What are the Symptoms of Periodontal Disease?

Periodontal disease affects 47.2% of adults over 30 years of age at some point in their lives — and the incidence of the condition increases as you age, with over 70% of adults ages 65 years and older having the disease. While it is more common for men to have it than women, periodontal disease, or periodontitis, represents a significant threat to everyone’s dental health. Besides age and gender, other risk factors for periodontitis include:

• Smoking
• Chewing tobacco
• Hormonal changes like those that occur in menopause or pregnancy
• Poor oral hygiene
• Obesity
• Use of recreational drugs, especially marijuana and vaping
• Poor nutrition/vitamin deficiencies
• Certain medications that may cause dry mouth
• Certain conditions that impact immunity such as cancer, HIV, and leukemia
• Specific diseases such as Crohn’s and diabetes, among others

It is a good idea to know the symptoms of periodontal disease since early detection and treatment of this condition are essential to prevent long-term issues and preserve the health of your teeth and gums.

What is Periodontal Disease?

The term “periodontal disease” refers to a range of gum diseases that occur mainly as a result of inflammatory processes and infections in the areas of the gums and the bones that support your teeth.

The earliest stage of periodontal disease is called gingivitis. In this stage, the gums are red, swollen, and often bleed. As the disease progresses, the gums become more affected and begin to pull away from the teeth. At the point when your gums start pulling away from the surface of the teeth, bone can be lost, and your teeth can even become loose and fall out. Periodontitis is serious, which is why it is crucial to catch it early by knowing the specific symptoms.

Specific Symptoms of Periodontal Disease

When your gums are healthy, they exhibit a pale pink color, and they are firm and snug around each tooth. Healthy teeth and gums do not hurt, nor do they typically bleed. If you are experiencing pain and bleeding, you may have the beginning stages of periodontitis. Some of the other symptoms of periodontal disease include:

• Bleeding while or after brushing and flossing teeth
• Bad breath
• Tender gums
• Swollen gums
• Gums that are bright or dusky red or even purple
• Pain while chewing
• Loose teeth or tooth loss
• Pus between the teeth and gums
• A change in your bite
• Receding gums

Experiencing any or all these symptoms should be a warning sign that you have periodontal disease and need to seek treatment from your dentist as soon as possible.

Causes of Periodontal Disease

Typically, periodontal disease is a result of poor oral hygiene. If you fail to brush and floss properly, the bacteria in your mouth will multiply, forming dental plaque. From there, the process can escalate. Here is what can happen if you continue to practice poor dental hygiene:

• Plaque that is not removed through brushing, flossing, or routine dental cleanings can build up along the gumline.
• The bacteria continue to multiply, and they can deposit minerals in the plaque that will harden into tartar.
• Tartar continues to build up around the roots of your teeth, forming hard-to-remove calculus.
• Your gums respond to this invasion of bacteria by becoming inflamed.
• If you do not receive treatment, a gap can form in the gum between the gum and the root of your tooth.
• Harmful bacteria colonize in this gap, releasing toxins that can further disrupt your supporting bone structure, teeth, and of course, gums.

Fortunately, by regularly visiting your dentist for routine cleanings and checkups, they will be able to catch periodontitis at the earliest stages, create a treatment plan to halt the progression of the disease, and return your gums to a healthy state

Some dentists use a probe to check the depth of any gaps along the gum line to detect issues and keep track of progress toward health.

Treatment of Periodontal Disease

Depending on the severity of your periodontitis, your dentist may use one or more of the following interventions to return your teeth and gums to health. First, you will need to practice good oral hygiene, including:

• Brushing with fluoride toothpaste twice a day
• Flossing at least once per day
• Consider an electric toothbrush for extra effective cleaning
• Giving up smoking or chewing tobacco
• Visiting your dentist for regular cleanings and checkups

Getting professional cleanings are important to remove plaque and tartar from your teeth. If you have deep pockets surrounding your teeth, your dentist may employ a technique called scaling and root planing to deep clean the area.

If your infection does not respond to cleanings, your dentist may prescribe an antibiotic to help control any underlying infection. These antibiotics are available as an oral tablet, a gel, or even a mouthwash.

You’ll have follow-up appointments with your dental professional to track your progress and ensure that your teeth and gums are on the road to recovery. If you are still experiencing inflammation, your dentist may consider surgery to help remove stubborn deposits that persist under the gum line. During this procedure, called flap surgery, your dentist will lift your gums away from the roots of your teeth to clean the roots, then stitch the gums back into place.

Having Symptoms of Periodontal Disease? Get Fast Treatment Now

If you are suffering from painful, swollen, or receding gums or have any of the other symptoms of periodontal disease, you must get treatment immediately.

At El Segundo Modern Dentistry & Orthodontics, we understand how frightening bleeding, sore gums can be. That’s why we offer fast, flexible appointment times for our El Segundo clients. Once you have your appointment, Dr. Barkhordar will assess, diagnose, and treat your periodontal issues, getting you and your smile back on the road to health.

Don’t suffer from sore or bleeding gums. Contact us at (424) 277-2671, and let us use our cutting-edge training and knowledge to restore your oral health today.