Dental disease could be developing earlier than thought. Reports of recent study done on dental problems in young people has showed that periodontal disease, characterized by bacteria attacking the gums and the hidden roots of teeth is associated with an early onset, contrary to the existing belief that it develops only after mid 30s.
Inflammation in the mouth caused by such infections can lead to similar inflammatory disorders in other parts of the body, thereby leading to heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and obstetric complications.Investigators studied data gathered from 400 people and analyzed how wisdom teeth change in condition over time. One quarter of the people in their 20s had periodontal problems with no symptoms, a surprising finding. The participants were also questioned regarding their willingness to preserve the same.
Although most people eventually will develop pathology with wisdom teeth, periodontal disease, pericoronitis or tooth decay, it is too early to recommend strongly that everyone has their wisdom teeth removed. It is smart to have wisdom teeth evaluated before age 25, but because one quarter of people won't develop problems with them, not everyone should necessarily have the teeth extracted as a precaution.
In other research, an evaluation of higher-risk obstetrics women was done which, revealed that women with the worst periodontal disease around their wisdom teeth had more than twice the risk of preterm birth.
It would be appropriate if the importance of dental hygiene is stressed to an adequate level, early detection or screening programmes are adopted for identification of such youngsters.
