Periodontitis


Will periodontitis exude pus?
Patients with periodontitis also experience symptoms of pus discharge. Periodontitis is usually caused by bacterial invasion of the periodontal tissues, leading to chronic inflammation of these tissues. Clinical symptoms mainly include swollen gums, loose teeth, and pus discharge from periodontal pockets. This disease is relatively common among adult males, especially those over the age of 35, who have a very high incidence of periodontitis. The treatment of the disease involves removing tartar and bacterial plaque, eliminating irritant factors, and then using medications. Medications such as topical metronidazole, as well as tetracycline and penicillin antibiotics, have a clear effect on the treatment of periodontitis. (Please follow medical advice when using medications.)


Can periodontitis be cured?
Periodontitis is divided into early and late stages. Early periodontitis can be cured, while late periodontitis is difficult to treat and may require tooth extraction if severe. Periodontitis is an inflammatory, destructive resorption that occurs in the periodontal supporting tissues. There are usually significant amounts of dental calculus and plaque around the teeth. The initial treatment involves removing these through teeth cleaning. After cleaning, applying medication through rinsing around the gums can be helpful, and in many cases, this can lead to a cure. Generally, early periodontitis does not involve noticeable absorption of the alveolar bone. However, in advanced stages, the formation of periodontal pockets and absorption of the alveolar or jaw bone represent severe manifestations of periodontitis. If it is difficult to maintain or restore oral health through basic treatment in such cases, tooth extraction may be necessary.


What should I do if my face swells from periodontitis?
If periodontitis has already caused facial swelling, active treatment can be targeted at the periodontitis. First, if there are large deposits of tartar on the crown of the tooth, these should be removed using ultrasonic cleaning to eliminate the tartar and suppress the proliferation of anaerobic bacteria. Then, manually scrape the tartar, diseased bone, and granulation tissue attached to the root surface of the gums and thoroughly rinse with hydrogen peroxide solution. If an abscess has already formed in the periodontal area, it needs to be incised under local anesthesia, then drain it using a rubber strip, and treat with systemic antibiotics such as cephalosporins or nitroimidazole drugs to alleviate the patient’s condition.


Is periodontitis grade II serious?
The patient suffers from periodontitis and is in the second stage. At this point, it is recommended that the patient promptly undergo dental treatment. This can effectively alleviate symptoms and control the disease progression. It may not achieve complete cure, but it can prevent the further development of gingivitis, control the condition, and prevent some gum recession. If treatment is not administered, it may worsen and lead to loose teeth, so it is advised that patients take timely control measures. Additionally, patients should avoid eating spicy and stimulating food, as well as overly hot or hard food that can long-term irritate the gum tissue. Regular brushing in the morning and evening, rinsing the mouth after meals, and using dental floss to remove food residue in the mouth can help treat periodontitis.


What part of the body is moxibustion applied to for periodontitis?
Gingivitis generally occurs because the teeth surface of patients accumulates dental plaque and tartar over a long period, which causes the gum tissue to be in a chronic state of inflammation, eventually leading to periodontitis. Therefore, it is advised that patients with periodontitis primarily focus on timely cleaning of the dirt attached to the surface of the teeth. If not removed, it will continuously cause progressive irritation to the periodontal tissue, leading to chronic inflammatory changes in the entire dental tissue. If treating periodontitis, the first step should be the removal of the attached substances from the dental tissue, which can effectively eliminate dental plaque and tartar in the periodontal area, and is quite effective in treating periodontitis. Since these substances cannot be eliminated, the treatment generally does not achieve very good results. Thus, when patients suffer from periodontitis, moxibustion treatment is generally not employed, as it cannot remove the dental plaque and tartar on the teeth and does not serve a significant therapeutic effect. Hence, if patients want to effectively manage periodontitis, they must start with some cleaning of the gums. Patients can remove dental plaque and tartar through professional dental cleaning, then take some anti-inflammatory medication, and be vigilant about oral hygiene in daily life. Regular follow-ups are recommended to keep periodontitis under control.


Can third-degree periodontitis be cured?
Periodontal disease is generally caused by long-term accumulation of bacteria, dental calculus, and plaque, which gradually stimulates chronic inflammation. Periodontal disease leads to inflammation around the tooth roots and results in the resorption of the alveolar bone, eventually causing the teeth to loosen and fall out. It is recommended that patients with periodontitis seek timely treatment to prevent the condition from worsening, which could complicate the treatment process. For those diagnosed with stage three periodontitis, treatment is generally still effective. Therefore, it is advised that patients promptly visit a hospital and follow the specific treatment methods prescribed by their doctor to effectively treat periodontitis.


Is gum recession the same as periodontitis?
Gingival recession is not true periodontitis. Periodontitis is an inflammation of the periodontal supporting tissues, primarily clinically manifested as gingivitis or periodontitis. Gingivitis is an early stage of periodontitis, characterized by bleeding during brushing or eating, disappearance of the normal shape or state of the gums, and symptoms such as red and swollen gums, pus discharge, and disappearance of the papillae. The presence of dental calculus, soft plaque, and bacterial plaque around the teeth are stimulants, suggesting these are indicators of periodontitis. Gingival recession may be a temporary phenomenon due to reasons such as occlusion. Severe gingival recession can cause exposure of the tooth root surfaces, leading to sensitivity of the roots. If periodontitis has already caused the teeth to become loose, it is necessary to promptly proceed with guided bone regeneration.


Is periodontitis stage two serious?
Periodontitis stage two indicates that the resorption of the patient's alveolar bone has reached a certain degree, necessitating systemic periodontal treatment at an established hospital's dental department. In severe cases, periodontal surgery may also be required. Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease caused by microorganisms accumulating around the teeth, eroding the ligaments, alveolar bone, and dentin around the teeth. Stage two periodontitis indicates a certain degree of alveolar bone resorption, resulting in the loss of attached gingiva and alveolar absorption. The patient's teeth may exhibit some mobility and potential shifting. Systemic periodontal treatment at an established hospital's dental department is required, including supragingival cleaning, subgingival scaling, root planing, and, in severe cases, periodontal surgery. Therefore, it is important to maintain oral hygiene, brush your teeth morning and evening, rinse after meals, use the internationally recognized Bass method of brushing, avoid spicy and stimulating foods, and eat fresh vegetables and fruits regularly.


Should periodontitis teeth be extracted or not?
Whether to extract a tooth affected by periodontitis depends on the condition of the periodontitis. In the early stages of periodontitis where there is no absorption of the alveolar bone, and the inflammation is limited to the gums, symptoms may include bleeding gums, red and swollen gums, or pus from the gums. In such cases, it is possible to preserve the tooth after basic treatment. This means that after cleaning the teeth and removing dental calculus, and applying medication to the gums to control inflammation, the tooth can be preserved. However, if the periodontitis is severe and there is significant absorption of the alveolar bone along with loose or falling teeth, it is difficult to preserve the teeth, and extraction may be necessary.


How is periodontitis treated?
Periodontitis is an inflammation of the periodontal supporting tissue, often caused by not brushing or rinsing promptly after eating. Food residue accumulates around the gums, which over time can cause bleeding gums or bleeding during brushing. Severe cases may further develop into periodontal pockets, where dental calculus appears, potentially leading to loose teeth, tooth loss, or even absorption of the alveolar bone. Therefore, the basic treatment for periodontitis involves controlling plaque and eliminating inflammation. This can be achieved through ultrasonic cleaning, which is essentially teeth cleaning to remove dental calculus, followed by rinsing and medicating around the gums to improve their condition. In severe cases, periodontal scaling may be necessary. Thus, treatment of periodontitis is divided into basic treatment and maintenance treatment, with maintenance following the basic treatment phase.