Signs That You May Have Gum Disease
The symptoms and signs of gum disease are usually quite minor during the early stages and are often ignored. If left untreated, however, the problem becomes increasingly worse and can lead to the loss of teeth. In order to catch gum disease as early as possible to avoid tooth loss, it’s important that you learn what the symptoms are and of course, keep up with your regular visits to your dentist.
Gum Disease Symptoms
The signs of gum disease include the following:
- Bleeding or tender gums
- Swollen or red gums
- Bad breath
- Pain when chewing
- Sensitive teeth
- Receding gums
- Gum or tooth abscesses
- Loose teeth
Gingivitis
Gingivitis is the early stage of gum disease with symptoms such as bleeding gums when brushing the teeth, sensitivity, tenderness, swelling and redness.
Periodontitis
The progression of gingivitis can lead to periodontitis. The symptoms you see at this stage include a metallic taste in your mouth, bad breath, tooth or gum abscesses, loose teeth and receding gums. Once the disease has led to this point, it’s important to aggressively treat your mouth in order to keep your teeth and to remain healthy. Your teeth and mouth are an important part of your overall health and should be given all the attention they deserve.
In extreme cases untreated gum disease can lead to a rare condition called acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis. Symptoms may include difficulty talking, a high fever, difficulty swallowing, excessive saliva, painful ulcers along with a metallic taste in the mouth. There may also be other symptoms present such as the ones listed above for periodontitis and gingivitis. If you have severe symptoms it’s important to call our office immediately and we’ll schedule an emergency appointment to see you as soon as possible.
If you are between dental visits and notice signs that you may have gum disease, please contact our office at 905-235-6999 or get in touch through our website at allsmilesdentalcentres.ca. When it comes to gum disease, time is really of the essence. We are All Smiles Dental Centre, dentists offering dental care in Aurora, Bradford and Newmarket.
