Symptoms of Gum Disease

Ritter and Ramsey General and Cosmetic Dentistry service Jupiter, Palm Beach Gardens, and all of Palm Beach County, Florida.

The symptoms for gum disease are quite simple and easily overlooked. In fact, most people don’t realize that gum disease can have a serious negative effect on your overall general health if left unattended to. So let’s go through some symptoms and warning signs for you.

Look in the mirror first. Have your gums changed color? Usually a nice pink shade, have they gotten a deeper red in color? Can you tell if they might be swollen? Are they getting tender to touch? In fact, look at your toothbrush. Is there any pink color, meaning bleeding, on the brush when you finish. Do your friends or family complain about your breath and the fact that it doesn’t seem to get better. More elaborate signs would be the fact that your gums are sagging away from your teeth creating pockets. These pockets are bad news. Finally, does it hurt to chew as a result of your teeth getting loose?

Let’s face it. Gum disease can really be the simple result of neglect. It is stronger recommended that you brush your teeth twice a day, morning and evening, and floss once a day. These two simple oral hygiene activities can totally prevent gum disease.

Your gums, or gingiva, are tissue just like your arm or leg. It is in your mouth to protect your teeth, their roots and the bone structure under the tissue. A bad scratch or cut on your body, if not washed out and cleaned, can become infected. The skin gets inflamed. Your gums do the same thing. Your mouth is full of bacteria. A bit disgusting but that is the long and short of it. So, when you do not brush and floss properly the bacteria can hang around. It sticks to your teeth and forms plaque. When the plaque builds up it becomes tartar. Both plaque and tartar are the enemy of healthy gums. That bacteria will infect the gums and start to show the symptoms we mentioned earlier.

Gum disease starts off as gingivitis and will be evident by the inflammation of your gums. As the disease progresses it becomes periodontitis. This next level has more obvious symptoms and more obvious negative effects. Gingivitis can easily be reversed. Your first step in addressing gum disease is to see a dentist. The dentist will have a hygienist do a thorough deep cleaning of your teeth. This effort will remove all of the plaque and tartar. Depending on the advancement they may have to clean down your teeth under the gums as well. This work will prohibit those nasty pockets.

It’s all about you. If you brush well twice a day and floss once a day you should be able to keep gum disease in check. Seeing your dentist twice a year for routine cleanings is an excellent preventive measure as well. They can assess your oral health and also check for cavities and capture some x-rays to identify any issues out of sight. Don’t let it get away from you.

In you're interested in learning more about gum disease, or are concerned you may have symptoms it's not to late to get treatment. Contact Ritter and Ramsey General and Cosmetic Dentistry located in Jupiter, Fl for your consultation today. We're happy to help you start your journey towards optimal oral health.

If you're just interested in reading more about gum disease, and learning more, here's some reading on signs of gum disease.