Causes: Periodontitis can arise for a variety of reasons. A severe deficiency of vitamin C can lead to scurvy and result in bleeding, spongy gums, and eventual tooth loss. One kind of uncommon but highly destructive periodontal disease, juvenile periodontitis, is found to have a strong genetic basis. Meanwhile, the common periodontal disease such as gingivitis and periodontitis is due to the build-up of dental plaque.
The mouth has natural bacteria which thrive on food particles that were not thoroughly removed from haphazard brushing. It then forms into a plaque which is a combination of bacteria and sticky products that forms on the teeth and along the gum line. Newly formed and small amount of plaque is invisible and relatively harmless. But when left to accumulate, it does not only become unsightly but seriously harmful to dental health.
A research was done in the early 1960s to demonstrate the role played by plaque in the development of periodontal disease. Dental researchers had some people stop brushing their teeth and let plaques build up just for the purpose of the study. Within 2 to 3 weeks, signs of inflammation such as redness, swelling and increased tendency to bleed appeared. When brushing resumed, the inflammation went away.
Symptoms: Most people do not experience any pain due to gum disease and so it often goes unnoticed. One may have gum disease that has spread into the bone and not have any symptoms. With this, it is important to have regular dental visits to check yourself for the warning signs of gum disease which include: bleeding gums during brushing; red, swollen or tender gums; persistent bad breath; loose or separating teeth; pus between the teeth; a change in the way your teeth fit together when you bite; and gums that have pulled away from the teeth.
Once you notice any of these symptoms, you should see a dentist right away so that proper periodontal disease treatment will be administered before it gets worse.
Risk Factors: Gingivitis has a great tendency to develop into periodontitis. Plaque along or above the gum line is referred to as supragingival plaque. With time, it can become covered by swollen gum tissue or spread below the gum line and further become subgingival plaque. In such environment, the harmful bacteria within the plaque proliferate and injure tissues through the direct secretion of toxins. They cause the greatest damage by stimulating a chronic inflammatory response. This results to breaking down and destruction of the periodontal ligament and bone of the tooth socket.
Bone destruction from periodontitis can either result to receding gum lines or cause deep crevices between an individual tooth and its socket. The crevices are called periodontal pockets which inevitably deepen and eventually become deep enough to jeopardize the support socket of the adjacent tooth.