Gum disease is a serious condition that can lead to tooth decay and tooth loss. At Astoria Dental Group, Dr. Clifford Degel and Dr. Carmen Every-Degel provide gum disease treatment to restore oral health and prevent further dental damage.
Today we’ll consider some important gum disease statistics to help our patients in Queens, NY, Long Island, and throughout NYC, understand how this easily preventable disease affects so many and what can be done to help protect oral health.
What Is Gum Disease?
Gum disease, or periodontal disease, is an infection of the gums caused by bacteria and plaque buildup along the gumline. In its early stages, known as gingivitis, gum disease can lead to gum inflammation and some bleeding while brushing or flossing.
As gum disease advances to periodontitis, plaque along the gumline can harden into tartar and cause pockets to form between the teeth and gums. Pockets grow as more plaque settles into the gap, allowing bacteria to infect areas beneath the gumline. Eventually, this can cause tooth decay, tooth loss, or damage to the bone and tissue supporting the teeth.
What Percentage of Adults Have Gum Disease?
Gum disease is a very common oral health problem for American adults. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 47.2 percent of adults over 30 years old have some form of periodontal disease.
The American Dental Association (ADA) further states that 7.8 percent of adults with gum disease have severe periodontitis.
Who Does Gum Disease Affect?
Gum disease can affect anyone but the CDC has found that certain demographics are more likely to develop this condition than others. Per the CDC, the following groups have been found to be most affected by gum disease:
- Age: As much as 70 percent of adults 65 and older have periodontal disease.
- Poverty: As many as 65 percent of those who live below the federal poverty level have gum disease.
- Sex: Men are more likely to have gum disease than women with 56 percent of men having gum disease compared to 38 percent of women.
- Smokers: Smokers are more likely to have gum disease. The CDC reports that 64 percent of current smokers are likely to have gum disease.
- Education level: Nearly 67 percent of people who received less than a high school education are affected by gum disease.
Seek Gum Disease Treatment
It’s important to seek treatment for gum disease in order to prevent tooth decay, tooth loss, and bone and tissue damage. Gum disease treatment varies depending on the severity of disease.
Early stage gum disease is often easily treated with a professional dental cleaning and practicing good oral hygiene including thoroughly brushing at least twice a day and flossing at least once a day.
When gum disease advances to more moderate disease, a deep cleaning treatment called root planing and scaling may be sufficient to restore oral health.
Advanced gum disease often requires greater intervention such as bone grafting to restore damaged bone, surgery to seal the gum around the tooth, or gum grafts to restore lost gum tissue.
Schedule a Consultation
With gum disease treatment from the Astoria Dental Group, it is possible to enjoy an attractive, healthy smile. For more information about which dental treatments are right for you, call (718) 215-0510 to schedule a consultation.
