Each person sooner or later, but had a toothache and knows firsthand how painful these feelings can be. And one of the most insidious dental diseases is periodontitis, which many people know about. Some time ago, during the diagnosis, the affected tooth was simply removed. Currently, thanks to modern medical advances in almost any field, treatment of periodontitis is carried out not only surgically, but also by therapeutic means.
Directly, the term periodontitis should be understood as the inflammatory process of the connective tissue (periodontium), which is located between the bones of the jaw, gums and the teeth themselves. This dental disease is considered the most severe and dangerous. Often its cause is deep caries of one or several teeth. Then the infection spreads through holes in their roots. However, it is not enough to have an idea about this dental pathology, you need to know the symptoms of its manifestation.
Important symptoms
Like almost any disease, periodontitis has its own symptoms. Although some diseases do not have vivid signs and proceed secretly. As for the treatment and symptoms of periodontitis, here is the place to be:
- Pain in a sharp form that occurs spontaneously. They can be knocking, sometimes throbbing. Moreover, their localization depends on the location of infection or injury. As a rule, pain extends to only one or two teeth no more. Under the influence of heat, it intensifies; it is obtained by means of cold.
- Often patients have a false sensation of tooth enlargement, which is due to exudate and pus exerting pressure on it.
- You can also detect swelling of the mucous membrane in the area of inflammation and infiltration.
- Accumulation of pus near the affected tooth root can lead to facial asymmetry in the direction of inflammation.
- As a rule, the development of periodontitis is accompanied by headaches, which after a while become unbearable.
- Body temperature can rise up to forty degrees on the background of fever and delusional state.
In addition, before proceeding with the treatment of periodontitis of the tooth, it is necessary to remember additional symptoms in the face of persistent bleeding of the gums, which, however, is not associated with injuries or dietary features. In addition, pain in the tooth appears not only during eating, but also during the hygiene procedure.
It is also worth mentioning about the constant companion of periodontitis - bad breath. Pain sensations appear not only under the influence of high temperature, but also low.
Two main types of periodontitis
In dentistry, two main types of such a disease are distinguished:
Among the main symptoms of the manifestation of an acute form of the disease, the following can be distinguished. This is swelling of the gum tissue at the site of the lesion, the appearance of pain with pressure and an increase in body temperature. If you ignore the disease, it goes into a chronic stage.
When treating acute periodontitis, it is worth considering that it can occur in one of two stages:
- serous - pain appears periodically, but the tooth itself is motionless;
- purulent - increased pain, pus leaves the gums, which ultimately leads to loosening of the tooth.
As for chronic periodontitis, he, in turn, also has several types.
- Fibrous - the most inconspicuous course of the disease, which may be accompanied by mild pain or not give out at all. An accurate diagnosis can only be made with an x-ray.
- Granulating - this is the most frequent case in which constant pain is felt, the gum swells and a channel forms in it, from where pus comes out.
- Granulomatous - periodontitis of this kind is considered the most dangerous. Inflamed tissue is converted into granulomas over time. This is a kind of pouch filled with pus.
What kind of treatment is required depends on the type of disease.
Dental Disease Diagnosis
Despite the fact that there are symptoms of acute or chronic periodontitis, treatment is carried out only after establishing an accurate diagnosis in order to avoid medical error.
For this, there is a diagnosis that can be different /
- Electroodontometry (or EDI). Refers to the diagnostic technique, in which the threshold of excitability of the nerve of the tooth is studied. The lower it is, the stronger the infection develops or the nerve dies. The values may be as follows: normally 6-8 μA, but not more; indicators of 25-95 μA indicate pulpitis; 100 μA - this is the death of a nerve. In the acute form of periodontitis - 180-200 μA, while in a chronic disease in the range of 100-160 μA.
- X-ray It is the main diagnostic method for periodontitis, which allows to detect the presence of the disease, even in the absence of complaints from the patient. In this case, you can detect changes that are not visible during the initial inspection.
- General blood analysis. Usually it is prescribed in cases where the tooth was previously treated, but this was done in the wrong way. As a result, the infection deepened not only to the root, but also touched the periosteum.
Using these methods, the dentist can confidently make the correct diagnosis. In addition, the specialist will be able to understand the causes and choose the right treatment for chronic periodontitis or any other.
The main stages in the treatment
Different methods are used to get rid of a common dental disease. Nevertheless, they have something in common. That is, all efforts are reduced to the elimination of inflammation and the healing of affected tissues. And it is worth noting that it takes a considerable amount of time.
All treatment can conditionally be divided into several stages, regardless of the chosen method.
- Affected tissue is removed. Which method to use for this depends on the degree of their defeat and the severity of the disease itself. In any case, it is necessary to carry out thorough treatment and sanitation of the root canals with appropriate tools using medical antiseptics.
- The inflammatory process is eliminated in the tooth and gum tissues, which is done through antibiotic drugs with anti-inflammatory effects. Over the next few days, during the treatment of periodontitis canals, after the sanation procedure and canal cleaning, the patient is entitled to some additional measures. These include physiotherapy, rinsing the mouth, taking a number of medications. Thanks to this, the tissues heal, the pathogenic microflora is inhibited and the inflammatory abscess is eliminated.
- After filling the affected tooth is already performed. And depending on the severity of the disease, aids can go into the course. These are metal or gutta-percha pins, which are widespread in dentistry, hardening pastes and much more.
- The last stage is, rather, the final stage of treatment in the form of prevention. This will allow in the future to avoid exacerbation of the disease. As a rule, these are systematic visits to the dentist, the implementation of proper oral hygiene, including the use of antiseptic rinses.
How exactly is treatment of periodontitis in children and adults carried out? This will be discussed later.
The use of medicines
In most cases, periodontitis is treated with medication. In fact, medication refers to conservative therapy. In this case, it can be carried out together with physiotherapy. This implies the same steps as discussed above. That is, an autopsy is carried out, the canal is sanitized, and after it is closed with a seal.
In most cases, drugs presented by a group of antibiotics are used. Their intake is accompanied by a positive effect in the form of a decrease in the inflammatory process. Also, taking these medications can prevent pus from entering the patient’s circulatory system, which is fraught with many serious complications.
In addition, antibiotic treatment of pulpitis and periodontitis allows you to avoid the spread of pathogenic microflora to nearby tissues from the inflamed area. In addition, if you take them regularly, the focus of inflammation is eliminated, due to which an analgesic effect is achieved.
Often this type of treatment is used for periodically occurring periodontitis, which alternates with a degree of exacerbation and remission. In this case, it is a chronic form of a dental disease. Taking antibiotics avoids relapse.
Surgical intervention
Surgical intervention is used in rare cases and is an extreme measure that is relevant for diseases in an advanced stage. In this case, the affected tissue is removed partially or completely. In addition, an autopsy is made of the cavity where purulent deposits have accumulated over the entire period of the disease.
Currently, all the efforts of modern methods of treatment of periodontitis are aimed at preserving the tooth. That is, only those tissues that have been affected by the infection are removed. In addition, surgical intervention may be required in cases where periodontitis began to develop under the influence of (short or long) chemistry. In this case, it is necessary to remove not only the chemicals themselves, but also to treat the tissues in order to avoid the appearance of negative consequences.
Some time ago, the upcoming visit to the dentist inspired fear, but now the situation has changed for the better. But even if you have to remove the tooth if necessary, the entire procedure is painless, all thanks to effective anesthetics and modern surgical technologies.
Features of physiotherapy
Physiotherapy can be applied in conjunction with conservative therapy, and be an independent procedure. But in this case, it is relevant only for the chronic form of a dental disease.
Such treatment of caries, pulpitis, periodontitis can prevent the re-development of inflammation by eliminating pathogenic microflora, which leads to a decrease in the existing focus.
The most common methods of physiotherapy are:
- laser therapy;
- electrophoresis.
Only these measures are highly discouraged in relation to the acute form of periodontitis. Otherwise, it threatens with complex complications.
Features of the treatment of acute periodontitis
Treatment of the disease, which is still in acute form, requires at least three specialist visits. First of all, all the actions of the dentist are aimed at opening and expanding the root canal. After it is necessary to clean it well, removing all affected tissues, and then processing with antiseptic agents is carried out.
During the treatment of periodontitis, the cavity in the tooth is not yet closed to allow pus to freely go outside. But the cavity cannot be left open either. In this case, she is covered by a special periodontal dressing. It is removed after a day or a little more depending on the situation (no more than 3-5 days). Then the canal is checked for remaining pus, filled with the necessary preparations and closed with a temporary seal. In some cases, magnetic or laser therapy may be prescribed at this stage of treatment to prevent re-development of the infection.
After two or three months, a control examination is carried out and an x-ray is taken. And if the specialist has no fears regarding the disease, the tooth is finally closed with a filling and its crown part is restored. As a rule, this is done during one or two subsequent visits.
Treatment of a chronic form of the disease
However, for various reasons, periodontitis passes into the chronic stage, in this case, the treatment of periodontitis of caries takes more time and effort. The fibrous form of the disease is treated in a similar way as acute, but with some differences. The root canal does not expand, and during laser therapy the device power is lower.
And if it is a granulating or granulomatous form of periodontitis, a temporary seal is placed for a period of 3 to 6 months. At the same time, during this entire period it is necessary to regularly take x-rays and visit the dentist. To accelerate and maximize the effectiveness of treatment, physiotherapy is additionally used in the form of electrophoresis, magnetic or ultra-high-frequency therapy.
Due to the fact that the inflammatory process develops quite a long time, the body's immunity weakens, as a result of which the treatment of a chronic disease can drag on for more than six months. This is especially true for older people. At the same time, if immunomodulators and drugs that promote tissue regeneration are used correctly, treatment of periodontitis will go faster.
However, if a specialist discovers the neglect of periodontitis, the only correct decision will be made - to remove the affected tooth. This is due to the fact that due to severe tissue damage, the effect of treatment will not be, and the disease will return after some time. For this reason, if the dentist advises to remove the tooth, and not to treat it, its advice should not be neglected.
Home treatment
Many people are reluctant to visit the dentist for preventive purposes in order to timely detect any disease, if it occurs. This is largely due to fear of pain, which can cause severe stress. And so they try to do with home remedies.
Only here it is worth clarifying one thing - periodontitis belongs to the group of infectious diseases, in a particular case, the focus is located in the root canal. For this reason, it is simply not possible to treat periodontitis of any form at home.
Moreover, this infection is practically not sensitive to drugs of the antibiotic group. Such treatment of tooth periodontitis is only an adjuvant, and the main treatment is to remove the nerve in the canal with its subsequent filling. All that can be done at home is to ease the onset of symptoms with traditional medicine.
Important helpful recommendation
And finally, a few useful recommendations. And the most important of them is to seek the help of a specialist in a timely manner when the first sign of periodontitis appears. Otherwise, it doesn’t end with anything good; complications may arise. The most serious of these is the appearance of fistulas.
A fistula is a canal in the gum through which purulent masses are removed. Such a pathology is accompanied not only by pain, but also violates the aesthetic appearance of the oral cavity.
In addition, due to ignoring the treatment of periodontitis, as well as during its improper use, another no less dangerous complication may occur - sepsis. It is understood as blood poisoning, which is already known to everyone. This happens if pus enters the bloodstream or lymph vessels. And this is already quite a serious threat to the health and life of the patient.