Dental Health Check with Dr. Linda Niessen
Dental health topics from Dr. Linda Niessen of Baylor College of Dentistry
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 Gum Disease Signs

By Dr. Linda Niessen
Monday, February 21, 2005

STORY: GUM DISEASE SIGNS

As many as 1 in 7 Americans have gum disease. Most don't know it. It can affect one tooth or many. Dr. Linda Niessen looks at the warning signs in today's Dental Health Check.

It took Bob Clair about three years to face the fact that he had periodontal or gum disease. He worried that the cure--gum surgery--would be too painful.

"You hear these horror stories, very, very, painful. My aunt had gum surgery. So I put it off when my dentist suggested I may want to get it checked out because my gums were receding," said Bob.

Bob had several classic signs of gum disease that he tried to ignore.

"There have been many advances in periodontal surgery, even in the past five to ten years." Dr. Ellen Hall, a periodontist or gum specialist, treats severe disease with surgery.

"There are new and more sophisticated techniques that we use when we do gum grafting or different types of surgery," said Dr. Hall.

When tooth roots are exposed, surgery can reverse the process of receding gums. Soft tissue grafts from the roof of your mouth are transplanted to cover the tooth roots.

Bob Clair added, "It just turned out beautifully."

Most dental insurance covers gum surgery. So think of it as an investment in both a healthy and attractive smile. For Baylor College of Dentistry, Texas A&M Health Science Center, I'm Dr. Linda Niessen, Channel 8 News.

Dr. Linda Niessen, clinical professor in the Department of Restorative Sciences and  the Office of Communications and Development at Baylor College of Dentistry, hosts Dental Health Check, the only weekly dental feature shot on location in the nation.

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