Healthy Gums vs. Unhealthy Gums – If you have healthy gums, they will look firm and pink. Some signs of unhealthy gums include redness and swelling, gums that bleed when you brush or floss your teeth, and gums that appear to be pulling away from the teeth.
There are a few factors that can undermine healthy gums, including tobacco use, malnutrition, poor oral hygiene, and poor immunity due to more severe medical problems. Also, certain medications, including some types of antihistamines, decongestants, and painkillers, can cause dry mouth, which can promote gum disease.
It’s important to remember that healthy gums aren’t just important for your oral health. Maintaining healthy gums can also be important for your overall health. Numerous research studies suggest an association between periodontitis and other more serious chronic health conditions such as diabetes and heart disease.
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What does gum disease start to look like?
Symptoms – Healthy gums are firm and pale pink and fit snugly around teeth. Signs and symptoms of periodontitis can include:
- Swollen or puffy gums
- Bright red, dusky red or purplish gums
- Gums that feel tender when touched
- Gums that bleed easily
- Pink-tinged toothbrush after brushing
- Spitting out blood when brushing or flossing your teeth
- Bad breath
- Pus between your teeth and gums
- Loose teeth or loss of teeth
- Painful chewing
- New spaces developing between your teeth
- Gums that pull away from your teeth (recede), making your teeth look longer than normal
- A change in the way your teeth fit together when you bite
Can you get rid gum disease?
A person can be free of gum disease with an aggressive approach. The dentist can also employ methods such as scaling and root planing to help the patient heal. These processes are ways of deep-cleaning the gumline and eliminating bacteria. Surgical procedures are also available to halt the disease.
What is the first stage of gum disease?
What is periodontal disease? – Periodontal diseases are mainly the result of infections and inflammation of the gums and bone that surround and support the teeth. In its early stage, called gingivitis, the gums can become swollen and red, and they may bleed.
- 47.2% of adults aged 30 years and older have some form of periodontal disease.
- Periodontal disease increases with age, 70.1% of adults 65 years and older have periodontal disease.
This condition is more common in men than women (56.4% vs 38.4%), those living below the federal poverty level (65.4%), those with less than a high school education (66.9%), and current smokers (64.2%)
Can the start of gum disease be reversed?
Gum disease, also known as periodontal disease, is a common problem that affects almost half of all adults over 30, In fact, it is one of the most common issues patients face if they haven’t visited a dentist regularly, Gum disease is caused by plaque and tartar building up along and below your gum line, causing pain, bleeding, redness, and later on tooth, gum, and bone loss.
What are the three stages of gum disease?
Gum disease: an illness in different stages – There are basically two different ‘types’ of gum disease.
GingivitisPeriodontitis
Gingivitis is the mildest, most common form of gum disease and can be cured or ‘reversed’. Gingivitis, left unchecked, can turn into the more destructive and incurable Peridontitis. Periodontitis is broken down into four stages:
Periodontitis Stage 1: InitialPeriodontitis Stage 2: Moderate Periodontitis Stage 3: Severe with potential for tooth lossPeriodontitis Stage 4: Severe with potential for loss of all the teeth
This article outlines the causes, symptoms, prevention and management methods and outlook for each one.
How do dentist treat gum disease?
Treatment – Prompt treatment usually reverses symptoms of gingivitis and prevents its progression to more serious gum disease and tooth loss. You have the best chance for successful treatment when you also adopt a daily routine of good oral care and stop tobacco use. Professional gingivitis care includes:
- Professional dental cleaning. Your initial professional cleaning will include removing all traces of plaque, tartar and bacterial products — a procedure known as scaling and root planing. Scaling removes tartar and bacteria from your tooth surfaces and beneath your gums. Root planning removes the bacterial products produced by inflammation, smooths the root surfaces, discouraging further buildup of tartar and bacteria, and allows proper healing. The procedure may be performed using instruments, a laser or an ultrasonic device.
- Dental restoration, if needed. Misaligned teeth or poorly fitting crowns, bridges or other dental restorations may irritate your gums and make it harder to remove plaque during daily oral care. If problems with your teeth or dental restorations contribute to your gingivitis, your dentist may recommend fixing these problems.
- Ongoing care. Gingivitis usually clears up after a thorough professional cleaning — as long as you continue good oral hygiene at home. Your dentist will help you plan an effective at-home program and a schedule of regular professional checkups and cleaning.
If you’re consistent with your home oral hygiene, you should see the return of pink, healthy gum tissue within days or weeks.
Why do I have gum disease?
Gum disease is caused by a build-up of plaque on the teeth. Plaque is a sticky substance that contains bacteria. Some bacteria in plaque are harmless, but some are harmful for the health of your gums. If you don’t remove plaque from your teeth by brushing them, it builds up and irritates your gums.
How long does it take to remove gum disease?
Treatment Time for Gingivitis – Gingivitis leads to bleeding gums, visible redness, and other, So when you treat for gingivitis, it is helpful to be able to tell if the treatment is working and when the problem will go away. Keep in mind that some conditions, like diabetes, pregnancy, HIV/AIDS, and others, may increase the likelihood of developing gingivitis and thus may have different treatment times and programs.
Severity of the gingivitis.If any bone grafts or surgical repair is needed.The extent you follow oral healthcare guidelines.
Milder cases of gingivitis can be treated at home, using basic oral hygiene techniques like thorough brushing and flossing. But even then, it may take a while to go away without additional help from Dr. Swanson, as we in our office have several techniques that we can introduce to help speed up the recovery process and provide better results.
How fast does gum disease spread?
Over time, untreated gingivitis can develop into periodontitis. So, how long does it take for gum disease to develop? One study found that if you’re starting from level 1 gingivitis, it takes an average of 66.8 weeks, which is a little over 15 months, to develop into periodontitis.
What does Stage 2 gum disease look like?
Stage 2: Periodontitis – If gingivitis is left untreated, the condition will become periodontitis. At this stage, the supporting bones and fibers that hold your teeth in place have been irreversibly damaged. Your gums begin to form “pockets,” deep hollow areas around the teeth that trap food, plaque, and bacteria.
Is it too late to save my gums?
Is it too late for me to have treatment? – It’s never too late to seek treatment for gum disease, and the degree of treatment you require will depend on how advanced it is. If your hygienist diagnoses you with periodontitis, they may do one or more of the following:
Collect diagnostic information, including measurements of the depth of the gaps between your teeth and gums with X-rays. Perform root planing treatment (a deeper version of a traditional scale and polish) to remove the extreme buildup of plaque and tartar. This will likely be performed over multiple appointments to allow your hygienist to thoroughly remove plaque and tartar in difficult-to-access areas.In very severe cases, advanced gum disease causes tooth loss. After examining the health of your gums, if you have very loose teeth, we may decide that an extraction is in the best interests of your future gum health. Here at our Hammersmith dental practice, we offer a variety of, including, which are considered the gold standard.
Before any extraction, we will always take you through your options for replacing the missing tooth or teeth, advise you on what we believe would be in the interests of your smile, and listen to what expectations are. All restorations are made by an experienced dental technician who will create, bridges and dentures that will look and feel authentic.
Can a dentist tell if you have gum disease?
Dentists are experts in keeping gums and teeth healthy. During a check-up they examine your mouth, teeth and gums to spot any problems. Dentist treatment for gum disease can often be the first defence against it and they may recommend a professional clean or scale and polish,
Unlike tooth ache or sensitivity, gum disease often doesn’t cause pain or discomfort, so even if you do spot some of the signs, such as red, swollen, bleeding or receding gums, you might not seek help as fast as you should. But if gum disease is left untreated at the first stage of gingivitis, it can develop into periodontitis, which is much more serious and can lead to tooth loss,
During the first part of a dental check up your dentist may take what is called a ‘history’, which helps the dentist to build up a picture of your health and risk factors. You may be asked questions like these:
Are you experiencing any signs of gum disease, such as bleeding or swollen gums ? Have you had treatment for gum disease before? Do you smoke or do you have a family history of gum disease? Questions about your oral health routine, such as how often do you brush your teeth?
By asking these questions your dentist can work out if you are more likely to have gum disease. If you have had previous dental treatment for gum disease, or have early symptoms of gum disease it alerts your dentist to potential problems. If you smoke or have a family history of gum disease you are at higher risk and if you don’t have a good oral health routine then you are more likely to suffer from gum problems.
Inflamed, swollen or red gums Bleeding gums Changes in gum texture – healthy gums have tiny indentations, which look like stippling, all over them, with gum disease they become puffy, smooth and glossy in texture Receding gums, where the gum line is drawing back from the tooth Pockets or deeper gaps developing between the gums and teeth Loose or wobbly teeth
If your dentist diagnoses gingivitis he or she may suggest you have a professional clean, called a ‘scale and polish’, This can be done by either the dentist or a hygienist and is designed to remove stubborn build up of plaque bacteria to get your teeth really clean. Your dentist or hygienist can also offer advice on how to help treat and prevent gum disease at home.
Can periodontitis Stage 1 be cured?
Periodontitis Stage 1: Initial – When gingivitis is left unchecked, it can quickly become periodontitis stage one which is destructive. The gum inflammation is caused by built-up bacteria and plaque at and below the gum line. Periodontitis stage 1 is treated with a deep clean called debridement. Periodontitis stage 1 is not reversible like gingivitis.
Can Stage 2 gum disease be reversed?
When is gum disease reversible? – To understand at what point gum disease is reversible, you first need to know the different stages of it. Gingivitis, the earliest stage of gum disease, is primarily characterized by bleeding gums during brushing or flossing.
Since the infection has yet to spread to the bone or connective tissues holding the teeth in place, it’s only at this stage where periodontal disease is reversible. Periodontitis is the second stage of gum disease. Once you reach this stage, the damage done to your gum tissue is irreversible. Your gums may form a pocket below the gumline that traps food and bacteria.
Other signs include increased swelling or redness of the gums and persistent bad breath even after brushing. The final stage of periodontal disease, known as advanced periodontitis, involves the destruction of the fibers and jawbone that support your teeth, causing them to shift or loosen.
Can you have stage 2 gum disease?
Stage 2: Slight periodontal disease – Once periodontal disease progresses past gingivitis, it might not be reversible but it is still manageable. At this stage, the infection has spread to the bone and begins to attack bone tissues with stronger, highly aggressive bacteria.
