Periodontitis: symptoms, causes and treatment

Dental pyorrhea is a disease in the teeth that is caused by poor oral hygiene. Bacterial plaque accumulates, becomes tartar and forms bags in the root of the tooth. This is why inflammation, tenderness and bleeding occurs in the gums.

A lot of people have dental pyorrhea, without even knowing. However, it is a disease that can cause a lot of discomfort and major damage to our oral health. That is why it is important to diagnose and treat it in time. Otherwise, we can lose teeth and have other diseases. Once dental pyorrhea is very advanced, the only solution is surgery.

What is dental pyorrhea?

The official name of the pyorrhea is periodontitis. It is a disease caused by gingivitis. This infection affects all the soft tissue and comes to destroy the bone that holds the teeth. The result is the loosening of the teeth, and in the worst case, its loss.

Pyorrhea is a common disease worldwide. This is the result of poor and poor oral hygiene. The best way to avoid this infection is improve our dental hygiene.

What are the symptoms of pyorrhea in the teeth?

Dental pyorrhea or periodontitis gives very evident signs in the teeth and gums. Untreated gingivitis symptoms are a good indication, since pyorrhea is a product of it.

Gums that bleed very easily

The bacterial plaque accumulates between the gums. This accumulation of the plaque produces the bleeding in the gums. Pyorrhea makes the gums blood very easilyWhether it's spontaneous, it's eating with the slightest touch.

This bleeding can also manifest in our brushing time. The presence of pyorrhea makes our toothbrush dyes pink after brushing, or that saliva is pink (with blood)) when we spit after brushing,

Tact-sensitive gums

Pyorrhea is also produced because plaque and tartar accumulate at the base of the teeth. This accumulation of bacteria inflames the gums and is what produces tenderness and pain. That's why pyorrhea can make you hurt your gums while you eat, brush, or just touch them.

Inflamed or swollen gums

In addition to pain, pyorrhea also causes inflammation in the gums due to plaque and tartar build-up. This inflammation is very evident. In a mirror, evaluate the state of your gums. If you notice any swelling or any lumps in the gums, pyorrhea may be present.

Gums of bright red, dark red or purple

Pyorrhea can also cause gums to take on a bright red, dark red, or even purple color. This color change is the result of gum inflammation.

The change of color in the gums has to do with the severity of the condition and swelling produced by pyorrhea. The darker the color, greater is the condition. The bright red indicates a normal level of inflammation, the dark red indicates a more important level of swelling, while the purple color indicates a severe condition and inflammation in the gums.

Bad breath

The bad breath is another symptom of pyorrhea. Some of the bacteria that give light to pyorrhea produce Sulphur-containing compoundsAnd sulfur is the one that produces the bad smell in the breath.

Dental pyorrhea may also cause a bad taste in the mouth. Inflammation causes pus to accumulate in periodontal bags, which results in that bad taste.

Presence of pus between teeth

In pyorrhea there is also the presence of abnormal pockets or holes in the gums caused by inflammation. If the infection advances too much, These bags can be filled with pus. The presence of pus can manifest itself in an intense and constant pain in the jaw, neck, and ear. It can cause fever, tenderness when pressing while chewing, or moving any of the teeth.

Loose teeth and/or tooth loss

This is one of the most obvious symptoms of dental pyorrhea. They feel very loose. Or some of the teeth fall off.

Gums that retreat

The pyorrhea decreases the tissue of the gums thanks to the accumulation of tartar. The result is that the gums retract. This retraction causes dental harnesses or abnormal spaces between the teeth.

The retraction of gums many times is not noticeable by the accumulation of tartar itself. These spaces are usually more evident when performing periodontal treatment, that is, it is usually when the tartar is removed that the gums have been retracted and there are unusual spaces between the teeth.

Change in bite

Pyorrhea affects the gums and bones that hold the teeth. This affects the teeth and consequently the bite.

What causes dental pyorrhea?

Dental pyorrhea has several causes:

Poor dental hygiene

Dental pyorrhea (as with gingivitis) is caused by an infection caused by bacteria That is why good dental hygiene is recommended to treat pyorrhea, since it is the remains of food in the teeth that produce the bacterial plaque that then becomes tartar.

This accumulation of bacteria affects the whole periodont or tissue that supports our teeth: alveolar bone, tooth cement and periodontal ligament. Hence, the result is loosening or loss of the tooth.

The best way to avoid it is brush your teeth two or three times a day and use floss, at least once a day. This will help remove the plate. This should be repeated every day, as the plate is quickly re-formed.

Do not visit the dentist regularly

You need to visit the dentist at least once a year for remove tartarThe dental tartar is very hard and is very deep in the periodonto between gum and tooth. And therefore, can not be removed by the brush or dental floss. Tartar can cause a lot of damage if it lasts long there, such as the infection that gives birth to pyorrhea. Therefore, visiting the dentist regularly is important for good dental health.

Bad habits

Smoking, excessive alcoholic beverages, poor eating habits, and overweight can also cause pyorrhea. tobacco increases the level of bacteria in the periodontIn the case of alcohol, it reduces the production of saliva, which helps to reduce the acids produced by the plaque. This in turn makes us more prone to the bacterial plaque.

Foods with too many acids or sugars modify the PH of the mouth and cause the enamel to weaken. The result is that our teeth are more prone to plaque acids.

Genetic inheritance

Genetic predisposition increases our chances of suffering from pyorrhea. If our parents suffered from this disease, we may also suffer from it.

Caused by other diseases

Diabetes, AIDS, and osteoporosis can also affect the health of periodonto and make us prone to dental pyorrhea.

What treatments are there to cure dental pyorrhea?

Treatment of pyorrhea depends to a large extent on the stage of the disease. If pyorrhea is in its initial state, it is usually enough to perform a deep cleaning and scraping of tooth roots. In this way, all accumulated tartar is removed and the roughnesses formed at the root are smoothed.

Next to this cleaning will also be recommended use some antibiotics to treat the infection. The most common antibiotics are oral antibiotics, which are prescribed to the patient to drink following a treatment. Other antibiotics have different presentations: gel, microspheres and antiseptic chips that are inserted into the bags after having done scraping and straightening. It can also be recommended. antiseptic collutions to treat the infection.

However, the most advanced stage of pyorrhea requires surgery. This happens when cleaning and scraping are not effective, and inflammation and infection still persists. The permanence of inflammation is due to the fact that periodontal bags are at a deeper level. When this is the case, surgery should be applied.

Surgery lifts gum, completely removes tartar, and periodontal bags are removed or reduced. If pyorrhea is even more advanced, treatment should be performed for regenerate bone and connective tissues. This is done by a bone graft or implanting a mesh between bone and gum. Soft tissue grafts from other parts of the mouth may also be used to regenerate gums.

Complications for not treating dental pyorrhea.

Failure to treat dental pyorrhea in time could result in different health problems throughout our body, as it can not only bring oral complications. If the bacteria that produce the pyorrhea enters the bloodstream, several parts of our bodies may be affected, as we will see below.

Loss of teeth

This is the main consequence of dental pyorrhea. The bones that hold the teeth weaken, and the result is the loss of our teeth along with our beautiful smile.

Respiratory diseases

Bacteria that cause pyorrhea or periodontitis can also cause inflammation of the lining of the lungsThis limits the amount of air entering and leaving the lungs.

Coronary arteries

If the bacteria of dental pyorrhea come into contact with the blood, they may produce foamy cells and cholesterol rise. What results in coronary disease.

Difficulty controlling glucose in the blood

Pyorrhea can also cause us to develop insulin resistanceThis would increase our chances of developing diabetes.

Is pyorrhea contagious?

Yes, pyorrhea can be contagious. Contagion is not produced in an easy way. Some conditions have to be given.

Contagion usually occurs between stable couples through saliva exchange. This is because the contagion only occurs when the healthy person has frequent contact with the person suffering from pyorrhea.

However, it is not even easy for the infection to occur. Normally, it has to do with a healthy person’s willingness to have pyorrhea. It can be due to weakness in the immune system, a lot of plaque accumulated, tobacco use or little oral hygiene.

Do you think you have pyorrhea? Trust ODONTOFAMILY to end your pyorrhea

If you think you suffer from pyorrhea, we recommend trusting a professional to treat it on time. to make an appointment in ODONTOFAMILY. We have dentists who can help you treat dental pyorrhea.