The pyorrhea, or known in the area of dentistry as periodontitis, is a disease that affects the supporting tissues of the tooth, the periodontium: the gum, the ligament and the bone that supports the tooth. Therefore, there can be a destruction of the bone insertion, destruction of the connective tissue, destruction of the alveolar bone and destruction of the periodontal ligament, which in turn affects the gum of the tooth.
Periodontal diseases are infectious diseases caused mostly by bacteria, but they can also be caused by the accumulation of plaque, a viral or fungal origin, they can be produced by an injury or due to systemic diseases and even medications.
CLASSIFICATION OF PYORRHEA
Pyorrhea can be classified according to: the length of time, the affected area or the severity of this disease.
Duration time
Depending on the length of time, pyorrhea can be aggressive or chronic. The aggressive form of pyorrhea exists if the duration does not extend to three months. In contrast, periodontal disease is considered chronic after 3 months.
Affected zone
Pyorrhea, depending on the affected area, can be localized or generalized. The localized area occurs if there is an affectation of a specific point or points. On the contrary, if there is an equally generalized involvement throughout the periodontium, it is generalized.
Severity
Periodontal disease, pyorrhea, can be classified according to its severity as mild, moderate or advanced.
HOW DO I KNOW IF I HAVE PIORRHEA?
In order to know if I have pyorrhea, it is essential that the specialist dentist makes a good diagnosis, along with a correct medical history.
Anamnesis
The anamnesis is where all the data of parentage, the pathological antecedents and the medical history of the patient are collected. In this way, collect the possible risk factors.
Reason for consultation
The reason for the consultation that has made the person go to the dentist can be very varied, from bleeding gums, mobility, pain, among many others. It is of great importance to influence it.
Clinical examination
In the clinical examination, the degree of inflammation, the loss of dental support tissues, the activity of the disease (depending on bleeding, suppuration, etc.) are recorded.
In order to quantify the disease, the clinical examination is performed with the help of specialized instruments, such as periodontal probes. All data is recorded in a document called a periodontogram.
Complementary explorations
Some of the complementary examinations could be periapical radiographs or an orthopantomography, to be able to see and diagnose with radiographic help the severity of the disease.
TREATMENT OF PIORRHEA
Treatment of periodontal disease can generally be divided into:
- Systemic phase
- Hygienic phase
- Corrective or rehabilitative phase
- Surgical phase
- Maintenance phase
Systemic phase
In the systemic phase, an attempt is made to motivate the patient and eliminate all risk factors, such as smoking, an uncontrolled disease, among others.
Hygienic phase
Once the risk factors have been controlled, in the hygienic phase the main objective is to eliminate both the supragingival and subgingival calculus. The removal of the subgingival calculus is carried out by scaling and root planing using the use of ultrasonic and manual instruments (curettes).
This phase includes all aspects of cleaning the oral cavity, such as filling some cavities, performing root canals, extracting teeth with poor prognosis, among others.
Corrective or rehabilitative phase
In the rehabilitation phase, the complete rehabilitation of the mouth is carried out with the placement of fixed or removable prosthesis.
Surgical phase
The surgical phase is aimed at preserving the periodontium in the long term and being able to improve aesthetics. Performing type surgeries of tissue regeneration or coronary lengthening.
Maintenance phase
Finally, in the maintenance phase, the disease is controlled and the periodontal status is maintained thanks to maintenance every 3 or 6 months.
At Smile Care Plymouth we encourage you to go to the annual check-ups and have a good maintenance of your oral health, since this way we can prevent future problems that can affect us not only at the dental health level, but also the general health of our body. .
