Gum disease is a big health problem in the United States, especially among older adults. However, it often goes unnoticed and untreated.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that nearly half of adults over 30 and about 80% of adults over 65 have some form of gum disease.
Innovative Technology to Track Gum Disease
A group of researchers from the Regenstrief Institute and the Indiana University School of Dentistry is working to change that.
They’re developing new computer programs that can keep track of changes in gum disease. These tools might help dentists and gum specialists monitor the disease more effectively.
The team also created tools that can use data from electronic dental records to identify gum disease automatically.
This innovative work, called “Developing Automated Computer Algorithms to Track Periodontal Disease Change from Longitudinal Electronic Dental Records,” was published in a special issue of the journal Diagnostics.
Understanding the Stages of Gum Disease
Gum disease starts as a condition called gingivitis. In this stage, gums can become swollen, turn red, and sometimes bleed. If it gets worse, it can turn into a more serious condition known as periodontitis.
In this stage, gums can pull away from teeth, bones can be lost, and teeth might become loose or even fall out. Keeping natural teeth is crucial for good nutrition and overall health.
According to Thankam Thyvalikakath, the lead of the Regenstrief Institute-IU School of Dentistry Dental Informatics Program, gum disease is often not diagnosed early enough.
However, if it’s caught early, it can be reversed before it causes serious damage. By allowing dentists to track gum disease using electronic dental records, they can diagnose and treat the disease more effectively.
The team aims to encourage a culture of thorough and systematic documentation and diagnosis in dentistry.
This is already common in other areas of medicine. With about 90% of U.S. dental practices using electronic dental records, there’s a lot of potential for this approach.
The Advantages of this Approach
The researchers believe their new tools are game-changers. Using data collected during regular dental visits, they can monitor changes in gum disease that can only be seen during a dental examination.
This lets them catch gum disease in its early stages when it can still be reversed. This is a big step forward from other methods that rely only on X-rays, which can only show advanced gum disease.
Risk Factors and the Importance of Treatment
Certain things can increase the risk of gum disease, like tobacco use, diabetes, poor oral hygiene, stress, defective dental fillings and bridges, and medications that cause dry mouth.
Moreover, there’s a two-way relationship between some risk factors and gum disease. For instance, having diabetes can increase the risk of gum disease, and having gum disease can make diabetes worse.
A similar connection exists between heart disease and gum disease. As such, keeping an eye on and treating gum disease is an essential part of overall health.
If you care about gum health, please read studies about new causes of tooth decay and gum diseases, and common heartburn drugs may benefit your tooth and gum health.
For more information about gum health, please see recent studies about common mouthwash that may harm your teeth, and results showing gum disease may double your risk of high blood pressure.
The study was published in Diagnostics.
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