth.

Since your bottom teeth are already loose the shifting can call them to fall out completely. This domino effect of tooth loss can continue until you’ve lost every single tooth! While techniques such as dentures, implants, and bridges exist to help restore lost teeth you’re still not out of the woods!

Overall Health

There are several strong links between the health of your teeth and the health of your entire body. Your mouth is the only way to put things into your body, so it makes sense that the health of your mouth would be so important to the rest of you!

Presence of gum disease has been linked to:

  • Increased risk of heart disease due to the inflammatory nature of gum disease
  • Increased risk for Infective Endocarditis if infection reaches the bloodstream
  • Stroke patients who were tested for periodontal disease overwhelmingly came up positive
  • Because diabetes increases infection risks diabetic patients are at increased risk for gum disease
  • Osteoporosis, or weakening of the bones, has been connected to bone loss in the jaw. Jaw bone loss occurs due to teeth lost to periodontal disease.
  • Bacteria in the mouth can actually end up in the lungs, leading to chest infections and long-term health problems.
  • increased cancer risks

Avoid This Costly Future!

Gum disease is very common, but do you know the worst part? The vast majority of cases can be prevented through good home care habits and regular professional dental care! At our Carmel office we are avid proponents of proactive, protective dental care that includes cleanings and exams and other preventive techniques.

The choice is yours: take action now to keep your whole body healthy or react to gum disease when it’s already too late. Make the right choice and call Really Smile Dental today at 317-597-8748 or request an appointment using our online form. We look forward to helping you!

Healthy Heart Dentistry: How Gum Disease Affects the Heart

By on February 17, 2015

As we have been mentioning again and again, Really Smile has offerings that no other dental office in Carmel or the Indianapolis area can imagine! We want to take some time today to talk about something other than your teeth.

Today we want to talk about your heart. That’s right, we said your HEART. Heart disease is still the number one killer among men AND women in the United States.

While we said that we were going to talk about something other than your teeth today, you should know that the health of your mouth is directly linked to the health of your heart. We call it a connection between oral health and systemic health.

Research Connects Oral Health to Systemic Health

This connection has long been in play. We have known for decades that there was a connection, but outlining the specifics of that connection has been difficult to do. We know that the main factor is that of gum disease.

Gum disease is linked to systemic health, particularly the health of your cardiovascular system. Until recently, we didn’t understand much at all, but new research shows a possible reason behind this connection.

Research on Heart Disease
Research seems to have had a breakthrough in the connection between gum disease and heart disease. We now believe that when your gums bleed, the bacteria from your gum disease is able to work its way into the bloodstream.

Once there, the bacteria begins sticking to blood platelets and joining them together until clots form. As clots move through your system, they bring about havoc and can actually lead to a heart attack.

A heart attack.

Can you sense our urgency? Do you feel the importance of this topic? We hope so!

Keeping a Healthy Heart is About More Than Diet and Exercise

Diet and exercise are at the TOP of the list for maintaining a healthy heart, and they should not be moved, but there is one more thing that needs to be added to the list: oral health. You MUST keep your gums healthy!

Taking a Whole-Body Approach

We believe that the body is one unit and should be treated as such. There are so many systems and moving parts, but they all work together. If there is a problem in one area, chances are pretty great that it is connected to a problem in another area. This principle definitely applies to oral health and heart disease!

Caring for Your Teeth

Caring for your teeth is something you can do beginning right now. You can improve your hygiene habits and get your smile back in shape.

If things are out of control, you can come to us for help. You need to schedule an exam and cleaning anyway, so why not come see us to see how we can help you get a healthier smile!

Contact us today to set up an appointment or exam. We would love to see you very soon to give you the best care possible! Here’s to your heart!

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Business Hours

Monday 7:40 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Tuesday 7:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Wednesday 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Thursday 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
(Friday – Sunday – Closed)

On the blog

How Headaches and Dental Stress Are Related

It’s a pretty well-known fact that headaches are one of the most common pain-causing … [Read More...] about How Headaches and Dental Stress Are Related

A Better Way To Treat Cavities In Carmel, IN!

Hello and welcome to another June edition of the Really Smile blog! If you have ever … [Read More...] about A Better Way To Treat Cavities In Carmel, IN!

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Meet the Doctor

Dr. David A. Smith explains his vision of life-changing dentistry for Really Smile Dental:

“I chose dentistry as my life’s work because I have the privilege to serve people in a way that is truly life-changing. I was honored with the appointment by Indianapolis Woman Magazine as Makeover Dentist 2008."

read more

Business Hours

Monday: 7:40 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Tuesday: 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Wednesday: 7:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Thursday: 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
(Friday – Sunday: Closed)

Contact us

Really Smile Dental
Phone: 317-597-8748
Fax: 317-815-1636
URL: reallysmile.com
12188-A North Meridian Street, Suite 355
Carmel, IN 46032

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