Researchers at the Dental School believe they have discovered a new means of treating periodontal disease, the major cause of tooth loss in adults and an ailment that strikes 75 per cent of all people over 25.

The researchers found in tests on beagles that the anti-biotic tetracycline stops the decay of the bone underneath the gumline that is affected by the disease. Beagles, like most dogs and human beings, contract periodontal disease spontaneously.

Ray C. Williams, assistant professor of periodontology and director of the research, said yesterday the antibiotic treatment should be administered with other forms of dental care because the treatment alone may not be sufficient, but the research "is beginning to show that antibiotics truly have a role in stopping bone loss."

Marjorie K. Jeffcoat, assistant professor of periodontology and a researcher in the project, said yesterday that surgery, the conventional method of treating serious cases of the disease, is very expensive, time consuming and painful.

Under conventional surgery for periodontal disease, dentists pull the gums back to expose the underlying bone, cleanse the area and replace the gums at a level that covers more of the diseased tooth, Williams said, adding the operation "is not very popular with patients."

The use of anti-biotics, however, may help to "slow down the rate of bone loss" that often necessitates surgery, Jeffcoat said.

The symptoms of periodontal disease--bleeding gums and loose teeth--appear only in its latter stages, Jeffcoat said, adding that its best deterent is proper and regular tooth care.

Scrimshaw

Cavities are not the primary cause of tooth loss as most people believe, Jeffcoat said, adding that although more dangerous, is far more difficult to diagnose in its early stages.