Periodontitis and periodontal disease: symptoms and causes of gum inflammation

Periodontitis and periodontal disease are diseases of the periodontium - the complex of tissues around the tooth and the ligaments that hold it in the alveolus or socket. Despite the fact that these problems are fundamentally different both in clinical manifestations and in terms of treatment, many patients often confuse them. Moreover, often even doctors pass off one disease as another.

It is noteworthy that periodontitis occurs in 95% of the adult population, and periodontal disease occurs in only 2%. The first occurs most often due to dishonest or insufficient oral hygiene, but the second is usually associated with general diseases of the body.

UltraSmile.ru offers to understand what “periodontitis” and “periodontal disease” are, and what is the difference between the two diseases.

Periodontal disease (photo on the left) and periodontitis (photo on the right)

Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease of the periodontium1, simply an inflammation of the gums, as well as the ligaments that hold the tooth in the socket. Periodontal disease is a systemic periodontal disease, that is, it occurs without inflammatory processes and is characterized by progressive gum atrophy. But in order to see the full picture of the differences, let's look at the comparison table.

Among other things, in both cases it is important for the patient to prepare for long-term treatment, which may not be limited to one month. You will also have to maintain strict control on your part, taking an active part in getting rid of the problem: strengthen oral hygiene, follow all doctor’s recommendations, purchase floss, rinses and irrigator, take medications, make applications from gels and medications.

Features of periodontitis treatment

Treatment of periodontitis directly depends on the degree of tissue inflammation - the more advanced the disease, the more complications, the more difficult and lengthy the treatment. Doctors strongly recommend starting the fight against periodontitis in the early stages, when the damage is localized and affects only a few teeth. Then the problem can actually be eliminated without further consequences.

Important! No matter how bitter the truth is, it is almost impossible to get rid of diseases in the chronic stage, this applies to both periodontitis and periodontal disease, forever; you can only temporarily bring the patient’s condition into remission. In most cases, loose teeth will have to be removed and ways to restore them will have to be found. Today it is not difficult to do this - it is possible to acquire a new smile in 3 days, even in conditions of acute bone atrophy, with the help of progressive implantation methods that allow you to restore teeth for a long time (one might even say lifelong) in just a couple of days.

Treatment consists of mandatory cleaning of teeth in periodontal pockets - bacteria and plaque accumulate in them, which provoke tissue inflammation. For these purposes, ultrasound and hand instruments are used; gum curettage can also be performed - this is a surgical operation in which the gum is cut, peeled off from the surface of the tooth, and all foci of inflammation are cleaned out from under it. Next, the mucosal flap is returned to its place, and the gum is sutured. This procedure is necessary in case of large periodontal pockets formation, if they cannot be cleaned in any other way.

Cleaning periodontal pockets

With an integrated approach, splinting of mobile teeth can also be carried out - a thin fiberglass splint is placed on them, as well as healthy neighboring ones on the inside. It unites teeth into groups and allows you to fix loose ones in a motionless state. At the same time, anti-inflammatory therapy, rinsing and physiotherapy are prescribed. If several teeth are missing in the oral cavity, clasp removable dentures can serve as a splint - their design contains a metal base and hooks, so the denture is quite solid and reliably keeps the teeth from loosening. And at the same time it allows you to close the “holes” in the row.

Photo: splinting teeth

Patients should remember that it is impossible to cure periodontitis - you can only delay the process of tooth extraction and temporarily relieve tissue inflammation. If your teeth are very loose, the best option would be to remove them and replace them with implants - this will achieve a more lasting treatment result.

Splinting teeth for periodontitis

Stomatitis

This is a group of diseases characterized by inflammation of the oral mucosa with hyperemia, swelling, and an increase in the amount of mucus in the oral cavity.
Depending on the severity and depth of the lesion, even ulcers or foci of necrosis may form in the oral cavity, sharply disrupting the general condition - fever, weakness, anxiety, refusal to eat. There are many causes of the disease: mechanical, chemical, thermal, bacterial factors. Often the cause of the disease in infancy is contaminated nipples, toys and other objects that fall into the child’s mouth. Stomatitis often develops as a result of infectious diseases (measles, scarlet fever, influenza, whooping cough, etc.). The mucous membrane of the oral cavity acquires a bright red color, becomes swollen, and tooth marks are visible on the mucous membrane of the cheeks and tongue. Saliva becomes viscous and viscous. The mucous membrane is covered with a whitish coating. The tongue is dry, swollen, often with a brown tint, chewing is painful. The duration of the disease is from 1 to 3 weeks, the prognosis is favorable.

A general preventive rule for children and adults is to maintain good oral hygiene.

Features of periodontal disease treatment

But the treatment of periodontal disease is fundamentally different from the treatment of periodontitis. This is due to the absence of gum pockets, tissue inflammation and tooth mobility. With periodontal disease, the gums, on the contrary, are reduced in volume due to metabolic disorders, so all efforts should be aimed at improving the nutrition of the mucous membranes.

For this purpose, a whole range of measures is used aimed at stabilizing the physiological parameters of not only the periodontium, but also the entire organism as a whole. Massages and physiotherapy are performed to stimulate local blood circulation, the patient is prescribed vitamin complexes (including in the form of injections into the gums). It is also recommended to periodically apply protective compounds to exposed areas of the teeth, which will strengthen the enamel and reduce susceptibility to bacteria.

Massage gums using an irrigator

The editors of the portal strongly recommend that you sound the alarm already when you encounter a symptom of bleeding gums. Otherwise, get ready for a long treatment, or better yet, opt for implantation, because in most cases with periodontal disease, this is the only option that will help you return to a healthy and happy life.

Periodontitis and periodontitis: are they the same thing or not?

Despite sounding similar, periodontitis and periodontitis are two completely different diseases. They are provoked by various factors and differ in symptoms, consequences for the body, and approach to treatment.

Understanding the difference between periodontal and periodontal disease will help to understand the nature of these diseases.

• Periodontium is a complex of soft and hard tissues that hold the tooth in the alveolus (tooth socket). It includes the gums, tooth cement, periodontal ligaments, periosteum, and bone tissue of the alveolar process.
• The periodontium is a layer of connective tissue that is located between the cement of the tooth root and the bone layer of the alveolar ridge.

That is, the periodontium is the entire supporting and retaining apparatus of the teeth, while the periodontium is one of its components.

Periodontal diseases. What gum diseases are there?

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gum disease

1 Beloklitskaya G.F. Clinical forms of generalized periodontitis and their significance for its differentiated therapy.

Gingivitis

An inflammatory process that causes swelling and tenderness of the soft tissues. If not treated in a timely manner, the problem worsens and becomes chronic.

The main causes of gingivitis:

• insufficient oral hygiene;
• thermal or chemical burns;
• use of certain medications;
• unbalanced diet (insufficient amount of vitamins in food)
• smoking;
• some infectious diseases;
• gastritis;
• ulcerative processes in the digestive system;
• caries.

Forms and types of gingivitis

Depending on the clinical situation and the nature of the development of the disease, acute and chronic gingivitis are distinguished. Acute gingivitis

manifests itself in the form of classic signs of the disease: redness, swelling and bleeding of the gums.
Chronic gingivitis
develops more quietly, without pronounced signs, but gradually leads to the growth of gum tissue (hyperplasia), which entails partial and complete coverage of the surface of the tooth crown by the gum.

Prevention measures

By following simple rules you can reduce the likelihood of serious oral diseases:

• Brushing your teeth at least 2 times a day after eating;
• Using dental floss and mouthwash;
• Balanced diet;
• Rejection of bad habits;
• Visit the dentist at least once every six months.

Periodontitis: what is this disease?

Before moving on to considering treatment methods for periodontitis, it is worth finding out what kind of dental disease it is and why it appears. In dentistry, periodontal tissue is the tissue that tightly surrounds the roots of the teeth and holds the tooth itself in its socket. When an infection penetrates into the periodontium, an inflammatory process begins in the tissue, which leads to the occurrence of periodontitis. Treatment of periodontitis should be started immediately, however, the disease cannot always be recognized in a timely manner and independently, since it can develop completely asymptomatically. It is for this reason that it is recommended to undergo regular examinations by a dentist: a specialist will determine the signs of periodontitis and treatment of the disease will be as effective as possible.

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The main cause of periodontitis is pathogenic microorganisms that penetrate into the deep layers of the periodontium, however, there are factors that contribute to the appearance of the disease and accelerate the process of its development. These factors include:

• Untreated or advanced gingivitis;
• Autoimmune diseases (diabetes mellitus, HIV);
• Bite defects;
• Increased tone of the jaw muscles;
• Injuries to soft tissues of the oral cavity;
• Poorly performed dental procedures: prosthetics, fillings;
• Stressful and depressive conditions, the presence of bad habits;
• Poor or irregular oral and dental hygiene;
• Some gastrointestinal pathologies.

The listed factors will complicate the treatment of periodontitis, and therefore it is recommended to eliminate them before starting a course of therapy, which means that for effective treatment of periodontitis you will need to visit not only the dentist, but also specialists in other areas of medicine.

Symptoms

• Inflammation of the gums;
• hyperemia (redness) of the mucous membrane, swelling, reaction to temperature stimuli;
• sore gums;
• discomfort, bleeding gums when chewing, oral hygiene;
• detachment of the gum from the tooth wall;
• formation of periodontal pockets;
• abundant plaque and tartar around the tooth;
• pus from the gums;
• loosening of the gum edge;
• exposure of tooth roots;
• tooth mobility;
• inflammation of the submandibular lymph nodes

Symptoms of periodontitis vary depending on the extent of the inflammatory process. The more severe the stage of the disease, the more pronounced the symptoms. The disease does not occur suddenly; the early stage of periodontitis is catarrhal gingivitis - inflammation of the gums, not accompanied by a violation of the integrity of the mucous membrane.

How to save teeth with periodontitis

The main way to save teeth from tooth loss is early treatment. Usually, after a few days of treatment, the pathological mobility of the teeth disappears. Preventative measures are of great importance in preventing edentia.

Prevention of periodontitis is divided into several types:

1. Nonspecific - includes measures aimed at increasing the general resistance of the body and eliminating predisposing factors. This includes:
   to give up smoking;
2. balanced diet;
3. adequate treatment of all somatic diseases, especially chronic ones (diabetes mellitus, stomach and intestinal diseases);
4. hardening.
5. Specific - implies good oral care. These include:
   daily oral hygiene;
6. professional teeth cleaning;
7. use of pastes that strengthen enamel as indicated;
8. the use of additional care products - dental floss.
9. Secondary prevention is a set of measures whose task is to prevent relapses of periodontitis and its complications. Patients who have already encountered this pathology should consult a doctor every six months to avoid relapse. This includes treatment of all pathologies of the oral cavity, including dental prosthetics, since adentia is a significant risk factor for periodontitis.

In general, the prognosis for this pathology is relatively favorable, but only if you consult a dentist in a timely manner.

Our clinic has all the conditions for high-quality treatment of periodontitis. The latest equipment and competent specialists allow us to minimize the number of relapses and completely eliminate complications. Contacting the DENT Academy for tartar removal is guaranteed to prevent the occurrence of periodontitis.

What can cause gums to become inflamed?

The first and most important cause of gum inflammation is poor quality or irregular dental care. Daily brushing of teeth, rinsing the mouth with special balms and other means help prevent the development of bacteria. If you brush your teeth poorly, a lot of microorganisms accumulate in hard-to-reach places, which gradually penetrate the gums, causing inflammation, which can lead to very serious oral problems, including tooth loss.

Another fairly common cause is hormonal imbalance and weak immunity. A person is especially vulnerable after suffering from diseases such as ARVI, smallpox, etc., which directly affect the body and weaken its protective functions. In this regard, even with careful and regular brushing of teeth, people with weakened immune systems are especially susceptible to the development of pathogenic microflora in the oral cavity. Disruptions in the functioning of hormones are observed during pregnancy, during the restructuring of the body during adolescence, and in women during menopause. In addition to conducting basic medical examinations during these periods of time, it is also advisable to visit the dentist quite often.

Also, gums can become inflamed in people who are genetically predisposed to this, in people suffering from diabetes and gastrointestinal disorders.

Diagnostics

• Taking anamnesis;
• dental examination with measurement of the depth of periodontal pockets (periodontogram);
• orthopantomogram (OPTG), CT;
• rheoparodontography (assess the tone of blood vessels);
• Schiller-Pisarev test;
• microbiological studies (PCR);
• blood tests (general, sugar).

Differential diagnosis of periodontitis is carried out with gingivitis, eosinophilic granuloma of the jaw, periodontal changes in Lefebvre-Papillon syndrome. What examination methods will be required depends on the form and severity of the disease.