How to Identify Gum Disease

Gum diseases are more common than you might think. The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research has estimated that 80% of adults in the United States have gum disease to some degree. Not all of these cases are serious, of course, but teeth and gums are highly susceptible to disease and infection.

If not all of the cases are extremely painful or obvious, however, how do you know if you are among the many whose gums are less-than-healthy?

What Is Gum Disease?

Gum disease can come in many guises. It is not just elderly people who should be concerned about it—even children and teenagers are affected by periodontitis and gingivitis. Periodontal disease can be as mild as a slight inflammation or dangerous enough to cause tooth decay or tooth loss.

Gum diseases can also affect your overall health. Studies have linked gum disease to heart disease, increased risk of stroke, and diabetes among other conditions.

What Causes Gum Disease?

Before you know what to look for, you should know what causes gum disease so that you can do your best to prevent it.

Gum diseases are caused by bacteria. Bacteria, mucus, and other particles combine to form colorless plaque that we brush off of our teeth morning and night. Improper or inconsistent brushing leaves residual plaque, which can harden and form tartar, a cement-like substance that brushing doesn’t clean.

If plaque and tartar are allowed to stay on the teeth for too long, the bacteria in them causes inflammation of the gums called gingivitis. Gingivitis can be treated by flossing and brushing more consistently and seeing a dentist regularly. More serious diseases like periodontitis need further help.

Other variables that might cause gum disease include:

•           Illnesses that attack your immune system (cancer, HIV, diabetes)

•           Medications that lessen the flow of saliva

•           Smoking

•           Hormonal changes (puberty, menopause)

•           Family history of dental diseases

What Symptoms Should I Watch For?

There are plenty of symptoms to watch out for when it comes to gum disease. Here are some of the most obvious:

•           Bleeding gums

•           Noticeably sensitive teeth

•           Swollen or puffy gums

•           Tender gums

•           Consistently bad breath

•           Gums that separate or pull away from your teeth

•           Gums that have receded up from your teeth

•           Pain when you bite down

•           A persistent bad taste in your mouth

•           Pus in between your teeth and gums

If you notice any of the above symptoms, you probably have some kind of gum disease. Tender or swollen gums is likely a mild case of gingivitis, and can be treated by being more diligent with your teeth cleaning.

If, however, you are experiencing some of the more extreme symptoms (pus, separating gums, etc.), you will need to seek further treatment.

How Bad Can It Be?

The symptoms listed above are not to be taken lightly. Gums pulling back from your teeth can lead to a whole slew of other, more serious problems. Periodontitis is a more advanced form of gingivitis, and it not only affects your gums, but your jawbone.

In the most serious cases, periodontitis causes bone decay and tooth loss. If you notice any of these signs, dental offices like Forest Lawn Dental Centre offer treatments for both mild and severe gum disease. Don’t wait to book an appointment with your dentist—the longer you wait, the further the disease can progress.

The most important thing you can do to prevent gum disease is to stay informed. Be aware of your own oral health, and take the proper preventative measures to protect your teeth and gums.

About the author: A recent college graduate from University of San Francisco, Anica loves dogs, the ocean, and anything outdoor-related. She was raised in a big family, so she’s used to putting things to a vote. Also, cartwheels are her specialty.

If you have any questions, please let Anica know.

Also, please review our Health Care Certifications for health care professionals and counselors offered at the American Institute of Health Care Professionals.

Diabetes is one of the leading diseases that people across the world suffer from. But it is not that you can’t manage it. In fact, most of the cases are preventable and you can also control the blood sugar level by following some healthy lifestyle changes. You might think that controlling and managing diabetes is all about living in deprivation and excluding all your favorite food from your diet but it’s not so.

 Whether you are aiming for weight loss, or just want to manage your diabetes, it is not essentially true that you have to give up sweets entirely or have to live on typical ‘health food’ for the rest of your life. Here are some simple tips that will help you manage diabetes while enjoying your favorite food, and even lose weight in a healthy manner by including some effective fat burners in your daily routine:

·         Drink enough water – Drinking more water than what you usually drink is important while you are suffering from diabetes. This is because high blood sugar level makes your body draw a lot of water in order to flush excessive glucose in your blood. This is precisely the reason why you feel excessive thirst and an urge for frequent urination while suffering from diabetes. Also, consider drinking a cup of green tea every morning. Green tea contains catechins, which are known to offer significant weight loss results.

·         Eat organic food and whole grains – Stick to natural, home-made food as much as possible and try to avoid processed food with lots of chemicals. Include food items like green leafy vegetables, which are full of nutrients, to your daily diet. You can steam or cook these vegetables as this helps you to break down the insoluble fiber and absorb the essential nutrients easily, apart from activating the healing power of these vegetables.

·         Adding protein and reducing carbohydrates don’t always work – Even though there is a common belief among people that having extra protein and cutting down on carbohydrates helps in preventing diabetes, it is not actually the case. Studies have proven that eating excessive protein causes insulin resistance. Reducing carbohydrates, too, won’t help you much. What you need to consider is the type of carbohydrates and the serving size that you are taking in. You can also consider adding dendrobium to your diet as this helps in weight loss significantly, which in turn would help you to manage diabetes effectively.

·         Don’t stress yourself too much and take proper rest – If you subject yourself to a lot of stress, your body will generate too much of cortisol, which in turn would cause you to gain weight. Too much of stress is not good for those with diabetes. Make sure you go to bed early and have at least 10 hours of sleep every night. Also, try to reduce the daily stress levels as it overworks the adrenal glands of your body. This excretes more sugar in your blood.

·         Choose your fat intake carefully – While suffering from diabetes, fats can be either helpful or harmful for your health, depending upon how carefully you are choosing them. Since people suffering from diabetes are vulnerable to a number of heart diseases, it is all the more important to choose fats wisely. Saturated fats like eggs, red meat and whole milk dairy products and trans fats are extremely unhealthy for your health. Make sure you are not having these types of fats. Instead, try including unsaturated fats that come from fish or plant. Also, try to have canola oil, olive oil, avocados and nuts. Focus on Omega-3 fatty acids that support the health of your heart and brain and also fight inflammation. Since being overweight is often associated with diabetes, you can consider including raspberry ketone to your diet in case you are worried about your excessive weight. Raspberry ketone boosts the process of weight loss and also helps you to manage diabetes easily.

Follow these tips to manage diabetes well and live a life where you don’t have to give up on your favorite foods or worry endlessly about your health

By James Hudson

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Analyze Well Before Opting For An Ophthalmic Instrument

You are a skilled ophthalmologist. You attend your patients very carefully and skillfully. You also know very well the type of treatment which is required by the patient. Now being so proficient, during treatment if you go any where wrong due to the improper use of instrument then this could be your worst nightmare. Isn’t it? Apparently you could not expect to harm your patient due to a crappy instrument.

Unless you are an ophthalmologist, you may be surprised to know that ample of instruments have been designed for the treatment of eyes. Initiating from the set of glasses to large instruments, any equipment could be needed at any instant of time. Besides, there are lots of various tools used for the surgery of eyes. Hence, as an eye surgeon it is your utmost responsibility to look after your instruments other than your patients.

“A bad workman blames his tools”. Obviously you won’t like to be a part of this quote. Moreover, it’s actually too hard to compete with already existing eye centers, which provide lots of facilities to their customers. In such a situation you would certainly never like to lose your client just because your equipment harms your client.  For this reason, you need to consider the accuracy of ophthalmic products before buying them for your clinic.

“How to look for accurate equipment”? Certainly, this query may pop out into your mind. But believe; this is not as hard as it may seem. If you have a basic idea of the type of instruments to be used for the surgery, then you could easily find the precise equipments. As such a lot of stores offer ophthalmic instruments, but while looking for the products there are chances that you may get confused.

Sort Out the Equipment’s-

You should be definite while in need of a surgical instrument. This would help you out to filter out the exact type of ophthalmic instrument which you are looking for. Consequently, you could also have some options for the required instruments.

Fix Your Budget-

This would help you to come across the exact store where you could shop out for your instruments. Additionally, keep a small variance in your budget, so that you could figure out the best equipment as per your requirement.

Analyze the Instrument-

No matter wherever you make the deal, make sure you are making a right choice of product for yourself. There are times when a deal made in hurry may leave you perplexed later on due to its poor quality, especially in the case of big instruments.

Look Out For Better Alternatives-

No doubt, you are highly experienced in terms of using medical instruments for treating your patients, but there’s not an issue if you upgrade yourself. If you are in need of any specific product, then look out for its alternatives. Moreover, many products have been upgraded upon which you should try out your hand.

Opt For the Used Instruments-

No doubt, if you are planning for a big ophthalmic instrument, then you may have to pay high for the same. Such instruments in general, have usually high rates. In such a case, you may also opt for the used instruments. By that, it doesn’t mean that they would be low in terms of quality. Instead you could get a better ophthalmic instrument for your clinic.

 To summarize, it’s all about the accurate medical equipment’s which is one of the prime requirements for your clinic. Apparently, you wouldn’t like to put your patient into problem. Think about it.

Author’s Profile-

The author of this post studies about ophthalmology. He likes to discuss about the importance of ophthalmology products and their use for surgery of eyes.   

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