Condition Lookup
Sub-Category:
Periodontal Diseases
Number of Conditions: 5
Chronic Periodontitis
Specialty: Dental and Oral Health
Category: Gum and Periodontal Conditions
Sub-category: Periodontal Diseases
Symptoms:
swollen, red, or bleeding gums; persistent bad breath; receding gums; loose teeth; pain when chewing; formation of periodontal pockets
Root Cause:
A chronic inflammatory response to bacterial plaque, leading to the destruction of the supporting structures of teeth (gingiva, periodontal ligament, and alveolar bone).
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Clinical examination (probing depth measurements, bleeding on probing), radiographic evaluation (bone loss), and periodontal charting.
Treatment:
Scaling and root planing (deep cleaning), improved oral hygiene, antimicrobial therapies, and, in advanced cases, surgical interventions (e.g., flap surgery, bone grafting).
Medications:
Antibiotics such as amoxicillin (a penicillin-class antibiotic) or metronidazole (a nitroimidazole-class antimicrobial); antimicrobial mouth rinses like chlorhexidine gluconate (an antiseptic).
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Affects up to 50% of adults globally, with severe forms affecting about 10%.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Smoking, poor oral hygiene, diabetes, genetic predisposition, advanced age, and stress.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Treatable if caught early; progression can be slowed or stopped with proper management, but damage is often irreversible.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Tooth loss, abscess formation, increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, and systemic inflammation.
Aggressive Periodontitis
Specialty: Dental and Oral Health
Category: Gum and Periodontal Conditions
Sub-category: Periodontal Diseases
Symptoms:
rapid attachment loss; early onset (commonly before age 30); minimal plaque or calculus deposits; bone loss; mobility of teeth
Root Cause:
A hyperactive immune response to specific bacterial pathogens, often linked to genetic predisposition.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Clinical examination (rapid progression of periodontal destruction), familial history, and microbiological testing for pathogens like Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans.
Treatment:
Scaling and root planing, systemic antibiotics, and sometimes surgical intervention. Long-term maintenance is crucial.
Medications:
Systemic antibiotics such as doxycycline (a tetracycline-class antibiotic), metronidazole , or a combination therapy (amoxicillin + metronidazole ).
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Rare, affecting about 1-2% of the population, with higher prevalence in certain ethnic groups.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Genetic predisposition, familial aggregation, and smoking.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Poor if untreated due to rapid progression, but early diagnosis and intervention can improve outcomes.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Early tooth loss, systemic implications, and increased risk of secondary infections.
Periodontal Abscess
Specialty: Dental and Oral Health
Category: Gum and Periodontal Conditions
Sub-category: Periodontal Diseases
Symptoms:
severe localized pain; swelling of the gum; pus discharge; red or shiny gums; tooth mobility; fever (in severe cases)
Root Cause:
Infection within a periodontal pocket, often due to untreated periodontitis, foreign body impaction, or compromised immune defense.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Clinical examination (swelling, suppuration), probing to detect deep pockets, and sometimes radiographs to rule out other pathologies.
Treatment:
Drainage of abscess, scaling and root planing, irrigation with antiseptic solutions, and systemic antibiotics for severe cases.
Medications:
Antibiotics such as amoxicillin or clindamycin (a lincosamide-class antibiotic for penicillin-allergic patients). Analgesics like ibuprofen or acetaminophen for pain management.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Common complication of periodontal disease, particularly in untreated cases; prevalence varies.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Poor oral hygiene, smoking, diabetes, immune suppression, and untreated periodontitis.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Good with prompt treatment, but recurrence is possible if underlying periodontal disease is not managed.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Spread of infection, cellulitis, systemic involvement (e.g., sepsis in severe cases), and tooth loss.
Peri-Implantitis (Inflammation around Dental Implants)
Specialty: Dental and Oral Health
Category: Gum and Periodontal Conditions
Sub-category: Periodontal Diseases
Symptoms:
bleeding on probing; peri-implant pocket formation; suppuration; bone loss around the implant; implant mobility in severe cases
Root Cause:
A bacterial infection and inflammatory response to biofilm accumulation on dental implants, leading to peri-implant bone destruction.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Clinical examination (probing depths, bleeding, or pus), radiographic evaluation (bone loss around the implant), and assessment of implant stability.
Treatment:
Mechanical debridement, antiseptic irrigation, adjunctive antimicrobial therapy, and sometimes surgical interventions like guided bone regeneration (GBR).
Medications:
Local or systemic antibiotics such as tetracyclines (e.g., doxycycline ), chlorhexidine gluconate rinses or gels (antiseptic), and NSAIDs for inflammation control.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Affects 10-20% of dental implant patients.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Poor oral hygiene, smoking, diabetes, history of periodontitis, and improper implant placement.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Variable; early treatment can stabilize the condition, but advanced peri-implantitis may require implant removal.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Implant failure, additional bone loss, and difficulties in future implant placement.
Periodontitis as a Manifestation of Systemic Diseases (e.g., Diabetes-Related Periodontitis)
Specialty: Dental and Oral Health
Category: Gum and Periodontal Conditions
Sub-category: Periodontal Diseases
Symptoms:
increased gum bleeding; swollen and tender gums; rapid progression of bone loss; tooth mobility; increased periodontal infections
Root Cause:
Systemic conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, or immune disorders exacerbate the inflammatory response to bacterial biofilm.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Clinical examination, periodontal probing, and medical history review to identify systemic conditions contributing to the disease.
Treatment:
Treatment of underlying systemic condition (e.g., glycemic control in diabetes), scaling and root planing, and adjunctive antimicrobial therapy.
Medications:
Antibiotics (e.g., metronidazole or amoxicillin ), antiseptic mouth rinses, and medications for the systemic condition (e.g., insulin for diabetes).
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Varies depending on the systemic disease; periodontal involvement is common in poorly controlled diabetes.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Uncontrolled systemic disease, poor oral hygiene, genetic predisposition, and smoking.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Dependent on the control of the systemic condition; untreated systemic issues worsen periodontal outcomes.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Tooth loss, worsening of systemic conditions (e.g., poor glycemic control in diabetes), and increased risk of cardiovascular disease or adverse pregnancy outcomes.