More than 80% of Chinese people suffer from periodontal disease! Experts remind you: Grasp these 3 tips to effectively prevent it

The third epidemiological survey in my country shows that about 80% of adults in the country have periodontal problems to varying degrees.
As many as 82.8% of adults aged 35 to 44 have bleeding gums, and less than 20% have relatively healthy periodontal health.

There is a Chinese proverb - "old teeth fall out", I believe everyone has heard it. Many people think that teeth fall out naturally when they get old, but little do they know that "old teeth fall out" is actually periodontal disease.

Periodontal disease is also known as the "silent killer" because the pain is not obvious or even nonexistent at first. However, if it is not treated promptly and the disease is allowed to develop, it may cause the teeth to loosen or even fall out.

First of all, what exactly is periodontal disease?

Periodontal disease refers to diseases that occur in the periodontal tissues and can be divided into two major categories: gingivitis that only affects the gingival tissue and periodontitis that affects the deep periodontal tissues.

▶ Gingivitis is caused by the deterioration of dental plaque. Dental plaque accumulates in the gaps between teeth and on the edges of the gums. Over time, it forms tartar, which often occurs in the gum area. Symptoms include redness, swelling, and bleeding when brushing teeth.

▶ Periodontitis is often accompanied by bleeding, swelling, pain, and gum recession, which in turn damages the alveolar bone and periodontal ligament under the gums, leading to gum recession, exposed tooth roots, loose teeth, bad breath, and other phenomena.

Three common symptoms of periodontal disease, welcome to check yourself

First, I will teach you a little trick -

How to tell if you have periodontal disease?

There is a very simple method. Observe in front of the mirror. When your gums are swollen and bleed when touched, this is basically the early symptom of periodontal disease, that is, gingivitis.

There are three different symptoms of periodontitis, and you can choose the one that suits you: Mild periodontitis is manifested by red and swollen gums, bleeding when brushing teeth, and sensitive teeth;

Moderate periodontitis may cause chewing weakness, bad breath, gum recession, exposed tooth roots, and swollen and painful gums, which is the so-called "getting angry".

Severe periodontitis can cause symptoms such as loose teeth, displacement, pain, pus discharge, and even tooth loss.

(Symptoms of periodontal disease)

Four groups of people who are at high risk of periodontal disease: 1. Smokers

The harm of smoking to the oral cavity is far more than just a mouthful of yellow teeth. Scientific research shows that smoking is an important pathogenic factor of periodontal disease. Smokers are five to six times more likely to suffer from periodontitis than non-smokers. Smoking stimulates gingival inflammation, promotes the increase of dental plaque and tartar, and easily induces or aggravates the symptoms of periodontal disease.

2. Diabetic patients

A large amount of data shows that the probability of people with diabetes suffering from periodontal disease is 6.128 times that of non-diabetic patients, and periodontal disease can also promote the development of diabetes. Therefore, for diabetic patients, regular oral examinations should be performed to relieve periodontitis and control the progression of the disease.

3. Pregnant women

During pregnancy, the mother's hormone levels will undergo a significant change. If there are local irritants such as dental plaque, the periodontal tissue will have a severe inflammatory reaction. The gums in an inflammatory state are prone to bleeding, and pregnant mothers are often afraid to brush their teeth, which further causes food residues to accumulate, forming a vicious cycle.

What’s even more frightening is that the bacteria in the mouth can flow into other organs through the blood and may even cause premature birth of the baby.

4. Workers who stay up late

That’s right, staying up late is also a major factor in causing periodontal disease, and it has shown explosive growth in recent years.

Studies have shown that people who are stressed out are less likely to exercise than normal people, are more likely to smoke, drink, become irritable, withdrawn, and pay less attention to their own oral health. Modern young people are under great pressure in life and are psychologically depressed, so it is inevitable that they will neglect their oral health, which makes periodontal disease more likely to occur.

Suppress periodontal disease and start with careful cleaning. Periodontal disease usually cannot be completely cured because the damaged periodontal tissue cannot regenerate. Currently, the treatment of periodontal disease mainly focuses on effectively cleaning and controlling plaque and stopping the destruction of periodontal tissue.

However, many friends may have questions: I brush my teeth every day, so why do I still suffer from periodontal disease?

Once again, the key to brushing your teeth is not the number of times, but the correct way. If your gums still bleed after brushing your teeth every day, it just means that you are brushing your teeth wrong!

So what is the correct and effective way to brush your teeth? The answer is - Bass brushing method

The Bass brushing method is currently the most widely used and most effective way of brushing teeth in the world. It can be divided into the following 3 steps:

(1) Hold the toothbrush at a 45° angle to the tooth surface, facing the gums

(Brush the inside and outside of your teeth at a 45-degree angle)

Place the toothbrush at the junction of teeth and gums, with the bristles at a 45-degree angle to the gums. Apply slight force to allow the bristles to enter the gingival sulcus.

Brush the outer sides of the upper and lower teeth first, then brush the inner sides of the teeth. This ensures that you can brush the gums and gingival sulcus at the same time.

(2) Small horizontal vibration and brushing

(Horizontal vibration to clean gum dirt)

Cover 2-3 teeth each time with the toothbrush, move the toothbrush back and forth, vibrate it slightly horizontally about 10 times, lift it upwards and brush lightly, then brush the next group to clean out all the dirt in the gingival sulcus.

(3) Brush every side of your teeth, and don’t forget to brush your tongue.

(Each occlusal surface must be taken into account)

When brushing your teeth, you should not only brush the outer and inner sides, but also carefully brush the occlusal surfaces of the teeth. After brushing each surface, don't forget to lightly brush your tongue.

In addition to brushing your teeth, you should also develop a good habit of flossing.

It is difficult to clean the gaps between teeth by brushing alone, and this is where dental plaque likes to hide. At this time, it becomes extremely important to use dental floss to clean thoroughly. Only with good oral hygiene can we effectively inhibit the growth of dental plaque and prevent periodontal disease.

(Use dental floss to clean between teeth)

Remember these three points to stay away from periodontal disease 1. Regular teeth cleaning

Teeth cleaning is currently the most effective method to inhibit periodontal disease. It can effectively remove dental plaque and tartar, delay the destruction of periodontal tissue, and solve the problem from the root.

*Here is a misconception to be corrected. Many people believe that teeth cleaning is only necessary when one is sick. In fact, preventive teeth cleaning should be performed every six months to a year to check oral health.

2. Early detection, early diagnosis, and early treatment

Patients with early periodontitis need to receive professional treatment as soon as possible when they experience bleeding gums, bad breath, red and swollen gums, etc. When the condition becomes so severe that the teeth fall out, it may be necessary to spend a lot of money to implant teeth.

Teeth cleaning costs only two or three hundred yuan, but dental implants cost ten or twenty thousand yuan.

Early detection, early diagnosis and early treatment can save money.

3. Keep your body and mind healthy and relaxed

Mental stress caused by work and life will not only cause psychological pressure, but also reduce the body's resistance, making it more susceptible to periodontal disease. Therefore, maintaining physical and mental health and reducing mental stress will not only help relieve periodontitis, but also help the overall physical and mental health.

Finally, it is important to emphasize that even if there are no symptoms in the mouth, oral examinations should be performed every six months to a year to be prepared!