If your spit is sometimes tinged pink at least a couple of times a week after you brush or floss, it’s possible you have early stage gum disease. “It’s a very, very quiet disease,” said Dr. Rodrigo Neiva, chairman of periodontics at Penn Dental Medicine. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly half of U.S. adults over the age of 30 show signs of gum disease, and nine percent have severe gum disease, known as periodontal disease. When left untreated, gum disease can become more difficult to remedy. And some research has connected periodontal disease with other undesirable health conditions, such as dementia, diabetes and heart disease.

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Persons: ”, Rodrigo Neiva, Neiva Organizations: Penn Dental Medicine, U.S . Centers for Disease Control Locations: U.S