Relationship Between Gingivitis And Periodontal Disease

Periodontal disease is an inflammatory disease that affects the soft and hard tissues of the teeth, gingiva, and supporting material. Periodontal disease involves both gingivitis and periodontitis. With gingivitis, the gingival tissue is erythematous and edematous. This is caused by the body’s natural response to harmful bacteria that are invading the gums. There also may be bleeding upon probing. The probe depths will be within normal limits. Gingivitis can easily be reversed with regular brushing and flossing. If gingivitis is not reversed it can progress to periodontitis. A patient that has periodontitis will have paler pink gingival tissues and not as much bleeding upon probing. The probe readings will be higher than normal because of …show more content…
Periodontal disease is often considered a complication that comes with diabetes and when a diabetic does not have their blood sugar under control, they are at a greater risk of developing periodontal disease. When a person with diabetes has poor control of their blood sugar levels they are more susceptible to infections which make it harder for them to fight the bacteria that are invading the gums. This is why diabetics are more susceptible to having periodontal disease. Studies have found that both type one and type two diabetes appear to create the same risk for periodontal disease. The actual mechanisms that link diabetes and periodontal disease are not completely understood, but they involve the inflammatory immune function, neutrophil activity, and cytokine biology. It is because of these factors that the bacteria that are causing the periodontal disease are not killed off and continue to damage. Both diabetes and periodontal disease have a high prevalence in the world today. They are two of the most prevailing chronic diseases in the United States. Treatment of periodontal disease has been shown to actually help with the patient’s glycemic control so educating the patient on the possible effects that diabetes has on periodontal disease have can help their overall body …show more content…
Many factors come into play when looking at how these two diseases affect each other. Diabetes is a metabolic disease that can trigger periodontal disease to occur. The relationship on why this happens has been studied thoroughly and clear links have been found. It is essential for dental professionals to educate patients that suffer from diabetes about the potential hazards of periodontal disease. It is also important that patients do their part to help control their blood sugar levels to improve their current condition as well as to prevent any further damage from