Gum disease is as normal a part of ageing as wrinkles and its threat has been exaggerated to sell mouthwash and expensive treatments, a dental expert has claimed.
Bleeding does not mean teeth will fall out, and proper brushing will cure the problem, said Paul Batchelor, senior lecturer in the dental public health unit at University College London.
Brushing regularly with fluoride toothpaste is the only proven way to protect your teeth from the more serious problem of decay, he insisted. Expensive scales and polishes offered by dentists to treat gum disease are backed by little evidence and will not help if people are not looking after their teeth, he argued in the British Dental Journal.
About 10 per cent of people will need treatment