Is gum disease hereditary?
As we had discussed under “Risk Factors”, there is a hereditary component to gum disease. That does not mean that all people who are pre-disposed towards periodontitis will get it as severely as did their parent or parents. However, if you suspect that your parents lost all or most of their teeth, especially at an early age, you must be keenly aware that you may have a tendency to get gum disease more readily than someone who has poor oral hygiene but a good resistance to periodontitis. 2. If I have a hereditary predisposition towards gum disease, what should I be doing regarding the oral health of my children? Under these circumstances, it is important to have the gum health of your children checked everytime that they see the dentist. In order to make sure that the dental office does not overlook the significance of this issue in your children, make sure that they know that you suspect a genetic predisposition towards periodontitis is in your “family tree” and you would like your chi
