Like tooth decay, gum disease can be transmitted from person to person by saliva. Some patients can have a genetic susceptibility to gum disease. Gum disease is caused by dental plaque (a sticky film of bacteria that adheres to your teeth.) In the early stages of gum disease, the gums are red in color, bleed easily and are noticeably swollen. As disease progresses, the infection spreads to the bone supporting the teeth. When bone becomes infected, it dissolves away and will not grow back. Left untreated, the teeth will become loose and need to be extracted. Initial treatment for those with gum disease (gingivitis) centers around improved daily dental care and having your teeth cleaned. If your problem is only with the gums, better daily care combined with a few cleaning visits will usually bring this condition under control. If you have moderate to severe gum disease, you will need more than one visit to adequately clean your teeth. You will be given a solution to rinse with that numbs the gums. This will allow for a more comfortable cleaning. Most patients who have had prior treatment for this condition, tell us how unpleasant their cleaning experiences have been. two to three cleaning visits allows you to have this problem treated with a minimum of discomfort. If your gum problem has spread to the bone support of your teeth (periodontitis), the initial treatment involves cleaning. In these cases, you will receive an anesthetic to completely numb your teeth and gums. Total cleaning is usually accomplished in one or two visits. Once your cleaning is completed, you will be periodically examined to determine your progress. Your daily cleaning ability along with the rate that you build up tarter will determine how frequently you will need to have your teeth cleaned. If your problem only involved the gums, you should be able to eventually get back to a 6 month cleaning interval. If your problem involved the gums and bone, you will need to have your teeth cleaned every 3 months. Gum disease can affect your whole body. Bacteria that cause gum disease enter the blood stream in the mouth and spread throughout the body. These same bacteria can also attach to mucos and enter the lungs. A list of the medical implications of untreated periodontal (gum) disease follows:</p> * increased risk of stroke * bacteria inhaled in the lungs can cause respiratory diseases such as pneumonia * increased risk of heart attack * 1.7 times more likely to develop coronary heart disease * the prevalence of gum disease in obese individuals aged 18-34 is 76% higher than normal weight individuals * reduction in bone mass * gum disease may be more important than age as a factor in adult onset diabetes * expectant mothers with periodontal disease are 6.7 times more likely to have a pre-term or low-birth-weight child There you have it. At this point, you must admit that this information confirms the absolute need for up-to-date dental care.