Gingivitis. In the first stage of periodontitis, called gingivitis, you may notice red, swollen gums and bad breath. Gums might also bleed when you brush or floss. Gingivitis, which is reversible, can be treated by improving at-home dental care and visiting your dentist regularly for treatment.
Symptoms of gum disease can affect various areas of the mouth. Gums may be red, swollen, tender, or bleeding. The gums may pull away from the teeth making them appear longer. Loose or sensitive teeth.
If you have gum disease, your gums may bleed when you brush your teeth and you may have bad breath. This early stage of gum disease is known as gingivitis. If gingivitis isn't treated, a condition called periodontitis can develop. This affects more tissues that support teeth and hold them in place.
Your periodontist will check your bite, how loose your teeth are and how much your gums are pulling away from your teeth (receding). Additionally, they'll take dental X-rays. These images show the areas of bone loss in detail. They can also look at older X-rays to see how your bone has changed over time.
Mouthwash can be a helpful tool in the treatment of periodontal disease. Mouthwashes that contain chlorhexidine or hydrogen peroxide can help reduce plaque and tartar buildup. Mouthwashes that contain these ingredients should be used twice a day for best results.
With gum disease, you won't keep your teeth for long. In fact, unlike tooth decay which impacts your smile one tooth at a time, periodontitis can cause you to lose multiple, if not all, teeth at once. Gum disease starts small as a mild form called gingivitis.
Gum cancer, in particular, is easily confused with gum disease. Nonetheless, the former is characterised by patches or irregular growths on the gums. These are known as erythroleukoplakia when they are red and white, leukoplakia when they are white, and erythroplakia when they are red.
Improve your oral hygiene- One of the most important things you can do to reverse periodontal disease is to improve your oral hygiene. Be sure to brush twice a day and floss once a day. Consider using an antibacterial mouthwash.
TartarEnd® is the first toothpaste proven to reverse and stop gingivitis and periodontitis. TartarEnd® dissolves and removes plaque, tartar, and periodontal bacteria that cause diseased, bleeding and periodontal gum pockets deep below the gumline and restores healthy pink gums.
Slight Periodontal Disease
Within two to three weeks, the signs of generalized gingivitis become more noticeable. If you still leave this untreated, it would progress to slight periodontal disease. At this stage, your gums will start to pull away or "recede" from your teeth.
Those with immune system disorders may be more prone to periodontal disease. For example, patients with conditions that affect the efficiency of the immune system, such as diabetes, HIV, Down syndrome, leukemia, etc., can make periodontal disease worse.
Mild periodontitis: Left untreated, gingivitis turns into mild periodontitis. At this stage, your gums pull away from your teeth and you begin to lose some bone around them. As a result, you'll develop periodontal pockets.
Symptoms of periodontitis can include: Swollen or puffy gums. Bright red, dark red or dark purple gums. Gums that feel tender when touched.
Gingivitis – Early Stage of Gum Disease
This stage only affects the soft tissue of the gums, and the patient may not experience any discomfort. Although the symptoms may be very mild, it is important to diagnose gum disease in this early stage before it progresses to periodontitis.
Drinking water helps to prevent cavities and gum disease by washing away dangerous germs and food debris. Water is beneficial to your teeth because it keeps your mouth clean. Plaque cannot form in a mouth that is clean and moisturized.
Daily brushing and flossing. Brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing is still one of the best home remedies for good oral health. Removing plaque and disrupting bacteria that colonize the teeth and gums removes the primary cause of gum disease.
Antibiotics. Topical or oral antibiotics can help control bacterial infection. Topical antibiotics can include antibiotic mouth rinses or putting gel containing an antibiotic into gum pockets. Sometimes oral antibiotics are needed to get of bacteria that cause infections.
A recent study reported that rinsing the mouth with salt water can help with your oral health. Salt is a natural disinfectant that helps with gum disease in a few ways: It removes loose debris and cleans the teeth and gums. Reduces inflammation and swelling and soothes the gums.
In particular, gum disease can be difficult to notice as it may present itself without any major warning signs. With that being said, it is important to never skip dental exams as they allow the general dentist the opportunity to identify these signs and implement a plan to address them.
Periodontal disease is not a life-threatening condition.
Gum disease is an infection of the gum tissue; it isn't an infection of the teeth. Therefore, it is important to understand that removing your teeth will not actually treat or cure your gum disease. However, extractions can be an important part of your overall treatment plan to get your oral health back on track.
As long as there is no active infection in the mouth, patients shouldn't have problems with their implants. Even if you've suffered from advanced periodontal disease with accompanying significant bone loss, you should be able to get dental implants if you have that bone augmented with a bone graft first.