Periodontitis is a common dental disease that often leads to loss of teeth and the development of other diseases in the human body.
Back in 2010, the Guinness Book of World Records noted gum disease to be the most common ailment on Earth.
A quick look at the statistics indicate that 9 out of 10 people have a disease of the gum, that manifests differently. Overall, 10% of the global population has been diagnosed with complex, end-stage periodontal disease (stage 3-4 of the disease).
Interesting to know! Periodontal disease, is described in the Ukrainian wikipedia, along with other medical literature, as a disease that occurs due to the malnutrition of the tissues surrounding the root of the tooth.
In many sources, “Beri-beri”, a disease of neuro-endocrine origin, is cited as the basis of periodontal disease development. The early onset of the disease is insidious and usually, there is no perceptible discomfort. The disease is predominantly noted to affect middle-aged people.
During Soviet times, most specialists held ageing to be the root cause of periodontal disease. The progressive wear and tear of teeth and gums, with age, and the subsequent bone depression was seen as the cause of periodontal disease. It was also hypothesised that a reduction in functional loads, arising from the meagre diets of elderly people made their teeth and bones weaker.
However, these hypotheses were not only prevalent during the heyday of the Soviet Union. Unfortunately, there are still many specialists holding on to such obsolete notions.
In the Western world, however, doctors have long since moved away from even using the term “periodontal disease”, in scientific nomenclature. It has since been replaced with the term “periodontitis”, which is what we will use henceforth.
How to identify periodontal disease (periodontitis)?
Experts conduct a series of manipulations to determine the presence of periodontitis.
- preliminary oral examination;
- probing of the gingival sulcus;
- tooth mobility evaluation;
- dental X-ray diagnostics;
- biomicroscopy of the gums.
In cases where the diagnosis of periodontitis is confirmed, further examination is carried out by a therapist and an endocrinologist, to identify the cause of cellular malnutrition of the gums.
Treatment of Periodontitis.
Periodontitis treatment is carried out in 4 stages:
- diagnosis (filling of the periodontal chart, X-ray examination);
- deep removal of dental tartar and treatment (with the help of specialised tools/equipment);
- surgery (if required)
- follow-up visits to the attending specialist.
If the patient wishes to restore the lost beauty of their teeth, doctors can offer a wide range of services from the fields of aesthetic, orthodontic and restorative dentistry. Modern dentistry provides excellent opportunities for the return of functionality and aesthetics to teeth that have suffered from end stage periodontitis.
In this article, we’d like to touch on the subject of periodontitis and its types.
Periodontitis is a dental disease caused by the complications of caries and as a result of which, inflammation localized in the teeth, spreads to the gum tissue located between the tooth and the bone socket.
Types of Periodontitis:
Periodontitis is classified into acute and chronic periodontitis:
- Acute periodontitis is characterised by an aching pain in a particular tooth (and its surrounding area). However, there is also some tooth mobility that can be observed;
- Chronic periodontitis, during its initial onset, progresses almost without any noticeable symptoms. Over time however, chronic periodontitis, is characterised by intense pain.
To sum it up
We hope that this material has been useful to you and has helped you learn more about the cause of periodontitis (periodontal disease). Armed with this information, we believe, you won’t allow this pesky disease to develop.
In most cases, the cause of this disease is poor oral hygiene. So, we recommend that you stay strict with your daily oral hygiene regimen and inculcate a strong “cult” of dental hygiene for yourself and your family. We also recommend bi-annual visits to the dentist and regular professional cleaning. This way, you don’t have to fear periodontitis or any other disease for that matter. You will be able to detect any anomaly well ahead of time, and get the appropriate treatment, before it’s serious.
What causes periodontitis?
Periodontitis can be described as a disease that occurs due to inflammation of the gums. Any claims of “periodontal disease” being the initial stage of gum disease are utterly wrong and not to be believed. As mentioned above, this is nothing but gross misinformation.
Inadequate oral hygiene is one of the leading causes of periodontitis.
Prolonged lack of oral hygiene leads to bacterial plaque formation on the gums, in addition to the surface of the teeth. The plaque also spreads to the roots of the teeth, hidden beneath the gums. This plaque is the main cause of inflammatory diseases in the gum tissue.
There is also a strong genetic predisposing factor in periodontitis. When there is a history of parents having suffered from periodontitis, there is a high probability that their children will be prone to the disease. Therefore, we highly recommend finding out if your parents and grandparents had any such complaints. If you find out that they did, there is no need to panic. It simply means that you need to pay more attention to your dental health.
How to recognize the symptoms of periodontitis?
Depending on the stage of periodontitis development, one of more of the following symptoms can be observed. (Note: There are some characteristic signs that are inherent to all stages of the disease)
- halitosis (bad breath);
- plaque and tartar formation;
- redness and bleeding gums;
- receding gums and exposed roots;
- pain during meals (solid food);
- tooth mobility (loose teeth);
- headache, weakness
Types and Stages of Periodontitis:
Periodontitis develops in stages: The earlier the disease is detected, the easier it is to curtain its progress.
The first stage of periodontitis is gingivitis. This disease is characterized by inflammation in the gums, in which there is no loss of the dental bone, but there is swelling and bleeding of the gums. At this stage, it is crucial to have your teeth professionally cleaned, and do so urgently, to remove accumulated plaque.
If due attention isn’t paid to the development of this disease, it will lead to the onset of bone loss, as well as severe bacterial infection.
In stage 2 periodontitis, an even greater accumulation of bacterial plaque is noted and an irreversible loss in bone density is noted.
In stage 3 periodontitis, there is an even greater loss of bone density. The roots become bare and the teeth become mobile and often, tooth loss begins.
If the disease is allowed to progress to stage 4, complete loss of teeth is observed.
Important! It is important to note that gum infections arising from periodontitis are not isolated. They can enter the system and lead to several systemic diseases. It has been proven that these bacteria can increase the severity of diabetes and lead to the development of Alzheimer’s disease.