Periodontics

It is not normal for a healthy gum to bleed. The first sign of gingival disease, bleeding gums may be gingivitis or periodontitis. Occasionally, there is an increased tendency to gum bleeding, as in certain moments of a woman’s life.

The absence of treatment and follow-up results in the loss of teeth over a variable period of time. Edentulism is a major health problem, since it causes great functional, esthetic and even psychological consequences in people who suffer from it.

In patients with active periodontitis, they present bacteria that during metabolism produce substances called volatile sulfur compounds. These substances are responsible for the appearance of halitosis.

After periodontal treatment, the vast majority of patients notice a total or partial disappearance of the symptom.

Tobacco cannot cause periodontal disease directly, but it has been shown to aggravate its progression and limit the response to treatment. It also produces a significant decrease in the blood supply to the periodontal tissues as well as a reduction in the capacity to defend against possible bacterial invasions.

These effects are directly related to the dose of tobacco. Patients who quit smoking acquire over time similar characteristics to non-smoking patients, so cessation of smoking promotes periodontal health and improves the effectiveness of periodontal treatment.

Under normal conditions the teeth do not move. Only in special circumstances a certain mobility considered normal may appear and disappear after treatment.

Periodontal disease is not the only cause of tooth mobility, but it is the most frequent, however it is a very late sign.

The mobility reflects that the tooth has lost support and is proportional to how advanced the disease is. Other circumstances in which mobility is increased are associated with forces on the teeth with an inadequate intensity or direction, in which case the treatment is different.

In patients with good oral hygiene, malpositioned teeth do not pose an increased risk of periodontitis, however in patients with poor oral hygiene, poorly positioned teeth can increase gum problems either in the form of gingivitis or periodontitis.

Hygiene techniques become more difficult in these cases, therefore bacteria increase in size and grow better.

Many patients with malpositioned teeth are advised to undergo treatment to straighten the teeth, once the periodontal disease has been treated, to improve the prognosis and long-term esthetics.