“Periodontitis for 1 out of 2 Italians but the disease is underestimated”

2023-06-14 11:35:00

Bleeding gums, bad breath, and one or more teeth that move. These are the initial symptoms of periodontitis, an inflammatory disease of the gums caused by bacterial plaque and aggravated by numerous risk factors, “which affects 1 out of 2 Italians and in a serious form around 15% of the population, if left untreated it can lead to the loss of teeth. However, it is still too often underestimated and not diagnosed adequately in time”. Thus to time.news Salute Rodolfo Gianserravice president of the Italian Society of Periodontology and Implantology (Sidp), one of the promoters of the Day dedicated to periodontitis, scheduled for 16 June.

“An initiative – explains Gianserra – to stimulate the population to carry out adequate prevention because periodontitis, despite affecting 50% of the Italian population, is still today an underdiagnosed disease. In fact, it is not always intercepted in the mild forms, which are the simplest to treat and which lead to a return of one’s teeth”. For this reason, Sidp, together with the Italian Federation of Medical and Scientific Societies (Fism) has set up a prevention helpdesk @sidp.it “by e-mail and the toll-free number 800 144 979 to provide information to all those interested in prevention – explains the expert – essential for intercepting the sixth most widespread pathology in the world and the main cause of tooth loss after 50 years”. And in a population that continues to age “we all know how important it is to keep our teeth in optimal condition for all the functions that our teeth allow us to perform in our daily life”.

During the Day of periodontitis it will be possible to interact free of charge with the dentists of the Sidp and, thanks to the App ‘Gingive in Forma’, also calculate the individual susceptibility to periodontitis. “Despite the numbers of the disease, in dental surgeries and among the population the perception of risk is not yet so widespread – remarks Gianserra -. For good prevention, you need to go to your trusted dentist for a periodic visit and if this periodontal examination does not the patient can request it if he presents the classic initial symptoms, i.e. bleeding gums, bad breath or some teeth that move. Disorders that can be intercepted and treated in a very simple way “, he concludes.