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Gingivitis and Gum Disease Can Be Prevented
They wanted me to submit to a 'root scaling and planing' procedure. They said it would not hurt because they would numb my gums before proceeding. Did I want to get started today? NO! I don't want to start today. I wondered why I needed this procedure all of a sudden!As I looked further into the situation, a larger picture began to reveal itself. It became apparentthat I was the victim of gum disease, the silent epidemic that stalks most people who don'tusually realize it until it is time for a costly and potentially painful treatment and recovery.What I think is disturbing is that a condition doesn't get this bad between office visits. Why did Isuddenly need this treatment? Why wasn't this mentioned before? How come I wasn't told howto prevent it? In fact, gum diseaseoften develops slowly over a period of years. More importantly, it is preventable.Gum recession and tissue that is lost won't normally return on it's own. The gum recessionremains permanent unless you go to a Periodontist, who can rebuild that tissue by inserting bonematrix or by utilizing other similar procedures. This is also an expensive proposition.As I mentioned before, I declined the root scaling and planing. The response from the hygienistwas that she wanted me to sign a paper that it wasn't their fault if I lost my teeth. My satisfactioncame six months later when the hygienist looked at my mouth and said that I didn't need that rootscaling and planing any longer.My frustration, however, lingers. I've visited the same dentist's office for about 8 years now. Thisdidn't happen overnight. Why wasn't I ever told how to stop gum disease from getting worse?Going back even further why was I not told how to prevent it? Thegum recessiondoesn't reverse by itself. The gums may be healthy again, but the tissue loss remains.Here is a quote from the Mayo Clinic website, "nearly 80 percent of American adults have someform of gum (periodontal) disease." Therefore, dentistry must know that people either have or are developing the disease. The question begs to be answered, "how do I prevent this in the first place?"Unfortunately, you may get an answer suggesting that brushing and flossing are important. Iagree they are important, but you can not tell me that 80% of Americans are not brushing and flossing. Just thinking about the numbers leads to the conclusion that brushing and flossing are NOT enough to prevent gum disease for most people.I found a combination of materials that I could use to stop gum disease from getting worse. Itwas a great discovery for me personally. The last time I visited the dentist, there was no bleeding.My gums are a healthy pink now. Unfortunately, getting the lost tissue back would involve someexpensive treatment and potentially painful recovery time.
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