When Should I Be Worried About My Gum Health?
Periodontal disease, or gum disease, is inflammation and infection of your gums and even the bone that supports your teeth. It is often the result of poor hygiene, yet some people are more prone to this kind of infection. Symptoms can include bad breath, loose teeth, bleeding, and swollen gums. There are a variety of treatments available, depending on the severity of the disease and your personal oral hygiene habits.
How Common is Periodontal Disease?
Almost half of all the adults in the United States have some stage of gum disease. It is the leading cause of tooth loss.
Symptoms and Causes of Gum Disease
The symptoms of periodontal disease are simple and quite often overlooked. Periodontal disease symptoms might include:
- Your gums are reddish or purplish in color.
- You are experiencing some light bleeding.
- Your mouth is sore.
- Bad breath, or halitosis.
- You notice an unpleasant taste.
- There is some pain when chewing.
- Gum recession, gums that pull away from your teeth.
- It feels like you might have some loose teeth.
- A change in the way your teeth fit together.
Periodontal Disease Stages
Healthy gums will be firm to the touch. They do not bleed or swell. Gum disease can cause discoloration, swollen, or bleeding gums. Left untreated, gum disease will easily cause destruction of your underlying jawbone, leading to tooth loss.
The breakdown of the soft tissue around your teeth happens gradually. In fact, you may not experience any pain with gum disease, especially during the initial stages. Therefore, it is important to know the warning signs.
There are four stages of gum disease:
- Gingivitis- This is the earliest stage of gum disease. It begins with red, puffy gums that might bleed when you brush or floss. At this level, there is no bone loss. As a result, gingivitis is completely reversible with timely and proper treatment.
- Mild periodontitis- The bacteria have now seeped beneath your gums, affecting the supporting bone. Your gums might pull away from your teeth, creating sagging pockets around them. Plaque and bacteria like to collect in these pockets, where your toothbrush and floss cannot reach.
- Moderate periodontitis- Left untreated, bacteria will begin to erode the ligaments, soft tissues, and bones that secure your teeth in place. You might notice bad breath and pus around your gum line. You might develop some pain at this stage.
- Advanced periodontitis- As your periodontal disease worsens, your bone loss continues. This will cause your teeth to become loose and eventually fall out.
When treated early enough, the gum disease is totally reversible. But if you have already lost bone around your teeth from the infection, the disease is now too advanced to reverse. However, you can manage it at this point with proper treatment and consistent, diligent oral hygiene.
What Causes Periodontal Disease?
Buildup of dental plaque is the primary cause of periodontal disease. The accumulating plaque contains many diverse kinds of bacteria that can potentially infect your gums. That is why you are more likely to get gum disease if you have poor at-home oral hygiene. Genes can also play a role in gum disease by changing the way your immune system responds to bacteria.
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