Common misconception

Growing up seeing dentures on my grandparents, I actually thought that dentures is a part of ageing ritual. Little did i know that good oral health care regime would actually prevent this from happening.The reason behind teeth exfoliation is due to the loss of supporting tissue around our teeth. With that said, gingiva ( gum in layman's term) and bone are the vital supporting tissue in our teeth. Both contribute strength and support that allow our teeth to bite and chew on a daily basis. 

It's the destruction of gum that predisposes us to teeth mobility, then exfoliation. Destruction of the gum can be done so by the bacteria inhabiting around our teeth. They slowly make their way thru the pockets by causing inflammation, and gradually deepening the pockets as time goes by. This phenomenon is called gingivitis.  and in a more severe scenario, periodontitis if loss of bone is involved .

Periodontal pockets are normally measured by the dentist on your first visit, whereby a periodontal probe is inserted into six surfaces of each tooth, and measurements are obtained

                                     

 periodontal probes

Prominent clinical sign of gingivitis is bleeding,reddening and swelling of gum. so by virtual fact, there's really nothing more important then taking care of the gums and make sure that it's in pristine condition at all times. Pristine condition generally means, periodontal pockets of less than 3mm. 

Flossing is the way to go about this, as it helps removes the stubborn plaque retained in the space between the teeth and gum. Adequate removal of the plaque prevents us from gum destruction done so by the inhabitating bacteria. It seems pretty easy and mundane, but you'll be surprised how many people actually consider flossing as part of their oral hygiene regime.