Periodontal Disease

THE two most common oral diseases are dental caries (tooth decay) and periodontal disease. Periodontal disease is a general term that refers to all diseases of the tissues surrounding and supporting the teeth in the jaws. It is used in the same way as such terms as "liver disease" and "kidney disease."Periodontal disease is divisible into two principal groups: diseases confined to the gingiva — called gingivitis, and those affecting the underlying supporting periodontal tissues — called periodontitis (pyorrhea). Inflammation is the predominant if not the sole pathologic process in periodontal disease except for infrequently occurring conditions that are . . .