FOR THE DENTAL PATIENT ...

scrape the hardened calculus and plaque from What is gum along and beneath your gum line. More ad - vanced forms of the disease require cleanings disease? that go more deeply below the gum line. Some- times, the dentist will refer you to a specialist— a periodontist—for these cleanings. tories often appear in the news about the association between oral health—specifi- HOW CAN I PREVENT PERIODONTAL cally gum disease—and overall health DISEASE? conditions, such as diabetes or stroke. To prevent periodontal disease: S d But what is gum disease exactly? brush your teeth twice a day; dclean between your teeth with floss or WHAT CAUSES GUM DISEASE? another interdental cleaner once every day; The condition you may refer to as “gum disease” dvisit your dentist for a checkup and profes- also is called “periodontal disease.” Periodontal sional cleaning regularly; disease is an inflammation of the gums that, if dshow your dentist or dental hygienist how severe, can lead to the loss of the tissues that you brush and clean between your teeth and ask hold your teeth in place. It is caused by plaque, if you can make any improvements. a sticky film of bacteria that forms constantly If you smoke or chew tobacco, stop. Tobacco on teeth. You can remove plaque by brushing use increases the risk of developing periodontal twice a day and cleaning between your teeth disease. daily. If plaque is not removed, it can cause your Researchers have reported associations gums (gingivae) to pull away from your teeth, between periodontal disease and a host of other forming pockets in which more bacteria can col- conditions. (Keep in mind that an association lect. Plaque that is not removed also hardens does not mean that one disease causes the into calculus along and under your gums. The other. It means that one disease or condition pockets and hard calculus make it difficult to tends to appear at the same time as the other.) remove plaque without help from a dentist, and For example, studies have shown that people periodontal disease can develop. If left un - with diabetes tend to have periodontal disease treated, periodontal disease can damage the tis- more often than those without diabetes, and sues that support your teeth, even the bone. often the disease is more severe than that in other people. Researchers also have found that WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF I DEVELOP some people with diabetes who receive treat- PERIODONTAL DISEASE? ment for periodontal disease see improvements Symptoms of periodontal disease include in their ability to control blood sugar levels after dgums that are red and swollen and bleed those treatments.1 easily (for example, when you brush or clean So keep in mind that your daily oral health between your teeth); routine and professional dental care are more dgums that seem to have pulled away from than just taking care of your teeth. They are the teeth; important steps in taking care of yourself. ■ dconstant bad breath; d Prepared by the American Dental Association (ADA) Division of pus between your teeth and gums; Science. Copyright © 2011 American Dental Association. Unlike dteeth that seem to be loose or moving away other portions of JADA, the print version of this page may be clipped from one another; and photocopied as a handout for patients without reprint permis- d sion from the ADA Publishing Division. Any other use, copying or change in the way your teeth fit together distribution of this material, whether in printed or electronic form when you bite; and including the copying and posting of this material on a Web site, dchange in the way your partial dentures fit. is strictly prohibited without prior written consent of the ADA Pub- lishing Division. There are various stages to periodontal dis- ease—from gingivitis (early stage) to periodon- “For the Dental Patient” provides general information on dental titis (advanced disease). Red and swollen gums treatments to dental patients. It is designed to prompt discussion between dentist and patient about treatment options and does not that bleed easily are a sign of gingivitis. At this substitute for the dentist’s professional assessment based on the early stage, the disease may be reversed with a individual patient’s needs and desires. professional cleaning and more regular daily 1. Teeuw WJ, Gerdes VE, Loos BG. Effect of periodontal treatment care at home. During the cleaning, the dentist on glycemic control of diabetic patients: a systematic review and or dental hygienist will use a special tool to meta-analysis. Diabetes Care 2010;33(2):421-427.

JADA, Vol. 142(1) http://jada.ada.org January 2011 111 Copyright © 2011 American Dental Association. All rights reserved.