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.

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.

855483 06/12 © 2012 Cigna. Some content provided under license.

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.