If You've Set New Year's Health Goals... Don't Miss 'Chronic Periodontal Disease'

2030 'MZ Generation' Top Outpatient Treatment Disease
Poor Eating Habits Like Alcohol and Snacks Affect Blood Sugar Recharge
Lack of 'Awareness Symptoms' Easily Causes Missed Treatment Timing
Regular Care Needed with Dental Floss, Interdental Brushes, and Mouthwash

Donga Pharmaceutical's 'Gum Guard Original' helps prevent periodontal disease.
[Photo by Donga Pharmaceutical]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-ju] Many people set 'taking care of health' such as quitting smoking, dieting, and exercising as their New Year's resolutions. If you have set health as your goal, there is an issue you should not overlook. That is 'gingivitis and periodontal disease.'

Don't Be Complacent Because You're Young... Lifestyle Habits That Worsen Periodontal Disease

Gingivitis and periodontal disease were illnesses that caused more hospital visits than the common cold over the two years from 2019 to 2020. Although they are known to occur frequently in older adults, being young does not guarantee safety. According to the outpatient frequent disease statistics from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, as of 2020, the number of periodontal disease patients was 2,299,089 in their 20s and 2,313,900 in their 30s, ranking first in each age group.

The increasing prevalence of periodontal disease among the 'MZ generation' is closely related to lifestyle habits. A typical example is relieving stress by 'charging with sugar.' The sugar content in desserts mainly enjoyed, such as macarons, cakes, and chocolates, combines with bacteria living between teeth and gums and acidifies the oral environment. Also, alcohol, cigarettes, tea, coffee, and spicy or salty foods dry out the mouth. Immune components in saliva play a role in sterilizing and disinfecting the oral cavity, but when secretion decreases, oral bacteria become active, increasing the risk of tartar formation that causes gum inflammation.

Neglecting care also plays a significant role in worsening the disease. Not brushing teeth after drinking is a dangerous drinking habit that signals a red alert for oral health. Sugars and artificial sweeteners added to alcohol serve as food for bacteria, promoting their proliferation. If combined with dry snacks, pork belly, or beef intestines, which are tough and high in salt, the stimulation to gums and teeth increases even more.

Brushing Teeth [Image Source=Getty Images]

Easy to Miss Treatment Timing... Manage in Daily Life

A bigger problem with periodontal disease is that it is easy to miss the treatment timing. Most of the tissues surrounding the teeth do not cause significant symptoms even when damaged, so many patients visit the hospital late when the periodontal disease has worsened. If your gums often swell, bleed when brushing, change color, or feel pain, the disease may already be at an advanced stage.

For prevention, it is recommended to visit the dentist every 6 months to 1 year for scaling even if there are no particular symptoms. In daily life, manage the area between teeth and gums using dental floss or interdental brushes when brushing, and if brushing immediately after eating is difficult, using a convenient gargle-type product is also a good habit.

Dong-A Pharmaceutical's 'Gum Guard Original' is a product that helps prevent periodontal diseases such as gingivitis and periodontitis. In clinical research conducted with Yonsei University College of Dentistry, after 6 weeks of use, gum inflammation decreased by 50.9%, and the frequency of gum bleeding decreased by 56.9%, proving its effectiveness in preventing periodontal disease. It also has the effect of blocking 99.9% of the key causative bacteria of gum disease, Porphyromonas gingivalis.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.