Source: WeChat "Huashan Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University"
People are getting old
Not useful
Old teeth
"Old teeth" has become synonymous with aging and obsolescence, but in fact, "old" and "tooth loss" are not brothers, although some old people have not a tooth left, but there are also seventy or eighty-year-old people who have not lost a tooth! Dear reader, have you ever wondered why this is?
The "culprit" of tooth loss is periodontitis
Periodontitis, also known as periodontal disease, is a chronic inflammation of the gums and alveolar bones around the teeth. It causes the alveolar bone, the pillar of the tooth, to slowly absorb and deform, causing the tooth to loosen and eventually fall out. The cause of periodontitis is plaque and calculus between the neck and gums. They are a mixture of food scraps and bacteria in the mouth, and if not cleaned up in time, they can stimulate the gums to produce an inflammatory response, which in turn damages the alveolar bone.
Well, the smart reader will say, "I brush my teeth every day, even every time I finish eating, how can I still get periodontitis?" "In fact, even in a completely correct posture, brushing can only clean the crown part of the tooth, that is, the plaque above the gums, and is powerless for the gap between the teeth and the plaque under the gums.
Doctor, how do you know if you have periodontitis?
Don't worry! Let's take a look at the symptoms of periodontitis:
(1) Bleeding gums
If the gingival margin, gingival papilla and attached gingival are swollen and brushing teeth are prone to bleeding, then gingivitis is present. Gingivitis is the early stage of periodontitis.
(2) Periodontal pocket formation
The groove between the gums and the root of the tooth is called the gingival groove. Healthy gingival grooves are about 2 mm deep, and if the gingival grooves deepen by more than 3 mm, a bag-like structure is formed, called a periodontal pocket. Periodontal pocket formation is a sign of periodontitis.
(3) Periodontal pocket inflammation
When the body's resistance is reduced and the drainage of periodontal pocket exudate is not smooth, periodontal abscesses can form. At this time, the gums are red and swollen, the surface is bright, and the looseness of the teeth is increased, accompanied by severe local pain. At the same time, patients may have elevated body temperature, general malaise, and submandibular lymphadenopathy. After the abscess rupture in the later stage, pus is revealed by pressing lightly on the gums. Periodontal abscesses can lead to worsening periodontal tissue destruction and deeper periodontal pockets.
(4) Loose teeth
When the alveolar bone damage is aggravated, the strength of the supporting teeth is insufficient, and the teeth will loosen, displace, and eventually lead to loss.
Unlike caries, which damages only a few or a few teeth, periodontitis is systemic in its destruction of oral health and human health. Because of this, periodontitis is called by the medical community as the third largest "killer" that threatens human health after tumors and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.
How can we effectively prevent periodontitis?
Tips
Protect your teeth and eat well
NO.1 Brush your teeth correctly morning and evening!
Brush the upper rows of teeth at a 45-degree angle with the bristles facing up, and brush the bristles down at a 45-degree angle to the teeth. An incline of 45 degrees can effectively remove plaque between the gums and the neck of the tooth. When brushing, gently press the bristles towards the gums, brushing each tooth surface for at least two minutes each time, brushing at least twice a day.
NO.2 Use dental floss and dental brushes
Mastering the use of dental floss and interdental brushes can effectively control plaque on the adjacent surfaces of the teeth.
NO.3 Regular teeth cleaning
Even if you brush your teeth carefully every day, some of the residual plaque will calcifice into dental calculus. Dental calculus, especially subgingival stones, are difficult to remove on their own, so at least every three to six months you need to go to a dentist to wash your teeth and remove plaque and calculus by cleaning the gingival or scraping subgingival.
NO.4 Periodontal surgery
When none of the above methods can help you remove the infection in the deep part of the periodontal pocket, periodontal surgery is required to achieve further cleaning.
Flap debridement surgery is the most common surgical method of periodontal disease, where the periodontist will turn the patient's diseased flesh over under local anesthesia, scrape the inflammatory tissue on the surface of the root of the tooth, and then suture it. In some cases, bone meal, regenerative film, regenerative substrate and other materials will be inserted after debridement, which can promote the repair of alveolar bone, which is periodontal regeneration surgery.
NO.5 Tooth extraction
When periodontitis causes periodontal tissue damage is too severe, even through the above periodontal surgery can not achieve the purpose of preserving teeth, then the entire tooth should be extracted to avoid further damage to the surrounding alveolar tissue.
Periodontitis is not exclusive to the elderly, and people of all ages are susceptible to periodontitis. Pregnant women, smokers, diabetics, and people with irregular dentition especially need to be aware of their periodontal condition.
Once diagnosed with periodontitis, it is best to work with a periodontist to develop a treatment plan and treat it regularly; usually through brushing, flossing and dental brushing to control plaque, you will not start to lose teeth at a young age, and you will not lament "old teeth" in old age!