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| about periodontal disease |
| In this column, we will reply to questions about periodontal disease, monthly. We hope you can learn correctly what periodontal disease in connection with your health is, and refer to it for your life. |
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| The 2nd time basic knowledge
of gum disease |
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Q1:What
are the symptoms of periodontal disease?
A1:
Periodontal disease develops very slowly
and changes in the mouth are often left
undetectable. It is not unusual for patients
even with advanced stage of periodontitis
to detect little subjective symptoms.
In many cases, patients become aware of
the disease when their teeth become loose
due to the destruction of their alveolar
bones.
The clinical symptoms of periodontal disease
may vary depending on the level of its
progress. Some of the common symptoms
are red tender gums, somewhat swollen
gums, gum predisposed to bleeding, bad
breath, gum susceptive to irritation,
loose tooth, sticky saliva, receding gums,
and loss of teeth.
Periodontal tissues affected by periodontitis
leads to inflammation in order to counteract
the bacteria. Inside the inflamed periodontal
tissue, the following reactions are caused
in phase. Periodontal disease is "the
disease that gradually destructs periodontal
tissues" and various symptoms are developed
according to the phases.
1）Initial stage
of periodontal disease(gingivitis)
Neutrophiles (a kind of white blood cells)
multiplies counteracting proliferated
periodontal bacteria within gingiva. In
order to supply neutrophiles to gingiva,
there are increased numbers of capillary
blood vessels in gingival tissues, resulting
redness is reflected on gingival margins.
2） Early stage of
periodontitis
As the periodontal bacteria increase,
neutrophiles incorporate macrophages and
lymphocytes to defend the periodontal
tissues through their immune system. The
defense cells in gingival tissues multiply
as their inflammation advances and the
symptoms of initial stage, such as gingival
swelling and bleeding from gingival sulcus
, become more prominent.
*What
is macrophage? : It is a bone marrow-derived
monocyte, which reach tissues and grows
to relatively large cell with phagocytoses.
It defends the host tissues against the
invasion of harmful bacteria and foreign
bodies, and restores the damaged parts,
besides its function similar to that of
their neutrophil, which phagocytoses (captures,
digests and kills) bacteria and viruses,
it also carries down as antigens the information
of invasive bacteria to lymphocyte and
functions as regulators of the immune
response. Macrophage is a very important
cell that plays an essential role in host
defense system.
3） Developmental
stage of periodontitis
Periodontal pockets can be seen visually.
In this stage, overall destruction of
periodontal tissues (gingival epithelium,
gingival connective tissue, cementum,
alveolar bone) begins.
4）Establishment
of periodontal disease
Ulcer appears in gingiva and destruction
of alveolar bone advances. Typical symptoms
of periodontal disease, such as manifestation
of gingival redness and swelling, gingival
swelling susceptive to irritation, bleeding,
exudates and pus discharge from periodontal
pockets, bad breath, gingival recession,
sticky salvia, loose tooth, loss of teeth
etc. appear.
Illustration offer: Okayama University |
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