It afflicts as many as nine in ten adults at some point in their lives, as well as teenagers and children as young as five or six years of age. Yet, many suffer from it without even suspecting anything is wrong.
"It" is periodontal
disease, or gingivitis - in the
minds of most dentists, Public Enemy Number one for teeth.
Only for the last 30 years have researchers understood that gum disease is an infectious disorder, caused by many different species of bacteria. But even today, there is no cure. Fortunately, we have learned a good deal about what periodontal disease is and what can be done about it.
Behind the scenes
The culprits in gum disease are the bacteria that
thrive in the crevices between gums and teeth, accumulating in the form of
plaque, a hard, colorless film. Plaque produces toxins that not only irritate
gums and cause bad breath, but can eventually attack connective tissue, bone
and teeth.
These crevices become "pockets" where the
bacteria lodge and begin to erode the tissues that connect gums with teeth. If
periodontal disease isn't checked, the pockets deepen. The havoc spreads.
Eventually, the bone around the teeth and roots is destroyed - and the teeth
soon follow.
Sounding the alarm
How can you tell if you have a periodontal problem?
If you have bleeding gums or if you have swollen gums,
gingivitis may be the reason why. But mouth disease can strike silently,
without any pain or obvious signs.
Any bleeding from your gums should be a tip-off. Make
sure you're doing a thorough but gentle job of brushing and flossing every day.
If bleeding persists, it's time to see your periodontist. Different people have
different levels of susceptibility to periodontal disease, and some forms -
including those that affect children and adolescents - can develop quite
rapidly.
Not everyone who has gingivitis disease goes on to
develop more serious periodontal problems. Some people manage to reverse the
disease or stop the progress of chronic gingivitis when it flares up.
Until there's a cure, the fundamentals of gum disease
prevention - regular professional care and careful brushing and flossing at
home - are still the best line of offense for good dental health.
Ways to fight back
- Periodontal disease can be checked and
often reversed with simple preventive measures: brushing, flossing and
professional cleaning to remove plaque and stimulate gum circulation.
- If the problem has become more serious, the
dentist may do what's called scaling and planning - deep scraping of
plaque from under the gum line, and smoothing of root and tooth surfaces
so gum tissues have a better chance to reattach.
- Promising new gum disease treatment is
already on the horizon: antiseptic or antibiotic drugs placed at the site
of infection. And new chlorhexidine mouthwashes that may help prevent the
formation of plaque.
DR. GARY SIGAFOOS
LaJolla Periodontics
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