Gum Health Day 2022 focuses on new guidelines for periodontal disease prevention and treatment
Treat your gums was the slogan for Gum Health Day 2022, a worldwide awareness campaign organised by the European Federation of Periodontology (EFP), which took place on May 12. It is aimed at informing the public about the detrimental effects of periodontal (gum) disease on both oral and overall health and calls for its prevention, early detection and effective treatment, focusing on the EFP’s recent clinical practice guidelines on periodontitis treatment. The hashtag is #TreatYourGums.
Although still poorly recognised by the public, periodontal diseases are chronic inflammatory conditions that affect many adults worldwide. Besides its oral health effects, periodontal disease is linked to major systemic health issues, including diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, chronic kidney disease, adverse pregnancy outcomes, rheumatoid arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, erectile dysfunction, certain forms of cancer and more severe Covid-19 outcomes.
Dr Moritz Kebschull, professor of restorative dentistry at the University of Birmingham said: “This year’s campaign focuses heavily on the treatment part—we know that millions of people suffer from gum diseases that can be treated effectively. Treat your gums calls for this treatment—with all the documented positive effects for the mouth and whole body—to actually happen”.
Prof. Kebschull noted: “The new EFP-produced clinical practice guidelines on the treatment of all four stages of periodontitis are a crucial development, as they are the first high-quality international guidelines to outline a structured and easily implemented pathway for the efficient and effective treatment of gum disease”.
