What is periodontal disease?

Periodontosis (or more correctly periodontitis) is a disease of the periodontium, more simply a disease of the tissue that anchors the tooth in the jaw. This disease is the main cause of tooth loss in adults, even before caries.

The disease begins with inflammation of the gums, usually due to poor oral hygiene. The inflammation is caused by bacteria that form plaque. They produce excretions that irritate the gums.

The result is gum inflammation. If the plaque remains, it hardens into tartar, which sticks to the teeth and slowly grows deeper and deeper under the gums like a crystal. Tartar consists of millions of living bacteria that, due to their mineralized structure, can no longer be removed with a toothbrush. They multiply and thrive, so that the inflammation becomes more and more severe. Over time, the ligaments and bone that anchors the teeth in the jaw are progressively and gradually broken down. A so-called pocket is formed between the gums and the tooth. In this pocket, bacteria and tartar can grow and thrive undisturbed, gradually causing an ever greater breakdown of the bone. The teeth become loose, the gums look swollen and bleed at the slightest touch. When this pocket has reached a certain depth, pus can also form.

This degenerative process is chronic and progressive. What has been broken down will never regenerate and is lost forever! The dentist can slow or stop the inflammation through appropriate treatment, but only if the affected person also has their oral hygiene perfectly under control. If not, then the disease is predestined to become active again and leads to ever greater bone loss until the tooth becomes so loose that it has to be removed or falls out on its own.

Without a timely medical diagnosis, periodontitis very often goes unnoticed for a very long time. The affected person only notices more frequent bleeding of the gums when they want to clean the teeth and the spaces between them thoroughly, and often also suffers from bad breath.