PART OF the inspiration that led me to begin writing this weekly column more than seventeen years ago came from the great Greek philosopher, Aristotle, who said that it is better to be dead than to be uneducated.

My clear objective, therefore, is for readers to know, for example, that gum disease is a threat to your oral health and general wellbeing. Your oral health affects your overall health, and poor oral health may contribute to cardiovascular disease, pre-term low-birth weight babies, respiratory disease, stroke, and possibly osteoporosis.

People who are missing teeth (especially the elderly) can suffer from digestive problems due to their inability to masticate (chew), inadequate nutritional intake, and therefore, a decreased quality of life.

Varying degrees of gum inflammation (periodontal disease) affect approximately half a million Guyanese. Periodontal diseases, as a group, are the number one cause of tooth loss. They are the primary cause of tooth loss in adults aged 35 years and older. A whopping 75 per cent of the population suffers from periodontal diseases in its many guises, which can be chronic (lasting a long time or recurring), or acute (extremely serious).

Periodontal disease is generally a chronic, inflammatory, painless, progressive, silent infection, which is why many people with acute infections don’t recognise it. If left untreated, it can cause destruction of the gums, of the alveolar bone (where the teeth rise from the jaws), and of the outer layer of the tooth root.

At its worst, peridontitis will cause bone loss and tooth loss.

Once you know it’s there, it may be too late to prevent further damage, including bone loss and subsequent tooth loss. When the disease is advanced, gums can ooze pus, which, when swallowed, cause people to feel sick all of the time. Pain associated with periodontal disease and tooth loss does not build character; it diminishes the quality of life.

The amount of tissue (skin) in your mouth (oral cavity) is equivalent to the tissue on your arm, from your wrist to elbow, making any oral disease a very large infection. Your mouth is complex, and anything that goes wrong in it may affect your entire body.

When your mouth and body are healthy, that combination — a cooperation called synergy — can achieve a greater affect on your overall health. If one system is unhealthy, it affects the other.

The only source of oral debris is food. Saliva is a disinfectant, and a protective element that controls some, but not all, of the bacteria that form in your mouth. The plaque on your teeth contains bacteria, which produces chemicals that can cause gum tissue to be infected and to swell, which can lead to tooth decay, gum disease, and bone loss, which can lead to tooth loss. Flossing and brushing every surface of every tooth, and brushing your gums every time you eat, are your primary defenses. Seeing your dentist or dentex regularly is your next best defense.

Brushing and flossing are supposed to remove the plaque, but when they don’t, the plaque hardens and becomes tartar. Tartar coarsens the surfaces of the teeth, which causes the plaque to stick more tightly to them.

Brushing and flossing have little power over tartar. Untreated tartar can harbour bacteria, which produces toxins that attack the supporting tissue (ligaments that attach the gums, teeth, and bone) under the teeth.

This is the mildest form of periodontal disease, and is usually as a result of poor oral hygiene. Gingivitis can also result from the possible lack of Vitamin C, which is rarely seen in this country. Gingivitis is an inflammation of the outer soft tissue of the gums (gingivae). Gingivitis can lead to periodontitis, which can lead to bone loss, which can lead to no teeth at all if not treated.

If your gums are red, swollen, bleed easily when you brush them, or lose their shape, you probably have gingivitis, a mild form of the disease. Run to your dentist! There is little or no pain involved at this stage, which is why gingivitis can go undetected or ignored, and become a chronic disease without affecting other tissues. Gingivitis can easily be reversed with professional help and diligent home care.

Bleeding gums in adults can also be a sign of anemia. If a child shows signs of gingivitis, he or she should be taken to a doctor. Gingivitis is one of the early signs of leukemia in some children.

If you don’t run to your dentist at the first sign of trouble, your mild gum disease (gingivitis) can advance to periodontitis (inflammation around the tooth), a condition some refer to as pyorrhea.

At this stage, your gums pull away from your teeth and form pockets that fill with plaque, tartar, and anaerobic bacteria that continue to grow into a larger infection. Your immune system begins to fight the bacteria when the plaque spreads and gets under your gums. The combination of the bacteria and your body’s enzymes begins to break down the bone and tissue holding your teeth in place.

If you don’t get treatment immediately, the bacteria in the pockets deepen and cause more damage while gum tissue and teeth are destroyed, leading to loose teeth, and worse, tooth loss.