Cause of periodontitis

Periodontitis is a severe form of gum disease that occurs when inflammation of the gums spreads to the area where the teeth are supported. You may be wondering what causes periodontitis and where it starts. Initially, plaque and bacteria build up between the teeth and gums and then spread to the bones beneath the teeth, causing swollen and bleeding gums and loose teeth.

Your dentist can use X-rays to measure the depth of your periodontal pockets to determine the severity of your periodontitis. This condition often requires frequent cleanings by your dentist in your office, sometimes including periodontal surgery and antibiotics.

Who is most likely to develop periodontitis?

Periodontitis occurs more frequently in susceptible groups of patients. Many conditions and disorders make some patients more susceptible to developing periodontitis, including diabetes (especially type 1 diabetes), Down syndrome, low white blood cell counts, and AIDS. Periodontal disease tends to progress more rapidly in patients with AIDS. Smoking, vitamin C deficiency, emotional disorders, and sometimes obesity are also risk factors for periodontitis.

Periodontitis can affect people of all ages, even young children. At the same time, some patients may be susceptible to periodontitis and live for years without developing periodontitis. While another group of patients may develop gingivitis without developing symptoms of periodontitis and without any underlying disease, which occurs most often in the 20-30 year age group.

Periodontitis is one of the main causes of tooth loss in adults and the elderly. The gum bone that holds the teeth in place is eroded by gum infection. This infection weakens the bone around the teeth, causing them to become loose. Eventually, the affected tooth may need to be extracted or fall out on its own.

What causes periodontitis?

Periodontitis is often caused by inflammation of the gums and the long-term buildup of plaque (a thin layer of bacteria) that hardens on the teeth and gums. It forms pockets between the teeth and gums, extending down between the root of the tooth and the surrounding bone walls.

In these pockets, plaque accumulates in an oxygen-free environment, creating a favorable environment for the growth of many types of bacteria, especially in patients with compromised immune systems. The plaque and bacteria cause chronic inflammation that destroys the tissue and bone that support the teeth.

After learning about the cause of periodontitis, it is better to know that if this disease is not treated in time, it leads to the loss of tooth bone and therefore the teeth become loose and the patient may feel pain after a while and the gums recede. Tooth loss due to periodontitis often begins at the age of 40.

The rate of progression of periodontitis varies among patients, these differences depend on various factors, because the accumulation of bacteria in the teeth of some patients may be higher or due to underlying diseases that the person has, they are susceptible to the development of periodontitis, and therefore periodontitis occurs due to the patient’s immune system’s reaction to dental plaque.

Periodontitis can cause destructive activities in the teeth and gums that last for months, followed by periods of recovery when no further damage is done to the periodontal tissue.

Symptoms of Periodontitis

Early signs of periodontitis include tenderness, swelling, bleeding, and redness of the gums, as well as bad breath (halitosis). As more bone is lost, teeth become loose and shift, making chewing a painful process. Often, periodontitis causes the front teeth to tilt toward the adjacent teeth. Periodontitis usually causes no pain at first, unless a serious infection develops, such as a collection of pus in the periodontal pocket (periodontal abscess).

Treatment of periodontitis

Professional cleaning of teeth and gums at a dental clinic

Sometimes, periodontal surgery or the extraction of some infected teeth may be necessary

Sometimes, antibiotics are prescribed

If there are factors that increase the risk of developing periodontitis, such as poor oral hygiene, diabetes, or smoking, these risk factors should be treated because they can make gum disease worse.

Unlike gingivitis, which is usually treated with good oral care (brushing and flossing daily), periodontitis requires professional treatment by a dentist in Kingston. People with perfect oral health can only brush 2-3 mm below the gum line.

While a dentist can clean periodontal pockets that reach 6-7 mm deep using a root planing technique, which completely removes bacterial plaque and heals the damaged root surfaces of the tooth.

For pockets that are 7 mm deep or more, surgery is often required. A general dentist or periodontist can perform this procedure by making an incision in the gum that allows him or her to access the inner layer of the gums beneath the teeth. Once you know the cause of your periodontitis, you can begin to treat it.