But they're still not sure why gum disease first makes an appearance once you've reached your midthirties. Some speculate that its arrival follows years of damage to the gums. Even the most committed brushers and flossers can get a mild form of gum disease called gingivitis. With gingivitis, your gums may bleed a bit when you brush, but that's all the warning you'll get. A particularly nasty form of gum disease, periodontitis can quietly destroy the tissues that hold your teeth in place.
Research suggests that some people inherit a predisposition to gum disease.
The researchers found that identical twins, who have identical genes, were twice as likely to have nearly identical levels of gum disease as fraternal twins, who have different genes. Medications for epilepsy, depression, heart disease and allergies can also make you more vulnerable to gum disease. So can Type I, or insulin-dependent, diabetes and immune system disorders like AIDS, which weaken your ability to fight invading bacteria. While some prescriptions hurt, others may help. Dental researchers at the State University of New York at Buffalo found that postmenopausal women who were getting ERT had about 20 percent less gum bleeding than those who weren't on the therapy.