What are the symptoms of periodontitis?

Written by Fang Xiao
Dentistry
Updated on April 22, 2025
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The main symptoms of periodontitis include: 1. Inflammation of the gums, which may present as bleeding, swelling, and a soft texture. Patients may experience bleeding while brushing their teeth, biting into hard objects, or even spontaneously. 2. Formation of periodontal pockets, where ongoing inflammation can lead to the development of periodontal pockets, resulting in the loss of periodontal attachment and causing bad breath. 3. Resorption of the alveolar bone, which can lead to weakened chewing capability. 4. Loose teeth, shifting of teeth, or even tooth loss, accompanied by secondary jaw trauma, gum recession, increased space between teeth, weakened chewing capability in the molars, fan-shaped spreading of the anterior teeth, periodontal abscess, food impaction, root caries, tooth sensitivity, etc. Therefore, it is important to maintain oral hygiene by brushing teeth morning and evening, rinsing after meals, and regularly visiting a dental department at an accredited hospital for teeth cleaning and periodontal care.

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Written by Li Bao Hua
Dentistry
58sec home-news-image

Is periodontal disease the same as periodontitis?

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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What is periodontitis?

Periodontitis is an inflammation of the periodontal supporting tissues, including the gums, periodontal membrane, alveolar bone, and cementum. The early stages of periodontitis are mainly caused by irritants such as tartar, plaque, and soft deposits around the teeth, leading to swollen, pus-leaking gums, or bleeding during eating and brushing. If not treated promptly, tartar will adhere above and below the gums, forming supragingival and subgingival calculus. For calculus above the gums, ultrasonic cleaning, also known as dental scaling, is required. For calculus below the gums, it can be removed through curettage. If the mobility of the teeth improves after removal, the periodontitis can then enter the maintenance phase for the teeth.

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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 Zhan Jun Yan
Dentistry
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Where to treat periodontitis?

Under normal circumstances, patients with periodontitis should seek treatment at the periodontics department of a formal hospital. Professional periodontists will perform periodontal cleaning, scaling, root planing, periodontal flap surgery, etc. on the teeth. These periodontal treatment methods can effectively remove a series of infectious substances such as tartar, plaque, and soft deposits adhered to the teeth, thereby achieving the purpose of curing periodontitis. Additionally, periodontitis requires long-term, continuous treatment. It is essential to follow the doctor's advice, revisit regularly, and have teeth cleaned every six months or annually to maintain the current condition of the periodontium and prevent further inflammation.

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Written by Li Bao Hua
Dentistry
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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.