I went to see my dentist when my gums started bleeding. He told me that if I am not careful that I am going to end up in dentures. He also asked me a bunch of questions on my daily habits. He’s blaming the state of my teeth and gums on the fact that I don’t go to the dentist unless there is an emergency and that I drink a lot of energy drinks. I sort of get the whole thing about me not going to the dentist all that much. I mean, that is his livelihood. What I don’t get is the drink thing. Would that really damage my teeth and gums?
Stan
Dear Stan,
The bleeding of your gums is a sign of periodontal (gum) disease. Without treatment for this, you will end up losing your teeth. Then, yes, you could end up needing dentures. Your first priority will be to get the periodontal disease under control.
As for the energy drinks, while those, along with other sugary drinks, can lead to tooth decay, much of that depends on how you are drinking them. There was a study done on a group of people on an island in the south seas. These people consumed very sugary drinks but hardly had any tooth decay. This is because they gulped it down and did not allow the drinks to sit long on their teeth. This is when you get into trouble.
If you are going to drink sugary drinks, don’t leave them in your mouth. Additionally, it is helpful if you brush soon afterward. However, you will want to rinse out your mouth before brushing. This way you don’t grind the sugar or the citric acid into the enamel of your teeth.
I have often found that patients who only go to the dentist when there are dental emergencies have some dental anxiety. If that is you, I would like to recommend that you see a sedation dentist. Then can provide you with a medication which will completely relax you, enabling you to get caught up on your oral health care without anxiety. This will be especially important as you move forward and get your gum disease under control.
This blog is brought to you by Decatur, AL Dentists Drs. Drake and Wallace.