If you don't really know what "periodontal" means-don't worry because you are not alone! In the most technical sense of the word, periodontal refers to the immediate area surrounding a tooth. But, for most of us, the gums are what dentists are referring to when they speak of periodontal. A periodontal disease is actually a bacterial infection that can destroy your gums and ultimately cause your teeth to become loose and fall out. So the question becomes-where does this bacteria come from and how can it be stopped?  

The body is an amazing instrument and it almost always has a natural defense against most bacteria and foreign agents. The natural defense of the body against bacteria and the periodontal problems they cause is saliva. Saliva is your natural periodontal disease treatment.  

Most of the harmful bacteria in our mouth hates oxygen. Saliva is rich in oxygen so it naturally prevents bacteria from breeding out of control and causing infections and gum disease. Saliva also is loaded with special enzymes that combat the harmful bacteria. So, a mouth loaded with saliva is most likely low on harmful bacteria. Just as a mouth rich in saliva will naturally help keep harmful bacteria at bay, a dry mouth is fertile ground and will lead to periodontal problems unless corrected immediately.  

Rutgers scientists today announced a revolutionary new treatment for killing the bacteria that attack gum tissue during periodontal disease, while also promoting healing and the regeneration of tissue and bone around the teeth.   

Eight to 12 percent of Americans have periodontal disease serious enough to require some type of advanced treatment, such as surgery. Left untreated, the condition can lead to tooth loss.   

The breakthrough technology - a polymer-based drug delivery system that may be implanted in pockets between the teeth and the gum - developed at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, was presented at the 232nd National Meeting of the American Chemical Society in San Francisco by Michelle Johnson, a graduate student in the research group of paper co-author Kathryn Uhrich, a professor of chemistry and chemical biology at Rutgers.   

The new polymer or "plastic" material, when inserted between tooth and diseased gum, treats the bacterial infection, inflammation and pain with pharmaceuticals incorporated into the material itself, Johnson explained. It employs salicylic acid, the active ingredient in aspirin, for the swelling and discomfort, and three antimicrobials each with a different release rate - compounds of clindamycin, chlorhexidrine and minocycline.   

Once implanted, the polymer gradually breaks down to release the salicylic acid, which relieves pain and reduces inflammation, and the antimicrobials which inhibit infection at a sustained pace, Uhrich added.   

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