FLOSS THOSE GERMS AWAY.

Poor oral hygiene leads to periodontitis, aserious gum infection that three- fourths of Indians between the ages of 30 and 35 suffer from<p>EYES MAY be the windows to the soul, but your mouth is the door to your body's health. Your oral health can offer lots of clues about your overall wellbeing.

Sometimes the first sign of a disease appears in the mouth. Conversely, infections in your mouth can also cause problems in other areas of your body.

When it comes to oral health, our focus is usually on our teeth: How to keep these white and shining, or keep the cavities at bay. The gums and bones which give our teeth support and keep them upright are often overlooked. Whether the gums recede, or the gap between the teeth widens are not matters of concern for most.

But the fact is that having healthy teeth is irrelevant if the bones and tissues surrounding them are weak.

Our mouths have plenty of bacteria in them. These are usually kept under control with good oral health care. Sometimes, however, harmful bacteria can grow out of control and lead to periodontitis. This disease destroys the soft tissue and bones that support your teeth. Periodontitis can cause tooth loss or worse, an increased risk of heart attack or stroke and other serious health problems. Research published in the Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention journal also termed periodontitis as the independent risk factor for head and neck cancer.

IT BEGINS WITH PLAQUE

PERIODONTITIS begins with plaque, an invisible, sticky film composed mainly of bacteria. Plaque forms on the teeth when the starches and sugars in food interact with bacteria normally found in your mouth. Brushing your teeth removes plaque but it re- forms quickly, usually within 24 hours.

Plaque that stays on your teeth for more than two or three days can harden under your gum line into tartar, which acts as a reservoir for bacteria.

Removing this requires professional dental cleaning since tartar can't be removed by brushing or flossing. The longer plaque and tartar remain on your teeth, the more damage they can do. Initially, they may simply irritate and inflame the gums causing gingivitis, the mildest form of gum disease.

But continued inflammation eventually causes pockets to develop between your gums and teeth that fill with plaque, tartar and bacteria. In time, these pockets become deeper and more bacteria accumulate. These deep infections cause a loss of tissue and bone. If too much bone is destroyed, you may lose one or more teeth. This may happen more easily in people who are more susceptible to periodontitis than others.

RISK FACTORS

WHILE poor oral hygiene is the major risk factor for periodontitis, heredity also plays a role. If gum disease runs in your family, you are more likely to get periodontitis.

Studies have shown that children of parents with periodontal disease are approximately 12 times more likely to test positive for the bacteria responsible for causing this disease than other children.

Diabetes is another major risk factor. " Diabetics are more likely to have periodontal disease because they are more susceptible to infections.

Those people who don't have their blood sugar under control are especially at risk," says Dr Gaurav Gulati, consultant dentist, Moolchand Medcity.

Diabetes causes blood vessels to thicken, which slows the flow of nutrients and the removal of harmful wastes.

This can weaken the resistance of gum and bone tissue to infection. Several kinds of bacteria also thrive on sugars, including glucose. Research has shown the link between diabetes and periodontitis is a two way one: Bad oral hygiene increases the body's resistance to insulin and make blood sugar difficult to control.

The common symptoms of any gum disease are swollen gums, bleeding and bad breath. However, periodontitis also causes the formation of pus between the teeth and gums, new spaces between your teeth, receding gums and loose teeth. But these signs often appear much after the disease has set in. " There are often no warning signs of early periodontitis. Pain, pus, and loosening of the teeth do not occur until the disease is advanced. That's why it is also called a silent disease," says Dr Sween Kathuria, endodontist and cosmetic dentist, Dr Kathuria's Multispecialty Dental Clinic. Dentists advise everyone to stay alert to subtle changes taking place in your teeth and gums." You can differentiate between gingivitis and periodontitis by having a close look at your teeth. Your teeth appear larger, your gums will turn from pale pinkish to reddish and food will stick in them more often," says Dr Gulati. Since periodontitis affects more than just the gums, it cannot be controlled with regular brushing and flossing.

Women are more affected by the gum disease because of their hormones. Hormoneinfluenced gingivitis and later periodontitis appears in girls during puberty, pregnant women, and is occasionally a side effect of birth control too.

SEVERE CASES NEED SURGERY

TREATMENT of periodontitis depends upon its severity. If the condition is not advanced, your dentist would do scaling to remove tartar and bacteria from your tooth surfaces and beneath your gums. Root cleaning is also done to discourage further buildup of tartar.

" Surgery is required in advanced cases. In this procedure, your periodontist makes tiny incisions in your gum so that a section of gum tissue can be lifted back, exposing the roots for more effective scaling. Since bone and tissue loss is often present in severe cases, you may require bone grafting and soft tissue grafting.

This would help hold your tooth in place," says Dr Payal Nayar, consultant dental surgeon, Max Healthcare.

Simple scaling would cost you anywhere between Rs 1,000 to 2,000 whereas surgery cost varies from Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000 depending upon the number of tooth affected and the amount of damage. However, you can always avoid spending that much money by following oral health rules. Brush twice daily, floss once a day and go for regular dental cleaning between six to 12 months.

Also up your intake of Vitamin C. It helps the body repair and maintain connective tissue.

Its antioxidant effects are important in the presence of tissue- destroying oxidants in periodontal disease.

It should be noted that smoking depletes vitamin C supplies and affects healthy gums.

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