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Posted on 11/15/2019 by Dr. Leary |
 Taking care of your teeth is as important as eating the right food, getting exercise, and even getting enough sleep at night. The effects of poor oral health can be detrimental to not only your teeth's wellbeing but also your general health. Unfortunately, good oral health can be looked over, and oral disease can even spread between family members under the right circumstances. Before learning about how the disease can be spread between family members, it is important to take a look at gum disease. Gum disease develops slowly over time when dental hygiene is neglected. Gum disease's first signs can be noticed by examining your gums. Early signs of gum disease are red and swollen gums and occasional bleeding. As early gum disease progresses, it becomes worse and can develop into periodontitis if not taken care of properly. Periodontitis is an extreme form of gum disease characterized by infected gum tissue and severe tooth decay. How Does Periodontitis Spread?When families share living spaces, it is common for them to also share bathroom accommodations. As such, many family members probably share the same toothbrush holders and some may accidentally “borrow” toothbrushes from time to time. If you share toothbrushes with family members or if your toothbrush come in contact with another, it can be possible to spread the bacteria that cause gum disease. The bacteria that cause gum disease can live on toothbrushes, and a person suffering from periodontitis has many of these bacteria in their mouth. This does not mean the person will contract periodontitis immediately, but they will have more bacteria in their mouth than is safe, and if not taken care of immediately, could cause gum disease to develop more rapidly than normal. It is always important to look out for signs of gum disease, but it is especially important when someone in your house has it. If you would like more information about healthy dental habits, give us a call. We will be happy to assist you in any way possible. Please take this time to call as well if you think you made be at risk for gum disease, and we can schedule you an appointment. |
