Mouth to mouth: Let’s talk about gum disease – Ayeshah Syed

March 20th – The foreground for health makes it a very much talk about the issue in the news, the social media and the casual conversations.

However, we have long overlooked the same part of our body that makes all the speech: our mouths!

World Mail Health Day is celebrated on March 20 per year to enable people to maintain good oral health.

Since 2013, there have been campaigns each March to share information on oral health care and to introduce the public into dental tools and innovations.

However, many Malaysians are still in the dark for the importance of oral health.

Oral care is not just about your teeth. This is the whole mouth, starting with your gums.

Allowing plaque accumulation can cause gum disease or periodontal disease, which is a bacterial infection of the tissues that support our teeth.

Gum disease causes pain and bleeding, and if not undergoing treatment, bone loss or teeth.

Nine of the 10 Malaysian adults are affected, but most learn about it very slowly when symptoms such as bad breath or swollen gums cause anxiety.

Although there is an effective treatment for gum disease, its success rate is low, mainly because treatment often begins at the advanced stage of the disease due to delayed diagnosis.

Also, those who complete the treatment may find it difficult to maintain the recommended home cleaning routine.

Although patients can be informed of what to do, changing their behavior is another matter.

More than aesthetics

Healthy gums are essential for our overall health. Studies have found links between gum disease and systemic health diseases, such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease, although cause-effect relationships are still unknown.

There have also been strong correlations between oral health and conditions such as depression, cognitive decline and dementia.

In fact, gum disease not only affects physical health but can also affect us socially and psychologically.

This relationship between oral health and mental well -being is highlighted in the slogan of 2025 on World Oral Health Day: a healthy mouth, a healthy mind.

A holistic approach to treat gum disease

The complexity of the gum disease and the often “human” side has caused our interdisciplinary research program.

It is funded by Universiti Malaya’s interdisciplinary subsidy, researchers from different areas adopt a holistic approach to this collaborative study.

The program includes three sub-projects, with two sub-projects led by Dental School researchers, Dr. Mohd Zamri Bin Hussain, who is also the overall leader of the program, and Dr. Wan Izlina Binti Wan Ibrahim, while the third sub-prime is led by Dr. Ayeshah Syed. Linguistics.

Sub-work three, which includes researchers from linguistics, dental and medical schools, aims to understand the experiences of periodontal disease patients and treatment.

While strengthening treatment is part of the solution, we also hope to reduce the number of people who need treatment, creating greater awareness of the gum disease among the Malaysians.

Thus, a significant part of our study includes the collaboration with patients to create public educational materials in the four large languages ​​used in Malaysia: Malaysia, English, Tamil and Mandarin.

As part of the project, we worked with Fitri and EVA, who have courageously shared their experiences to help create more public awareness of oral health.

Fitri remembers being treated bleeding while brushing her teeth as early as secondary education, but only realized that it was a sign of gum disease recently when she was informed by her dentist.

Before treatment, both Fitri and EVA have struggled with their confidence, fearing that others will notice their bleeding gums or bad breath.

“He became so conscious that I began to completely avoid conversations,” says Fitri, 29.

EVA, 43, faced a similar struggle – the swelling in its gums caused unexpected bleeding, making social interactions unpleasant. “It was annoying,” he recalls.

Their experiences show us how discomfort from dental issues can cause anxiety, social withdrawal and lower self -esteem, which ultimately influence our mental humidity and social relationships.

Both women have been treated in the Dentistry School and feel more positive about themselves.

Says Eve, “I’m much more confident to smile without covering my mouth.” It encourages everyone to take care of their gums and teeth and see the dentist if they encounter any bleeding.

What can you do

The good news is that taking care of your oral health is not complicated. Here are some habits that you can start now:

The brush and thread regularly: The correct brushing using fluoride toothpaste and thread twice a day can prevent plaque accumulation and tooth decay.

Go for your dental checks: Checks every six months are recommended for optimal oral health. Early detection of oral health problems can prevent escalation in painful and stressful conditions.

Manage stress and avoid harmful habits: smoking, relaxation and excessive alcohol consumption can harm oral health, therefore negatively affect mental well -being.

With the support of professionals and the community, as well as some knowledge and self-engine, more Malaysians can reap the benefits of good oral health: healthy mouths, healthy minds and healthy life over the years.

* Dr. Ayeshah Syed is a senior lecturer of the School of Language and Linguistics, Universiti Malaya, and can be approached in [email protected].

** This is the personal opinion of the authors or the publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay mail.