Periodontitis

“Aren’t you sure whether what’s happening to you could be periodontitis? Have you ever noticed blood in your mouth? Have you seen blood coming out of your gums? Or have you noticed that you have a tooth that moves a lot?”

It may be that you have periodontitis. Below, we’re going to explain what it is and how we can cure it.

But periodontitis: What is it?

Periodontitis, also commonly known as pyorrhoea, is the disease that produces infection in the gum and that causes inflammation in it. We’ll notice how the gums start to bleed and swell and take on a red colour.

That inflammation isn’t only affecting our gums, but also the tissues we have underneath, such as the bone or the periodontal ligament. Therefore, it’s a serious disease, as it can destroy the bone that holds the tooth in place and therefore our teeth will start to move, even falling out in cases of advanced periodontitis.

What are the causes of periodontitis?

The causes of periodontitis are various:

• The main cause, as we’ve already mentioned, since it’s a disease produced by an infection, will be the bacteria that colonise our mouth and destroy our tissues. The reason why those bacteria appear in the mouth is because of the poor hygiene we have, which makes plaque gradually build up, and the gums gradually become inflamed.
• Regardless of the hygiene, there are patients in whom periodontitis can cause mild periodontitis or advanced periodontitis. This will also depend on the predisposing factors, which are two:
• Genetic predisposition: that is, if our parents or grandparents lost teeth, we may be more likely to lose them, having inherited that periodontitis.
• Tobacco consumption: patients who smoke will be more likely to have the periodontitis drag on over time and get worse.

What are the symptoms of periodontitis?

The initial symptoms of periodontitis are:

• The inflammation or redness of the gums: patients usually notice that the gums turn a redder colour, not pink, and tend to be more swollen, referring pain when they pass the toothbrush over them.
• Bleeding: in those red areas of gum where the inflammation is at its peak we can find bleeding, especially when we wash our teeth.

These two initial symptoms are symptoms of gingivitis, which would be the step before periodontitis, where only the gums are affected. But if this situation gets worse, we’ll start to notice symptoms of periodontitis, where the bone below the gum is already being destroyed:

• Mobility of the teeth: as the bone is destroyed the teeth can start to move and we can even end up losing them.
• Receding gums: these also start to recede and the roots of the teeth become exposed, causing sensitivity in the teeth in many cases.
• Spaces between the teeth: the teeth, not having good bone to support them, move and separate. That, together with the gum receding, makes gaps open up between one tooth and another.

What types of periodontitis are there?

Mainly we can talk about:

• Gingivitis: when the bacteria have colonised our mouth, but for the moment only our soft tissues, the gums, are becoming inflamed. If this situation gets worse we’ll go on to have periodontitis.
• Periodontitis: it doesn’t only affect our gums but also the bone underneath, which will start to be destroyed. In addition, it’s scientifically proven that in patients with periodontitis we can see systemic diseases such as diabetes or cardiovascular diseases.

How is periodontitis cured?

Periodontitis can be cured:

1. The first thing we should do is have a good mouth cleaning to halt the infection we have. Once the infection has been eliminated, the tissues will stop being destroyed.
2. On many occasions, in addition to a cleaning, we’ll have to have deeper cleanings called scaling or curettages so that they can clean below the gum. Having to help ourselves with chlorhexidine rinses or even receiving treatment with antibiotics if necessary.
3. In cases of advanced periodontitis it can become necessary to carry out surgery.

Treatment for periodontitis

The most common treatments for periodontal disease, as we’ve mentioned, are:

• Mouth cleaning: to remove the plaque and the tartar we have on our gums and thereby eliminate the infection.
• Chlorhexidine rinses: they’ll help us to improve the inflammation, they’re usually used for a week if they’re of a high concentration.
• Scaling or curettages: they’re deeper cleanings where they’ll clean below the gums and it’s usually necessary to anaesthetise.
• Surgery: in the event that our periodontitis has advanced a lot it will be necessary to carry out surgery that helps us to improve the quality of our tissues around the teeth.

Can periodontitis have complications?

In addition to the most common complication that we all know, which is the loss of teeth, it’s also been shown that periodontitis is related to other systemic diseases.

And how can periodontitis affect our general health?

Because the bacteria that have colonised our mouth can travel through the bloodstream to other parts of the body, causing us general health problems such as:

• Cardiovascular diseases: if the bacteria reach our heart or arteries we may be more likely to suffer a heart attack or have our arteries become blocked.
• Diabetes: periodontitis can cause us diabetes and vice versa. Periodontal disease can increase resistance to insulin, which can cause a rise in blood sugar.
• Problems in pregnancy: According to the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP), pregnant women with periodontal diseases are seven times more likely to have a premature birth and low-birth-weight newborn babies.

After learning all about periodontitis, you shouldn’t be alarmed; the most important thing is to prevent rather than cure, which is why we advise you to have an annual check-up with us free of charge to confirm that everything is fine.

At Clínica Dental Doctores Tarazona we’ll be delighted to check you over, look after you and give you the best advice so that your gums are always healthy and you show off #ABigSmile.