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==Description==
==Description==
Periodontal diseases are bacterial plaque-induced conditions that cause inflammation of the supporting structures of the teeth. These structures include:
Periodontal disease is essentially an inflammatory response by the supporting structures of the teeth known as the periodontium. These structures include:
*gingiva
*gingiva
*periodontal ligaments
*periodontal ligaments
*alveolar bone
*alveolar bone
It is the most common dental disease in dogs and cats and the major cause of tooth loss in both species. There are numerous factors that contribute to the formation of the disease but the primary agent is dental plaque. Plaque accumulates at the gingival margin, partly due to insufficient oral hygiene.
Initially the bacterial flora tend to be non-motile aerobes or facultative anaerobes. However, as the supply of oxygen is reduced by supragingival plaque accumulation and pocket formation, the bacterial flora become more motile and anaerobic.
Important bacterial flora responsible include:
*''Porphyromonas gingivalis''
*''Bacterioides asaccharolyticus''
*''Fusobacterium nucleatum''
*''Actinomyces viscosus''
*''Actinomyces odontolyticus''
There are two main forms of the disease:
*'''gingivitis''' -
*'''periodontitis'''
Gingival hyperplasia often appears as pink, hyperaemic and ulcerated lesions that can be either firm or soft. There can be varying amounts of pigmentation reflecting the normal pigmentation of the oral mucosa. Crowns of teeth are often partially or completely covered by the hyperplastic gingiva forming a potential space or pocket between the gingiva and the crown where plaque is able to accumulate.
Gingival hyperplasia often appears as pink, hyperaemic and ulcerated lesions that can be either firm or soft. There can be varying amounts of pigmentation reflecting the normal pigmentation of the oral mucosa. Crowns of teeth are often partially or completely covered by the hyperplastic gingiva forming a potential space or pocket between the gingiva and the crown where plaque is able to accumulate.