AM I AT RISK FOR DENTAL AND ORAL DISEASES?

Risk Factors You Can Control: 

 

1. Diet:  Foods that are high in sugars and starches, as well as the frequency those food or drinks are consumed, promote tooth decay and gum disease (periodontal disease).
2. Stress:  Grinding and/or clenching your teeth can wear away tooth enamel and actually loosen your teeth. 
3. Children’s Habits:  Thumb sucking, using a pacifier or childhood teeth grinding can affect the development of permanent teeth.
4. Tobacco:  Smoking and the use of chewing tobacco and snuff all are major risk factors for gum and bone disease as well as oral cancer.
5. Drug or alcohol use:  Alcohol and many drugs can cause dry mouth which promotes all dental diseases.  They also contribute to stress, which can lead to teeth grinding and clenching.  In addition, people who abuse drugs and alcohol tend to not practice good oral hygiene.
6. Medical problems:  Diabetes, osteoporosis, inflammatory bowel disease and AIDS are just a few of the medical conditions that make people more susceptible to all dental diseases.  Gum disease makes it more difficult for diabetic to control their blood sugar.  If you are a smoker, have diabetes and are 45 or older, you are 20 times more likely to have severe gum disease.  If you have osteoporosis, the loss of minerals can make the bones supporting the teeth more vulnerable to infection and increases the risk of tooth loss.

Risk Factors You Cannot Control

1. Family history:  Heredity is a risk factor in many patients with periodontal, gum and bone disease.  A defect in the immune system can be inherited which makes it easier to develop gum infections.  Also, the bacteria that cause gum infections are in the saliva and can be passed from one person to another.
2. Drinking water:  What was the quality of drinking water when you were growing up?  Many communities have fluoride added to their drinking water and a lot of well water contains natural fluoride.  Fluoridated water makes teeth stronger and more resistant to tooth decay.
3. Medications:  Drugs such as birth control pills, steroids, blood pressure drugs, anti-seizure drugs, cancer-fighting drugs and heart disease drugs can make you more susceptible to gum disease and tooth decay.  
4. Gender:  Hormonal changes such as puberty, pregnancy, menopause and birth control pills make women more susceptible to gum disease.  The hormone changes make the gums more sensitive to irritants and plaque.
5. Age:  Children and senior citizens have a higher risk of tooth decay.  More than 90% of oral cancers occur in patients over the age of 45.  This risk increases steadily until around age 65, when the rate levels off. 

For more information on healthy living, go to “Hands on Health”.