What are gum disease symptoms?

Since gum disease cary nc is virtually painless, your symptoms are going to be mostly visual by nature. Take a moment, look in the mirror at your teeth and gums, and then we’ll continue. Gum disease starts as an inflammation of the gums through the transmittal of bacteria and infection. Let’s look briefly at the cause of the disease, the levels of progression and the treatment to correct the problem.

What Causes Gum Disease

Simply put, it is the sticky substance that sits on your teeth called plaque. If you don’t do an adequate job removing the plaque through your brushing and flossing efforts, this plaque will end up infecting the gums. The first stage of the disease is gingivitis. This inflammation stage can be easily reversed if you identify the symptoms associated with your gums being inflamed. They will be a deeper red in color, swollen and possibly tender to the touch. You may notice a pink tinge on your toothbrush which indicates that your gums are beginning to bleed. As the disease advances, the gums will begin to recede or pull away from the teeth. These recession areas may create pockets. Pockets now collect food and increase the bacteria delivery.

The Next Stage

Your gum disease is now advancing into periodontitis and a level that is harder to reverse and correct. Symptoms that now are evident are that of bad breath and a bad taste in your mouth. The pockets continue and your teeth can now become loose and you will experience bone loss. The pockets grow and the bleeding continues.

Treatment for Gum Disease

The best treatment for gum disease is prevention. The health industries strongly suggest that you brush twice a day. This means brushing well with a good quality toothbrush. Flossing of some nature is critical because this effort removes food particles and plaque stuck between the teeth. If your dentist identifies the symptoms of the disease you will need to have a deep scaling. This is the process of removing the plaque from the teeth below the gum line.

The deeper the plaque has progressed, the deeper the scaling needs to go in order to remove the substance from the teeth. If you identify some symptoms you are not alone. About 47% of adults over the age of 30 have some level of gingivitis. Look for the symptoms so you can catch the disease at its early stage. Once you have seen the dentist and the disease has been reversed, tell yourself that not only do you need to improve your at home oral hygiene but you need to see your dentist on a regular basis. Twice a year is the optimum number of visits to stay on top of your oral hygiene and with advancing periodontal disease your dentist may recommend up to four visits per year. If you overlook these symptoms, the gum disease will progress and you’ll find yourself in a position with loose teeth and an overall undesirable situation. Advancing gum disease can, and frequently does, lead to heart disease which is the leading cause of death in the United States. Prevent it today. Exercise good oral hygiene and watch for symptoms.

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