Many of us already know that good oral hygiene is essential where preventing gum disease problems is concerned. By brushing your teeth and flossing daily, you are removing or neutralizing the harmful anaerobic bacteria responsible for periodontal gum disease problems. Unfortunately, good oral hygiene may not be enough to prevent periodontal gum disease problems from starting in your mouth. This is because dehydration causes gum disease problems due to lowered salivation rates. Saliva helps prevent gum disease because it has high levels of oxygen and natural enzymes which neutralize the anaerobic bacteria. Behaviors or products that induce dehydration will make gum disease prevention difficult or impossible and some of the worst are:
- Smoking
- Laxatives
- Dietary Supplements
- Drinking Alcohol
Smoking tobacco products may cause gum disease for two reasons. In the first place, smoking robs your body of vitamins, minerals and other necessary nutrients which causes the immune system to weaken and become strained. Using tobacco products will also make gum disease prevention difficult because they dry out the mouth and decrease salivation rates. The combined effects of a depleted immune system and a dry mouth make smokers three times more likely to develop periodontal gum disease problems when compared with those who don’t smoke.
Gum disease prevention is also complicated by the steady or consistent use of laxatives. Artificial and natural stimulants are used in most laxatives to help spur the colon muscles into action and therefore induce a bowel movement. However, due to the fact stimulants are known to cause dehydration and hence effectively lower saliva production, laxatives should only be used for short periods of time. In addition, it is important to increase liquid intake during use as a protective measure to ensure that periodontal gum disease problems do not arise.
Dietary supplements may also cause gum disease if used for extended periods of time because they, too, are made with stimulants in many cases. And as is the case with laxatives, taking dietary supplements for lengthy periods of time will lead to dehydration and a drained immune system. Gum disease prevention becomes tremendously challenging to say the least for those taking dietary supplements because the combination of lowered salivation and a weakened immune system tend to make it easy for the anaerobic populations to swell out of control.
Finally, periodontal gum disease prevention is thwarted by alcohol consumption because it also causes dehydration. While the consumption of alcohol may effectively kill the anaerobic bacteria in your mouth while drinking, it will leave you defenseless in the morning when you awaken with a dry mouth. Using mouth wash products made with alcohol should also be avoided for the same reason as the cure may actually cause gum disease rather than prevent it.
A great many tooth and gum disease problems could be avoided by simply avoiding behaviors or substances that lead to dehydration. By keeping the mouth well-salivated and using good oral hygiene practices, preventing gum disease is very simple.
For an all natural product that helps stimulate salivation as well as help kill the harmful anaerobic bacteria inside your mouth, try OraMD®. OraMD® is an all-natural gum disease product made from the essential oils of almond, spearmint, and peppermint. OraMD® offers a long-term solution for gum disease and other periodontal problems by cleaning the mouth and killing the bacteria that cause volatile sulfur compounds, or VSC’s.
