Is gum recession the same as periodontitis?

Written by Li Bao Hua
Dentistry
Updated on November 18, 2024
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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.

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Written by Li Bao Hua
Dentistry
1min 9sec home-news-image

What department should I go to for periodontitis?

Periodontitis is an inflammatory reaction that occurs in the supporting tissues of the periodontium, commonly presenting as gingivitis or periodontitis in clinical settings. Gingivitis, the early stage of periodontitis, is caused by food residues left after eating, which calcify under the action of saliva to form tartar. This tartar further irritates and causes inflammation of the gingival or periodontal tissues. Initially, one should visit the ENT (Ear, Nose, and Throat) department for this condition. If the specialties are further divided, one can consult the oral medicine department under ENT. If oral medicine is further subdivided, a visit to the periodontal department is necessary. Therefore, for detailed treatment of periodontitis, it is advisable to visit the periodontology department within the oral specialties to undergo teeth cleaning followed by gingival medication to improve the symptoms of periodontitis.

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Written by Li Bao Hua
Dentistry
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What department should I go to for periodontitis?

Patients with periodontitis should seek treatment in the periodontal department. If there is no periodontal department available, they can visit the department of oral medicine, or the department of stomatology or otolaryngology. Periodontitis is an inflammation of the periodontal support tissues, including gingivitis and periodontitis, with gingivitis being the early stage of periodontitis. It mainly occurs due to not brushing or rinsing promptly after eating, leading to the accumulation of food residues around the teeth. This condition requires timely teeth cleaning to remove these residues, otherwise, it could cause bleeding during brushing or eating and may further develop into periodontal pockets, leading to the appearance of periodontitis. Periodontitis might also involve the loss of alveolar bone support tissues, which requires timely dental cleaning followed by medication or a guided bone regeneration procedure.

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Written by Li Cui
Dentistry
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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.

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Written by Li Bao Hua
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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.

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Written by Li Bao Hua
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Is periodontitis serious?

Periodontitis is a development of gingivitis. To determine the severity of periodontitis, an X-ray of the teeth is required to check for pathological bone resorption in the alveolar bone. If the symptoms are limited to the gingival tissue, such as simple gingival bleeding, brushing bleeding, gingival swelling, or pus discharge, it can be managed by dental cleaning or ultrasonic scaling, followed by medicated irrigation around the gums to improve the inflammation. If subgingival calculus is present, it might also be addressed with scaling or root planing to remove the calculus. If there is significant alveolar bone resorption due to severe periodontitis, the condition is serious and may require guided bone regeneration surgery. In severe cases, tooth extraction may be necessary.