[Click! Health] If Your Gums Have Turned Dark Red... Suspect Periodontal Disease

March 24th is the '16th Gum Day.' The Korean Academy of Periodontology established March 24th as the world's first 'Gum Day' in 2009, with the meaning of 'Let’s love our gums every three (3) months (2) on the 4th (24th).' They are conducting campaigns to raise awareness about gum health.

Photo by Kim Min-ji

Gum disease (periodontal disease) is actually a more common national illness than the common cold. According to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service on the 24th, among all patients, those visiting hospitals for periodontal disease account for the highest proportion. Excluding emergency treatments related to COVID-19, it has consistently ranked first in the most frequent disease statistics since 2019. In particular, as periodontal disease has recently been known to affect various systemic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases and accelerate aging, the importance of gum health for a healthy old age is also increasing.

Periodontal disease refers to inflammatory diseases that occur in the surrounding tissues supporting the teeth, such as the gums and the underlying alveolar bone. Symptoms include ▲bleeding when brushing teeth or spitting ▲gums periodically swelling and itching ▲gaps forming between teeth with food debris accumulation ▲receding gums making teeth appear longer ▲bad breath ▲loose teeth. If the color of the gums changes from light pink to dark red and feels swollen, it is highly likely that periodontal disease has already started.

Periodontal disease has been known to closely affect overall health by causing arteriosclerosis, endocarditis, and diabetes. Recently, research revealing the correlation between dementia and periodontal disease has been published. When the number of teeth decreases due to gum disease, chewing becomes difficult, and the blood flow to the brain decreases, which can affect cognitive decline.

Treatment of periodontal disease is based on removing bacterial plaque between the gums and teeth. When inflammation loosens the gum connective tissue, plaque accumulates in the gaps, accelerating the destruction of surrounding tissues, so plaque removal is a priority. In severe cases, surgical procedures involving gum incisions may be performed.

Professor Kim Yoon-jung of the Department of Periodontology at Gwanak Seoul National University Hospital said, "In the early stages of periodontal disease, symptoms are minimal, and even when symptoms appear, they may subside, causing patients to delay visiting the hospital." She added, "Eventually, patients visit the hospital when gum disease has severely progressed, the alveolar bone is significantly destroyed, and teeth become loose." She further explained, "At this stage, it is already difficult to restore the gum condition, and expensive prosthetic treatments such as tooth extraction and implants are inevitable."

Professor Kim explained, "Although bacterial plaque is the main cause of gum disease, it is a chronic disease influenced by a combination of environmental and genetic factors such as smoking, diabetes, and mental health, making it difficult to cure completely," emphasizing the importance of prevention. He said, "Regular oral examinations reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease by 10%, and scaling at least once a year reduces the incidence by 14%," adding, "Prevention is more important than treatment, so management through regular oral check-ups is necessary."

He also suggested lifestyle habits for prevention, such as using auxiliary tools like interdental brushes and dental floss every time you brush your teeth, and brushing thoroughly for more than three minutes while looking in the mirror.

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