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'''Gingivitis''' - Reversible inflammation of the marginal gingival tissues that does not affect the periodontal ligament or the alveolar bone.
'''Gingivitis''' - Reversible inflammation of the marginal gingival tissues that does not affect the periodontal ligament or the alveolar bone.
'''Periodontitis''' - Inflammation and irreversible destruction of the tooth's supporting structures that includes the gingiva, periodontal ligament, alveolar bone and root cementum. It usually occurs after years of plaque accumulation and gingivitis. The epithelial attachments of the tooth regress apically and there is absorption of the associated alveolar bone, resulting in permanent loss of tooth support.
'''Periodontitis''' - Inflammation and irreversible destruction of the tooth's supporting structures that includes the gingiva, periodontal ligament, alveolar bone and root cementum. It usually occurs after years of plaque accumulation and gingivitis. The epithelial attachments of the tooth regress apically and there is absorption of the associated alveolar bone, resulting in permanent loss of tooth support.
'''Periodontal pocket''' - this describes the are of tissue destruction left by periodontitis. It describes attachment loss due to destruction of the fibres and bone that support the tooth which results in a pathological deepening of the gingival sulcus.
== Signalment ==
== Signalment ==
Oral radiography can be used to assess periodontal disease. Cases of periodontitis will show generalised horizontal and vertical alveolar bone loss in focal areas. Radiographic signs of periodontal disease include resorption/rounding of the alveolar margin, widening of the periodontal space, loss of the lamina dura (cortical bone of the alveolus) and alveolar bone destruction.
Oral radiography can be used to assess periodontal disease. Cases of periodontitis will show generalised horizontal and vertical alveolar bone loss in focal areas. Radiographic signs of periodontal disease include resorption/rounding of the alveolar margin, widening of the periodontal space, loss of the lamina dura (cortical bone of the alveolus) and alveolar bone destruction.
Radiography allows to further characterise the type of periodontal pockets present. The two type are defined based on the relationship of the base of the pocket to the crest of the alveolar bone:
:<u>Suprabony pocket</u>: this occurs when there is horizontal bone loss and the base of the pocket is located above the crest of the alveolar bone.
:<u>Infrabony pocket</u>: this occurs when there is vertical bone loss and the base of the pocket is located below the crest of the alveolar bone within a trench-like area of bone.
== Treatment ==
== Treatment ==
Regular examinations to assess the condition of the teeth are vital and the owner needs to be made aware of this.
Regular examinations to assess the condition of the teeth are vital and the owner needs to be made aware of this.
'''Periodontal pockets'''
With pocket depths below 5mm, dental scaling and polishing should be performed, and then subgingival curettage and the placement of an antibiotic gel in the pocket may help rejuvenate the periodontal tissues and reduce pocket depth.
With pocket depths greater that 5mm, surgery is needed to either expose the root for treatment or extract. Gingival flaps or bony replacement procedures for infrabony pockets can be used to decrease pocket depths in areas of alveolar bone loss.
{{Learning
|flashcards = [[Veterinary Dentistry Q&A 11]]
}}
== References ==
== References ==
Merck & Co (2008) '''The Merck Veterinary Manual''' ''Merial''
Merck & Co (2008) '''The Merck Veterinary Manual''' ''Merial''
Lobprise, H. (2007) '''Blackwell's five minute consult clinical companion: small animal dentistry''' ''Wiley-Blackwell''
[[Category:To Do - Helen]]
[[Category:To Do - Review]]
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[[Category:Teeth_-_Inflammatory_Pathology]] [[Category:Oral_Cavity_and_Gingiva_-_Pathology]] [[Category:Expert_Review - Small Animal]] [[Category:Oral_Diseases_-_Cat]] [[Category:Oral_Diseases_-_Dog]]
[[Category:Teeth_-_Inflammatory_Pathology]] [[Category:Oral_Cavity_and_Gingiva_-_Pathology]] [[Category:Expert_Review - Small Animal]] [[Category:Oral_Diseases_-_Cat]] [[Category:Oral_Diseases_-_Dog]]