The general public is little aware of the fact that periodontitis, a long-term inflammatory disease of periodontal tissues, is among the most common chronic diseases. Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, type II diabetes and malignancies are regularly classified as leading causes of mortality and are considered to be the most detrimental to the quality of life of patients.
However, according to the World Health Organization, as many as 750 million people suffer from periodontitis worldwide, according to which it is recorded as the 6th most common chronic disease of today. Patients have a higher risk of partial or complete tooth loss and difficulty in chewing, which greatly affects their diet and consequently their quality of life. This, by no means, has a negligible negative psychological impact, and leads to a lack of self-confidence resulting from almost all of the symptoms of periodontal disease – bleeding, halitosis, discoloration of the gums, loose teeth and, finally, their loss.
Periodontology is a branch of dentistry which specialises in the diagnosis and treatment of periodontal diseases. The periodontus is also called the dental support system, precisely because it is its main function; it fixes the teeth inside the jawbone and absorbs the forces that occur when chewing and biting, thus preventing damage to the teeth. The periodontus on the outside consists of soft tissue, the so-called gingiva (gums). A healthy gingiva is light pink and its surface is not smooth, but rather has small indentations on it, which is why it is often compared to the surface of orange peel. The gingiva covers hard periodontal tissues which are not visible from the outside. Each tooth, with its roots, is set in the bone and therefore, the root of the tooth cannot be seen. The tooth root and bone wall are not glued together, but are separated by a narrow space. In this space there are fibres, the so-called periodontal ligaments, which connect the bone wall and the root surface on which the cement is located. The periodontal ligament is very often compared to a shock absorbing system because it allows the tooth to move and absorb impact under the action of a large force, such as when chewing, and to return to its original position after the force has ceased. Inflammation can only affect soft tissue and then it is a superficial inflammation, gingivitis that can be cured without any permanent consequences by timely and adequate procedures. If the inflammation is not treated, hard dental tissues will also be affected in susceptible individuals, and we are talking about periodontitis, which unfortunately has irreversible consequences on the dental support system.
Many different factors lead to periodontal inflammation, but the most important are bacteria. Inadequate oral hygiene, food residues, plaque and bacteria which are all still, unfortunately, due to insufficient education of the public in respect of dental hygiene and the patients we see today are usually affected by the appearance of caries and changes in the white, visible hard parts of the crown of the teeth. These same factors cause periodontal disease, but since the initial signs are easily overlooked, and because the pain and discomfort are neither accentuated nor alarming in nature, the diagnosis of the disease is made only when the inflammation is significantly advanced, and when they have developed into an irreversible state. It is always worth reiterating that prevention is the best treatment, so regular dental check-ups are crucial in preventing the occurrence of such issues, or for an early, timely diagnosis of periodontal diseases. Our periodontology specialists are trained to treat complicated, advanced forms of these diseases with their many years of education and expertise.
8 out of 10 people over the age of 35 have experienced some of the symptoms that we associate with periodontal disease. Statistics on periodontal diseases are devastating, so it is extremely important to raise awareness about its spread, the consequences of non-treatment and its impact on the human organism. The population is getting older and becoming more burdened with chronic diseases, but periodontal disease can be removed from these sad statistics by prevention and timely diagnostics.
