Why it matters clinically
DDJ uses the term for diagnosis, therapy, and imaging questions around the periodontium and bone loss.
Dental term
periodontitis
Inflammatory disease of the tooth-supporting tissues with progressive loss of the bone that anchors the teeth.
How DDJ writes it
Periodontitis as the clinical term; lay synonyms only explanatory, not as a separate diagnosis.
What to avoid
- Do not equate it with gingivitis (gum inflammation without bone loss).
- Do not present lay synonyms as a distinct disease.