What Exactly Is Gum Disease? Important Things You Need To Know!

Gum disease is something that you hear about at the dentist office a lot when you go for your appointments but it?s not something that most patients take seriously. I?m sure that you see the signs that are hanging up at your dentist’s office and for a second you think about the information that you’re reading and then you go back to your business.

However, gum disease is not something that you should ignore. In fact, it affects a lot more people than we know. It?s not something that we often see people talking about or the news reporting on. But, it should be. And, I?m saying that because gum disease, especially when not treated, can cause issues beyond just gum disease and your mouth. Gum disease can affect your overall health outside of your mouth which means you?ll have multiple issues with your health to deal with.

Now that you know that gum disease is nothing to play with, here are some key things you need to know about gum disease and your oral health:

Gum disease comes in more than one stage, much like other diseases. This means that if you can catch it earlier on the complications are not as severe.

Here are the three stages that gum disease can go through:

The first stage is Gingivitis: this stage is usually reversible when treated early enough by your dentist. Typically you?ll find a build up of plaque around your gum area and this can cause inflammation. This stage is hard to detect on your own because it is often painless. Which means getting to your dentist regularly is very important to helping to prevent gingivitis from occurring.
The second stage is Periodontitis: this stage occurs when gingivitis goes untreated and it develops into something more serious. At this stage it is still treatable however the process is not as simple as treating gingivitis itself.
The third stage is Advanced Periodontitis: the progression from the first two stages to here is typically pretty slow so if you can stop it early on then you?ll have a better chance of stopping gum disease in its tracks.

While I don?t recommend that you try to diagnose yourself, there are some symptoms that you should be on the lookout for when you?re brushing your teeth and throughout the day.

Here are somethings that you need to be paying attention to:

Gums bleeding while brushing your teeth
Sensitivity in your teeth
If you gums are sore or consistently red
Bad breath that won?t go away
Bad taste in your mouth and your own tongue that won?t go away
Your gums begin receding
Pus on your gums
Consistent pain while eating

The best thing that you should do when things don?t feel right is to visit your dentist. The best way for you to know if you should be worried or not is to visit a healthcare professional who is trained in diagnosing gum disease.