Joseph CascianiGeropsychologist, Consultant, Public Speaking, Freelance · Podcast Host of the Living to 100 Club | Clinical Strategies for Senior Residential Settings & Lifestyle Directors | Geropsychologist | Keynote Speaker

A Periodontist Discusses Gum Disease and Its Prevention with Dr. William Levine

7 Mar 2024 · 1 min

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In this segment, the periodontist highlights that, aside from the common cold, periodontal disease is arguably the most widespread disease. Citing CDC data, they note that about 50% of U.S. adults over 35 have significant periodontal disease, with prevalence climbing to 65‑80% among those in their 70s. The speaker explains the underlying reason for this ubiquity: teeth are anchored in the jawbone—a sterile internal environment—yet they function within the mouth, which is a non‑sterile, bacterial‑rich setting. This unique anatomical arrangement makes the oral cavity the only organ where a sterile internal structure is constantly exposed to external microbes, driving the high rates of gum disease.

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I think that aside from the common cold, periodontal disease is probably the most ubiquitous disease that exists. According to the Center for Disease Control, the CDC, in the USA, 50% of the adult population over the age of 35 has significant periodontal disease. And that percentage raises or rises as the population gets older so that when you hit in the '70s, those numbers are 65, 80, 75%. So it increases, but What's critical about periodontal disease is, and what makes it so prevalent, is simply the system is our teeth are anchored into our jawbone, and that has to be by definition a sterile environment. You can't have an infection or bacterial population inside the body that's normal. The body will react to it, but the teeth function in the mouth, which is a non-sterile environment. That's the only organ in our bodies that we have that does that.