Diagnosis of Aggressive Periodontitis

Periodontitis is a common but highly preventable serious gum infection. Periodontitis can tear down the soft tissue and supportive bone and may result in tooth loss as well as serious health conditions. According to the Mayo Clinic, the most prevalent class of periodontitis is described as chronic. It's the type that most adults over age 35 develop. When periodontitis begins in childhood or early adulthood it is referred to as aggressive.

Symptoms & Diagnosis

• The American Dental Association says periodontal disease may have no warning signs. However you may experience tender, red, swollen gums that easily bleed.

  Aggressive periodontitis advances more rapidly that the chronic variety, In some cases patients may suffer severe bone or tooth loss as early as age 20.

  The condition can also occur sporadically alternating between periods of acute infection and when signs of the disease appear to vanish.

  Since inflammation due to aggressive periodontitis is usually mild, the disease is often diagnosed during periodontal probing or x-rays.

Risk Factors

• According the University of Maryland Medical Center, aggressive periodontitis may be connected to immune deficiencies as well as genetics.

  Plaque develops on your teeth when food particles in your mouth that contain sugars and starches intermingle with bacteria When plaque remains on your teeth for more than a couple of days it can solidify under your gum-line into tarter. Tarter usually requires a professional cleaning to be removed.

Associated Health Problems

• The Mayo Clinic says research indicates that the bacteria to blame for periodontitis can spread through your bloodstream and may even move into the arteries in your heart. This can set-off a cycle of inflammation and a narrowing of the arteries that can lead to heart attacks.

  Other peridontitis-related complications include low-birth-weight babies, respiratory issues and unsuccessfully managed diabetes.

Treatment

• The University of Maryland Medical Center says the prognosis for aggressive periodontitis is very good when it is localized and treated. However when the condition is advanced people are at high risk for tooth loss.

  Treatment for aggressive periodontitis treatment includes a procedure called scaling. Scaling is performed using conventional instruments or an ultrasonic device which removes tartar and bacteria from your tooth surfaces and beneath your gum's.

  A procedure referred to as root planing smooths the root surfaces and suppresses additional tarter buildup.

Antibiotics

• Your dentist or periodontist may prescribe topical or oral antibiotics to help control aggressive periodontitis. Topical antibiotics are most often preferred They may come in the form of mouth rinses or by placing antibiotic gels or threads into the space between your teeth and gum's or into pockets following a deep cleaning.

Surgery

• Surgery may be necessary in some cases of aggressive periodontitis. During pocket reduction surgery your periodontist makes tiny incisions in your gum to allow a section of gum tissue to be pulled back for more thorough scaling and planing.

  A procedure called bone grafting is done when the bone that surrounds your tooth root has been devastated by the oral disease. The graft may be made up of tiny fragments of your own bone or donated or synthetic bone may be used. The procedure aids in the prevention of tooth loss by holding your tooth in place.