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What Your Gums Are Telling You

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You might not have trouble thinking of healthy gums as the foundation for healthy teeth. But did you know that diseased gums are emerging as one of the leading early warning indicators for heart disease and other illnesses?

The American Academy of Periodontology recently found that people with periodontal disease are 2.7 times as likely to suffer a heart attack than those with healthy gums. "Allowing for factors such as age, sex, weight, cholesterol, and high blood pressure, as well as diabetes and insulin use," explained the researcher, "we found that among the sample population under age 60, gum disease was an even more important risk factor for cardiovascular disease than was high blood pressure." It appears that the bacteria associated with gum disease can actually enter your bloodstream and affect your health.

That's why it's important to know what healthy gums should look like. Gums in prime condition are light pink in color (darker for people with darker complexions), are stippled like the surface of an orange, are not tender or swollen, and don't bleed when brushing or flossing.

And the best preventive maintenance? The advice you've heard most of your life: brush daily, floss frequently and don't neglect those regular dental visits. You can also help with supplements like Vitamins A, C and E, and calcium.

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Dr. Jon Gray Asks some important questions of interest to Boise residents - Chiropractor Boise Dr. Jon Gray Asks...

What's the difference between sick care and health care?
Sick care is largely about relieving or suppressing symptoms. Health care is about improving performance. While sick care is about how you feel, health care is about how you function. Sick care is what you do to treat an obvious problem, and health care is what you do to avoid the problem and advance your well-being.
How do you know when you're healthy?
Ask most Boise residents this simple question and you're likely to hear, "When you feel good" or "When you're at your proper weight for your height" or "When you have lots of energy and vitality." Great answers. But our chiropractic patients know that true health is when your body is working as it was designed. True health is how you function, not how you feel.