New Year, Let's Take Care of Gum Health... Prevent with Thorough Brushing and Gargling
Published 01 Feb.2024 18:13(KST)
If you made various plans for the New Year but failed, how about making new plans with the start of a new month or the upcoming Seollal holiday? One essential part of New Year's resolutions is health management. However, among health concerns, gum health is often overlooked until it becomes severe enough to require a visit to the dentist.
According to the National Interest Disease Statistics from the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service on the 1st, periodontal disease and gingivitis were most commonly diagnosed in people in their 50s and 60s as of 2022. It is true that periodontal disease tends to occur more frequently as people age.
However, this does not mean that younger age groups do not need to manage their gum health. In the same year, the combined proportion of periodontal disease patients in their 20s to 40s accounted for nearly 40% of all patients. The occurrence of periodontal disease in younger people is closely related to daily habits. Typical lifestyle patterns include enjoying alcohol, smoking, and coffee, which dry out the mouth, and frequently consuming desserts high in sugar.
Regular dental check-ups are the best way to prevent such periodontal diseases. If your gums are swollen or bleeding, it is likely that periodontal disease has already progressed to some extent. This is because the tissues surrounding the teeth do not show noticeable symptoms even when damaged.
Daily care should not be neglected either. Areas that cannot be cleaned by brushing alone should be carefully maintained using additional oral hygiene tools. Pay attention to spaces between teeth and the gaps between teeth and gums where food particles tend to remain even after brushing. To keep tight interdental spaces and gum lines clean, using a high-performance mouthwash that is excellent for preventing periodontal disease is also recommended. Dong-A Pharmaceutical’s oral rinse 'Gum Guard' showed clinical results of reducing gum inflammation intensity by 50.9% and gum bleeding frequency by 56.9% after 6 weeks of use.
If periodontal disease continues, it can lead to tooth loss. The most commonly chosen treatment is to implant an implant that resembles a natural tooth. Since implants are artificial teeth made of metal and crowns, many people think of them as a 'permanent treatment.' However, if hygiene management is neglected, inflammation can occur in the gums surrounding the implant. Peri-implant inflammation weakens the bond between the alveolar bone and the implant, potentially leading to the need for re-implantation. The problem is that implants have no nerves, so it is difficult to notice inflammation even if it occurs. This means symptoms are often discovered only after they have worsened, making subsequent treatment more difficult. This is why receiving implant treatment should be seen as the beginning of serious management rather than a reason to relax.
Gum Guard helps maintain strong gums with its patented 5-complex formula and suppresses the growth of bacteria related to gingivitis. Recently, it has gained a reputation as a preventive measure for gum disease among those who have received implants, achieving sales exceeding 10 billion KRW for the first time in the brand’s history.
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