Gum diseases

Gums are the tissues that surround your teeth and hold them in place. Gum disease is an infection of this tissue. Your dentist might call it periodontal disease or periodontitis. 

Gum disease starts when bacteria grow in your mouth. Bacteria build up when you don’t brush your teeth or floss well enough. Without treatment, gum disease can cause swelling, redness, pain, and tooth loss. 

GINGIVITIS VS PERIODONTITIS

Gingivitis is swelling, redness, and bleeding in the part of your gums that surround your teeth. It’s a milder form of gum disease that can lead to periodontitis if you don’t treat it. 

When you forget to brush, floss, and rinse with mouthwash, a sticky film of bacteria and food called plaque builds up around your teeth. The gunk releases acids that attack your teeth’s outer shell, called enamel, and cause decay. After 72 hours, plaque hardens into tartar, which forms along the gumline and makes it hard to clean your teeth and gums completely. Over time, this buildup irritates and inflames your gums, causing gingivitis.

if you have periodontitis, the inner layer of the gum and bone pull away from the teeth and form pockets. These small spaces between the teeth and gums collect debris and can become infected. The body’s immune system fights the bacteria as the plaque spreads and grows below the gumline.

Toxins or poisons – produced by the bacteria in plaque as well as the body’s “good” enzymes involved in fighting infections – start to break down the bone and connective tissue that hold teeth in place. As the disease gets worse, the pockets deepen and more gum tissue and bone are destroyed. When this happens, teeth are no longer anchored in place, they become loose, and tooth loss occurs. Gum disease is the leading cause of tooth loss in adults.

You can prevent or reverse gingivitis if you brush your teeth, floss, and have regular dental cleanings and checkups.

Periodontal Disease Stages

Periodontal disease has four stages. It starts with mild swelling and redness of the gums and can lead to bone damage and tooth loss.

Gingivitis

At this early stage of periodontal disease, your gums may be red and swollen. They might bleed when you brush your teeth. But your bones are still in place. You can reverse gum disease at this stage.

Mild periodontitis

Now the bacteria have gotten underneath your gums and reached your bones. Your gums might pull away from your teeth and create pockets. Plaque and bacteria fill those pockets and damage your teeth even more.

Moderate periodontitis

Bacteria eat away at the gum and bone that hold your teeth in place. Your gums might hurt. You may see pus around your gumline, which is a sign of infection.

Advanced periodontitis

The bone and tissue around your teeth are more damaged. In time, your teeth may get loose and fall out.

Gum Disease Symptoms

Although the symptoms of periodontal disease could be hard to spot, there usually are warning signs. 

The most common symptoms of gum disease include:

• Gums that bleed when you brush your teeth
• Red, swollen gums (healthy gums should be pink and firm)
• Pain or tenderness in the gums
• Bad breath or a bad taste in your mouth that doesn’t go away
• Pain when you chew
• Sensitive teeth
• Pus between your teeth
• Gums that pull away from your teeth (receding gums)
• Deep pockets between the teeth and gums
• Loose teeth or teeth that fall out
• Spaces between your teeth that look like black triangles
• Changes in the way your teeth fit together when you bite

In some people, gum disease may affect only certain teeth, such as the molars. Only a dentist or periodontist can tell you for sure that you have gum disease.