Neue Entwicklungen in Der Dermatologie : Springer : 9783540567097 : 3540567097 : 07 Jul 1993 : Periodontal disease is a general term encompassing several non-tumoral diseases of the periodontium. Some periodontopathies are considered the periodontal manifestation of systemic diseases, e.g. so-called desquamative gingivitis, primary herpetic gingivostomatitis, hormonally mediated changes like "pregnancy gingivitis", and some others related to metabolic disturbances, e.g. diabetes mellitus. Drug-associated gingival inflammation, e.g. hydantoin-induced hyperplasia, and rapid onset infections possibly associated to psychosomatic distress like acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis (ANUG), are also included. However, the most common periodontal diseases are infectious in origine, initiated by proinflammatory substances derived from the microbial dental plaque accumulating at or near the neck portion of the teeth or crevicular sulcus of the gingiva. There are several classifications of peri