Infection of the tissue around your teeth is often called gum disease and it is one of the common reasons of tooth loss in adults. Most of the time, gum disease has no pain so many patients don’t even know that they have it. Gum disease or periodontal disease is caused by plaque which is the layer of bacteria on your teeth.
Warning signs that you might have gum disease:
- When brushing your teeth, your gums bleed easily
- Your gums appear to be red, swollen and tender
- Gums that pulled away from your teeth
- Constant bad taste in your mouth or bad breath
- If you have permanent teeth, then they’re getting loose or start to separate
- Changes the way your teeth fit when biting
- If you have partial dentures, you might notice some change in the way they fit
In order to avoid getting gum disease, here are some most common causes:
- Your overall oral hygiene
- Chewing tobacco or smoking
- Yes, some people are predestined to have gum disease
- Pregnancy, in case your diet isn’t balanced enough
- Diabetes and
- Certain medication like steroids, cancer treatment drugs or even contraceptives
If you suspect that you have gingivitis or periodontitis you should pay a visit to your dentist as soon as possible. If it turns out that you do have gum disease, the sooner you start treatment the better. Depending on the stages of your gum disease, you can either have gingivitis or periodontitis.
Gingivitis is a mild form of gum disease which is usually treated by a thorough cleaning at the dentist and regular brushing and flossing back home. At this stage, gum disease is generally reversible.
However, if your gum disease gets serious, it’s called periodontitis and this affects about 47% of all adults older than 30. This type of gum disease can cause serious problems, such as tissue and bone loss that support your teeth which will make your teeth feel loose.
And if you thing that you need to display some signs of gum disease in order to have gum disease, guess again. There have been cases where the patients displayed NO signs of gum disease but still suffered from this conditions. This is probably one of the main reasons why you need to see your dentist regularly or at least twice a year. If you’re diligent about your dental appointment and regular check-ups, in case you have gum disease, it’s most likely that it will be caught in early stages and it can be reversed. Also you should disregard your oral hygiene at home.
And remember, you won’t lose your teeth to gum disease if you take good care of your teeth (brush twice a day), have a well-balanced diet, see your dentist regularly and…don’t forget to floss.
