HYDERABAD: How long has it been since you visited a dentist for a professional cleaning? Oral health seems to be grossly neglected in Hyderabad. A 10-year retrospective study conducted by the department of periodontics at Government Dental College and Hospital in the city, reports that 90 per cent patients screened in the study period were found to be suffering from chronic periodontitis, and the rest had aggressive periodontitis.
In the study period, 74,414 patients were screened, of which 67,236 were diagnosed with chronic periodontitis and the remaining 7,178 patients were diagnosed with aggressive periodontitis. Principal of Government Dental College and Hospital and one of the authors of the study, Dr Santha Kumari Prathypaty, told Express, “Periodontitis is a multi-factorial disease. While a large number of cases are due to bacterial infection, some are also genetic or as an effect of health problems, like diabetes.”
She added, “The main cause of such wide prevalence is poor oral hygiene. If the disease is detected early, it can be completely eradicated but not, if it is detected in the advanced stages.” How to know if you are suffering from periodontitis? Dr Prathypaty says the symptoms of periodontitis include bleeding of gums while brushing, slow widening/swelling of gums around the teeth and increased sensitivity of the teeth.