Turn that Frown Upside Down—Healthy Gums are Something to Smile About
CHICAGO—March 19, 2008—A smile is one of the most universally recognizable facial expressions, helping to depict an individual’s happiness, confidence, attractiveness, sociability and sincerity. According to a study published in the Journal of
The study, conducted at the University of Michigan, evaluated the smiling patterns of
“Since periodontal disease is prevalent in such a large number of adults, we sought to investigate if the disease affects a person’s smiling behavior,” said study author
The study findings indicated that periodontal disease can certainly impact how a person smiles. The more symptoms of gum disease found in a patient’s mouth, such as periodontal pockets between four to six millimeters deep or loose, moving teeth, the more likely the patient was to cover his or her mouth when smiling or to limit how widely the mouth opened during the smile. In addition, the more gum recession seen in the patient, the fewer teeth he or she showed when smiling. The way patients perceived their quality of life as a result of their oral health was also significantly correlated with the number of teeth affected by periodontal disease.
“It is already widely known that periodontal disease is connected to systemic health,” said