INDIANAPOLIS, IN (Ivanhoe Newswire) – Periodontal disease is a common and a growing issue. About 40% of adults ages 30 and over have some form of it. That number increases to 70% for people over age 65. Here are some of the symptoms to look for and why it’s so important to catch gum disease early.
Periodontal disease is an infection and inflammation of the gums. If left untreated, advanced stages can lead to underlying bone loss.
Thankam Thyvalikakath, DMD, MDS, PhD, research scientist at Regenstrief Institute and director of the IU School of Dentistry says, “Then you have no other choice but remove the teeth, and then go for replacing teeth.”
Dr. Thyvalikakath and her team are working on a computer program to make it easier for dentists to track changes over time and catch it early.
“If it is discovered early, and, it can be reversed with very simple treatment,” explains Dr. Thyvalikakath.
The earliest stage known as gingivitis has some warning signs.
“A bad breath, or a bad taste in our mouth, or bleeding while toothbrushing,” states Dr. Thyvalikakath.
Periodontal disease patient Debra Ferguson says, “I noticed because I started having some bleeding, which I hadn’t had before.”
Ferguson’s moderate case was discovered about 10 years ago. Since then, she’s undergone treatment and sees a dental hygienist every 3 to 6 months.
“I was able to maintain mine, and still am maintaining to the day,” Ferguson says.
Dentists stress this can all be prevented with good oral hygiene.
“Visiting dental practices regularly, toothbrushing, flossing,” suggests Dr. Thyvalikakath.
Ferguson says, “I floss in the car. I floss wherever I eat, in the restaurant. You know, I run in there. So, it does make you kind of a fanatic.”
Things such as smoking, diabetes, heart disease, and autoimmune diseases can also increase your risk of periodontal disease.
Contributors to this news report include: Lindsey Daley, Producer; Kyle Fisher, Videographer; Roque Correa, Editor.
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Source:
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21482-gum-periodontal-disease
MEDICAL BREAKTHROUGHS
RESEARCH SUMMARY
TITLE: CATCHING GUM DISEASE EARLY SAVES TEETH LATER
REPORT: MB #5402
BACKGROUND: Periodontal disease, also known as gum disease, refers to the inflammation and infection of the tissues that support your teeth. Poor oral hygiene can lead to gum disease, but some people are more susceptible to this condition even with proper brushing and flossing. Nearly half of all adults in the United States have some form of gum disease and is the leading cause of tooth loss. If left untreated, it can progress to the bones surrounding the gums, causing pain while chewing. In severe cases, teeth may become loose or need to be extracted. Dental plaque that is not removed every day can harden and form tartar, and tartar build-up can lead to gum disease. Only a professional cleaning by a dentist or dental hygienist can remove tartar.
(Source: https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/health-info/gum-disease#overview https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21482-gum-periodontal-disease)
DIAGNOSING: Although the symptoms of periodontal disease could be hard to spot, there usually are warning signs. Some of those signs may include gums that bleed when brushing, red and swollen gums, and pain while chewing. Gum disease can sometimes only affect specific teeth, such as the molars. Only a dentist or periodontist for a clear diagnosis and see you have gum disease. Your dentist may refer you to a periodontist for further evaluation and treatment. During the examination, a periodontal probe is used to measure the pockets around the teeth, with deeper pockets indicating more significant bone loss. Dental X-rays can provide a clearer view of any bone loss.
(Source: https://www.webmd.com/oral-health/gingivitis-periodontal-disease)
NEW RESEARCH: Researchers from Regenstrief Institute and Indiana University School of Dentistry have developed computer algorithms to track changes in periodontal disease. This could help dentists and periodontists look at the progression of the disease. They have also madetools to use electronic dental record data to automatically diagnose the disease. Thankam Thyvalikakath, DMD, MDS, PhD, leads the Regenstrief Institute-IU School of Dentistry Dental Informatics Program, said, “I believe the advantage of our methods is that we can automate and monitor gum disease treatments and changes using regularly collected data. This allows us to identify gum disease at an early, potentially reversible, stage, as opposed to other methods that rely only on advanced gum disease visible in radiographs.” She added, “We aim to develop and promote a culture of structured documentation and diagnosis of cases, similar to that in medicine.” She noted that around 90 percent of dental practices in the U.S. use electronic dental records.
(Source: https://www.regenstrief.org/article/tracking-periodontal-disease-improves-diagnosis-treatment/)
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THIS REPORT, PLEASE CONTACT:
Regenstrief Institute PR Team
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