Less Than 6 Hours Increases Risk for Gum Disease

You’ve heard the standard 8 hours a night rule—this rule is spot-on when it comes to getting your beauty sleep! Research shows that getting six hours a sleep or less will majorly influence your risk for gum disease. People who sleep for only a few hours a night are almost as likely as those who smoke to get gum disease!

The link here is inflammation. When you don’t get enough sleep, your body has an inflammatory response, which increases your risk for other chronic diseases like heart disease as well. Fortunately, simply by adjusting your routine and getting some more sleep, you can effectively lower your risk for gum disease.

7-8 Hours Can Help Reduce Risk

Aim to sleep for 7 or 8 hours every night. Your body will tell you how much sleep you need. Everyone is different, with older individuals needing less sleep than young adults. However, you can still cut your risk for gum disease by getting enough sleep. When you’re sleep deprived, there’s an increase in inflammatory hormones, which can directly impact your gums. This causes your gums to become inflamed and can cause bleeding, tenderness, and even shifting teeth.

Getting Enough Sleep

It’s estimated that 1 in 3 adults don’t get enough sleep, so it’s no surprise that so many people struggle with this. Getting 8 hours of sleep every night can often feel impossible for busy adults who have careers and families. However, getting this amount of sleep will do wonders for your health.

Not only will it lower your chances of getting gum disease, but it’ll also decrease your risk of diabetes, stroke, obesity, and high blood pressure. Getting a good night’s sleep is all in the preparation—try to establish a routine and go to bed at the same time every night. Turn off all tablets, smart phones, and televisions before bed. The blue light on these devices can signal your body to stay awake. You can also avoid eating about two hours prior to bedtime in order to not provide your body fuel to stay awake.

Gum disease makes teeth shift, causes loose teeth, bleeding gums, and pockets between the gums and teeth where infection breeds. If left to progress, it will eventually attack bone and connective ligaments, leading to tooth loss. Isn’t it worth it to avoid gum disease by getting enough sleep? Aim for 7-8 hours every night to protect your body and your teeth!

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It Aims to Prevent Gum Disease

Depending on your particular stage of gum disease, non-surgical periodontal therapy may or may not be the best choice for you. You can talk with your dentist about if you would be a good candidate for this procedure. It’s not for people who have advanced stages of gum disease, but rather for those who are in the beginning stages and can try to turn around their dental health by removing bacteria and plaque.Non-surgical periodontal therapy removes and controls the bacteria that cause gum disease. The procedure’s goal is to help you halt the progression of periodontal disease and get your oral health back. Let’s look at what you can expect during the procedure and how you determine how successful it will be!

What Can I Expect During the Procedure?

During non-surgical periodontal therapy, you’ll be under local anesthesia. Your dentist will then perform a detailed cleaning of your roots, teeth surfaces, and even under your gums if necessary to remove plaque and bacteria. Plaque is scraped away in a process called scaling, and roots are leveled in a process called planing. Plaque and tartar (the hardened form of plaque) are often under the gums as well and need to be removed, which will be done during the procedure as well. This allows the gums to reestablish their healthy connection with your teeth. Gum pockets may also need to be cleaned in order to get rid of bacteria that may be trapped there.

You Determine Your Own Success

During non-surgical periodontal therapy, your roots are thoroughly cleaned, bacteria is removed along with any plaque or tartar, and your mouth is ready to be healthy again. However, after your dentist has properly cleaned your mouth, you determine how successful the outcome of the procedure will be. If you don’t brush and floss, visit your dentist, and change your eating habits, the bacteria can come back in as little as a few weeks and the process of gum disease will begin all over again. You determine how effective your treatment will be. It’s vital to prevent the bacteria from coming back and colonizing in your mouth. Talk with your dentist about how to properly care for your mouth after treatment!

Consider non-surgical periodontal therapy if you’ve been diagnosed with periodontal disease. Talk with your dentist about the procedure and what to expect and well as healthy practices that you can adopt to enhance the outcome of this type of therapy. Remember, your gums and teeth should last for life—this treatment can get you ready to take control of your dental health and reestablish your healthy smile!

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