Agra, April 23 (IANS) Dental diseases are rising in India with periodontitis or diseases of the gums affecting as much as 70 percent of Indians in the 30 to 55 years segment, according to dentists.
“In India, the incidence of periodontitis (diseases of gums) was as high as 70 percent among 30 to 55 years segment of population. People are losing their teeth either because of inflammation or infection of gums,” Ajay Vikram Singh, the co-ordinator of week-long international conference on periodontology held here, told IANS.

Summing up the outcome of the conference, he said the participants had urged governments to take up dental awareness programmes in a big way, as the condition of teeth was crucial to the overall physical well being of people.

According to Singh, lifestyle changes contributed a lot to disfiguring and weakening gums and teeth. “Though no empirical studies had been made in our country, the role of oral sex, poor oral hygiene and quality of water have all been contributing in a big way to raising the incidence of dental diseases,” he added.

Sunita Joshi, a conference participant said it was changing dietary habits and lack of awareness that were responsible for the growing incidence of dental diseases.

“Up to 93 percent people are affected by some form of pyorrhoea. People do not even know how to brush their teeth and when. In fact people need to be told that it is the selection of the tooth brush that was more important than the paste,” she added.

The conference, organised by the International Academy of Periodontology, Boston University, was the 12th and first in India and attended by more than 1500 dentists. The conference lasted April 16 to 20 with the next three days kept for informal interactions among the participants.