What Is Gum Disease?
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Periodontal disease, or gum disease, attacks the gums and the bone that support your teeth. The word periodontal means “around the tooth”. One of the first signs of gum disease is bleeding of the gums when you brush or floss. You may notice pink or red blood in your saliva when you rinse or spit. Many people think this is normal, but it isn’t. It’s actually a symptom of gum disease. Toxins and bacteria caught beneath the gum line are causing healthy gum tissue to break down and bleed like an infected wound, because essentially, that is what it is. If your hands bled when you washed them, you would be concerned. You should also be concerned if your gums bleed when you clean them. That’s why we say “No pink in the sink!”. Fortunately, treatment for gum disease is relatively simple and comfortable in the early stages.
What Causes Gum Disease?
As with many other oral health diseases, bacteria and plaque build-up is often the culprit. In fact, plaque build-up is the leading cause of gum disease. Other potential causes of gum disease include:
- Genetics
- Lifestyle choices
- A diet low in nutrients
- Smoking / the use of smokeless tobacco
- Autoimmune or systemic diseases
- Diabetes, unmanaged
- Hormonal changes in the body and stress
- Bruxism (incessant clenching of the teeth)
- Certain medications
Signs and Symptoms
- Bleeding gums — gums should never bleed, not even when we poke them with a dental probe, a tool used to assess gum health
- Gum pockets more than 3mm deep, and especially of concern, gum pockets more than 6mm deep (we can measure your gums and give you your before and after treatment measurement)
- Loose teeth — also caused by bone loss or weakened periodontal fibers (fibers that support the tooth to the bone)
- New spacing between teeth — caused by bone loss
- Persistent bad breath — caused by bacteria in the mouth
- Pus around the teeth and gums — sign that there is an infection present
- Receding gums — loss of gum around a tooth
- Red and puffy gums — gums should never be red or swollen
- Tenderness or Discomfort — plaque, calculus, and bacteria irritate the gums and teeth
Notice that pain is not included in the symptoms. Periodontal disease is tricky like that, because you can have it, and it can advance, without any pain at all. If you see pink when you are brushing or flossing, please call us today!
Periodontal disease can be comfortably treated in its early stages and gingivitis can generally be completely reversed. Even in moderate cases, the advancement of the disease can be generally stopped and controlled. Treatment is relatively comfortable and usually consists of a series of 1–4 root planing or scaling visits (deep cleaning) and then a re-measuring or re-evaluation. Antibiotics or antimicrobial gels and medicines may also be applied below the gum line. Cold laser therapy known as PerioWave may also be used. Sometimes oral antibiotics are required, or minor gum surgery.
If you are concerned about gum disease contact us today at 416–512–1146 to schedule a consultation or visit our website for more information!
