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Learn about the Five Factors That Could Put You at a Higher Risk of Developing Gum Disease

May 20, 2020

Learn about the Five Factors That Could Put You at a Higher Risk of Developing Gum Disease

No one wants to develop gum disease yet millions of Americans have it. At California Dental Group we check each patient thoroughly during our regular cleaning and exam. If gum disease is indicated, we can take action to prevent it from spreading or getting worse. You can also consider the following five factors to reduce the chance that you end up with gum disease.

  1. Your Daily Oral Health Care Routine
  2. The biggest impact on your risk of gum disease is how well you care for your teeth on a daily basis. You should be flossing daily and brushing at least twice per day. When you visit California Dental Group, we can determine what type of toothpaste will work best for your particular needs. We can also go over best practices for flossing to ensure you are getting the best impact from it.

  3. Your Lifestyle Choices
  4. Certain lifestyle choices can significantly increase the chances that you will develop gum disease. The two most important are poor nutrition and smoking. While many people only associate smoking as a health risk for the lungs and heart, there are strong links between oral health issues – including gum disease – and smoking.

    Nutrition can also impact your oral health in a number of ways. For example, people who eat poorly may end up obese or in poor health with other medical conditions that affect your body’s ability to fight off gum disease.

  5. Your Age
  6. As a person ages, their risk of developing gum disease goes up. While you do not have any control over aging, you can be aware of this correlation and step up your oral health routine as you age. Even if you have experienced no cavities in your life, and never had a sign of gum disease, do not assume that this will last forever.

  7. Genetics
  8. Genetics can play a huge role in whether or not you will develop gum disease. If you know that you have one or both parents who have had gum disease, then your overall risk of obtaining it is higher too. Once again, you cannot control this but you can take extra steps to take care of your health.

  9. Other Health Conditions
  10. If you have certain other health conditions then you could be facing a higher than average chance of developing gum disease. For example, studies have shown a correlation between gum disease and diabetes, gum disease and heart disease, and other health conditions.

You cannot prevent all the factors that affect your likelihood of developing gum disease but you can take steps to stay as safe as possible. One of those steps includes visiting your local dentist. Contact California Dental Group now at (800) 407-0161 to request an appointment.

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