Periodontology Flashcards
what are the features of healthy gingivae?
pink, firm, stippled, knife edge margin, no bleeding
how do the gingivae maintain health?
JE, shedding of epithelial cells, collagen fibres maintain form and attachment to tooth, GCF, antibodies, phagocytosis by neutrophils and macrophages, complement activity
what is gingivitis?
reversible inflammation of the gingivae
what are the clinical signs of gingivitis?
redness starting at papillae and progressing along gingival margin
loss of stippling
smooth and glossy surface
swelling
rolling of the gingival margin
loss of triangular shape of interdental papillae
bleeding on probing
what are the histological features of plaque induced gingivitis?
increased GCF
increased vasodilation and capillary permeability
collagen breakdown
more inflammatory cells
what is periodontitis?
irreversible inflammation of the gingiva and loss of attachment and bone
what are the clinical signs of periodontitis?
some/all signs of gingivitis true pocketing on probing recession suppuration mobility drifting furcations radiographic evidence of bone loss
what is the prevalence of chronic periodontitis?
47% of US population over 30 have periodontitis
8.5% mild, 30% moderate, 8.5% severe
what is the prevalence of aggressive periodontitis?
ethnic variation
periodontal disease is…
polymicrobial
describe the specific plaque hypothesis
specific microorganisms are responsible for the development of periodontal disease
eg Aa linked to LAP and Pg linked to generalised aggressive periodontitis but both found at non diseased sites
describe the non specific plaque hypothesis
disease results from sheer mass of pathogens
describe the environmental disease hypothesis
pathogenic species are required in sufficient numbers in the biofilm, species are co dependent
describe the microbial complexes of varying virulence
clusters of bacteria in discrete micro environments
how can host factors contribute to periodontal tissue destruction?
inflammatory and immunological responses —> modulation of host response e.g. drugs, diabetes, smoking —> modulated by subject specific risk factors e.g. PMNL function
how can parasite factors contribute to periodontal tissue destruction?
bacterial load and composition —> virulence factors, toxins, cell signalling molecules —> modulated by site based risk factors e.g. plaque retention factors
what is the role of the host immune response in the pathogenesis of periodontal disease?
in health PMNL are predominant defence cell, innate immunity functions at low level, no tissue damage
increased plaque –> increased endotoxin –> complement activation, increased inflammatory response, epitheliotoxin, gingival tissue damage
T lymphocytes kill bacterial cells
B lymphocytes produce antibodies and activate complement
untreated disease in susceptible patients exceeds the threshold where tissue damage occurs
active periodontal lesions full of plasma cells causes collateral damage due to enzymes and free radicals
what type of inherited genetic disease/predisposition is chronic periodontitis?
complex
what percentage of variance for gingivitis, probing depth and clinical attachment loss is due to genetic variation?
38-82%
which polymorphism is linked to chronic periodontitis?
IL-1 polymorphism
what type of inheritance risk is associated with aggressive periodontitis?
familial pattern of inheritance, autosomal dominant, x - linked
what genetic alterations are involved with complex diseases such as chronic periodontitis?
normal variants
present in everyone
subtly alter the gene and protein
what are the effects of smoking on the periodontium?
3-6 times more periodontal disease than non-smokers
more sites with deeper pockets
more clinical attachment and bone loss
more furcations
more likely to suffer from necrotising ulcerative periodontitis
accumulate more calculus
less likely to respond to therapy
what are the effects of nicotine on the periodontium?
vasoconstriction, prolonged thermal and chemical irritation of oral mucosa causing smokers keratosis, speckled leukoplakia
changes oral microflora resulting in predisposition to candiosis
increased staining
etc (see handout)
when is diabetes mellitus a risk to periodontal tissues?
when poorly controlled
when is the incidence of periodontitis greatest in diabetics ?
post puberty
what effect does HbA1/HbA1c have on tissues in diabetics ?
the higher the level the worse the bone loss particularly interproximally
what are the histological effects of diabetes on the periodontium?
reduced collagen synthesis by fibroblasts
impaired PMNL function
impaired wound healing due to decreased collagen solubility and increased collagenase
advanced glycation end products - increased collagen cross linkage and release of IL-1, TNF alpha, PGE2
what feature in the mouth could be a presenting sign of diabetes ?
atypical or recurrent lateral periodontal abscesses that do not respond to treatment
how does stress affect the periodontium?
decreased saliva flow, increased viscosity, acidity, glycoprotiens favouring plaque accumulation
na and a decrease gingival blood flow
increased salivary cortisol associated with stress and periodontitis
periodontal pathogens utilise catecholamines in GCF in increasing concentrations when stressed
which area is most commonly missed when brushing?
lower right lingual area for right handers (opposite for left)
what are the most common manual brushing techniques?
bass, modified bass, scrub
describe the bass brushing technique
angle bristles towards the gingival margin at 45 degrees keeping parallel to the gingiva using small circles to disturb plaque
describe the modified bass brushing technique
same as bass but rolling the brush head towards the occlusal surface after circular movement
describe the scrub brushing technique
replace circular movement with short scrub action
recommended in scientific basis of dental health education
what brushing technique is recommended for children?
Fone’s - teeth in occlusion, large circles on buccal surface, scrub remaining surfaces
what is the recommended technique for an electric toothbrush?
angle 45 degrees to gingival margin, allow brush to float, do not scrub,
when should electric toothbrush heads be changed?
oscillating 3 months, sonic 6 months
what are interspace brushes used for ?
to clean around partially erupted teeth to clean furcations clean around implants clean around fixed appliances clean around gingival margin
what are super floss and floss threaders used to clean ?
under bridges and around fixed appliances
what is the function of a water pick?
remove food debris and irrigate periodontal pockets with chlorhexidine
what does active periodontal treatment involve?
breakdown of biofilm by instrumentation
removal of calculus and plaque retentive factors that could harbour biofilm
ensure patients plaque control is sufficient enough to prevent re-maturation of the biofilm
what is the rationale for supra gingival scaling?
altering the supragingival biofilm can have a profound effect on the subgingival biofilm
what is dental calculus?
mineralised bacterial plaque covered on its external surface by a living layer of plaque biofilm
why should calculus be removed?
the surface of calculus is irregular and covered with disease causing bacteria so it plays a significant role in causing periodontal disease
it is difficult to control or prevent periodontal disease of calculus deposits are present
what is the rationale for periodontal debridement ?
arrest the progress of disease
create an environment to allow gingival healing and assist maintenance of tissue health
eliminate inflammation
increase effectiveness of patient self care by eliminating plaque retention