Why Gum Disease Is Quietly Becoming Korea’s Most Common Health Threat

[mediK / HEALTH IN NEWS] In Korean culture, healthy teeth are considered one of the “five blessings” of life. Yet while most people focus on preventing cavities, dentists insist the far greater danger lies beneath the surface: the gums that anchor the teeth.

New data from South Korea’s Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service reveal a sharp rise in periodontal disease, commonly known as gum disease or pyorrhea. The number of patients treated jumped from roughly 16.49 million in 2020 to 19.67 million last year – an increase of nearly 20 percent in just four years.

Periodontal disease is an inflammatory condition affecting the gums (gingiva), periodontal ligament, and alveolar bone that support the teeth. The primary culprit is dental plaque – a biofilm of bacteria that hardens into calculus (tartar) when not removed. Once tartar forms, bacteria proliferate more easily, triggering gingival inflammation. Contributing factors include genetic predisposition, systemic illnesses such as diabetes, smoking, and chronic stress.

Periodontal disease cases in South Korea have surged nearly 20% in four years as plaque and tartar destroy the bone supporting teeth. Regular scaling remains the most effective prevention. (By Lee Chan-hee, Director of Daily Dental Hospital)

The disease progresses in stages. Early gingivitis is limited to the gums and is fully reversible with professional cleaning. Left untreated, it advances to periodontitis, where inflammation destroys the alveolar bone and periodontal ligament. As gums recede and deep periodontal pockets form, teeth lose their foundation and may eventually fall out or require extraction.

The risk escalates sharply after age 40. Aging markedly reduces the gums’ regenerative capacity, making middle-aged and older adults especially vulnerable. In advanced cases, routine scaling is no longer sufficient; patients may need complex procedures such as bone grafting or guided tissue regeneration.

The cornerstone of prevention remains professional scaling and root planing. This procedure removes plaque and calculus from tooth surfaces and roots, smooths the root to discourage bacterial reattachment, and often resolves inflammation. It also helps control halitosis and improves overall oral health.

Some patients avoid scaling, fearing tooth sensitivity or the sensation that teeth have “spread apart.” In reality, the gaps that appear after tartar removal were previously filled by calculus; the teeth themselves do not move, and the sensation typically resolves as tissues adapt.

Because early periodontal disease is nearly painless, regular dental checkups are essential. Red, swollen, or bleeding gums, persistent bad breath, loose teeth, pus discharge, or the feeling that teeth are drifting apart all signal that the condition is already advanced.

Without obvious symptoms in its initial phases, periodontal disease is easily overlooked. Yet consistent care – at minimum, a professional cleaning and examination every six to twelve months – can preserve not only oral health but systemic well-being as well.

Lim Hye Jung medi·K TEAM press@themedik.kr

K-Culture&Travel

K-Culture & Travel

Why Do Koreans Grill Pork Belly on Heavy Fine Dust Days?

On hazy days in Seoul, when the air turns thick with fine dust carried in from distant deserts and industrial zones, many Koreans head straight for the grill. It's a ritual as comforting as it is quirky: sizzling strips of samgyeopsal (grilled pork belly, 삼겹살), wrapped in lettuce leaves with garlic, kimchi, and a splash of sesame oil. The belief persists that this beloved cut of pork somehow counters the pollution clinging to the lungs. Sales of pork belly have long spiked during severe air quality alerts, a pattern observed for years whenever the skies grow heavy.1. The Roots of a Persiste

K-Culture & Travel

An Hour from Seoul, History and Fairy Tales Share the Same Incheon Hillside

Just an hour from the neon pulse of Seoul, in the port city of Incheon’s Jung-gu district, two worlds sit side by side on the same hillside, as if history and fairy tale decided to become neighbors.On one flank, the red-brick banks and customs houses of the late-nineteenth-century treaty port still stand, their windows framing the same harbor view they did when Incheon was Joseon Korea’s reluctant doorway to the world. On the other, narrow alleys explode with color—murals of Dorothy’s ruby slippers, Snow White’s apple, Alice tumbling down the rabbit hole. This is the Open Port Cultural Di

K-Culture & Travel

How to Ride Seoul’s Subways Like a Local: T-money, Etiquette, and Rush-Hour Hacks

South Korea’s subway system is a marvel of precision, cleanliness, and efficiency—one of the world’s best urban transit networks. From Seoul’s sprawling web to the interconnected lines in Busan, Daegu, and Gwangju, the trains are an indispensable lifeline for travelers. Yet for foreigners, everything from buying a fare card to observing unspoken etiquette can feel daunting. This guide distills insider tips so you can ride like a Seoulite.1. Getting Your Transport CardThe workhorse is the T-money card.You can pick one up at any convenience store, subway station, or Incheon International Air

K-Culture & Travel

Why the National Museum of Korea Should Top Every Seoul Itinerary

If you only have time for one museum in Seoul, make it the National Museum of Korea (국립중앙박물관). Tucked beside the sprawling Yongsan Family Park in the heart of the capital, this serene, low-slung complex—its reflecting pools and graceful roofs echoing the palaces of old—holds the finest single collection of Korean art and artifacts anywhere on earth.Why it belongs on every itinerarySix permanent galleries trace the arc of Korean civilization from the Paleolithic to the present day, displaying some 12,000 objects in a layout that feels almost cinematic. You walk through time: past the d

Why Gum Disease Is Quietly Becoming Korea’s Most Common Health Threat – And How to Stop It

[Physician's Column] By Lee Chan-hee, Director of Daily Dental Hospital