Periodontal disease is one of the most common oral diseases, known as the “number one killer” of adult tooth loss. I hope the general public pay attention to periodontal health, scientific and correct understanding of periodontal disease. Periodontal prevalence rate: On September 11, Wang Weizhen, director of the oral health department of the disease prevention and control bureau of the Ministry of Health, said at the meeting that the caries rate of our population is high and the oral health situation is not optimistic. The survey shows that the periodontal health rate of adults and the elderly in China is only 14.5% and 14.1% respectively, and 37.0% of adults and 86.1% of the elderly have missing teeth. What is periodontal disease? Periodontal diseases are diseases that occur in the supporting tissues (periodontal tissues) of the teeth, including two major categories: gum disease, which involves only the gum tissues, and periodontitis, which affects the deep periodontal tissues (periodontal membrane, alveolar bone, and dental bone). Periodontal disease is a common oral disease, one of the main causes of tooth loss in adults, and a major oral disease that endangers human dental and systemic health. The early symptoms of periodontal disease are not easy to attract attention, resulting in long-term chronic infection of periodontal tissue and recurrent inflammation, which not only impairs the function of the oral chewing system, but also seriously affects health. Criteria for periodontal health The gums do not bleed, are pink in color, the gingival margin is thin in appearance and close to the tooth surface, the gingival papillae fill the gap and are tough in texture. The depth of the gingival sulcus probing does not exceed 3mm after the tooth has fully erupted. What are the main factors that lead to periodontal disease? Periodontal disease is a multifactorial disease. 1, periodontal disease is a multifactorial cause of chronic inflammatory lesions of periodontal tissue, local, systemic, behavioral and psychosocial many factors are risk factors for periodontal disease. 2, Local factors include plaque, tartar, occlusal trauma, food impaction, and some anatomical factors. 3, there are obvious individual differences in the development of periodontitis, one of the important factors affecting individual susceptibility to periodontitis is genetic, but not a single gene disease, its development may be caused by the joint action with many other factors (such as plaque, smoking, mental stress, etc.). 4, the prevalence and severity of periodontal disease in the elderly is higher than in young people, poor periodontal condition in the elderly is more the result of the cumulative effect of periodontal disease over the years, if timely treatment and long-term maintenance can be obtained, the elderly can also have very healthy periodontal tissue. Smoking is an important risk factor for the development of periodontitis, and smoking not only increases the chances of periodontitis but also aggravates the severity of periodontitis lesions. The degree of impact of smoking on periodontal health is directly proportional to the amount of smoking, which is particularly evident in young people. At the same time, smoking has a negative impact on the effectiveness of periodontitis treatment, making it prone to recurrence. Manifestations of periodontal disease The most common symptoms of periodontal disease are bleeding gums and loose teeth in advanced stages. Gingivitis: the early manifestation of periodontal disease, manifested as red and swollen gums and bleeding from brushing. With timely treatment, this stage can be cured. If left untreated, inflammation can progress further, causing deep alveolar bone resorption and developing into periodontitis. Mild periodontitis: red and swollen gums, bleeding from brushing, and bad breath are seen; patients often ignore it because it is not painful. Moderate periodontitis: weakness in chewing, bad breath, receding gums, exposed roots, gaps in the teeth, swelling and pain in the tooth bed; because the swelling and pain in the gums come and go, patients think it is caused by the so-called fire and still do not pay enough attention to it. Severe periodontitis: symptoms such as loose teeth, displacement, pain, pus overflow, inability to chew food, and eventual tooth loss. Systematic treatment of periodontal disease 1, proper daily oral care (brushing and flossing), regular oral examinations and dental cleaning. 2.Medication: gingival pocket rinsing, in-pocket medication or using rinse, etc. 3, supragingival scaling (routine scaling). 4.Subgingival scaling (also called periodontal scaling and deep scaling). 5, periodontal surgery treatment: including gingivectomy and gingivoplasty, flap surgery, bone grafting. Periodontal disease is a preventable disease Because periodontal disease has no obvious conscious symptoms in the early and middle stages, and the vast majority of Chinese people do not have the habit of visiting the dentist regularly, periodontal disease is difficult to be detected at an early stage, and the problem is not realized until the teeth become loose. Therefore, many people believe that teeth will naturally fall out when people get old, commonly known as “old tooth loss”. However, with the development of medical technology and the improvement of people’s health care awareness, more and more people realize that teeth fall out because they are sick, and as long as you visit your dentist regularly and treat periodontal disease in time, your teeth can be used for life! Effective plaque removal by brushing, regular oral examination and scaling (scaling), and early treatment of gingivitis are effective ways to prevent periodontal disease. Develop good oral hygiene habits by brushing your teeth in the morning and evening, rinsing your mouth after meals, and using dental floss or interdental brushes to clean adjacent surfaces. Brushing is the main method to control plaque, advocate using the pasteurization method or horizontal chattering method, and brush all sides of the teeth, focusing on removing the gum edge and the tooth surface at the gaps. Brush your teeth for at least 2 minutes each time. Regular checkups can detect gingivitis and periodontitis early and treat them early.