What is periodontitis?

4 May 2021

It is also known as periodontal disease and refers to a serious bacterial infection in the gums that damages the tissues that surround the teeth and the bone that supports them. It is a common condition caused by poor dental cleaning habits, that is, not brushing your teeth after each meal or using dental floss. In addition, drugs and smoking contribute significantly to its appearance.

Periodontitis is the most serious phase of gingivitis, so if it is not detected and treated in time, it can cause the loss of teeth.

Some of the factors that can trigger it include:

Hormonal abnormalities.
Poor dental hygiene.
Smoking.
Drug addiction.
Genetic factors.
Previous gingivitis.
Intake of drugs that dry the mouth.
Malnutrition.
Vitamin C deficiency.
Some conditions such as arthritis, cancer, diabetes, and AIDS.
Overweight and obesity.

Signs and symptoms Periodontitis

The most frequent symptoms consist of:

Loosening of teeth.
Pain when biting or chewing.
Reddish tissue in the gums.
Inflammation of the gums.
Bleeding from the gums when brushing or flossing.
Sensitivity in the gums.
Receding gums.
Bad breath.
Modification of interdental spaces.

If you have any of these symptoms, you must see your dentist as soon as possible to treat your problem and avoid complications.

Diagnosis and treatment Periodontitis

Your dentist, after reviewing your symptoms and medical history, will examine your teeth and gums for plaque and tartar buildup and ease of bleeding. They may take x-rays of your teeth to check your degree of bone damage. The treatment to follow will depend on your case, but if the periodontitis is not serious, it consists of less invasive procedures, such as:

Cleaning and scraping: tartar and bacteria are removed from the teeth and gums using dental instruments, laser, or ultrasound.
Root technique: it consists of removing protuberances and depressions from the dental surface to prevent plaque and tartar from accumulating.
Antibiotics: systemic orally and through mouthwashes.

The goal of treatment is to deep clean the gums and prevent damage to the bone that supports the teeth. When the injuries are too serious, the indicated option is surgery through bone and soft tissue grafts to prevent the loss of teeth.

Prevention:

In addition to treatment, you can take the following steps to speed up the healing process and reduce the risk of developing periodontitis, such as:

Brushing your teeth after every meal.
Flossing daily.
Seeing your dentist regularly.
Quit smoking.

ABC Medical Center invites you to take care of your dental health with our professional team of highly qualified and ethical dentists supported by cutting-edge technology, which guarantees high quality and safe service in our comfortable and functional facilities with all the state-of-the-art dental advances, achieving rapid attention with a high degree of precision and efficiency.

Related centers and departments Periodontitis

Dental Health
High Specialty Surgery Center
Radiology and Molecular Imaging
Clinical Laboratory

Fuentes:

mayoclinic.org
medlineplus.gov
dentalcare.com.mx
topdoctors.es
mouthhealthy.org
medigraphic.com
Pérez ADV, Pérez AJ. Características microbiológicas de la periimplantitis y la periodontitis. MediSan. 2020;24(05):982-1003.
Pérez BBR, Ortiz MC, Duharte GC, et al. Severidad de la periodontitis crónica en el adulto mayor. Revista de Ciencias Médicas de la Habana. 2020;27(2):141-150.
Grillo RG, Pérez DJC, Hernández GD. Relación orto-periodontal. Medicentro. 2020;24(2):444-451.
Ruiz-García L, Cruz-Rubio JA, Carrillo-Ávila BA, et al. Asociación del polimorfismo -174 G>C del gen IL-6 en pacientes con periodontitis estadio II grado B. Rev Biomed. 2021;32(2):78-86.

How can we help you?

The dissemination of the content of this material is for informational purposes only and does not replace, under any circumstance or condition, a consultation with a specialist doctor, for which the ABC Medical Center is not responsible for the different use that may be given to it. If you require more information related to the subject, we suggest you contact the specialist doctor you trust directly.

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Comparison of COVID-19 vaccines

Pfizer-
BioNTech

Pfizer-BioNTech

What is its effectiveness and what does it refer to?

Vaccine type: mRNA
Effectiveness: 95% after the second dose in the prevention of symptomatic COVID-19.

No Does not contain egg, latex, or preservatives.

How many doses are needed?
Two doses are needed, at least 21 days apart (or up to six weeks apart, if necessary).

Who should or shouldn’t get the vaccine?
People who should receive the vaccine are those over 16 years old.
People who should not receive the vaccine are those who have a history of anaphylactic shock (severe allergy) or who are allergic to any component of this vaccine such as polyethylene glycol (PEG) or polysorbate.

What are the possible side effects of the vaccine?
Pain where the injection was given, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, chills, joint pain, fever, nausea, malaise, and swollen lymph nodes.

How long will it take for me to be protected and what does it protect me from?
After 14 days of having the complete scheme (after the administration of the 2nd dose), the protection period is still under study. It protects us from serious COVID-19 or requiring hospitalization.

Moderna

What is its effectiveness and what does it refer to?

Vaccine type: mRNA
Effectiveness: 94.5% after the second dose in the prevention of symptomatic COVID-19.

Does not contain egg, latex, or preservatives.

How many doses are needed?
Two doses are needed, at least 28 days apart (or up to six weeks apart, if necessary).

Who should or shouldn’t get the vaccine?
People who should receive the vaccine are those over 18 years old.
People who should not receive the vaccine are those who have a history of anaphylactic shock (severe allergy) or who are allergic to any component of this vaccine.

What are the possible side effects of the vaccine?
Pain where the injection was given, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, chills, joint pain, fever, nausea, and swollen lymph nodes in the arm in which you received the injection.

Janssen/
Johnson
& Johnson

Janssen/ Johnson & Johnson

What is its effectiveness and what does it refer to?

Vector-based vaccine.
Effectiveness: 72.0% in the prevention of symptomatic COVID-19.
85% in the prevention of severe COVID-19.

Does not contain egg, latex, or preservatives./strong>

How many doses are needed?
Only one dose in needed.

What are the possible side effects of the vaccine?
Pain where the injection was given, headache, fatigue, muscle pain, chills, fever, and nausea.

How long will it take for me to be protected and what does it protect me from?
After 28 days of having the complete scheme (the last dose applied), the protection period is still under study. It protects us from 85% serious COVID-19 or requiring hospitalization.

AstraZeneca
and
Oxford
University

AstraZeneca and Oxford University

What is its effectiveness and what does it refer to?

Adenovirus vector-based vaccine.
Effectiveness: 82% after the second dose in the prevention of symptomatic COVID-19.

How many doses are needed?
Two doses are needed, at least 56 days apart (or up to 84 days apart, if necessary).

What are the possible side effects of the vaccine?
Pain where the injection was given, fatigue, headache, myalgia, arthralgia, and fever, which were mild to moderate in intensity and disappeared within 48 hours of vaccination.

Sputnik V

What is its effectiveness and what does it refer to?

Adenovirus vector-based vaccine.
Effectiveness: 92% after the second dose in the prevention of symptomatic COVID-19.

How many doses are needed?
Two doses are needed, at least 21 days apart (or up to six weeks apart, if necessary).

What is periodontitis?

Signs and symptoms Periodontitis

Diagnosis and treatment Periodontitis

Related centers and departments Periodontitis

Fuentes:

Index

Specialist in Periodontitis