What Are The Symptoms For Gum Disease
To stay healthy, it is important that you keep your mouth healthy. Today’s lifestyle leads to a number of dental problems among which gum problems require major attention. Why? Dr. Amanda Canto, one of Houston’s leading dentist, answers that question. She says, gum disease is “a very silent disease,” which means they do not show symptoms. This makes it difficult for patients to even realize that they are suffering from gum diseases until they become so worse that they start affecting the digestive system.
Poor diet, poor oral hygiene are the main cause of dental problems. Studies show majority of American adults suffer from gum problems which range from minor inflammations to serious diseases. To keep a check on gum diseases you should follow a good oral care regime and see a dentist regularly.
Most gum diseases are diagnosed when the condition has already become too aggravated. At advanced stages, the gum tissues and bones holding the teeth starts getting severely damaged. So how would you know, you are suffering from gum diseases so that you can take proper care? Dr. Canto points out that the initial symptoms of gum diseases include bleeding, bad breath, gums that are puffy or pulling away from teeth, recession which means gums are pulling downwards and bad taste in the mouth.
To help you know more about gum diseases and their symptoms, we’ll talk about the two most common gum infections, Gingivitis and Periodontitis, and their symptoms. Untreated Gingivitis leads to Periodontitis, which causes severe damage, tooth loss and other health problems.
Gingivitis: This is the mildest form of Periodontitis and is caused due to poor oral hygiene. The initial symptoms might include swelling of gums, bleeding while brushing and flossing. While many people think it’s natural for gums to bleed during brushing, it is wrong. If you see blood while brushing, you should see a dentist at the earliest. At times people don’t see any symptoms and this is the reason why, Gingivitis becomes aggravated to develop severe periodontal diseases.
Gingivitis is caused due to poor or inadequate diet, stress, puberty, diabetes, smoking, aging, etc. Certain medications can also cause gum infections.
Periodontitis: Untreated Gingivitis advances to Periodontitis. If a person suffers from Periodontitis, the gums pull away from the teeth forming pockets that become infected. The bacteria formed in these pockets irritate the gums as a result of which the body starts breaking the bones and soft tissues to protect the teeth from damage and hold it in place. Eventually the damage increases and the teeth become loose. They ultimately have to be removed.
Types of Periodontitis are:
- Aggressive Periodontitis: Occurs in people who are otherwise healthy and the symptoms include bone destruction, attachment loss and familial aggregation.
- Chronic Periodontitis: This type of Periodontitis is most common in people and results in inflammation of supporting tissues, bone loss and progressive attachment. Mostly adults suffer from this type of periodontal disease but it can occur at any age.
- Necrotizing Periodontal Disease: This is a type of infection which is characterized by necrosis of gingival tissues, alveolar bone, and periodontal ligament. These infections are most commonly observed in person suffering from malnutrition, HIV infection, etc.
Periodontitis starts at a young age and if not treated properly it can lead to other systemic diseases like respiratory diseases, heart diseases, diabetes, etc.
So how can you prevent gum diseases? The best way to stave off gum diseases is by making regular trips to your dentist’s clinic, says Dr. Canto. She adds that you should immediately inform your dentist at the slightest hint of developing gum diseases. A dentist can help you with early detection of signs and symptoms that lead to gum infections. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.
