Removing Plaque Can Prevent Gum Disease

Problems on the gum can create disease on other parts of the body and can undermine daily activities. Enunciating will be difficult, and even the shape of the face can change, leading to hardships in socializing. Keeping teeth healthy, which was considered critical by our ancestors, requires careful but different management depending on an age group.

From Birth to Six Years Old –

Twenty baby teeth come out around three years after one’s birth. Parents need to look for nursing bottle caries. Nursing bottle tooth decay is caused by frequent and extended use of a bottle containing milk, or breastfeeding during the night while sleeping.

It mainly affects a baby’s upper front and back milk teeth as they are exposed to an acidic environment for long periods of time. Don`t leave the bottle in the baby`s mouth while sleeping. Don`t use sugared water, use instead non-sugared water such as barley tea. As nursing bottle tooth decay occurs to babies less than 3 years old, treatment will cause both infants and their parents considerable pain. When a baby is older than one, use a baby toothbrush and toothpaste to clean the gums.

When a child becomes six years old, molars will start showing up and other baby teeth will fall out, making way for permanent teeth. This is when visits to the dentist are becoming more and more important.

From Seven to Twelve Years Old –

The most changes take place inside the mouth during this period. Adult teeth replace all the baby teeth. It is also the time when cavities occur the most. This is when the facial bones grow a lot, which can cause mandibular prognathism (jutting chin) or a protrusion of the upper chin, or an asymmetrical face shape, which all require parental attention. A regular check-up at the dentist every three to six months is recommended.

When a problem is detected after the full growth of the facial bone, treatment will be more difficult and may require a surgical procedure to fix the problem. As the genes of parents affect the growth of facial bone, children of parents with jutting chins or other bone structure abnormalities need to see the dentist for examinations. Children aged between 4-5 and 7-8 need to visit the dentist for early detection and prevention.

From 13 to 39 Years Old–

The teeth of middle and high school students show some of the healthiest features. Cavities or gum diseases rarely develop at this time. Malocclusions, such as a jutting chin, need to be treated until a student reaches his or her late teens.

Those in their 20’s and 30’s start to experience periodontal disease, including gum bleeding and sensitive teeth, more often than before. With a widening social network, bad breath needs to be fixed. Other people will detect the smell of breath, so during regular check-ups, this also should be addressed.

From 40 to 59 Years Old –

Many people in their 40’s and 50’s, with differences of degree, suffer from gum disease. One of the reasons people lose their teeth is from gum disease. “Pungchi” or periodontal disease is an inflammatory condition caused by bacteria inside the mouth. Removing plaque is the best way to prevent this. Plaque can be removed by brushing teeth, but only a proper and persistent brushing will take this sticky matter off the teeth. People feel pain only when the condition becomes serious. Symptoms will show and disappear at the beginning until they become exacerbated later. The swelling or reddening of gums, bleeding, stinky breath, the lowering of gums, growing gaps between teeth, and any shaking of teeth require an immediate visit to the dentist.

60 Years and Older -

Changes inside the mouth come with the ageing. Reduction of saliva secretion and less moisture make teeth brittle. Teeth are greatly worn away at this age. Conditions related to gum disease are more likely. With the reduction of the gum line, dental roots are exposed. There are higher risks of developing dental caries and periodontal diseases leading to the loss of teeth at this time. With the imbalance caused by loss of a few teeth, the remaining teeth stand a higher risk of deterioration. Teeth implants are required to fill in the space.

(Advisers: Park Ki-tae of Samsung Seoul Hospital (pediatric dentistry), Gye Seung-beom (periodontal), Kim Seon-yeong, Director of the Cheongdamsoo Dentist)

buddy@donga.com