Periodontitis is an inflammation of the periodontium. That is, it does not affect the teeth per se. Colloquially, periodontitis is also referred to as periodontal disease. However, this refers to a different form of the disease. In the course of periodontitis, the gums are usually initially inflamed. It therefore bleeds quickly and is often painful. If periodontitis is not treated, it progresses and causes teeth to become loose and even fall out. More teeth are lost to periodontitis than to tooth decay!
Periodontitis is an independent risk factor for:
- Coronary artery disease (CAD) – disease of the coronary arteries.
- Apoplexy (stroke)
- Preterm labor – resulting in premature births and underweight children.
The DNA probe test for periodontitis risk can identify the bacterial species responsible for periodontitis.
Indications (areas of application)
- Localized or generalized aggressive periodontitis.
- Periodontitis associated with systemic diseases.
- Therapy-resistant periodontitis
- Severe generalized chronic periodontitis
- Severe forms with more than 50% attachment loss (loss of periodontal attachment apparatus due to periodontal inflammation) on 14 or more teeth
- Peri-implantitis – periodontal disease in the area of implants.
Relative indications
- Documentation of the success of treatment
- Local recurrence (local recurrence) during recall (maintenance therapy).
- Before implantological measures
The procedure
The test is completely painless and quick to perform. The dentist will take samples from your gum pockets using paper tips. To do this, the paper tips are left in the pockets for about 20 seconds, where they become saturated with liquid and the bacteria in them. These samples are then genetically tested in a laboratory. This involves a targeted search for the marker germs or for parts of their DNA (genetic material). As a rule, three types of bacteria are examined first. If these are present, up to five additional bacteria can be detected or differentiated by means of DNA probe testing.
- Agregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans – facultative anaerobic, common in aggressive periodontitis, antibiosis necessary.
- Porphyromonas gingivalis – strictly anaerobic, in aggressive and advanced periodontitis.
- Prevotella intermedia – strictly anaerobic, detectable in large numbers in aggressive periodontitis.
Other marker germs in periodontitis are:
- Tanerella forsythesis
- Treponema denticola
According to the test result can be determined whether antibiotic therapy is necessary and useful. The correct antibiotic can only be selected after prior germ determination.
Antibiotic administration without prior determination of periodontal germs can not lead to successful treatment, because the different bacteria respond or do not respond to different antibiotics.
Benefit
The DNA test offers you the opportunity to determine periodontopathogenic germs (germs that cause disease to the periodontium) so that they can be specifically eliminated. Gum and bone loss caused by periodontitis leads to greatly reduced esthetics, followed by tooth loss and sometimes painful therapy. A simple DNA probe test significantly supports the therapy and thus contributes to the treatment success to a decisive extent.
