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| about periodontal disease |
| In this column, we will reply to questions about periodontal disease, monthly. We hope you can learn correctly what periodontal disease in connection with your health is, and refer to it for your life. |
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| The 5th The basic knowledge
of gum disease |
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Q3:Is
there a type of people who have tendency
to develop periodontal diseases?
A3:
Having tendency to develop or resist periodontitis
varies individually. Not only bacterial
infection but also “genetic factors,"
which determines whether to have tendency
to develop the periodontal diseases or
not, and “environmental factors,"
such as smoking habit, age, and stress,
have close connection in development and
advancement of the diseases. For example,
even if an individual has a risk factor
as a genetic trait to develop periodontitis,
the disease would not occur unless there
is an adverse environmental factor. In
this point, periodontitis are different
from congenital hereditary diseases.
Tendency to develop or resist the disease,
influenced by genetic factor, is commonly
called "a person's constitution."
Although there are countless numbers of
genetic factors exist in the body of individuals,
some have been identified in recent studies.
Since this can be reinforced by recent
advancement of science (molecular biology),
let us add some explanation as generality.
Last year (2003), amazing news which states
“complete genome sequence of human is
determined," made headlines. Sequence
of a human genome (sequence of DNA) was
decoded and approximate locations of genes
and their connection with functions were
specified. It became possible to identify
the differences of genetic data of individuals
on "the map." Moreover, it became
possible to identify particular gene that
linked with illness. Within the DNA sequence
of a sick person, a different sequence
with that of a healthy person could be
found. Furthermore, at a quite considerable
rate, different DNA sequences can be observed
among healthy people. A technology has
also been developed to distinguish people
who develop illness from those who resist
them by just one difference in DNA sequence
(called a SNP: single nucleotide polymorphism).When
an individual have a DNA SNP of sick people,
it can be said that the person has a risk
factor to develop illness. Whether a person
"has tendency to catch cold or resist
cold," is also determined if the
person has a DNA SNP, the risk factor.
And the same could be said for the case
of periodontal diseases.
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