Almost all doctors suggest we take good care of our teeth. But many of us are wondering about how to know if you have gum disease? Gums are also important for us to maintain our oral health and have stronger teeth and an odor-free mouth.
Even when we take good care of our teeth, our gums can still face several issues over time.
These issues can become more severe over time if they are not properly addressed. Hence, Dr. Dan Auprix and his team consider it very important to look for early signs and warnings that are likely due to the underlying gum problems.
One can also compare their problems with the gum disease pictures to identify what does gum disease look like.
What is Gum (Periodontal) Disease?
Periodontal disease is a kind of gum disorder that occurs in the tissue which is surrounding the teeth. In most cases, this disease is painless and often goes unnoticed. But if ignored, then over a longer period of time can cause severe tissue, tooth, or bone damage. When we talk about different types of gum damage then it ranges from mild forms, which are termed as gingivitis, to severe or chronic forms.
Various Stages of Gum Disease:
Gum disease is always progressive in nature and gets worse day by day. So its important to treat them at the most early stage as possible. We will be discussing them in the form of early, mild and progressive stages.
Early Stage of Gum Disease: The early signs of Gum Disease in Ontario are further categorized into two parts, which are termed as Gingivitis and Periodontitis.
Gingivitis: It is the first stage of gum disease. One can develop this disease when plaque begins to accumulate near the gum line. This will further give rise to bacteria in the plague which will further cause irritation in those areas.
A few people don’t even experience the symptoms of gingivitis. But when we consider others, their early signs are swollen red gums, smells, or even bleed when they are doing flossing or brushing their teeth. This is the initial stage and should be treated at this stage only for the best gum health.
1. Early Periodontitis: If the initial stage of gum disease is not treated in time and starts to get worse, we will experience this stage. This stage is initiated when plaque begins to spread below the gum line, causing inflammation of the connective tissue and bone that support the teeth.You will be experiencing heightened sensitivity in your teeth, and your gums will start to shrink far away with probing depths of 4 to 5 millimeters. Teeth will start to loosen their grip as the bone breaks down, and they may eventually fall out. For a basic understanding of what periodontitis looks like, refer to the image below.
2. Mid-stage of Gum Disease (Moderate Periodontitis): During this stage, probing depths increase further, reaching up to 6 millimeters or more. Additionally, one will experience a loss of bone in the region surrounding the tooth area. As a result, the tooth will begin to shift in the affected region. Bacteria can also influence the part of the gum that is affected and then enter the bloodstream from that area. Once you have reached this stage, you will require the Guided Bone Regeneration (GBR) method to restore the gums. Take a look at the pictorial representation to know what a mild gum disease looks like.
3. Advanced Stage of Gum Disease (Advanced Periodontitis): In the case of the Advanced stage of gum disease, the symptoms mentioned above even worsen. This can lead to loosening of teeth, bone loss, swelling of the gums, and you may even develop temperature sensitivity. Also, your gums can exclude pus with severe bad breath from your mouth. Here’s the image to show a pictorial representation of what advanced gum disease looks like.
Preventing Gum Disease problems
It is very important to avoid gum related issues before they start to create problems related to bad odour or loss of teeth. Hence, one should consult at Village Green Dental in Kanata, Ontario, which will guide you with the necessary steps to avoid such gum problems in the future.
Dr. Dan Auprix and his team of dentists will guide you with proper steps with the help of scanning for gum disease on dental X-ray.
Taking suitable precautions regularly will greatly help you in avoiding future dental issues and having a hygienic mouth for a longer period of time.
