Reema

Nazir Mequette M. Sorensen Mexican-American culture Final project paper

Periodontal disease among Mexican American Periodontal disease among Mexican American, ranges from simple gum inflammation to serious disease that result in major damage to the soft tissue and bone that supports the teeth are in the worst cases, teeth are lost. Whether the disease is stopped, slowed, or gets worse depends a great deal on how well the teeth and gums are taken care of every day, from this point forward. Its easy to develop periodontal disease among Mexican-American children from the early ages between 5-17 years old. A study shows that Mexican-American children from families with low annual income had about two times more decayed teeth than children from high-income families (Dental Caries). Because of differing patterns concerning the use of dental services and the observation those Mexican-American seek dental services less frequently than other groups. Hispanics have been found to use professional dental services infrequently, and many of them consult a dentist only when they are in pain. Differences also have been found between Hispanics and non-Hispanics in the reasons for and frequency of dental visits and in the use of cosmetic, orthodontic, surgical, and prosthetic services. These differences remain even after income and education have been considered. Gum disease is the infection of the tissues that surround and support your teeth. It is a major cause of tooth loss in adults. Because gum disease is usually painless, its hard to tell if its there. Also referred to as periodontal disease, gum disease is caused by plaque, the sticky film of bacteria that is constantly forming on our teeth.

Reema Nazir Mequette M. Sorensen Mexican-American culture Final project paper

There are few warning signs that can signal a problem such as gums that bleed easily, persistent bad breath or bad taste and permanent teeth that are loose or separating. Also there are some factors that increase the risk of developing gum disease such as poor oral hygiene, crooked teeth that are hard to keep clean. There is also a higher risk of gum disease during pregnancy or if a person is a diabetic. What cause gum disease? Are that our mouths are full of bacteria. These bacteria, along with mucus and other particles, constantly form a sticky, colorless plaque on teeth. Brushing and flossing help get rid of plaque. Plaque that is not removed can harden and form tarter that brushing doesnt clean. Only a professional cleaning by a dentist or dental hygienist can remove tartar. To keep teeth for a lifetime, one most remove the plaque from the teeth and gums every day with proper brushing and flossing. Regular dental visits are also important. Daily cleaning will help keep calculus formation to a minimum, but it wont completely prevent it. A professional cleaning at least twice a year is necessary to remove calculus from places the toothbrush and floss may have missed. The first stage of periodontal disease is easy to treat but if it gets worse it could lead to surgery. There are three stages of periodontal disease: first gingivitis, a plaque and its byproducts irritate the gums, making them tender, inflamed, and likely to bleed. Second is periodontitis, unremoved, plaque hardens into calculus (tartar). As plaque and calculus continue to build up, the gums begin to recede (pull away) from the teeth, and pockets form between the teeth and

Reema Nazir Mequette M. Sorensen Mexican-American culture Final project paper

gums. Third is advanced periodontitis, the gums receding farther, destroying more bone and the periodontal ligament? Teeth- even healthy teeth- may become lose and need to be extracted. The early stage of gum disease is called gingivitis. Having gingivitis, the gums may become red, swollen and bleed easily. At this stage, Gingivitis is the mildest form of periodontal disease. It causes the gums to bleed. There is usually little or no discomfort at this stage. Gingivitis is reversible with professional treatment and good at home oral care such as daily brushing and flossing. Periotherapy the disease is still reversible and can usually be eliminated by a professional cleaning at a dental office. Advanced gum disease is called periodontitis. Chronic periodontitis can lead to the loss of tissue and bone that support the teeth and it may become more severe over time. A form of periodontal disease resulting in inflammation within the supporting tissues of the teeth, progressive attachment and bone loss and is characterized by pocket formation and or recession of the gingiva. It is recognized as the most frequently occurring from of periodontitis. It is prevalent in adults; teeth will feel loose and start moving around in the mouth. This is the most common form of periodontitis in adults but can occur at any age. Progression of attachment loss usually occurs slowly, but periods of rapid progression can occur. Aggressive periodontitis (Oral and Dental) is a highly destructive form of periodontal disease that occurs in patients who are otherwise healthy. Common features include rapid loss of tissue and bone and may occur in some areas of the mouth, or in the entire mouth. A form of periodontitis that occurs

Reema Nazir Mequette M. Sorensen Mexican-American culture Final project paper

in patients who are otherwise clinically healthy, common features aggregation periotherapy will help stop the progression, however it is recommend to seek help from a dental professional. How periodontal disease among Mexican Americans be prevented? Brushing teeth twice a day (with fluoride toothpaste).Flossing regularly to remove plaque from between teeth and visiting the dentist routinely for a checkup as well as professional cleaning and making that a habit. The goal of treatment is to control the infection. The number and types of treatment will vary, depending on the extent of the gum disease. Any type of treatment requires that the patient keep up good daily care at home. The dentist may also suggest changing certain behaviors, such as quitting smoking, stop the use of tobacco, as its a way to improve treatment outcome. The non-surgical periodontal treatment, in the early stages of gum disease, most treatments include deep cleaning, scaling and root planing which is a professional cleaning of the root surfaces to remove plaque and calculus and tartar from periodontal pockets, and to smooth the tooth root to remove bacterial toxins as well as followed by adjunctive therapy, such as antibiotics and antimicrobials. In most cases of gingivitis, scaling and root planing and proper daily brushing and flossing will produce a healthy result. Its easy to develop gum disease among Mexican Americans the reason being is that when Mexican American first come to the United States of America they are undocumented and do not have dental insurance and dental work can get quite expensive. I have interviewed a professional dentist who is a specialist in periodontal (gum) disease. He works with Mexican American adults and children. The concerns he had was that most

Reema Nazir Mequette M. Sorensen Mexican-American culture Final project paper

Mexican American suffer with gum disease and dental decay the reason being is that dental insurance is too expensive and its not easy to afford for most people and if the teeth arent properly taken good care of then the damage occurs. Dental treatment and insurance gets expensive. But having good hygiene helps in the long term will help reduce the cost of expensive treatments. Every dental office should have a cost plan in Spanish and English. In this way Mexican- Americans can create a personal hygiene plan and from good habits and saves money in long term (Mckeown). The cost for healthy teeth isnt as much as we think it is! The cost plan I have created for Mexican Americans is that just brushing and flossing twice a day can save in the long term. Just restocking on toothbrushes, floss and toothpaste can really help prevent the periodontal disease. Restocking on toothbrushes will cost $2.00 so for total year it would be $8.00 and the toothbrush should be renewed every three months and thrown away. The cost for toothpaste is $3.00 and a tube would last until few months till it would need to be placed for a new one, so total year for that would be $12.00. Flossing is very important, every night the teeth needs to be floss or at least every other day the cost for that floss would $8.00 for the whole year. Last but not the least dental visits are highly recommended at least twice a year. With my research one visit with the dentist at Monarch Dental its $30.00 without the dental insurance, so $60.00 for the whole year which would be twice a year. The visit includes professional cleaning, X rays and Exam. Overall the cost would be around $88.00 for the entire year for healthier teeth and gum without dental insurance for Mexican Americans.

Reema Nazir Mequette M. Sorensen Mexican-American culture Final project paper

Also another benefit to this dental office is that theres Spanish speaking staff as well as paper work in Spanish for easy translation. And these flyers will be at dental offices for the patient to take home and patient can educate the rest of the family member. In conclusion this information would help Mexican Americans especially, for undocumented, low income or just any families that doesnt have dental insurance. So this will help improve the idea and save them from developing the chronic periodontal disease, once it gets worse it would seek surgery treatment and surgery treatment may get expensive to pay out of pocket.

Reema Nazir Mequette M. Sorensen Mexican-American culture Final project paper

Bibliography. Dental caries and periodontal disease among Mexican-American children from five southwestern states, 1982-1983 nih.gov. n.d. web. 16 Apr. 2013. Gum Disease and Women perio.org n.d. web. 17 Apr. 2013. Mckeown, Sean. Personal interview. 14 Apr. 2013. Oral and Dental Health Resource Centercolgate.com n.d. web. 16 Apr. 2013.