Dento-Alveolar Resorption 

 in Periodontal Disorders 



INGJALD REICHBORN-KJENNERUD, Faculty of Odontology, Uni- 

 versity of Oslo, Oslo, Norway 



PERIODONTAL disorders are diseases clinically characterized by 

 (a) inflammatory color changes and swelling of the gingiva, (b) 

 deepening of the gingival pockets, and sometimes (c) increased 

 mobility and migration of the teeth. To some degree, one or more 

 of these symptoms are nearly always found somewhere in the mouths 

 of man in all age groups. 



Alveolar bone resorption can be detected very frequently in x-rays 

 of periodontal disorders, and tooth resorption may also occur. 



In periodontal disease, pathological changes in the gingiva always 

 are seen at the microscopic level. This is the case even if the typical 

 clinical signs of a gingivitis are missing. Microscopic sections of a 

 human periodontium without inflammatory reactions are rare indeed. 



Many theories have been proposed regarding the etiology of bone 

 and tooth resorption in periodontal disorders. These theories will be 

 discussed in this chapter. 



Theories Regarding Alveolar Bone Destruction 



It has been suggested that alveolar bone destruction is a result of 

 a gingival inflammation (James and Counsell, 1928; Lang, 1923; 



297 



