A bout 50% of the adult population suffer from some form of the disease, as many as 85% of people over 65 years of age, 98% of the
population will suffer with some form of periodontal problems during their life. The disease starts simply with “gingivitis” or bleeding gums but over time can
progress to permanent damage of the gum, bone and the resultant loss of teeth. Symptoms can include bleeding of the gum, sensitivity, bad breath, teeth
becoming longer due to the recessions of the gums, mobility, difficulty in biting and ultimately teeth simply falling out

Periodontal disease, in reality does not cause symptoms that are very clear and
obvious and therefore can occur and progress insidiously. The smoke, which is one of the most important risk factors
may have a “mask effect” on the bleeding, and minimising it by making progression
more subtle however, in case of presence of the signs and symptoms of the disease
the first thing to do is to go to the dentist to promptly inform him of the situation
and allow him to make a correct diagnosis and initiate appropriate treatments