Is periodontal disease the same as periodontitis?

Written by Li Bao Hua
Dentistry
Updated on September 03, 2024
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Periodontal disease includes periodontitis, but periodontal disease covers a much broader range than periodontitis. Periodontium is the supporting tissue of the teeth, which includes the gums, alveolar bone, and dental cementum, so the scope of periodontal disease is very broad, while periodontitis is just a branch of periodontal disease. Periodontitis is caused by tartar, soft plaque, or dental plaque around the teeth, which if not promptly removed by teeth cleaning, can lead to congested gums or bleeding during brushing. Severe cases can cause absorption of the alveolar bone. Once destructive absorption of the alveolar bone occurs, teeth will become loose and may even fall out. It can also be said that periodontitis is a severe stage in the further development of periodontal disease.

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Written by Li Bao Hua
Dentistry
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Does periodontitis hurt?

Periodontitis is a condition that involves pain symptoms. It is an inflammation of the periodontal support tissues, including gingivitis and inflammation of the alveolar bone. In the early stages of periodontitis, the gum tissue is swollen and congested, leading to bleeding when eating or brushing teeth. This is mainly caused by irritants around the teeth such as tartar and dental plaque. This condition can be improved by dental cleaning, during which there might be minor discomfort. In the advanced stages of periodontitis, there is resorption of the alveolar bone, which may be surrounded by inflammation, also causing pain. Timely dental cleaning and manual scaling followed by guided regeneration of the alveolar bone are necessary. With timely treatment, the pain symptoms can be controlled.

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Written by Fang Xiao
Dentistry
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Does periodontitis use infusion tubes?

Gingivitis infusion therapy does have certain effects. This is because infusion mainly consists of antibiotics that can treat inflammation and alleviate symptoms; however, this effect is primarily temporary. For a thorough treatment, it is necessary to visit a professional dental department at a regular hospital for systematic periodontal treatment, including supragingival cleaning, subgingival scaling, and root planing. Alternatively, without infusion, you can use periodontitis drugs under the guidance of a doctor, such as anti-inflammatory drugs like Metronidazole, Tinidazole, and Ornidazole. Regular oral hygiene is crucial: brush your teeth in the morning and evening, rinse after meals, and regularly visit the dental department at a recognized hospital for periodontal maintenance. Only by doing so can the inflammation of the periodontium be controlled. (Use of medication should be under the guidance of a physician)

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Written by Li Bao Hua
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Can you get your teeth cleaned during periodontitis?

Periodontitis is an inflammation of the supporting tissues around the teeth, commonly seen as gingivitis or periodontitis. In the early stages of gingivitis or periodontitis, dental calculus and soft plaque accumulate on the surface of the teeth, irritating the gum tissue and causing the gums to become red, suppurate, or even bleed. This condition requires prompt dental cleaning. Through ultrasonic oscillation, the dental calculus attached around the teeth is removed. If there is subgingival calculus, dental cleaning alone may not completely remove it, and subgingival scaling is also necessary, using specialized tools to manually remove the subgingival calculus.

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Written by Li Bao Hua
Dentistry
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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.

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Does periodontitis require tooth extraction?

Whether tooth extraction is needed for periodontitis depends on the severity of the inflammation. If the periodontitis is not severe, with no absorption of the alveolar bone, and there is only simple inflammation of the gums, it typically manifests as gum bleeding or bleeding when brushing teeth. There can be dental soft plaque around the gums, or dental plaque irritates and causes the gums to become red, swollen, and pus may ooze. In this case, scaling can be done to remove local irritants, followed by rinsing and medicating around the teeth. This can effectively control the progression of periodontitis and does not require tooth extraction. However, if it causes absorption of the alveolar bone and significant loosening of the teeth, tooth extraction may be necessary.