Causes of Periodontal Disease

Health Articles | December 23, 2008

Periodontal disease is a severe form of gum disease, which begins from gingivitis and then furthers on to take a more devastating form known as periodontal disease. This disease process goes more severe with bacterial overgrowth, as well as the role of autoimmunity plays a very major part in gum destruction.

You will be amazed to know that there are about 350 types of microorganisms present in our mouth. It is less than the 5% of the colonizing bacteria that cause this severe form of gum disease. We will see as to the different kinds of bacteria that do and do not cause periodontal disease. The bacteria that do not cause disease are known as gram positive aerobic bacteria and gram negative anaerobic bacteria are responsible to cause periodontal disease.

We will now discuss the different gram negative anaerobic bacteria that are responsible to cause periodontal disease. Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans and Porphyromonas gingivalis are responsible to cause an aggressive kind of periodontal disease. There were different studies conducted in individuals who were suffering from periodontal disease and these bacteria stood resistant to the different therapeutic regimens.

The other gram negative bacteria responsible for periodontal disease are bacteroides forsythus, Treponema denticola, T. socranskii, P. intermedia and P. gingivalis. All of these bacterias are related to the formation of deep periodontal pockets.

Recent studies conducted have shown that along with the bacterial influence on periodontal disease, autoimmune also plays a vital role in this disorder. As the body’s defense cells produce antibodies against one’s own tissues and in this case, gum tissue and bone, which causes an aggressive disease process.

Among the viruses, herpes simplex and varicella virus are the two main known viruses that cause gingivitis. Other viruses responsible for periodontal disease are cytomegalovirus and Epstein-Barr virus. The experts studying this disease said that these viruses cause increased production of tissue breaking substances, suppression of immune cells and causing other disease processes, which leads to cell death.

Article Tags: Periodontal Disease, Periodontal Disease , Cause Periodontal, Gram Negative

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Angela Rogers, Marketer for Nature’s Smile, www.naturessmile.com