Index
- What is periodontitis?
- What are the symptoms of periodontitis?
- Why does periodontitis occur?
- Can periodontitis be prevented?
- What is the treatment of periodontitis?
What is periodontitis?
Periodontitis, also known as periodontal disease or pyorrhea, occurs when inflammation of the gums extends to the ligaments and bones that support the teeth, causing the teeth to become loose or even tooth loss. It is a very common dental disease that usually occurs from adolescence onwards, being the main cause of tooth loss in adults.
Periodontitis often comes from poorly treated gingivitis.
What are the symptoms of periodontitis?
The symptoms of periodontitis are very similar to those of gingivitis:
- Red or purple gums, instead of their natural pink color.
- Bleeding gums during tooth brushing.
- Bad breath.
- Loose teeth.
- Pain when touching the gums.
Why does periodontitis occur?
Periodontitis comes from gingivitis that has not been properly treated. Thus, the inflammation of the gums from gingivitis goes on to infect the ligaments and bones that support the teeth. As this support deteriorates, the teeth will eventually fall out.
It is important to highlight the consequences of tartar accumulation at the base of the teeth, which inflames and infects the gums due to the effect of the bacteria that form it.
Can periodontitis be prevented?
Proper dental hygiene is the best way to prevent periodontitis. In fact, it is important to maintain good dental hygiene habits to prevent gingivitis in the first place, which is the periodontal disease that triggers periodontitis.
Prevention and correct treatment of gingivitis, therefore, can prevent periodontitis.
What is the treatment of periodontitis?
The first step is to reduce inflammation and remove plaque adhered to the teeth and gums. To do this, a complete professional dental hygiene will be performed by the dental specialist, which should be repeated once every three months to prevent the accumulation of plaque. The patient should also maintain thorough brushing and flossing.
Treatment of periodontitis may also include periodontal surgery to remove the infection from the gums and to rebuild the tooth supports. The operation will consist of opening the gums for deep cleaning, providing support for loose teeth and even extracting a badly affected tooth to prevent the problem from spreading to the other teeth.