Warning Signs Of Gum Disease: What Should You Be Looking For?

According to the latest scientific data measuring dental disease globally, gum disease is by far and away the most prevalent form found all over the world. This fact, although well known among dental professionals, catches most patients by surprise. They generally assume that it is tooth decay that would be most common, since that is something that most people take treatment for during some time or the other. One reason why gum disease often progresses is the fact that it is difficult to detect in the initial stages. Unlike tooth decay, which becomes easy to detect visually and also causes pain, gum disease does not cause overt pain in the large majority of the patient. Thus there is the tendency for people to avoid taking treatment or delay it as long as possible.

Here are some of the common signs of gum disease that you should be on the lookout for.

Bleeding From The Gums

The first symptom of gum disease is often bleeding from the gums during brushing or eating, or it may occur even spontaneously. This is a result of the inflammatory process that begins within 24-48 hours of disease causing plaque accumulation. The bleeding itself is just an indicator of the inflammatory process and not an indicator of the type or severity of gum disease. For example, there are some patients that may have a large amount of gingival bleeding due to an aggressive immune response of the body while the actual severity of the disease may not be very much. On the other hand, there are some patients who have little or no bleeding, yet the disease has progressed quite significantly.

All of these variables make bleeding from the gums a poor positive indicator for gum disease. Its absence is a good indication that the gums are healthy, however its presence does not help determine anything concrete about the type and severity of gum disease. As a patient, if you see bleeding from the gums then remember to mention it to your doctor and get a thorough examination of the gums done to be sure.

Bad Breath

The social nature of this particular predicament makes patients seek treatment at the earliest. While there can be a number of causes of bad breath (Halitosis), the most common cause by far and away is underlying gum disease. Bad breath is caused by volatile sulfur compounds that certain micro-organisms in our mouth release. These micro-organisms are usually found in extremely small numbers in a healthy oral cavity and so do not have any significant effect. In a periodontally compromised oral cavity however, these micro organisms find conditions favorable and "pockets" around the gums which make an ideal location for them to thrive in.

See Also: Oral Hygiene: Dental Care Mistakes You Could Be Making

Periodontal Disease: Tooth Mobility, Migration And Abscesses

Increase In Spacing Between The Teeth

Gum disease or Periodontal disease affects the supporting structures of the teeth, meaning it affects the gums, the surround ligament and the supporting bone. Over a period of time, these supporting structures around the teeth start getting destroyed. This results in the appearance of gaps in between the teeth or a widening of previous gaps. This change appears extremely slowly and can be quite difficult to perceive for that matter.

Look for food lodgment in places where it never used to occur earlier. Compare old photographs with ones taken now to see if the gaps between your teeth have increased. There are some conditions in which the periodontal disease is very aggressive and thus progresses very quickly. It is not uncommon to find tooth migration and eventual tooth loss by the mid twenties. A regular check up with the dentist will help these conditions to be diagnosed early.

Tooth Mobility

Signs of mobility in the teeth generally means that the periodontal disease is quite severe in that particular region. Mobility occurs in some physiologic conditions for a short amount of time, however it is extremely mild in nature and does not last for a long time. Hormonal changes in women during menstruation and pregnancy are some examples of these conditions.

Tooth mobility might or might not be accompanied with tooth migration, although it commonly is. This condition also affects other teeth nearby as maintaining oral hygiene in the area becomes more difficult, the force distribution on the other teeth nearby increases and even the micro organisms that are inhabiting the affected teeth can migrate to other nearby teeth and start the progress of disease.

Gingival And Periodontal Abscesses

An abscess is a collection of pus. These appear as spherical swellings of varying sizes and may be single or multiple in nature. They usually grow until a certain point and then develop an opening from where pus oozes out. People suffering from gum disease are extremely prone to developing these abscesses. Depending upon the location of this abscess and the drainage that it is able to establish, this abscess may be associated with pain or not.

See Also: A Brief Look At Periodontal Surgery

It is the tendency of patients to try and "pop" this abscess as it makes it temporarily go away, however that is not the answer to the solution. An abscess can occur relatively early in the progression of the disease and so should not be ignored. Seek treatment immediately so that the problem can be taken care of when it is yet under control. A sign of multiple abscesses may be an indication of underlying un-diagnosed medical condition like diabetes.