New approach to treating gum disease.New approach to treating gum disease gum disease Dentistry Gingival disease, often in the form of gingivitis and bone loss 2º to toxins produced by bacteria in plaque accumulating along the gum line Clinical Early–painless bleeding; pain appears with advanced GD as bone loss around the Today, treating gum disease usually involves removing plaque from teeth and also pus pus, thick white or yellowish fluid that forms in areas of infection such as wounds and abscesses. It is constituted of decomposed body tissue, bacteria (or other micro-organisms that cause the infection), and certain white blood cells. from pockets between the teeth and gum. The pockets are supposed to shrink but if they don't, they're surgically removed. The patient then is told to follow good preventive measures, such as brushing correctly and flossing flossing, n the mechanical cleansing of interproximal tooth surfaces with stringlike, waxed or unwaxed dental floss or tape. flossing aids, n. . The recurrence recurrence /re·cur·rence/ (-ker´ens) the return of symptoms after a remission.recur´rent re·cur·rence n. 1. rate is between 5 and 10 percent, and if not properly treated, bleeding along the gums, which is gum disease's first sign, may not be the only concern; teeth may loosen and eventually fall out. Now, however, there is a way to reduce the recurrence rate to less than 1 to 2 percent, says Robert J. Genco, chairman of oral biology oral biology n. The study of the biological phenomena associated with the mouth in health and in disease. at the State University of New York (body) State University of New York - (SUNY) The public university system of New York State, USA, with campuses throughout the state. at Buffalo. "Instead of treating the signs and symptoms,' he says, "we now can treat the infection itself.' During the last two years, his laboratory and others helped identify the gum disease-causing bacteria, which had eluded researchers because they're difficult to grow in the laboratory. And last February, the first commercial test, which detects the three major types of bacteria, was available for people with symptoms. Because dentists now can determine the type of bacteria causing gum disease, they can use antibiotic antibiotic, any of a variety of substances, usually obtained from microorganisms, that inhibit the growth of or destroy certain other microorganisms. Types of Antibiotics therapy. With Bacteroides gingivalis and Bacteroides intermedius, a local antibiotic is used because they penetrate only the gum's outer surface. With Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, however, a general antibiotic is used because the bacteria penetrate deep into the gum. Conventional treatment also is used, and both inflammation and the bacteria are monitored. "The profession is in transition,' Genco told SCIENCE NEWS. "More and more clinicians are using these forms of diagnosis and treatment.' Genco will discuss the topic in an upcoming ADVANCES IN DENTAL RESEARCH. As for the source of these bacteria, Genco says they are not found naturally in humans. Possible sources include dogs and cats, which have two types of the bacteria, and soil, which has not yet been studied. |
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