Gum disease

For a lay person:

Gum disease is infection and inflammation of the gums and the tissues that hold teeth in place. It starts with bleeding gums and, if untreated, can loosen teeth.

For a trained medical person:

Gingivitis progressing to periodontitis with loss of attachment and alveolar bone. It is linked to diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Management: plaque control, scaling and root planing, and periodontal surgery.

In Chinese medicine:

Flaws and Sionneau's textbook differentiates this condition into these patterns: Heat toxins flaming and exuberant; Stomach and intestine fire and heat; Liver and Kidney Yin Deficiency; Mixed deficiency and repletion; Spleen not Holding Blood; Spleen and Kidney Yang Deficiency. Treatment follows the pattern a patient presents with, not the Western diagnosis alone.

When to get help: See a dentist for bleeding gums that don't settle with good brushing, or loose teeth.