Tuesday, August 4, 2009

What is meant by periodontitis being site-specific? Is this true?


Answer:
Periodontal disease is cause by bacteria building around the gum line and below the gums. It usually occurs in the whole mouth, but there can be certain teeth that are more infected than other, and in that case, would be site specific
Periodontitis or periodontal disease is bone loss due to plaque, calculus/tartar buildup causing bacteria to accumulate resulting in gingival irritation and eventually bone loss. It can be slight, moderate, or severe depending on how much bone loss is present. It can be generalized (full mouth) or localized/ site-specific around one tooth or a few specific teeth. Site specific is usually due to anatomical disadvantages or problems with that specific tooth. Some people have deeper grooves on their teeth than others causing easier hiding areas for the bacteria and buildup or sometimes infections in a tooth resulting in root canals can put that tooth at a larger disadvantage or having a tooth pulled can result in bone loss on teeth next to the area where the tooth was extracted.

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