Gum disease affects a large number of people for a variety of reasons, and they may not even realize it’s there at first, and the symptoms are often mild before they develop and lead to tooth loss. .
The New York Times I published a report explaining the symptoms of gum disease, how to watch for it, how to prevent it, and at the end presented a “simple” solution.
About half of adults in the U.S. over the age of 30 show symptoms of gum disease, and 9 percent of them suffer from severe symptoms, the report said.
Diagnosis
If your mucus is pale pink after brushing or flossing at least twice a week, it is likely to be in its early stages, and in more severe cases, symptoms may appear suddenly and may not appear at all, the report says. .
“It’s a very silent disease,” said Dr. Rodrigo Nieva, chair of periodontology at Penn Dental Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.
In the early stages, the disease is called gingivitis. Dentists can diagnose this condition using a special tool that measures the distance between the gums and the teeth, and if it is large, this indicates the presence of disease.
Gingivitis often occurs without warning because it does not cause pain, but according to Dr. Neva, it can be detected if the patient suffers from bleeding teeth while brushing or flossing.
When gingivitis is left untreated, bacteria can invade the mouth and destroy the tissue beneath the gums, causing advanced gum disease, known as periodontal disease.
“Patients can lose their teeth,” said Dr Niwa.
As gingivitis progresses to periodontal disease, the gums begin to recede, teeth appear elongated, patients may experience increased sensitivity around the gums, chronic bad breath, and eventually, their teeth may begin to fall out.
Mouth, diabetes and Alzheimer’s.. What do gums do to other body parts?
Gum disease has been linked to many diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s and respiratory infections.
People who smoke or suffer from diabetes are more likely to develop gum disease, as well as those who take certain medications such as steroids and some epilepsy and cancer drugs, and genes also play a role in the development of the disease.
Ironically, Dr. According to Niwa, people who rarely develop tooth decay are more likely to develop gum disease because the bacteria that cause gum disease work better than the bacteria that cause caries and prevent them.
How to prevent
Oral hygiene is important in preventing gum disease, the report says, because people often get gingivitis because they don’t brush enough.
Sometimes, only certain areas of the gums are affected, especially the gums around the back of the teeth, an area that the brush often doesn’t reach well.
Regular brushing and flossing can help prevent gum disease, but once inflammation occurs, home oral hygiene may not be enough because bacteria may have started to build up under the gums. In this case, the patient will need special cleaning from the doctor, and antibiotics.
Advanced gum disease is incurable. However, treatments that slow or prevent gum and bone loss may be recommended.
Maintaining your dental health is simple and only requires “brushing twice a day, flossing once a day and regular dental cleanings at the dentist,” according to Dr. Neva, according to the report.
“The earlier we detect the disease, the more we can do,” said the doctor.
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