Periodontitis, Implant Health, Acute Conditions, and Systemic Connections

Vocabulary flashcards generated from lecture notes covering dental implants, acute periodontal lesions, systemic risk factors, and systemic conditions linked to periodontitis.

Dental implant

A non-biological device surgically inserted into the jawbone to replace a tooth or provide support for a multiunit prosthesis.

Implant body (fixture)

The component of an implant system surgically placed into living, vital alveolar bone that acts as a root, typically made of titanium or titanium alloy.

Implant abutment

A metal post made of titanium or zirconia that connects the prosthesis to the implant body, secures it in place, and protrudes into the oral cavity.

Peri-implant tissues

The hard and soft tissues surrounding a dental implant, including junctional epithelium, connective tissue, and alveolar bone, lacking a periodontal ligament and cementum.

Periomucosal seal

A cuff-like seal created around the abutment post or collar as epithelial tissue adapts to the implant.

Osseointegration

The direct contact of living bone with the surface of the implant body.

Peri-implant mucositis

Plaque biofilm-induced inflammation of soft tissues surrounding an implant with no loss of supporting bone, which is reversible if etiologic factors are removed.

Peri-implantitis

Periodontitis affecting the hard and soft tissues around an osseointegrated dental implant, characterized by plaque biofilm-induced inflammation and progressive bone loss.

Abscess of the periodontium

A circumscribed, fluctuant collection of pus localized within the gingival wall of a periodontal pocket.

Suppuration

The liquefaction of pus produced as a way for the body to fight off infection.

Pulpal abscess

An inflammatory reaction to pulpal infection or pulpal necrosis originating from pulpal tissues within the pulp chamber.

Acute abscess

An abscess characterized by rapid onset, constant localized pain, and discomfort, primarily caused by exacerbation of a chronic inflammatory periodontal lesion.

Chronic abscess

An abscess that grows slowly, is typically not associated with pain, and forms after the spread of infection is controlled by spontaneous drainage, host response, or therapy.

Gingival abscess

An abscess limited to the gingival margin or interdental papilla without involvement of deeper structures of the periodontium.

Periodontal abscess

An abscess affecting deeper structures of the periodontium as well as gingival tissues, usually occurring at sites with preexisting periodontal disease or pockets.

Pericoronal abscess

An abscess involving tissues around the crown of a partially erupted tooth.

Operculitis

Soft-tissue inflammation of the operculum associated with a pericoronal abscess.

Endodontic-Periodontal Lesion (EPL)

A localized area of bacterial infection characterized by infection of both the pulp and periodontal tissues in the same tooth.

Necrotizing Periodontal Disease (NPD)

A group of destructive inflammatory diseases characterized by interdental tissue necrosis, intense gingival pain, and spontaneous gingival bleeding.

Necrotizing Gingivitis (NG)

A noncommunicable, destructive, inflammatory disease limited to interdental and marginal gingiva, featuring tissue necrosis that produces a characteristic "punched-out" appearance.

Necrotizing Periodontitis (NP)

A disease sharing clinical features with necrotizing gingivitis, but where tissue necrosis spreads to the underlying periodontal attachment apparatus, leading to bone loss and clinical attachment loss.

Necrotizing Stomatitis (NS)

An extension of necrotizing gingivitis or necrotizing periodontitis where necrosis progresses to deeper tissues beyond the mucogingival line.

Primary Herpetic Gingivostomatitis

A contagious oral infection caused by herpes simplex virus (primarily HSV-1), presenting with oral pain, swollen or bleeding gingival tissue, and vesicles/ulcerations surrounded by a red halo.

Systemic risk factors

Disorders, diseases, or conditions (modifiable or nonmodifiable) that increase host susceptibility to periodontal infection.

Glycation

The process occurring when glucose binds to biomolecules, transforming them into harmful, tissue-destructive advanced glycation end products (AGEs).

Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs)

Harmful, tissue-destructive molecules formed when glucose binds to biomolecules, impairing collagen function and increasing tissue stiffness.

Receptors for Advanced Glycation End Products (RAGEs)

Cell surface receptors whose binding with AGEs stimulates the production and release of proinflammatory cytokines, triggering pathologic tissue destruction.

Pregnancy-associated pyogenic granuloma

A large, localized, benign overgrowth of gingival tissue occurring during pregnancy, also known as a pregnancy tumor.

Linear gingival erythema

A gingival manifestation of HIV infection characterized by a $2\text{ to }3\,\text{mm}$ marginal band of intense erythema in the free gingiva.

Neutropenia

A blood disorder characterized by the presence of abnormally few neutrophils in blood (below $1{,}500\,\text{cells}/\mu\text{L}$), increasing susceptibility to infection and periodontal diseases.

Leukemia

A rapid cancer of blood cells (usually white blood cells) originating in the bone marrow that crowds out normal-functioning cells.

Oral mucositis

Inflammation of oral mucous membranes associated with chemotherapy, causing localized or generalized sloughing of mucosal surfaces.

Drug-induced gingival enlargement

An esthetically disfiguring overgrowth of gingiva resulting as a side effect of certain medications such as anticonvulsants (phenytoin), immunosuppressants (cyclosporine), and calcium channel blockers (nifedipine).

Association

A relationship between two or more variables indicating that they are related, which cannot explain how or why they are related.

Causation

A relationship in which variable A directly causes or leads to variable B.

Metastatic infection

An infectious disease mediated by microorganisms that originate from distant body sites.

Atherosclerosis

A process characterized by the thickening of arterial walls.

Atheroma

A fatty deposit in the lining of an artery, also known as arterial plaque.

Dyslipidemia

Abnormal amounts of lipids and lipoproteins in the blood.

HbA1c level

A measurement of average blood glucose level over the past $2\text{ to }3\,\text{months}$ reported as the percentage of glycosylated hemoglobin in the blood.

Community-acquired pneumonia

Pneumonia contracted outside of a hospital setting, whose risk is not altered by periodontal disease or oral hygiene.

Hospital-acquired pneumonia

Pneumonia resulting from infection with potential respiratory pathogens during a hospital stay.

Ventilator-associated pneumonia

A type of hospital-acquired pneumonia that develops after intubation for mechanical ventilation.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

A group of lung diseases characterized by obstruction of airflow during exhalation.

Chronic Kidney Disease

Progressive loss of kidney function leading to permanent kidney failure.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

An autoimmune disorder causing redness, warmth, swelling, and pain of joints, which can lead to debilitating deformities if untreated.

Obesity

A condition defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of $30$ and above.

Metabolic syndrome

A cluster of conditions—including high blood pressure, high blood sugar, abdominal obesity, low HDL cholesterol, and high triglycerides—that occur together and increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.

Cancer

A group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body.