Periodontal Disease Treatment Requires Withdrawal From Smoking And Alcohol Use

March 5th, 2008

Millions suffer from periodontal diseases nowadays. As this disease attacks silently in the form of gingivitis (a very mild form of the condition), it may actually be more dangerous to your long term health. Some not-so-alarming symptoms may include: gums sore to the touch, bleeding that may occur when brushing or eating hard foods like apple, a slightly foul breath and inflammation and/or reddening of gingival tissue. Good oral hygiene can be the best treatment for this disease, however, it could not completely vanish periodontal disease when you don’t quit smoking or chewing tobacco products. Smoking can lead to periodontal problems in the way that it deprives your body of the very nutrients that are so vital to a strong immune system. Other behaviors or bad habits that are triggers of periodontal disease include: drinking alcohol, use of stimulants or anything that increases metabolism, excessive exercise, and improper hydration. Preventing severe periodontal disease is definitely not as simple as taking care to brush and floss every day but your chances are pretty good when you also take care to properly hydrate and avoid depleting your immune system.