Gum Disease Research Paper

PATHOGENSIS and Periodontal diease

Dental care is one of the most emphasized forms of hygiene, especially in the formative years of children. This is because the mouth plays a great role in determining the nutritional uptake of the body from the food that we eat. If food is not well grinded in the mouth, it becomes hard for the enzymes in the digestive system to synthesis a sizeable amount of the food into nutrients that can be absorbed by the body. Centre in ensuring proper grinding of food are the teeth which breakdown the large food particles into smaller bits that can be swallowed easily. The teeth are made up largely by the enamel, which is very hard and composed of dead cells. However, despite being very hard it is always in danger of

Gingival diseases can be categorized into plaque induced and non-plaque induced gingival diseases. Plaque is the coating of tiny food particles on the teeth and the gums. Plaque-Induced gingival diseases are gum inflammations that are caused by the accumulation of plaque and calculus between the teeth and on the gums. The dental plaque results in the accumulation of bacteria where the plaque is present. The bacterial antigens and their endotoxins trigger the epithelial and connectivity tissues into producing inflammatory mediators. These mediators result in an inflammatory response of the part of the gum that is affected. The antigens also cause the body to produce antibodies to counter the bacterial attack. It is this response mainly in the gingival tissues that causes the signs of gingivitis which include redness, swelling and eventually bleeding of that part of the gum that has been affected. The immune response to this form of bacterial attack can be affected by systematic factors such as puberty, pregnancy, and diseases such as leukemia. These factors lower the ability of the body to effectively fight off the attack resulting in the severity of the infection that is characterized by a spongy gum and excessive bleeding. Some medications and malnutrition can cause also a reduction in the immune which has a similar effect of making an attack more

They are caused by systematic conditions such as body attacks from viruses and fungi. Sexually Transmitted Infections such as gonorrhea and syphilis are known to at times cause such gingival lesions. These conditions cause the development of lesions in the periodontium. Primary Streptococcal gingivitis is a type of non-plaque induced gingivitis that causes the inflammation of the oral mucosa Some of the symptoms for primary Streptococcal gingivitis are swelling, bleeding and formation of abscess in the gingival tissues. The only cure for this subtype of gingivitis is regular periodontal scaling and root planning. Gingival lesions of fungal are another subtype of gingivitis and are mainly common among people who have diabetes or immune repressing conditions. A popular example of these fungal infections is candidiasis which has symptoms such as white patches on the tongue and gingival followed by easily removable oral mucous membranes. The only treatment for this subtype is the use of antifungal medications to fight of the fungal infections. The final type of non-plaque induced gingival lesions is caused by mucocutaneous genetic disorders such as autosomal-dominant hereditary gingival fibromatosis. The enlargement of gingival tissues characterizes these hereditary genetic lesions. The treatment for non-plaque induced lesion depends on the cause of the subtype one is