I wrote-Yasmine El Sawy:
Research from the University of Birmingham has confirmed that gum disease is the main cause of tooth loss and causes serious problems, including heart failure.
Gum disease results from an infection of the gums and becomes more common with age.
Untreated gum disease has widespread and severe effects on the rest of the body, including blood vessels and the heart.
For people with chronic health problems, finding and treating gum disease is a priority.
Some specialists are currently working on inventing a probe to detect gum disease and save people with disease, provided that it is available in all health units, especially pharmacies.
The probe analyzes a sample of saliva in the mouth, which provides a measure of vital signs to confirm the presence and severity of gum disease.
Professor Tim Albrecht, from the University of Birmingham’s School of Chemistry, said: ‘We believe the device we are designing will be the first oral probe that can quickly and easily identify periodontal disease in a variety of healthcare settings, opening up opportunities of surveillance and early intervention for those with comorbidities”.
Dr Melissa Grant, from Birmingham Dental School, said: “Being able to detect biomarkers of periodontal disease in a timely manner will enable the severity of periodontal disease to be known and treated early, and this will not only benefit dental health but also reduce treatment costs and identify patients for whom periodontal treatment can become a priority, saving their lives in the long term.
