Take Care of Those Choppers

Gum tissue is simply a layer of skin over bone tissue of the upper (maxilla) jaw and the lower (mandible) jaw. As long as the underlying jaw bone is intact the gum tissue will stay strong and high on the teeth. Gum recession occurs when the bone that supports the gum tissue withdraws. There are a few different reasons that this may take place

• periodontal disease (advanced gum disease)
• bruxism (clenching and grinding the teeth)
• nutritional deficiencies
• trauma
• genetics

Gum disease has become more common in modern times. Nearly half of all adult around 30 and under 65 have gum disease and those over the age of 65 have more than 70% chance of having a periodontal disease. Periodontal disease is a gum disease that has advanced to the point where the jaw bone is compromised The disease can not only destroy bone tissue but also cause chronic inflammation which endangers the jaw bone.

Bruxism which is clenching and grinding the teeth at night may be related to stress as long thought but a new thought is that it may be associated with mild sleep apnea. If you are a teeth grinder you should check with the doctor to ensure it is not something more serious. Habitually clenching and grinding teeth will lead to the breakdown of the strength and structure of the jaws.

Trauma caused by accidently smacking our face hard into something can make a large difference in not only our teeth but our lives. Gums and teeth are not keen on being smashed around. A normal bone will grow back stronger than before but the jaw bone does not necessarily do this.

So while there are many ways to damage our teeth we only have one set of teeth. We all need to be careful to take care of them.

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