Pathogenesis of gingivitis and periodontitis
Periodontology · Dental (BDS)
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Study notes
Two patients have similar plaque levels, but one has severe bone loss and the other has healthy gums. How? The difference is the host response - one person's immune system overreacts, releasing enzymes and signals that activate bone-eating osteoclasts, while the other's stays proportionate. Students learn periodontitis is not a simple infection but a host-mediated disease: bacteria light the fire, the body's own response burns the house.
Related topics
- Periodontium: anatomy — gingiva, PDL, cementum, alveolar bone
- Classification of periodontal diseases
- Dental plaque and calculus: formation, composition
- Etiology: local and systemic risk factors, smoking, diabetes
- Gingival diseases: plaque-induced, non-plaque-induced
- Gingival enlargement and gingival recession