Treat gum disease before it gets in the way of a promotion

If you're looking to get a raise or a promotion at work, you've probably thought through what you have to do: approach your boss about your performance, list your accomplishments, lay out your goals for the near future, enumerate in no uncertain terms the reasons you deserve a financial reward and so on. But if you haven't thought to treat gum disease and neutralize your bad breath, you may be missing something that can seriously hamstring your chances.

According to a survey conducted by CareerBuilder.com, halitosis is the second most common personal attribute that employers said could get in the way of a promotion.

Overall, 34 percent of respondents said that having bad breath during a meeting with HR can get in the way of a person's career advancement. The only thing that was more likely to hinder a promotion was having visible piercings.

Paul Bazell, a consultant with the human resources firm Adviant, told KDAF TV Dallas-Fort Worth that there's really no excuse for bringing bad breath to a meeting with one's boss. "Yeah, you would think that people would kind of have that in check,” he told the news channel.

How could people not know that they have bad breath? It could be because they pay attention to their teeth but neglect to treat gum disease.

Also known as gingivitis, gum disease is exceedingly common. So is periodontal disease, which is like a smellier, more advanced and much more serious version of gingivitis. These two conditions can spell disaster for your chances of promotion.

Gum disease usually begins when a person's basic dental health regimen gets neglected. So, if you brush your teeth less than twice a day, or if you rarely floss, or if you don't use an alcohol-free breath freshening mouthwash, your gums may begin to accumulate excess amounts of bacteria.

In a relatively short amount of time, these microbes can infect your gum tissue. According to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), the symptoms of gum disease include redness and swelling of the gums, as well as bad breath.

If you don't treat gum disease, it can infect the bone bed that anchors your teeth, at which time it is officially periodontal disease. At that point, missing out on a promotion is the least of your worries! Why? According to the NIDCR, periodontal disease is the leading cause of tooth loss.