When it comes to taking excellent care of your smile, it is easy to focus primarily on your teeth, barely giving your gums a second thought. Unfortunately, this can mean some less than ideal issues with your periodontal health. The good news is that keeping your entire smile in good condition is quite simple, as long as you brush, floss, and schedule your preventive care appointments. However, when you forget to pay attention to your gum health, significant side effects may occur. Do you know what they are?
Quiz Questions: True or False?
- True or False: If you ignore your gum health, you may end up losing your teeth.
- True or False: When it advances, gum disease will result in an unsightly smile due to gum inflammation and recession – you will also have bad breath and a foul taste in your mouth.
- True or False: It is much less costly to keep up with preventive care, so your gums remain in excellent health, than to wait and allow gingivitis to occur and progress.
Quiz Answers
- True. While the first side effect of neglected gums is not tooth loss, this is certainly a common and possible side effect if periodontal problems are allowed to progress without treatment.
- True. Advancing gum health problems will certainly include swollen gums, receding gums, red gums, and the accumulation of plaque and tartar. Infection may follow, which will result in a foul odor and taste.
- True. If you keep your gums healthy (or treat gingivitis immediately), you can avoid all manner of costly complications, such as the need for tooth replacements.