The other day I just happened to read a site that had some excellent articles. There was one particular story that gave you a list of ways to cut down on the rists of gum disease. It was quite an eye-opening article. However, the real nugget of information they offered was that gum disease affects 80% of the population. I wouldn't be surprised if the figure came right out of my office.

Meet Jennifer Love Hewitt. This is her picture. Her entertainment career was launched by moving to LA to follow a career in music. As most of you probably know, the singing career never took off but she did become a famous actress. I am happy about that. Just to keep her voice in good nick, she has also come out with a few albums.

It is interesting but there was an interview with her recently and I could only smile when I read that she doesn't know how to ride a bicycle and still keeps falling off. Wow! I have never met her, let alone treat her, but in my opinion, she is quite beautiful and her smile is very beautiful.

She could have gum disease, though we would never know it.

Any dentist will tell you that if you are blessed with healthy gums they tend not to bleed during brushing. If your gums are pink, then that is a good sign and there should not be any inflammation. Your gums should be nicely taut. One thing I always do is look at gum pockets and see how deep they are. Gum pockets can give me a lot of information. By examining them closely, I can say how bad is the gum disease and what steps we can take to ensure it doesn't get worse. Pockets don't get less deep but you can stop them from deteriorating. Bone loss is what causes pockets and after many years you may be without the right amount of jaw bone for teeth to implant themselves. As a result, the roots have nothing to fix on to and because of that many folks start to see their teeth fall off as they get older.

I like to put my faith in anything you try that makes you safe from having to make an appointment with the dentist.

I think a good oral home care program can make a lot of difference. And there are occasions when I would have people come to see me and I'll do some special cleanings that can boost their chances of keeping their teeth in good condition.

Don't think that you have to be like Jennifer Love Hewitt to make the most of my treatment for Camden County gum disease. I'm not holding my breath for Jennifer. But I would really like to give you the help you need whoever you are. In my opinion, all of you are superstars when you sit in my chair.

Photography by PR Photos. No celebrity endorsement is made or implied.