Periodontitis is the most common oral disease, so many people tend to ignore it and not take it seriously.
However, some experts have recently said that people with periodontal disease are more likely to get lung disease.
May not brushing your teeth for a long time cause pneumonia? Experts say: it does matter!
When suffering from periodontitis, the amount of localised bacteria in the mouth increases significantly and the virulence of the bacteria increases. If the immune system is low again, then the chances of a lung infection increase dramatically.
Not only that, but periodontitis has even been linked to many systemic diseases.
What is periodontitis?
Periodontitis is a chronic infectious disease caused by microorganisms found in dental plaque.
It usually progresses from initial gingivitis to deeper levels, leading to inflammation and destruction of the periodontal tissues, and ultimately to loosening and loss of teeth.
It is the number one cause of tooth loss among adults in this country.
Periodontitis can be divided into many types, of which chronic periodontitis (PC) is the most common one.
Chronic periodontitis is most common in adults, but can also occur in children and adolescents.
For a long time, people’s understanding of periodontitis is very insufficient, and the loosening and loss of teeth when people get older is always considered a natural phenomenon.
But from a modern medical point of view, the elderly losing teeth is not inevitable, periodontitis is the primary cause of loose teeth.
The fourth national oral health epidemiological survey shows that China’s 55-64-year-old age group periodontal health rate is only 5.0%, 65-75-year-old age group periodontal health rate is only 9.3%.
The periodontal health of middle-aged people is also not encouraging, with 96.7 per cent of tartar detection and 87.4 per cent of gingival bleeding among residents aged 35 to 44.
Many people have poor periodontal health awareness, which predisposes them to the gradual development of early chronic periodontitis, which destroys the periodontal support tissues and ultimately leads to loosening and loss of teeth.
Is periodontitis related to systemic diseases?
Periodontitis not only affects the local health of the oral cavity, but also has a relationship with systemic diseases.
Localised periodontal inflammation disrupts the integrity of the epithelium, resulting in the entry of periodontopathogenic bacteria, as well as inflammatory mediators associated with chronic inflammation, into the circulatory system, thus causing a systemic inflammatory response.
Numerous epidemiological investigations have shown periodontitis to be an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease, increasing the risk of myocardial infarction.
Type 2 diabetes mellitus and periodontitis are closely related and influence each other.
Periodontitis is also closely related to the development of respiratory, immune and neurological diseases.
The causative organisms of periodontitis are closely related to the development of oral squamous cell carcinoma, and there is also a significant correlation between periodontitis and the risk of pancreatic cancer.
It is therefore necessary to recognise that periodontitis is not just a local problem in the mouth, but that periodontal health is closely related to general health.
What are the causes of periodontitis?
The main cause of periodontitis is localised irritants.
Microorganisms in the oral cavity gather during poor oral hygiene and form a plaque biofilm that adheres around the teeth. This plaque biofilm is not easy to remove and is the initiating factor for periodontitis.
Poor oral hygiene habits, tartar build-up, poor tooth shape and alignment, and other factors can promote plaque build-up, leading to worsening periodontitis.
Systemic systemic diseases also play a close role in the development of periodontitis.
In addition, smoking is an important risk factor for periodontitis.
In the early stages of periodontitis, there is usually no obvious discomfort, and the most important symptoms are bleeding when brushing or eating, or a bad taste in the mouth, but the degree of the disease is relatively mild and can easily be ignored.
When there are loose teeth, chewing weakness or pain, and even periodontal swelling and pus, usually periodontitis has developed to the advanced stage, at this time it is difficult to obtain satisfactory results.
How to prevent periodontitis?
The most basic and effective way to prevent periodontitis is to maintain personal oral hygiene and master the correct brushing method.
It is recommended to use the horizontal fluttering brush method to brush your teeth every morning and evening for at least 3 minutes each time, and at the same time use dental floss, interdental brushes, dental flossers and other tools to clean the neighbouring surfaces of your teeth.
However, there is a limit to what brushing can do, and dental cleanings are also one of the primary means of preventing periodontal disease, and it is generally recommended that dental cleanings be performed at least once a year.
If you already have symptoms such as loose teeth and bleeding gums, there is no need to panic, go to a specialist hospital in time and ask a professional periodontist to carry out systematic treatment, and the vast majority of patients will be able to regain their periodontal health.