Gum Disease Symptomsand gum disease photosThink you might have gum disease? Gum disease symptoms are not easy to identify. Although 80% of adults have some form of gum disease...a much lower percentage actually know they have it.
Even kids are at risk... According to the American Academy of Periodontology, the prevalence of gingivitis among school children ranges from 40% to 60%.
Bleeding GumsThe first and most common sign of early gum disease (gingivitis) is bleeding gums.Do your gums bleed when you floss or brush? Chewing hard or crusty foods might also cause your gums to bleed if you have gum disease.
Here is a picture of gingivitis, gums that bleed:
Healthy gums don't bleed when you touch them.
Surprisingly, gum pain is not always a symptom of gingivitis, it is usually painless. Most of my clients with gingivitis say their gums feel fine. The difficult part of curing gum disease is that it doesn't bother most people to just live with it. They don't understand
the health risks of gum disease.
An important tip:
If you have always had bleeding gums they don't have to keep bleeding. Even if your mom and your grandma had bad gums.....You can stop the bleeding! Swollen gumsHere is a picture of swollen gums:
Seems like you would notice something like this in your mouth...right?
nope.
Many of my clients have swollen gums around their molars and never know until I tell them. This person has localized gum disease. Notice how the gums in the front look pretty good? Molars...not so good. These gums can be fixed... A visit to a dental hygienist and daily brushing and flossing will do the trick.
Sore gumsSore gums or painful gums can be a gum disease symptom but is not the most reliable symptom.Remember....most people don't know they have gum disease until their dentist or dental hygienist tells them. If you have bleeding gums don't wait until you have gum pain or tooth pain. Get it checked out.
Receding gumsHere is a picture of a receding gum line:
Gums eventually shrink away if gum disease is not treated making your teeth look longer. It's not attractive and can result in tooth sensitivity. When gums recede, tooth roots are exposed. Roots don't have enamel to protect them and can be sensitive. Receding gums treatment will help but it is not easy to reverse receding gums. Gum disease is not the only cause of a
receding gum line.
Loose teethLoose teeth are common in advanced periodontal disease. Unfortunately, some people don't know they have gum disease until their teeth get loose.At this point, the treatment becomes more involved and is less successful.
Other symptomsYou may also notice these gum disease symptoms...
Loss of teeth
The last, but not least gum disease symptom is tooth loss. You could say it is the result of gum disease left untreated. Sadly, gum disease is the biggest cause of adult tooth loss.
This smile can be fixed but it will take alot of time and money. Dental implants, crowns, and bridges are a great way to replace missing teeth but they require extra maintenance after the treatment is completed and may eventually need to be replaced.
So much better to stop gum disease before it gets this far. SummaryNo doubt, gum disease is a threat to the health of both your teeth and your body. Gum disease symptoms like swollen or bleeding gums can lead to more advanced periodontal (gum) disease or tooth sensitivity.The best way to know for sure is to see your dentist or dental hygienist. Their specialty is the diagnosis of periodontal disease. However, I know a few people who have a little thing called dental phobia. Sound familiar? If so...ask around until you find someone who loves their dental office. Then go there. You might love it too:)
If you want to read additional information on gum disease symptoms, please feel free to check out this page on the dental care advisor website that talks about gum disease and the symptoms.
Thanks for reading gum disease symptoms, Return to swollen gums.
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