Good dental health isn’t just about the condition of your teeth. Your gums play a vitally important role, too, and healthy gums help maintain a happy smile.
Your gums act like cushions for your teeth, surrounding the teeth in the jaws, helping to support them. Gum disease is a very common problem – most patients will experience a mild form at some point in their life. If you notice any of the early symptoms of gum disease, you should contact your dentist straight away. Without treatment, it can develop into a more serious form and can lead to tooth loss.
Gum disease is caused by plaque bacteria, which builds up on your teeth when you don’t clean them properly. This bacteria starts to attack the gums, leading to the mild form of gum disease, which is called gingivitis.
Early symptoms of gum disease can be hard to spot, but common signs include:
- Gums that bleed when you brush your teeth or bite into hard foods
- Red or swollen gums
- Halitosis (bad breath)
- An unpleasant taste in your mouth
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, you should book an appointment with a dentist. At this early stage gum disease can be treated and managed with professional tooth cleaning by your dentist or hygienist, who can remove all traces of plaque and tartar even from areas that are difficult to reach when brushing.
Gum disease is easily prevented with a good dental hygiene regime. This involves both regular visits to your dentist and hygienist and the use of proper brushing and flossing techniques at home. Your hygienist can help you to prevent a customised home-care regime to help prevent the problem from arising again.
Left untreated, gingivitis can develop into the more serious form of gum disease, known as periodontitis or periodontal disease. Symptoms of this can include teeth that become loose and dental abscesses. Ultimately this can lead to teeth falling out, so you should get in touch with your dentist immediately if you experience any of these symptoms.