Gum Disease Symptoms

If you are showing symptoms of periodontal disease, it’s time to visit your dentist. This disease can go from mildly annoying to very dangerous quite quickly, so it’s important to understand what gum disease symptoms you should be looking for to see if you have periodontal disease.

What Is Gum Disease?

Gum disease (or periodontal disease) is when the gum line becomes inflamed due to bacteria growing below the gums. This disease can be difficult to see in its early stages, but if you recognize the signs of the disease it can help you seek treatment in its early stages.

What Are Some Gum Disease Symptoms?

In order to treat periodontal disease, it’s helpful to understand the gum disease symptoms. Your dentist and hygienist should be able to spot gum disease when you come in for a regularly scheduled checkup, it is a good idea to set an earlier appointment with your dentist if you notice
any signs of gum disease.

Some symptoms to look out for include:
Swollen Gums
Red Gums
Bleeding Gums (Particularly When Brushing or Eating)
Tender Gums
Loose Adult Teeth
Pus
Receding Gum Line

Some of these symptoms are much worse than others, as they are indicative of an advanced level of gum disease called advanced periodontitis. If you notice any of these symptoms, make sure to visit your dentist. If you notice loose teeth or extreme discomfort when chewing, set an appointment as soon as you can.

Why Gum Disease Needs to Be Treated

Gum disease can be unsightly and annoying—but that’s not where it ends. If gum disease persists, it can cause damage to the bone holding your teeth in place and the bacteria that cause the disease can cause inflammation inside your bloodstream. Pockets can also deepen throughout the gum line, leading to more bacteria settling in. Eventually your teeth will begin to loosen in the bone and possibly fall out, and there will be irreparable damage to the bone.

If you are able to catch the gum disease in its early stages, you can help prevent further damage. Once the damage becomes more severe it is not reversible.

Regular Cleaning

If you are lucky and have no gum disease then all you need is with a regular cleaning - aprophy. Your dental hygienist will request that you return every six months, so they will be able to provide a thorough cleaning that will remove stain, tartar and the bacteria that can cause gum disease. They will teach you tips and tricks to help you maintain a healthy mouth and smile at home.

Deep Cleaning

For patients with gum disease, you may need to start with scaling and root planing (deep cleaning). This process involves the hygienist cleaning away tartar, diseased gum tissue and debris below the gum line. This allows not only removal of the bacteria that are the source of the problem, but exposes healthy tissue and a clean root surface to allow the two to reattach.

Periodontal Maintenance

Once you have gum disease, you need to be managed differently than someone with healthy gums. You need to return more frequently - every 3-4 months for evaluation with the hygienist and dentist so they can monitor your teeth and gums for signs that the disease has become active again. They typical life cycle of the bacteria that cause gum disease ranges from 3-4 months and your treatment should be tailored specifically to you.

When to Visit Your Dentist

If your gums are getting inflamed, are turning red and/or are bleeding, you may want to consider pushing your scheduled appointment up. If you are experiencing gum disease symptoms and you don’t have an appointment for a checkup and cleaning, schedule an appointment with your dentist for as soon as possible.

For more information on dental checkups and periodontal disease consider contacting Baer Dental Designs today.

If you'd like to read further on Gum Disease, here's some information on some other signs.