Many patients find out they have periodontitis (pyorrhea) very late, even in advanced stages. The reason is that periodontitis gives few warning signs. In addition, a person may think that their teeth are clean and healthy, when in fact their gums may be suffering from periodontitis. In fact, it has been called the invisible epidemic because of its high prevalence and because it often goes unnoticed.
Pyorrhea affects 90% of the population and is the leading cause of tooth loss in the world’s population. It is an infectious-inflammatory disease that damages the gums and supporting structures of the teeth. It is caused by the accumulation of bacteria and calculus (tartar) around the teeth.
If the disease only affects the gums, it is called gingivitis, whereas when it affects the gums and the bone supporting the teeth, it is called periodontitis (pyorrhea). There is a genetic susceptibility and there are also risk factors that predispose to suffer them, of which the most usual are tobacco and diabetes.
A large number of people are not aware that they have gum problems because these diseases are usually painless except in very specific cases. However, when any of these symptoms appear we should visit a gum specialist: red gums, swollen gums, bleeding gums when brushing or spontaneously, bad taste in the mouth or bad breath (halitosis), mobility of the teeth, hypersensitivity of the teeth, receding gums, abscesses or lumps in the gum and separation or spaces between the teeth.
The purpose of the treatment is to eliminate the accumulation of bacteria and tartar around and inside the gums (in what we call periodontal pockets or pyorrhea pockets). It is a mechanical disinfection and disinflammatory treatment by means of manual instruments (curettes) and/or sonic and ultrasonic instruments. It is a painless treatment since it can be performed under local anesthesia.
In cases of moderate and/or advanced periodontitis it is necessary to perform small surgical procedures to reach the bottom of the pockets. In many cases we use techniques to regenerate the bone destroyed by periodontal disease. Being a chronic disease (such as diabetes), once the periodontal disease is treated, maintenance visits and check-ups should be performed every 3-6 months to prevent relapses and recurrence of the disease. In addition, it is necessary to control smoking to prevent recurrence of the disease.