Gum disease should really be thought of as "gum and bone disease". When bacterial biofilms accumulate and grow around the necks of your teeth, the gum tissue’s initial protective response is to become inflamed. This is the expected and natural response of the immune system to any foreign object or infectious agent in the body. This is the body’s way of signaling and ordering the defenses.

A splinter stuck under your skin is a common example of how the body treats a foreign object. If not removed soon, the tissue around the splinter begins to fester and to break down. The body is trying to expel the object and restore health. The same thing happens around teeth that are covered with bacteria and are seen as "dirty" or "non-self". The toxins the bacterial biofilm produce bathe the teeth and gums and provoke a protective immune system response.

As stated, this natural immune response to oral bacteria gradually becomes destructive as it begins eating away the gum tissue and eventually the bone anchoring the root of the tooth. If left untreated, this condition ultimately results in the loss of the tooth.

Think of it this way - your tooth is like a fencepost that is anchored into the ground.  When the fencepost is buried deep with dirt tightly packed against it, it is rock solid.  But if the soil erodes away from around the post and the support is lost, it will loosen and fall over or be easily removed with the slightest force. As the supporting jaw bone is dissolved away from the roots of your teeth, the teeth can become loose and may even abscess with frank infection and need to be removed.

Modern science has now shown us that when gums are infected and begin to breakdown, there is a direct pathway for bacteria and their toxic byproducts into the blood stream. With these poisons now in the bloodstream other tissues and organs in the body can suffer harmful effects from this bacterial exposure, thus bringing about the so called "oral-systemic connection" – or the "mouth-heart link".

In healthy gums there is a natural attachment of the mouth-skin (gums) to the side of the tooth which provides a barrier to bacterial invasion and damage. But with gum infection this barrier breaks down allowing the bacteria to enter the body and creating an open wound that never heals as long as there are bacteria present. In reality it becomes a chronic open wound or lesion that creates an open window to the blood stream. You know this is happening when the gums bleed with slight probing.

Gum recession is another problem which results from gum disease as well as from heavy abusive teeth grinding. Either way, the gums often recede when the underlying bone support is lost or damaged.

The dental bite is one of the most misunderstood areas of dentistry and medicine. However it is one of the most important because in the long term a "bad bite" can be very destructive to the teeth and jaws and produce a variety of complaints that are perplexing and life-altering.

When teeth don’t line up properly or fit together comfortably it can quicken loss of jaw bone (especially if bacteria biofilms are growing under the gums) and cause the teeth to become loose. Heavy forces on the teeth can cause excessive wearing away of the teeth and create holes in the top of the teeth and grooves along the sides of the teeth near the gum line, especially when acid conditions prevail in the mouth. Chronically tense muscles can also damage the jaw joints and create neuromuscular problems such as jaw pain, headaches, facial pain and unresolved ear problems, as well as neck and back pain.

Having a "bad bite" can cause many problems. One of the more common is migraine and tension headaches. Temporomandibular problems ("TMJ") which affect the jaw joint and the muscles which hold and work the jaw as it hangs beneath the skull, are commonly misdiagnosed for a variety of other medical conditions.

Because the muscles of the jaws work with the neck and shoulder muscles to help brace the head and airway, bite-related problems often extend beyond and affect other structures. This is why "TMJ" is often called "The Great Imposter", often fooling physicians and dentists alike into missed diagnosis and wrong treatment paths.

Face it – except for our teen agers no one likes to look older than they really are! This is especially true for the "Boomers" who are doing just about everything possible to defer or suspend the effects of their relentlessly advancing age. Anything which makes them look and feel old is a serious threat to confidence, self-image, and well-being.

The appearance of the face is very much dependent on the jaw bones and teeth for their underlying support. That’s because the proportions and support of the face are largely determined by how the teeth and jaws fit together. This means that facial features and proportions and profiles are a function of the underlying supporting structures of the teeth, the jaws and the dental bite.

Everyone knows about "denture face" - a collapsed face resulting from the loss of teeth and vertical facial support. This happens when teeth are lost or when they are worn down through aggressive teeth grinding as mentioned previously. When the chin and nose become closer together through tooth loss or the wearing down of teeth, it causes an aged, tired and worn out appearance. Age advancing wrinkles form in and on the face as the vertical dimension of the face collapses.

Facial Cosmetics in this sense is a concept that is not often thought of as belonging in the dentist’s office.  When managed properly, carefully changing the shape and position of your teeth can make profound changes in facial support, contours and proportions.

These same principles also apply to people who wear dentures. The loss of teeth also means the loss of vertical support to the profile of the lower face. Properly restoring the facial dimensions with well-fitting dentures can restore form, function, and dignity to an otherwise compromised facial profile and supporting jaw structure.

Whether through needed dentures, or with treatments to correct disabling bite problems, or with the cosmetic result as the primary motive – facial cosmetics are enhanced as the bite position and jaw support are stabilized and improved.

Correcting these fundamental problems in this manner is very much like getting a "Non-Surgical Facelift"! The results are lips that are fuller, a face that is taller, and a more pleasing "Golden Proportion" to the face - and of course fewer age revealing wrinkles!