What is periodontal disease and what causes it?

What is periodontal disease?

Periodontal disease is an infection of the tissues that support your teeth.

Your gum tissue is not attached to the teeth as high as it may seem — there is a very shallow v-shaped crevice called a sulcus between the tooth and gums.

Periodontal diseases attack just below the gum line in the sulcus, where they cause the attachment of the tooth and its supporting tissues to break down. As the tissues are damaged, the sulcus develops into a pocket.

Generally, the more severe the disease, the greater the depth of the pocket.

What causes periodontal diseases?

The sticky film that constantly forms on your teeth is called plaque, and is made mostly of bacteria. Some of these bacteria produce byproducts (called toxins or enzymes) that can irritate the tissues that support your teeth. These byproducts can damage the attachment of the gums, periodontal ligament, and bone to your teeth.

You can remove plaque with good oral hygiene — brushing your teeth twice a day and cleaning between them once a day with floss or another interdental cleaner.

When plaque is not removed through good oral hygiene, it builds up along the gum line and increases your risk of developing periodontal disease.

Plaque that is not removed regularly can harden into a rough porous deposit called calculus, or tartar. Tartar itself does not seem to cause disease, but it may make it more difficult for you to remove plaque so it should be removed regularly. Tartar only can be removed when your teeth are professionally cleaned in the dental office.

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