Question:
How would someone get Gingivitis? Are there any symptons?
Answer:
Gingivitis is a communicable disease. We get it from other people.
Symptoms are a redness of the gums, slight swelling of same, and bleeding
of the gums when brushing or flossing.
It's easy to control for most people. Brush and floss regularly, and you
can keep it in check.
And I thought that gingivitis was caused by bacterial plaque. Dr.
Johnson, I would appreciate the articles which show research
demonstrating that gingivitis is a communicable disease.
A lot of thinking about the nature of gum disease has changed in recent
years. Check articles by S.N. Bashkar. True, gum disease is caused by
bacterial plaque, but how do you think that bacteria got there?
Gingivitis is a non-specific inflammatory response to dental plaque
around the gingival margins.
The quantity, not the quality of the plaque probably is an important
ingredient in gingivitis.
REMEMBER: Dental Plaque or Dental Biofilm naturally forms on teeth and
acts as part of the HOST DEFENSE SYSTEM.,i.e. it protects us from the bad
bugs. Patients on long term antibiotics are susceptible to yeast
infections in the mouth because this defense system is attacked.
Since bacteria are infective, they must be communicable, and contagious.
The question is how contagious? Also are there carriers? WE ALL are
carriers of bacteria. The dental profession wants to ignore these
questions, or the periodontists want to.
Gingivitis is NOT communicable. You may be able to pass certain bacteria,
but the disease is completely preventable even with the bacteria present.
It is oral hygiene people! If a person has excellent oral hygiene, almost
any crap in their mouth will make no difference.
Gingivitis is about our only periodontal disease that is curable!
Do you know Bashkar? I heard him lecture a while back and he didn't even
perio probe his mainteance patients regularly. I'm afraid I don't put
much weight into anything he recommends or publishes now.
