Portrait of the Enemy(1979)

You got to play good defense. We're not going to have a chance. They try to get the ball inside. They don't like to take outside shots. If you play tight defense, you could win the game. If you don't, they're going to beat us. I can tell you now. In order to win the game, it is absolutely essential to understand how the opposition plays the game and to predict the plan of attack. Only then can an effective defense be designed. The subject of this [music] short film is periodontal disease, the enemy. [music] [music] choice. [music] This is plaque, the beginning. Plaque, the primary cause of tooth decay. plaque, the major cause of tooth loss in children, [music] and of gum disease and tooth loss in adults. Plaque, a soft, sticky, [music] colorless film of bacteria that is constantly forming on teeth. Using the sugar in food, plaque produces acids and other irritants that attack [music] the tooth enamel. The sticky plaque then forms and holds the acids on the [music] teeth, prolonging the attack and allowing decay to begin. The irritants [music] present in plaque inflame the gums, making them tender and likely to bleed. If plaque is [music] not removed by careful daily cleaning, it builds up. [bell] The irritated gums pull away from the teeth, leaving pockets that become [music] filled with more bacteria and pus. [music] In the end, healthy teeth become loose and may be lost. Portrait [music] of an enemy. Plaque. The beginnings of periodontal disease. [music] Good defense. Help out, Sam. Take away the drive. Good help, Wayne. That's it. That's what you got to do tomorrow. You got to help out when the guy's driving. All they're going to do tomorrow is drive on. If you don't help out, we're going to get beat. Help out, we're going to win. To succeed against any opponent, it is valuable to understand the cost of losing. The facts are disturbing. A third of our population between the ages of 15 and 19 have an [music] early form of periodontal disease called gingivitis. [music] In the ages between 18 and 24, 2/3 suffer from gingivitis and 10% have destructive [music] periodontal disease. In maturity and middle age between [music] the ages of 45 and 54, fully 56ths of our population has gingivitis and over a third suffer from destructive [music] periodontal disease. In the later years, the figures tell their own story. 90% give [music] evidence of periodontal disease. Why? The answer is not complicated. [music] It is contained in a single word. Neglect. Poor and careless home dental care. [music] Poor nutrition and diet. A lack [music] of regular professional care. It all adds up to neglect. [music] in one form or another. We have to know who the guys on the other team on Brewster, what they can do, what they can't do in order to defeat them. We want the ball to be passed over here, right Dave? We want it here. Victory begins with recognizing the opponent and his style of play. [music] The cause is known. The symptoms can be recognized. Gums that bleed easily when brushing or [music] flossing. [music] Persistent bad breath. Soft, swollen or tender gums. Pus between the gums and the teeth. [music] Loose teeth. gums [music] that recede from the teeth. And changes [music] changes in the way the teeth come together, in the spaces between the teeth, [music] in the way partial dentures fit individually and together. [music] They tell a simple story, periodontal disease. And yet, [music] it is not inevitable. It is not a fact of life and of living that we are powerless to change. Often [cheering] the course of the game and the outcome is determined by the defense and by how soon we stop an opponent's attack. This is often the difference between winning and losing. The disease can be prevented. Not a single tooth need be lost [music] to this enemy to periodontal disease if we begin at the beginning at home with ourselves as the guardians of our oral health. [music] Daily flossing and brushing. A little extra time and attention. Removing the plaque that forms [music] every day. removing it before it has a chance to harden. In almost every mouth, there are traps in which it [music] is easy for plaque to gather and work. Worn out fillings and crowns, partial dentures and crowded teeth, broken [music] edges of decayed teeth. The more careful [music] and conscientious the home care, the less opportunity there will be for plaque to form. Break it up. Remove it. Disperse it every day. This is the beginning of good oral health. Beyond [music] good home care, there is the matter of nutrition and diet. A sound diet based [music] on principles of good nutrition is necessary to maintain the health of the gums and bones [music] that support the teeth. Sugar helps create plaque. So [music] the less sugar, the less plaque, the less chance of periodontal disease. I'm going to do a clinical examination just to make sure that and finally regular periodic dental checkups. A chance for the dentist and his professional staff not only to look carefully at the mouth and the teeth, but also to chart and supervise a total program designed to achieve a lifetime of oral health. So you feel the resistance. Then you take the floss and curve it to the side of the tooth to a C-shape and gently up and down. [cheering] Victory is often decided by how well we play during the entire game from start to finish. [music] Born as this sticky colorless substance formed [music] and allowed to grow through neglect. [music] The enemy grows powerful and dangerous. The alternatives [music] seem clear. Heat. Heat. [music] [music] HEAT. HEAT. [music] [music] [music] [music] HEAT. HEAT. HEAT. [cheering] HEAT. [music]