PERIODONTAL (GUM) DISEASE – known in the past as pyorrhoea
Causes, signs and symptoms of gum disease
Imagine a castle surrounded by a moat. The moat become full of toxic waste that soaks in underneath and dissolves and destroys the supporting structures of the castle until it collapses.
This is what happens in gum disease. There is a small moat like minute crevice completely surrounding each tooth, at the point where the gum meets the tooth. It becomes full of bacteria.  If it is not brushed away, the older bacteria becomes, it gets more and more nasty, it soaks down under the tooth destroying gum, bone and support for the teeth until they become loose and eventually fall out. Gum disease is affects 99.9% of people at some time in their life, it is the most common disease known to man.
The first sign of gum disease is slight redness, then bleeding on brushing. In worse cases you may experience spontaneous bleeding, say when you bite into an apple you gums bleed or when you wake up in the morning there is blood on your pillow.
The gums start to become slightly loose and come away (recede) from the teeth and sometimes there is a space or pocket between the gum and the tooth that traps more food and bacteria. This may lead to pain and gum abscesses. NOT the same as a tooth abscess. Eventually you notice that you have become ‘long in the tooth’, the gums shrink back as the supporting bone is destroyed.
   

Things that can worsen gum problems:
•      Smoking raises the temperature in the mouth so bacteria can thrive more easily. It dries out the mouth so bacteria is not washed away. The tiny blood vessels that feed the teeth and bring in antibodies to fight disease become narrowed when you smoke so the teeth have less chance of survival.
•      Diabetes - People with diabetes are more likely to have gum disease than people without it. This is probably because diabetics are more likely to get infections in general. People who do not know they have diabetes, or whose diabetes is not under control, are especially at risk. If you do have diabetes it is important that any gum disease is diagnosed, because it can increase your blood sugar. This would put you at risk of diabetic complications. Also, if you are diabetic, you may find that you heal more slowly. New research has also shown that you are more likely to develop diabetes if you have gum disease. If you have diabetes, you have an increased risk of losing teeth.
•      Other illnesses may also have an effect on your dental health.

•      Diet -dieting, vegetarians and dietary disorders, if you become short on certain vitamins and minerals it can have different effects on your mouth. For example if you are low on B vitamins and iron it can give you a sore mouth. If you cut out ANY food group you are at risk if you do not know what you are doing to replace what you are not getting. It is best to eat a balanced diet to make sure you obtain all the vitamins and minerals that you need. If you wish to lose weight, you need to burn off more calories than you are eating.

•      Medication – certain medication is known to have a detrimental effect on the gums and some may even exacerbate gum disease or cause dry mouth which may lead to a higher susceptibility to decay. Radiotherapy around the head and mouth can have terrible effects on the teeth.

•       Pregnancy or hormonal changes and illness - may all lead to higher susceptibility of gum disease.

•      Family history-you may have an increased susceptibility to gum disease if it runs in your family.

•      Lack of management - not cleaning well enough - due to incapacity or just not doing the job well enough or spending enough time. The main reason for this problem is that people are not taught how to clean their teeth properly and this is the fault of the dental profession.
Luckily with a little knowledge and a lot of hard work gum disease can be controlled. 
Is There a Link Between Gum Disease and Heart Disease?
Overall the data indicates that chronic gum disease may contribute to the development of heart disease, the UKs leading cause of death in both men and women.

How does this happen? Gum disease is a bacterial infection that can affect other conditions as well as your mouth. In heart disease, gum problems can cause bacteria to enter the bloodstream where they attach to the fatty deposits in the heart blood vessels. This condition can cause blood clots and may lead to heart attacks.

If I Have Heart Disease, Are There Special Requirements to Maintain Proper Oral Health?
To maintain the best oral health, you should:
•      Establish and maintain a healthy mouth. This means brushing and flossing daily and visiting a dentist regularly.