Research has established a relationship between oral health and cardiac health. The germs that cause gum infections are found to cause inflammation and coronary heart diseases, and the relation between gum infection and diseases like certain cancers, diabetes has also been established. Some of these diseases make one susceptible to gum infection too. Primarily, it is the lack of oral hygiene that is the root cause of gum diseases. There are many types of gum ailments but what is called gingivitis, periodontitis or pyorrhea is of great concern. This can lead to loss of teeth and damage to the jaw bone.

Oral bacteria secrete a clear sticky slimy liquid continuously. Shortly after, this liquid is acted on by bacteria is called plaque. The plaque which is harboring bacteria settles down on the teeth and along the gum lin. This then hardens into tartar or calculus which hard to be cleaned.

The bacteria continue to grow and attack the periodontal tissues. These periodontal tissues are gum or gingival, the tooth root surface or cementum, the socket in which tooth is fixed or the alveolar bone and the periodontal ligament that holds the tooth. Gingivitis is the initial stage where the attack is only on the gum tissue. The gum becomes soft, red, swollen, painful, and prone to bleeding. At this stage the reversal of the condition is possible. Meeting the dentist, getting the teeth scaled, cleaned and follow a course of antibiotic is all that is required.

As the disease advances and become periodontitis, the deeper tissues are attacked and the teeth become loose. In advanced periodontitis, the alveolar bone is attacked and teeth become loose and fall off. In a further development, the jaw, too, gets attacked making bone graft procedures one of the only forms of treatment left as an option.

To avoid the onset of gingivitis, it is essential to institute a rigorous oral hygiene regimen. Gum care is only an extension of tooth care. The correct brushing technique is to keep the brush at 45 ^o to the gum line and rotate it upward and downward in slow deliberate moves. Cover both sides of both the rows. Clean the insides of the front teeth too. Similarly, brush the chewing surfaces of all teeth. Brush for at least two minutes twice a day using fluoride toothpaste and a brush with rounded bristles.

There is a small triangular area at the bottom between the teeth. This is the interdental space filled with the gum in the vast majority of the world’s population and this is normal. In many, only about three-quarters of the space is filled by the gum and this is classified as Class 2 canine relationship. In Class 3, the space is filled only less than half. Brushing will not clean this place. One has to use floss or some other interdental cleaning device. One needs to visit the dentist every 6 months, check the teeth and get a professional cleaning including below the gum line. This is the gist of gum care. By doing this religiously every day gingivitis can be kept away.

The initial treatment is called root surface instrumentation. Using a special curette, the surface of the tooth root is cleaned of plaque and damaged soft dentine. This is followed by a course of antibiotics, periodic checking and cleaning are followed.