HEALTHY GUMS for a healthier you Signs of gum disease include: • Deep gum pockets (space between your gums and teeth where bacteria can hide) • Bone loss around your teeth • Bleeding gums • Plaque and tartar below the gumline If left untreated, gum disease can cause tooth loss. Losing your teeth can have a negative effect on your nutrition, speech, appearance and overall health Smile. There’s good news. Gum disease is treatable. And, like lots of other diseases, the earlier you catch it, the better chance you have of getting rid of it. The best way to avoid gum disease is with regular dental checkups and cleanings, good oral hygiene at home and healthy eating habits. Routine exams and cleanings may also help catch a problem before you need expensive treatment. At the dentist’s office Your dentist will check for gum disease during your routine dental visit. Based on whether or not you show signs of the disease, your dentist will likely suggest one of the following: Prevention If you have good gum health, your dentist will probably suggest a routine teeth cleaning once or twice a year. This preventive care helps remove plaque, tartar and stains from your teeth. Treatment If you show signs of gum disease, your dentist will likely recommend a deep cleaning (also known as scaling and root planing, or periodontal maintenance). A deep cleaning usually requires you to come in for few appointments. Each appointment will focus on a different section of your mouth. Your dentist or hygienist may need to numb your mouth before the cleaning. And you may need medication afterwards to manage any pain and prevent infection. 855843 06/12 Offered by: Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company or Connecticut General Life Insurance Company. What is gum disease? Gum disease, also called periodontal disease, is a bacterial infection of the gums and the bone around your teeth. It’s caused by bacteria that can live on your teeth and in the spaces between your teeth and gums.

855843 GumDisease Flyer V2 - Cigna€¦ · Signs of gum disease include: • Deep gum pockets (space between your gums and teeth where bacteria can hide) • Bone loss around your

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HealtHygums for a healthier you

Signs of gum disease include:

• Deepgumpockets(spacebetweenyourgumsandteethwherebacteriacanhide)

• Bonelossaroundyourteeth

• Bleedinggums

• Plaqueandtartarbelowthegumline

Ifleftuntreated,gumdiseasecancausetoothloss.Losingyourteethcanhaveanegativeeffectonyournutrition,speech,appearanceandoverallhealth

Smile. There’s good news.

Gumdiseaseistreatable.And,likelotsofotherdiseases,theearlieryoucatchit,thebetterchanceyouhaveofgettingridofit.Thebestwaytoavoidgumdiseaseiswithregulardentalcheckupsandcleanings,goodoralhygieneathomeandhealthyeatinghabits.Routineexamsandcleaningsmayalsohelpcatchaproblembeforeyouneedexpensivetreatment.

At the dentist’s office

Yourdentistwillcheckforgumdiseaseduringyourroutinedentalvisit.Basedonwhetherornotyoushowsignsofthedisease,yourdentistwilllikelysuggestoneofthefollowing:

Prevention

Ifyouhavegoodgumhealth,yourdentistwillprobablysuggestaroutineteethcleaningonceortwiceayear.Thispreventivecarehelpsremoveplaque,tartarandstainsfromyourteeth.

Treatment

Ifyoushowsignsofgumdisease,yourdentistwilllikelyrecommendadeepcleaning(alsoknownasscalingandrootplaning,orperiodontalmaintenance).Adeepcleaningusuallyrequiresyoutocomeinforfewappointments.Eachappointmentwillfocusonadifferentsectionofyourmouth.Yourdentistorhygienistmayneedtonumbyourmouthbeforethecleaning.Andyoumayneedmedicationafterwardstomanageanypainandpreventinfection.

855843 06/12 Offered by: Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company or Connecticut General Life Insurance Company.

What is gum disease?

Gum disease, also called periodontal disease, is a bacterial infection of the gums and the bone around your teeth. It’s caused by bacteria that can live on your teeth and in the spaces between your teeth and gums.

Page 2: 855843 GumDisease Flyer V2 - Cigna€¦ · Signs of gum disease include: • Deep gum pockets (space between your gums and teeth where bacteria can hide) • Bone loss around your

1. American Academy of Periodontology: Periodontal Disease Fact Sheet. Available at: http://www.perio.org/consumer/disease_facts.htm. Accessed June 7, 2012.

2. National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. Periodontal (Gum) Disease: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments. National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. Available at: http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/OralHealth/Topics/GumDiseases/PeriodontalGumDisease.htm. Accessed May 31, 2012.

“Cigna” is a registered service mark, and the “Tree of Life” logo and “GO YOU” are service marks, of Cigna Intellectual Property, Inc., licensed for use by Cigna Corporation and its operating subsidiaries. All products and services are provided by or through such operating subsidiaries and not by Cigna Corporation. Such operating subsidiaries include Connecticut General Life Insurance Company, Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company, and HMO or service company subsidiaries of Cigna Health Corporation and Cigna Dental Health, Inc. All models are used for illustrative purposes only.

Chew on this:• About75%ofAmericanshavegumdiseaseand

most don’t even know they have it1

• Peoplewithgumdiseasemaybemorelikelytodevelopcomplications with heart disease or diabetes2

• Womenwithgumdiseasemaybemorelikelyto deliver preterm, low birth weight babies2

• Controllinggumdiseasecanhelpsaveyourteeth2

Treatment at home

Herearesimplethingsyoucandoathometohelpreduceyourriskofgumdisease:

• Brushyourteethtwiceaday,foratleasttwominuteseachtime

• Flossatleastonceaday

• Eatabalanceddiet

• Scheduleregularvisitstoyourdentist

• Don’tsmokeorusetobaccoproducts

Askyourdentistifyouhaveanyquestionsaboutyourcleaning.Ifyou’reaCignacustomerandwantasecondopinion,callthetoll-freenumberonyourdentalIDcard.Acustomerservicerepresentativeisavailabletohelpyou24-hoursaday,sevendaysaweek.