The toxins released by
the bacteria in dental plaque which has accumulated along
the gum margin for a period of time irritate the periodontal
tissues (tooth supporting tissues) and lead to Periodontal
Disease.
Under the following situations, you are prone to having Periodontal Disease.
Accumulation of dental plaque
Wearing dentures that are not thoroughly cleaned
Dental plaque and food debris easily accumulate in the space between the denture and the gingivae (gum).
Accumulation of calculus The rough surface of calculus allows dental plaque to build up more easily.
Irregular teeth The irregular alignment of teeth makes it difficult to clean these teeth.
Smoking
Smokers have five times greater chance to suffer from Periodontal Disease than non-smokers because:
Early symptoms of Periodontal Disease is less noticeable in smokers
Smoking
makes early symptoms of Periodontal Disease such
as swollen gums and bleeding while brushing less
noticeable because chemicals in cigarettes such
as nicotine cause blood vessel constriction. As
the bleeding symptom is not obvious, it is not
easy to discover that the gingivae have been inflamed.
As a result, the Periodontal Disease will aggravate
unconsciously.
Smoking
lowers the body resistance and therefore lowers
the healing capacity of patients with Periodontal
Disease
Nicotine
in cigarettes lowers the healing capability of
oral tissues, retards the healing process and
causes the Periodontal Disease to worsen.
Stress
Stress
lowers the body resistance towards illnesses including
Periodontal Disease.
Hormonal changes during pregnancy
Because of the hormonal changes during pregnancy, the periodontal tissue of an expectant mother is more susceptible to the irritation of toxins released by the dental plaque, resulting in red, swollen and bleeding gums. This is called “Pregnancy Gingivitis”.
Systemic diseases
Systemic
disease such as diabetes mellitus, leukaemia and
AIDS lower the resistance of the periodontal tissues
towards bacterial infection. Bacteria inside the
dental plaque will intrude and cause Periodontal
Disease if the oral cavity isn’t thoroughly cleaned.
Furthermore, the healing capability is also lowered
in patients suffering from these diseases and
it is more difficult for them to recover from
Periodontal Disease. Therefore, Periodontal Disease
is more progressive and severe in these patients.
Intake of medication
Intake
of medication such as anti-hypertensive and anti-ti-convulsant
drugs stimulate the multiplication and activity
of fibroblasts (a type of cells) in the gingivae
and causes gingival swelling. Dental plaque that
accumulates in the swollen gingivae is difficult
to be cleaned, which leads to more gingival inflammation
and further swelling.
