Gum Disease – What Symptoms To Look Out For?

Never underestimate the harm that gingivitis and periodontitis can do.

Most of us are probably conscious about our teeth, whether that be because we want them to look as attractive as possible or we might perhaps have experienced painful toothaches in the past and have no desire to repeat that experience. Being aware of how healthy your teeth are is a good thing and will hopefully encourage our Wickford patients to be conscientious about brushing and flossing their teeth on a regular basis. While your teeth are important, you should also take care not to neglect your gum health too.

The reality is that your gums can become infected if you neglect them. This can produce quite a lot of unpleasant symptoms as we will shortly see. In addition to these, if gum disease is not treated early enough, it can also start to damage the bone structure that secures the teeth and is responsible for their stability. This can eventually lead to you having wobbly teeth and may also lead to tooth loss.

It is important then that you look after your gums well and we offer some simple advice on how to do this a little later on. In the meantime, here are some of the more common symptoms of both gingivitis and periodontitis that patients of the Cygnet Dental Practice should look out for.

Bleeding gums

Many of you will be familiar with this symptom as it has been used to good visual effect on many adverts for toothpastes aimed at preventing gum disease. You are most likely to notice this when you brush your teeth and spit. If you notice blood when you do this, you should contact your dentist as soon as possible so that you can start treatment promptly and hopefully avoid the worst outcomes that can happen.

Soreness and redness

It is possible for gums to be a little sore if we have perhaps caught them on something sharp when eating. If this discomfort lasts for more than a day or so though, it could well be an indication that gum disease is present. The same applies if your gums look red and inflamed as opposed to their natural healthy pink colour. It is best not to ignore any symptoms such as these and get them checked as soon as you can.

Bad breath

One of the more socially unpleasant symptoms of gum disease is that of bad breath. You might be able to hide any discomfort and bleeding gums from your friends and colleagues, but you certainly won’t if your breath smells. You might not notice this yourself but if people start taking a step or two back when you talk to them, or if they start avoiding you altogether, this could well be the reason. While garlic and other foods can cause smelly breath, the type caused by periodontal disease is both very strong but also persistent and doesn’t go away. Don’t use mints etc to mask your smelly breath but make sure to treat the root cause by seeing your dentist for advice.

Receding gums

Our gums tend to recede as we grow older but it can also be a sign of gum disease. When this happens it also gradually exposes the roots of the teeth. This part of the tooth is less well protected by enamel and is therefore more susceptible to decay. You may also notice an increase in tooth sensitivity if this occurs.

Pus

If your gum disease is more advanced, you may even notice pockets of pus between your teeth. This is very unpleasant and will leave a nasty taste in your mouth. While this is not one of the more common symptoms, if it does occur, see your dentist straight away.

Loose teeth

As mentioned earlier, one effect of advanced gum disease is that it can cause our teeth to become loose and wobbly. Even if you have had none of the other symptoms mentioned, you should not ignore this as the next stage, if left untreated, is likely to be eventual tooth loss.

While, if you have any of these symptoms mentioned above, you should seek treatment straight away; if you don’t have any, you could still have gum disease. It is not unknown for this to be a ‘silent’ problem but still with the same devastating effects. On a positive note, avoiding gum disease is relatively straightforward and should be part of your daily oral health regime anyway.

All you need to do to help have healthy gums is to brush effectively, using a non worn out toothbrush, angling the bristles towards the gum line. You should also use floss too. Finally, in addition to your regular dental check ups, you should arrange a regular six monthly appointment with the hygienist at our Wickford practice. They will not only offer advice, but also provide a thorough cleaning of the teeth and gum line known as a ‘scale and polish’.

Make sure that you not only have healthy teeth, but healthy gums too! Please make an appointment to see our hygienist as soon as you can by calling the Cygnet Dental Practice on 01268 733078.