Mouth is the window to the body. Gum disease is a common problem, and is often why people lose their teeth. Gum disease also known periodontitis- is a bacterial infection which affects 40% of adults across the world and which can lead to tooth loss. Gum disease is extremely common and affects 3 out of every 4 adults over the age of 35 in the UK. Gum disease, not tooth decay, is the biggest cause of tooth loss. Only 60% of women in the UK aged 45 can claim to have all their own teeth. Gum disease isn’t just something that happens later in life, more than half of teenagers have some form of gum disease. Smoking causes 50% of all cases of gum disease in the UK. Periodontal disease can affect one tooth or many teeth. It begins when the bacteria in plaque causes the gums to become inflamed. Gums separate from the teeth, forming pockets (spaces between the teeth and gums) that become infected. As the disease progresses, the pockets deepen and more gum tissue and bone are destroyed. Often, this destructive process has very mild symptoms. Most commonly, gum disease develops when plaque is allowed to build up along and under the gum line.
Archive for the ‘Disease’ Category
Oct
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