Periodontal disease
It is a disease of the mouth that affects periodontium. Periodontium is the supporting structure of the tooth that surrounds it. It includes connective tissue around the tooth, alveolar bone and periodontal ligament. Infectious diseases affecting this supporting structure can cause tooth loss.
Our mouth is constantly occupied by different species of favorable and harmful microorganisms. However, in normal healthy conditions the proportion of useful bacteria is more than harmful one. This normal flora of mouth resides in the spaces between gums and teeth. After taking a meal, a lot of food particles remain in the mouth between teeth spaces and in the spaces between gums and teeth. Bacteria thrive into these food particles, bring chemical changes and form a thin gelatinous film called plaque around the teeth and gum line. If not cleaned or removed this plaque can harden into yellowish hard substance called tartar. Tartar once formed keeps irritating gums and eventually causes inflammation of the gums.
Various acidic by products in the plaque are H2S, NH3, amines, toxins, enzymes, antigens, etc. which are injurious to the periodontal tissue in a way that they produce inflammatory response in that region. Infiltrating defense cells and other bacterial products cause loss of periodontal tissue, pocket formation, loosens teeth eventually resulting in complete tooth loss.
Destruction & inflammation of gums spread in the direction of spread of bacterial growth. Bacteria reside and proliferate rapidly in the sub-gingival area and strive to spread in all directions, however, their proliferation and direction of spread is hindered and therefore modified by the defense cells of the body. First only small area is involved which produces micro lesions in the gums that are usually invisible and clinically unnoticeable, however, when greater area of the gums is involved it can be detected by clinical and radiographic procedures......
