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Essay about Periodontal Disease

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Periodontal Disease

Periodontal disease is more commonly known as gum disease or gingivitis. This infection is serious enough, that it can lead to tooth loss if left untreated. This chronic infection starts around the tooth and it affects the supporting bone and gums. Periodontal disease can affect anywhere from one tooth to all thirty-two teeth. The disease pathology starts with the plaque that builds up on your teeth everyday.

The plaque build up causes the gums to become red and inflamed. If not properly brushed off, the remaining plaque will also cause the gums to bleed. This stage of periodontal disease is commonly referred to gingivitis, literately meaning ¡°swelling of the gums.¡± There is no real pain associated …show more content…

It¡¯s estimate that thirty percent of people with periodontal disease were genetically susceptible. Exposure may also play a role in contracting the disease. People have contracted it from their partners. Pregnancy plays a role as well because when women are pregnant their bodies are generally more susceptible. A pregnant woman¡¯s gums are also extremely sensitive. Other common contributing factors are stress, types of medications a person has taken (oral contraceptives and anti-depressants), diabetes, poor nutrition and bruxism (clenching and grinding your teeth). These factors can be changed or properly maintained in order to stop contributing to the periodontal disease. It is also important to note that these factors cannot be blamed for the main cause of this disease.

Other problems can arise because of periodontal disease. The obvious is tooth loss. After awhile all gum recession and bone damage will cause the teeth to fall out. This leads to more dental problems and eventually dentures. Bad breath is often caused by periodontal disease. This is often unpleasant and embarrassing for the person experiencing it. Other problems that periodontal disease contributes to are heart disease and stroke. Thirty percent of heart attack victims and stroke victims have a type of periodontal disease. What happens is the same plaque that builds up on your teeth, gets into the blood stream and clogs the main arteries of the heart and brain. This leads to a heart attack and

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