Classification of Periodontal Disease

Any periodontal disease is undesirable and, if left untreated or ignored, can lead to a number of serious dental problems. If you wish to maintain your teeth and gums (gingiva) in a healthy and disease-free state, it is important that you brush properly and use dental floss daily. Do these procedures as we have instructed. Return for continuing dental hygiene care at the time intervals that we have recommended. These time intervals for your cleaning appointments have been established specifically for your existing dental condition. The intervals can and will fluctuate according to your ability to take care of your teeth and gums. A periodontal infection is site-specific and episodic in its nature. Any delay in your office-related routine dental hygiene recare appointments could prove detrimental to your oral health. 

What is periodontal disease? Periodontal disease is an infectious process classified according to how much damage has been done to the structures surrounding the teeth, namely the gingiva (gums) and bone. It is an infection in your mouth. The better you clean your teeth to remove all the plaque bacteria, the less likely you will be to develop periodontal disease. A previous blog post details how the disease progresses and how to solve it.

The following is a brief overview of the American Academy of Periodontology's classification of the types of periodontal disease.

Type 1 - Gingival Disease: An inflammation or lesion of the gum characterized by changes of color, gingival form, position, surface appearance, and presence of bleeding and/or pus.


Type 2 - Chronic Periodontitis: An inflammation of the supporting structures of the teeth associated with plaque and calculus; the rate of progression is affected by local, systemic, or environmental factors. It can be further classified as localized or generalized.




 

Type 3 - Aggressive Periodontitis: Characterized by a rapid rate of periodontal disease progression in an otherwise healthy individual in the absence of large accumulations of plaque and/or calculus. It can be further classified as localized or generalized.








Type 4 - Periodontitis as a Manifestation of Systemic Disease: Periodontitis associated with blood or genetic disorders.






Type 5 - Necrotizing Periodontal Disease: Ulcerated and necrotic gums between the teeth and at the tooth margins. It can be further classified as necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis or necrotizing ulcerative periodontitis.

Type 6 - Abscesses of the Periodontium: A localized pus-forming infection of the periodontal tissue.







Type 7 - Periodontitis Associated with Endodontic Lesions: Localized deep periodontal pocket extending to the tip of the root of the tooth involving pulp death.

Type 8 - Developmental or Acquired Deformities and Conditions: Gingival disease or periodontitis started by localized tooth-related factors that modify or predispose to plaque accumulation or prevention of effective oral hygiene measures.

Due to the nature of the disease, most classifications will involve both a generalized and a localized diagnosis. 

See this previous blog post for early detection signs of periodontal disease.

If you have any questions about the classification of your periodontal disease, please feel free to ask us.