Gum Health: Biomarker for Longevity and Health

Photo by Jeff Seldon of UK's DFID.

Many people assume that gum disease is an isolated problem.

However, gum disease can affect the health of other systems of the body. Additionally, poor oral hygiene is correlated with poor self-care in other areas of the body.

The technical terms for gum disease are gingivitis and periodontitis.

1. gingivitis, meaning the inflammation of the gums (called the gingiva).

2. Left untreated, gingivitis can progress to periodontitis, which happens when immflamation causes the gums pull away from the teeth and gums bleed more readily. Left untreated, people with periodontitis can lose their teeth and suffer destruction of their mouth bones, gums and other tissue.

For a more thorough discussion of the causes, prevention, and treatment of gingivitis, see Medicine Net's page here.

The significance of gum health is demonstrated further by its inclusion as a biomarker of health and longevity.

This post is part of a series on biomarkers.

Quotes about Aging: O through Z

Photo: Quinn Dombrowski.

Here for your review is the last list of quotes about aging from my treasury.

You can find the first two lists from this series here and here.

This caution bears repeating: I do not agree with every quote. Some depict aging in a negative or trivializing way.

However, I believe it's vital to respond to broadly circulated quotes in order to evaluate them. If a negative quote is popular, the underlying assumptions about aging should be addressed.

Offer your evaluation in the comments. Which is your favorite? Which rankles you the most? Which is the most ambiguous?

O 

Some people are old at 8 and some are young at 90. Time is a concept that humans created. Yoko Ono

P

An hour with your grandchildren can make you feel young again. Anything longer than that, and you start to age quickly. Gene Perret

Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up. Pablo Picasso

It takes a long time to become young. Pablo Picasso

We don't grow older, we grow riper. Pablo Picasso

One lives in the hope of becoming a memory. Antonio Porchia

This is your life and its ending one moment at a time. Chuck Palahniuk

I think it's time we learnd to be as good at dying as we are at living. Sir Terry Pratchett

No one is actually dead  until the ripples they cause in the world die away. Sir Terry  Pratchett (in Reaper Man)