PERIODONTICS
This is a chronic disease caused by bacteria that commonly live in our mouths, but that have grown excessively due to the individual disposition of the patient (it is sometimes hereditary), or due to poor hygiene. The progression of the disease is cyclical, with periodical outbreaks that cause the destruction of the tissues that support the tooth.
In healthy gums there is a firm and stable seal around the tooth that prevents bacteria getting into the soft tissues and the bone around the tooth. When periodontal disease occurs, this seal is weakened or lost and the bacteria and their waste products cause the inflammation of the gingival tissues and the reabsorption of the bone that supports the tooth, making scaling and root planing necessary to recover the stability of the gingival tissue and to seal it around the tooth eliminating all signs of inflammation in the tissue that supports it.
If you want, you can request the application of sedatives during any of these interventions. The clinic has a team of anaesthetists to carry this out. Conscious sedation is a technique where drugs are administered to the patient (intravenously) to achieve a state of relaxation such that it allows them to collaborate with the odontologist but in such a relaxed state that the patient lives the experience in a comfortable manner.
They are currently divided into two large groups:
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Chronic periodontitis: Very frequent and affects adults. Its evolution is slow, decades can pass from when it starts to when a tooth is lost.
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Aggressive periodontitis: This affects young people, is rare and it evolves quickly. The speed of its progress determines its severity.
The type of bacteria and the patients' immunological situation are determining factors in whether they suffer one or the other.
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Smoking: This decreases the blood flow to the gums, which means fewer nutrients and less oxygen reach the gingival mucous membranes, making the environment favourable for bacteria. In addition, cigarette smoke affects some cells of the immune system, altering their properties and worsening infections. Patients with gingivitis and periodontitis should stop smoking. In addition, tobacco “hides” the typical signs of periodontitis such as reddening and bleeding. For this reason the gums appear “almost healthy” despite having a deep periodontal pocket.
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Stress:Can aggravate periodontitis. This is due to reduced immunological defences.
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Systemic illnesses such as: diabetes, osteoporosis, HIV, transplants, etc Patients with periodontitis that also have uncontrolled diabetes have a greater risk of their periodontal disease becoming aggressive, as the metabolic disorder that characterises diabetes is further altered.
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Hormonal changes in women (pregnancy and menopause): Alterations in the hormonal system, caused in pregnancy, puberty and the menopause, make the environment favourable for bacteria.
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Fillings, prostheses, crowns and bridges in a bad condition: Defective or very old dental treatments can also trap food and lead to the growth of dental plaque
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Badly positioned teeth: Teeth that do not have proper contact between them are also prone to trapping food, leading to the growth of dental plaque.
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Gingival bleeding
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Bad breath
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Dental hypersensitivity
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Loose teeth or teeth with gaps
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Longer teeth or receding gums
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Loss of teeth
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Bleeding gums
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Inflammation or reddening due to this inflammation.
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Increased volume caused by oedema.
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Receding gums, which can be caused by periodontitis, regularly brushing too hard or brushing with a very hard brush or due to caries, prostheses, crowns and bridges in bad condition, near the gum (which can cause food to get trapped and the growth of dental plaque).
This stage of the disease is called GINGIVITIS. It is a reversible process; if adequate treatment is not received it will lead to periodontal disease
Bacteria cause such deterioration that the teeth lose the support that keeps them in place and, with time, they may fall out, which is the most extreme consequence of periodontitis.
Untreated periodontitis can, in extreme cases, lead to the person losing all their teeth.
Other consequences of this disease are:
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Aggravation of cardiovascular disease, increasing the risk of suffering heart attacks.
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Aggravation of diabetes, as chronic inflammation tends to impair the metabolism of diabetics.
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Pregnant women run the risk of having babies with low birth weights.
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Halitosis (bad breath).
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Tartar.
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Aesthetic problems due to the deterioration of the teeth, colour change and the presence of tartar, loss of the normal shape of the gums.
