Nobody likes the prospect of losing all of their teeth someday. However, as we become older, it is increasingly likely that we will start losing one tooth after another. In many cases, older people need to use uncomfortable dentures, and some of them didn’t lose their teeth because they had dental caries or bad hygiene but because they never cared about gum disease.
Gum disease is a problem in the base of your teeth that is usually caused by a deficiency of nutrients that results in chronic inflammation and bone loss in your periodontium (the area of your gums and deep within).
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Gum disease has three different stages, and they are gingivitis, periodontitis, and advanced periodontitis. Each one of them has shared and individual signs and symptoms we will consider in this article. These are the most important, and the ones that will help you to detect gum disease as soon as possible:
Gum swelling
Swelling gums look bulged out or protruded instead of following the same line of the rest of your teeth. In some cases, your gums may start hiding a part of the teeth, and instead of looking pinkish they may look reddened and become very tender. Irritated and sore gums, as you will see further, often becomes painful and bleed easily. The leading cause is gingivitis, and if that happens to you it is a good idea to talk to your dentist right away before it progresses to periodontitis, a more advanced stage of the disease.
Reddish-blue gums
In typical cases, the color of the gums is pinkish, but colors may vary from one person to another. However, if you notice a change in gum coloring, it is a good idea to ask your doctor or dentist about your symptoms. In some cases, gum disease starts giving out subtle signs, such as reddish and even a blueish coloration in your gums. Staining of your gums is also possible as a result of acne medications and smoking, but be careful if you have darkened and painful gums with bad breath and fever, because one diagnosis to rule out is acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis.
Bleeding gums
It is possible to have bleeding gums if you just follow a wrong flossing or brushing technique or if you’re too aggressive with your teeth. It might also be common if you use blood thinners for a medical condition. But bleeding gums at the least effort and spontaneous gum bleeding should warn you, especially if you have sensitive gums with a change in coloration. If you’re pregnant, there’s a condition called pregnancy gingivitis that should also be addressed by your doctor.
Sensitivity to temperature
Soreness or tenderness in your gums is an annoying symptom that may be due to dental caries or gum disease. It is often difficult to identify where the pain comes from when you take a glass of cold water, for example. So, you might need help from your dentist to determine if you have tooth sensitivity or gum sensitivity. Each one of them has their causes and problems attached to them.
Bad breath
Gingivitis is an inflammatory condition, and it usually involves bacteria in your oral cavity that produces certain toxins that progressively irritate your gums and break down tissue all around your teeth. In the majority of cases, gingivitis is associated with poor oral health, but not always. If that’s the case, food particles and plaque contribute further to having a bad breath, and other changes in your gums we will review further also result in the accumulation of particles and bacteria and a vicious cycle of bad breath and inflammation.
Receding gums
When you have gingivitis for some time and do not pay attention to your symptoms, the next step of gum disease is called periodontal disease. In this stage, one of the main characteristics is having receding gums. In other words, they start exposing the roots of your teeth, and you can see the difference between the teeth that were previously covered with gums. Smoking, diabetes, HIV, and certain hormonal changes may also contribute to this problem, but you should visit your dentist if you have this problem because periodontal disease is the first place to look at.
Alveolar bone loss
The alveolar bone is that portion of your maxillary bone that is underneath the gums. This portion of the maxillary bone is where your teeth become fixed and firmly attached in normal cases. However, during periodontal disease, patients have progressive loss of alveolar bone, and this affects teeth placement and motility, as you will see further.
Loose teeth
In advanced cases of gum disease, and when your gums have started receding, they expose your tooth, and the process of bone loss starts making your teeth loose and mobile. They shouldn’t move at a gentle pressure unless you’re a child with deciduous teeth. If that happens, do not force your teeth or move them around anymore, and talk to your doctor about it, especially if you experience the symptoms we mentioned above.
Open space between your teeth
In many cases of periodontal disease, the placement of your teeth starts changing, and since your gums are receding as well, you will start seeing a space between your teeth, or if you already had some space, it might become more noticeable. This creates an aesthetic image patients want to change, but more than that, it is a sign that something is not right with your gums.
Periodontal pockets
Another feature of periodontal disease is periodontal pockets. Gum disease causes a series of alterations around your teeth, and instead of fitting snugly in your jaw, it will become loose and start having some distance between the gum tissue and your tooth. This distance creates a small pocket where particles of food, plaque, and bacteria start to build up and create an even bigger oral health problem. Some patients can actually pull away their gums from their teeth in advanced cases.
Tooth loss
At the end of the journey, and if you don’t take care of your dental health and do not listen to the signs your body is giving you, it is highly likely you will start losing your teeth. This happens because your gums are a protective barrier that keeps your teeth healthy. During periodontal disease, bacteria and plaque builds up in the periodontal pockets and start predisposing to infections. The infection may impact how your gum tissue is providing support to the bone, and when the problem grows big enough, the affected teeth fall off on its own.
Changes in your bite
We call bite or occlusion to the individual way your teeth fit together. It is something unique in each one of us, and it may change as a result of gum disease. For example, we have mentioned how periodontal disease may end up in tooth loss, and this affects your bite because the rest of your adjacent teeth start moving in the empty space trying to fill the gap. As they do, the opposing teeth to your missing teeth will also start drifting towards the empty space. In time, all of this movement destabilizes your jaw and creates problems in your temporomandibular joint.
Teeth grinding
It is a common result of changes in your bite. You might not realize when your teeth are moving around until someone tells you that you’re grinding your teeth. Teeth grinding is also known as bruxism, and it happens during sleep. You might notice by yourself that you’re grinding your teeth if you wake up with headaches or a sore jaw, or someone who is sleeping nearby might tell you. In any case, you need to talk to your doctor because bruxism increases your risk of wear down, loosening, and fall of your tooth.
Plaque buildup
Throughout gum disease, an important characteristic is plaque buildup. More than a warning sign, it is a risk factor we should avoid. Thus, it is important to visit your dentist regularly to perform clean-up procedures and regular inspections. Resolving your plaque buildups is an effective way to prevent gum disease and preserve your teeth for a longer time.
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We have mentioned that gum disease starts with gingivitis, and it is followed by periodontitis. However, keep in mind that all of us have a different mechanism of disease. In some cases, gingivitis is maintained over a very long time and won’t progress to periodontitis. However, it is a risk you shouldn’t be willing to take because periodontitis is one of the worst oral diseases with terrible consequences.
So, the best thing you can do is to prevent advanced gum disease by performing regular checks and paying attention to the warning signs of gum disease we have mentioned in this article.