Periodontics
Periodontology is a branch of dentistry interested in the treatment of diseases of the soft and hard tissues around the teeth. In Greek, peri-means surroundings, odonto-tooth, and logos-science. When these three words are brought together, periodontology means the science of the surrounding tissues of teeth. These tissues are:
- Cement, which forms the last layer of the root of a tooth
- Bone tissue which forms the surroundings of the root of a tooth (alveolar bone)
- The periodontal ligament functions as a connection between the root and bone.
Our teeth are buried inside the jaw bones in the part called the alveolar tubercle. However, teeth do not directly connect to the bone. There is a fibroelastic tissue between the alveolar bone and the root made of fibers. This tissue is called the periodontal ligament, and it functions as a damper, softening the functional forces on the teeth and transmitting them to the bone. The gingival and oral mucosa cover these tissues.
All these tissues covering the teeth are called "periodontal tissues."
Periodontal tissues are inflamed due to the accumulation of microbial dental plaque that covers the teeth. It is a complex formation formed by bacteria, epithelium, other cellular wastes, various saliva proteins, and food remnants. Plaque covering the teeth is a physiological process and it is not possible to prevent it from happening. The plaque, which is harmless for the first few hours, begins synthesizing toxic substances that cause inflammation when it reaches a certain thickness. Most periodontal diseases are chronic inflammatory diseases, and they do not cause noticeable symptoms such as pain until they reach advanced stages. From this perspective, periodontal diseases may progress inside the mouth without causing any noticeable symptoms, and they cause tooth loss.
Gingival bleeding is almost the only symptom that can be seen in any stage of periodontal disease. In the early stages of the inflammation, only the health of gingiva is impaired among the tissues mentioned above. At this stage, the disease is called "gingivitis". When the inflammation spreads to other periodontal tissues from the gingival surface, the periodontal ligament and alveolar bone are also affected. The alveolar bone, which covers the teeth, begins to erode. In this phase, the disease is called "periodontitis." It creates abscesses around the teeth, causing the teeth to get loose, leading to loss.
Gingivitis Treatment
In the early stages of gingivitis, improving a patient's oral hygiene and educating them on microbial dental plaque control may be enough to treat the disease.
Treatment of a progressing disease is made by the cleaning of the dental surface (tartar removal). As in all other periodontal disease treatments, this treatment, which takes at least two sessions, aims to increase the oral hygiene of the patient.
Post-treatment advice for initial periodontal treatment:
As it is known, uncomplicated simple gingivitis is the most common gingival disease that affects interdental and marginal gingival tissues. It is one of the leading causes of gingival bleeding. Failure in its treatment may cause the disease to progress to deeper tissues and early tooth loss. Elimination of factors which increase dental plaque and plaque accumulation or prevent their removal must be the main target of initial treatment. In the treatment of simple gingivitis, a careful examination should be made and dental plaques, tartar, food impaction, improper restorations, irritator removable prostheses, and pouch depth must be evaluated.