Why do so many dentists still refer to periodontitis as periodontosis?
In medical terms, the ending –itis refers to an inflammation, while -osis stands for a degenerative dysfunction caused by problems inwith metabolism.
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Arthrosis, for example, refers to a degeneration in a joint due to excess strain on that joint. Arthritis, on the other hand, means an inflammation of a joint, a bacterial infection after an accident.
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The terms periodontosis, periodontopathy and periodontitis come from the word “periodont“. This refers to the bone and tissue complex which holds the teeth, i.e. the anchoring system which attaches the tooth to the bone (perio = around, dont = tooth). This periodontal apparatus consists of the gums, bone, periodontal membrane and root element.
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For a long time it was impossible to isolate bacteria in the gum pockets of patients with periodontitis, since it was common practice to use oxygen in germ cultures. But these bacteria were able to survive in gum pockets because of the absence of oxygen there. It was assumed, wrongly, that if there were no bacteria present, then this was a case of –osis! However, 25 years ago methods used in molecular biology finally made it possible to prove the existence of bacterial DNA, later on special incubators were used to grow these bacteria – in the absence of oxygen. And bacteria means -itis.
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This is not just word-play, but crucial to finding the right kind of treatment. An inflammation requires a different kind of therapy than does a degenerative dysfunction, so you have to make the right diagnosis in the first place! But although scientific proof was found 25 years ago, doctors are still in the habit of using the term periodontosis.
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Periodontitis therapy requires two things, first that the doctor actually knows the illness at hand and second, the causes. Failing any of these two things prevents successful treatment. But gathering enough information takes time.
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More on the topic of periodontitis and the right kind of treatment here!
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