A dentist, Dr. Gwendolyn Amarquaye-Bayitse has outlined ways to prevent periodontal disease, a common canker among many Ghanaians.

According to her, periodontal disease is a disease of the gum caused by plaque - a sticky film that forms on the surface of the teeth.

She made these comments on this first episode of season 2 of Pepsodent Ghana’s Dental TV Show, Time with the Dentist.

A plaque comprises different types of bacterial in the mouth. Dental plaques, though is constantly formed in the teeth can easily be removed through proper teeth brushing and flossing.

Educating people on the TV series, Dr. Amarquaye-Bayitse stated that, ‘The bacteria in plaque can affect not only the gum but eventually the jawbone if action is not taken.”

“The gum, bone, and some ligaments surrounding the teeth are supporting structures of the teeth, holding them in place hence when these structures are infected, the teeth become lose and falls out.”

She outlined the stages of periodontal diseases and said “the accumulation of plaque leads to a condition called Gingivitis which leaves your gums irritated and inflamed. You may notice some bleeding while brushing your teeth at this point.”

She advised viewers to seek professional help at the first detection of symptom in order to completely reverse the process.

“Once you fail to seek professional help and continue in your poor oral hygiene, the gum starts to pull away from the teeth, creating a space around the teeth called Pockets for more plaque to accumulate. When this happens, a conducive environment is created for bacteria to thrive, leaving the bone around the teeth destroyed. This will cause your teeth to become loose and eventually fall out,” she concluded.

Expounding on the subject, Dr. Amarquaye-Bayitse added that, ‘the advanced stage of periodontal disease may be characterized by pain on chewing, bleeding gums, discoloration of the teeth especially in areas close to the gum, and bad breath.

The medical practitioner also charged parents to pay more attention to the oral health of their children and seek professional help, as periodontal disease may also affect children and teenagers.

Time with The Dentist is a dental TV show by Pepsodent in partnership with the Ghana Dental Association.

The show seeks to educate Ghanaians on basic oral hygiene routines, how to care for the teeth, some myths and facts associated with maintaining good oral hygiene among others.