Medicine: Hormones for Gums

To the "four out of five who have it," gingivitis, forerunner of pyorrhea, is no laughing matter. No toothpastes or mouthwashes will repair inflamed, bleeding gums, usually the result of illness, some vitamin deficiency or pregnancy. Fearsome is the name (desquamative gingivitis] for what happens when the outer layer of the gums begins to slough off. When bacteria invade the soft tissues, pyorrhea comes into its own.

Standard care of gingivitis may consist of X-rays. Vitamin C, liver extracts, antiseptic applications. It often requires the better part of a year. Last week Dr....