Periodontitis

It begins quietly. A little blood when brushing your teeth. Gums that redden, swell, become sensitive. And then, over months and years, a process most people only notice when it has already progressed far: the gum recedes. Bone breaks down. Teeth that sat firm for decades begin to loosen. The hold diminishes — literally.

Dentistry describes periodontitis as a chronic inflammation of the periodontium, triggered by bacterial plaque and favoured by risk factors such as smoking, stress, and genetic predisposition. That is the level of mechanics. But BodySignal asks a different question: why does your body lose its hold at exactly the place where you bite, where you assert yourself, where you anchor yourself in the world? What is receding — and why?

Periodontitis is not a coincidence — it is a creeping withdrawal, in the tissue and in life.