Gum disease is a wide spread but silent problem. Many people do not understand the seriousness of this issue until their smiles become less attractive and their gums have receded. If that doesn’t draw a person’s attention to the situation, loose and lost teeth will.

Unfortunately, this is what it sometimes takes for a person to sit up and take notice. It’s hard to be on guard against something if you don’t recognize it as a problem. That is just human nature and is understandable. However, ‘prevention is worth a pound of cure’, as the saying goes. If you don’t think gum disease or gingivitis is something you need to worry about, the odds state otherwise. The Mayo Clinic website estimates that about 80% of adult Americans have some form of this disease.

Eight out of ten adults is quite a large number of people. So this is something that virtually everyone needs to be concerned about. Here are some specific factors that can contribute to the development or intensity of an existing gum disease problem.

1. Smoking - Smoking harms most of the body’s tissues and immune system. You need a fairly strong immune system to combat gum disease. If you smoke or chew tobacco, you should probably stop. This is just one more from a long list of reasons to quit the use of cigarettes and chewing tobacco.

2. Clenching or Grinding the Teeth - This is a big one for some people. If you grind your teeth, you may want to get a mouth guard which can be bought at most any drug store. Ask someone if they hear you grinding your teeth while you sleep. The extreme pressures generated from clenching and grinding can weaken the supporting structure of your teeth and gums. This can make it easier for a gum tissue infection to occur or increase the progression of an existing invasion.

3. Medications - Certain medications can affect the health of the gum tissue. Whenever you pick up a medication from your local pharmacy, you should ask the pharmacist for a print out of side effects. This will be quite an eye opener to you. Look for any side effect that mentions oral health, periodontitis or gum disease in particular.

4. Pregnancy and times of hormonal change. Hormonal changes can affect your gums. In addition, a woman with an existing case of gum disease is seven times more likely to have a low birth weight, preterm child

5. Genetics - Studies done on identical twins seem to indicate that there is a genetic factor that comes into play with gum disease. Some people are more susceptible and have to work harder to prevent plaque build-up on their teeth, especially near the gums. On the other end of the spectrum, there appears to be 2% of the population that is resistant to gum disease. This shows that what genes you inherit can have an impact on your oral health.

7. Stress affects the immune system of the body. A healthy immune system is important in fighting off infections, including the bacteria that cause gum disease. Too much stress weakens the immune system.

8. Diabetes - In general, those who suffer from diabetes are at higher risk to contract infections. Gum disease is an infection of the gum tissue. This is also true for any other disease that effects or compromises the immune system.

Gum disease is fairly common and even if you think you don’t have it, you very well could. Ask your dentist at every check up if you are showing any signs of gum disease. Develop superior oral care habits now and you could very well keep your teeth and gums healthy for the rest of your life.

If you already have gum disease, now is a good time to take action. In addition to checking with your dentist for diagnosis and treatment, research everything you can about gum disease. Before trying any alternative methods or treatments, be sure to consult with your dentist.

As I side note, something that I personally believe contributes to the overall health of my body is the very gentle but powerful exercises of Falun Dafa. You can find them described in detail and even watch video instructions at the http://falundafa.org/ website.

David Snape is the author of What You Should Know about Gum Disease available at http://GingivitisKiller.com/ A primary tool that promotes oral health can be found at http://OralIrrigatorDiscount.com/ Dave also answers questions at http://ToBeInformed.com/