An inflammatory disease affecting the tissues supporting the tooth. It can even lead to tooth loss.
Periodontal disease is a disease of the tissues supporting the tooth, i.e. the tissues that anchor it in the jaw. Up to a third of people around the age of 40 suffer from it. The number of patients rises rapidly with age.
Causes of periodontal disease
- Poor oral hygiene – which allows dental plaque and tartar to form; tartar becomes a reservoir for pathogenic bacteria and also mechanically irritates the gums. Such an environment also promotes tooth decay.
- Smoking
- Heredity
Symptoms of periodontal disease
- Redness, swelling and bleeding of the gums
- Bad breath
- Periodontal pockets, which form as the gingival sulcus around the tooth deepens
- Exposed tooth necks
- Loss of the bone in which the tooth sits
- Loosening and eventually loss of teeth
Periodontitis, however, does not affect only the mouth, as the bacteria responsible for the inflammation can also cause infection in other parts of the body. Most often these are infections of the heart, and periodontitis also contributes to the development and acceleration of atherosclerosis, diabetes and so on. That is why periodontal disease needs to be treated.
