Periodontosis or periodontal disease is a progressive and degenerative disease of the periodontium (the supporting tissue of the teeth), leading to the loosening, migration and loss of teeth. The main characteristic of periodontal disease is the exposure of the tooth necks and roots, caused by the breakdown of the connective tissue that holds the tooth in the alveolus (tooth socket), and the resulting gum recession.
Periodontal disease may be treated with conservative methods, including a series of measures applied over a longer period of time, such as cleaning and treatment of periodontal pockets. Another treatment method is surgery aimed at re-establishing a firm attachment of the gums to the tooth cementum, thus preventing further expansion of periodontal pockets. For this purpose, the most common procedures are flap surgery and gingivectomy. One modern method is laser treatment (photodynamic therapy), which involves treating bacteria with a special fluid that binds to bacterial membranes, while the laser light creates active oxygen which destroys them.
The most common signs of periodontal disease are swollen and red gums, bleeding when brushing and gum recession. Periodontal disease is a condition which cannot be cured but only slowed down, so the greatest attention is paid to prevention, which includes regular visits to the dentist.
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