Gum Disease Symptoms

Do you have gum irritation or are you suffering from gum disease? Gum disease is the term for inflamed gums usually caused by bacteria. When gums are inflamed, there are different gum disease symptoms that are felt by the patient. In mild cases of gum disease the following symptoms are manifested:

• Gums appear red. Redness of the affected area means that there is an active inflammation. If there is swelling and pus formation, a noticeable whitish or yellowish material is seen underneath the reddish gums.
• Gums are swollen and tender. Inflammation causes swelling of the gums where bacteria and pus concentrate. Swelling makes the area tender and is very painful to the touch. It could be very difficult to bite on the area or even to pass water or food.
• Gums that bleed easily when brushed or when flossed. Gums that are inflamed are prone to bleed even when gently scraped by a toothbrush or by flossing.
• The pain and all the other symptoms eventually go away and this makes the person forget about being treated. This situation makes matters worse for the patient since gum disease may progress and lead to terrible gum disease symptoms.

Here are the symptoms of advanced gum disease:

• Gums continue to bleed when gently flossed or brushed. Gums are also seen to slowly recede from the teeth which lead to more food remnants that are stuck in between the lower part of the teeth and the gums. These will lead to worse gum disease infections and complications.
• There is the presence of pus that is coming out from the gums. Swelling is a normal sign of inflammation but pus means that there is advanced infection that must be treated right away.
• The person experiences bad breath. Persistent bad breath even when the person uses antiseptic mouthwashes and rinses could mean that teeth have deteriorated and that there is pus formation from the affected area.
• There are noticeable changes to the person’s bite. This is also noticeable when the person has dentures since the dentures appear to loosen or may not fit comfortably like it did before.
• There are also loose teeth which is noticeable in both the upper and lower part of the mouth.

There are people who are more prone to suffering from gum disease and having gum disease symptoms. People who smoke tobacco for one have a higher risk of gum disease compared to people who do not smoke at all. People who have poor oral hygiene are also more at risk plus those who drink and take drugs since these activities only decrease the body’s resistance to illness.

It is thus important to stress dental and oral health as early as the childhood years. Parents should practice oral health to set a good example to their children while they also should show that the dentist is not a fearful place to be in. With all these strategies, a person will be able to prevent having gum disease early in life.