Periodontitis

Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease that destroys the tissues supporting the teeth, including the periodontal ligament and alveolar bone. It develops through interactions between dental plaque bacteria and the host immune response.

Dental plaque: A structured community of microorganisms attached to tooth surfaces and embedded in a self-produced matrix. Its bacteria initiate the inflammation associated with periodontal tissue damage.
Periodontal probing: A clinical examination that measures the depth of spaces between teeth and gums with a calibrated probe. Probing detects deep pockets and helps assess periodontal attachment loss.
Gingival recession: The movement of the gum margin away from the crown, exposing more of the tooth or its root. Recession can expose roots without the attachment loss caused by periodontitis.
Tooth mobility: Movement of a tooth within its socket beyond normal physiological movement. Loss of periodontal support can make affected teeth increasingly mobile.
Gingivitis: Inflammation of the gums, usually caused by dental plaque, without loss of tooth-supporting bone. It is an earlier, reversible form of plaque-related gum disease that can precede periodontitis.
Clinical attachment loss: The measured loss of attachment between a tooth and the surrounding periodontal tissues. It is a central clinical measure used to identify and classify periodontitis.
Dental caries: A biofilm-mediated disease that demineralizes and damages the hard tissues of teeth. Caries damages teeth themselves, whereas periodontitis destroys their supporting tissues.
Tooth loss: The absence of a tooth after it has been lost or extracted. Advanced destruction of supporting tissues can leave teeth unsalvageable.
Periodontal pocket: A pathologically deepened space between a tooth and the surrounding gum tissue. Pocket formation reflects loss of attachment and creates a sheltered site for plaque.
Dental scaling: Professional removal of plaque and calculus from tooth surfaces, including below the gumline. Removing deposits reduces the biofilm that sustains periodontal inflammation.

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