Over 8% of people aged 24-64 have periodontitis. This common condition is a gum disease that is caused by a lack of good oral hygiene.
If you leave periodontitis untreated it could lead to you losing teeth or your jawbone deteriorating. It is therefore important that you take action immediately when you spot periodontitis symptoms.
But what are the symptoms of periodontal disease? In this article, we’ll share nine warning signs of periodontitis.
What are the Early Signs of Periodontitis?
Periodontitis is a silent and slow disease that takes a very long to materialize. Often, you’ll slowly start to develop symptoms over a prolonged period of time. These may include:
- Receding gums
- Pain around the gums
- Bleeding while brushing or flossing your teeth
- Tender, red, or swollen gums
- Separating teeth
- Loose teeth
- Bad breath
- Changes in your bite
- Pus between your teeth and gums
If you are experiencing one or more of these symptoms, then you should visit your dentist and have an examination for gum disease. You can learn about reversing periodontitis here.
What Causes Periodontitis?
One of the leading causes of periodontitis is poor oral hygiene. If you don’t look after your teeth properly, plaque will form on your teeth. This can harden on your gum line to become tartar. Tartar is hard to remove and requires professional dental cleaning to remove it.
Plaque can bring about gingivitis which is a milder form of gum disease. This can be reversed through good oral care. If this is left untreated, it may develop into periodontitis.
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Receding Gums
Receding gums are when your gums pull back from the surface of your teeth. This exposes the surfaces of your tooth’s roots. This is a serious effect caused by a lack of good oral hygiene. Having receding gums could lead to your completely losing the tooth or any surrounding teeth.
In addition to poor hygiene, receding gums can also be caused by hormonal changes, smoking, a build-up of plaque, diabetes, HIV, or a family history of gum disease.
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Pain Around the Gums
If you have pain around your gums it could be a sign that you have gingivitis or periodontitis. The pain may become worse when your gums are touched or while you brushing your teeth,
If you notice any pain around your gums, consult with your dentist and have your gums examined,
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Bleeding While Brushing or Flossing Your Teeth
If you notice spots of blood in your toothpaste from your gums whenever you brush your teeth, this is a sign that you potentially have gum disease.
Sometimes the blood may be brought on by aggressive brushing, however, if you are only gently brushing your teeth, you should not see any blood.
Pay a visit to your dentist and have your teeth and gums examined.
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Tender, Red, or Swollen Gums
Tender or swollen gums can be very painful. If you notice a change in how your gums feel, then it could be one of the early warning signs of periodontitis.
This could also be a symptom that you have gingivitis. An examination by your dentist will help to confirm your diagnosis.
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Separating Teeth
If your teeth are slowly drifting apart leaving a gap, then this could signify an issue with your gums.
Separated teeth can become a haven for plaque bacteria which could lead to tooth decay. You may also need to get braces to realign your teeth.
Speak with your dentist to find out whether there are any options open to you for addressing this problem.
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Loose Teeth
Loose teeth are a sign that you’ve got periodontitis. Chances are, if your teeth are already loose, then the disease has already progressed quite far. It is quite important that you get your gums examined as soon as possible.
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Bad Breath
While there are many different causes of bad breath, you may find that you have this coupled with a number of other symptoms mentioned here. If this is the case, then there is a distinct chance that you may have periodontitis.
Your dentist will be able to look at the symptoms that you have and identify whether or not you have gum disease.
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Changes in Your Bite
Have you noticed a change in your bite? Maybe you’re finding it more difficult to bite into food, or you have sensitivity? Changes in your bite could signify that you have an issue with your gums.
Your teeth may also have moved to a different position in your mouth. For example, they may have moved slightly in your gums. This could lead to you developing an underbite or an overbite.
If you spot any changes in your bite, visit your dentist immediately.
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Pus Between Your Teeth and Gums
If you notice that you’ve got pus between your gums and your teeth then it is probably that you have a form of gum disease. Although you may be able to clean this away through brushing, it will be very likely to return. Speak to your dentist to have this addressed urgently.
How to Prevent Periodontitis
You can prevent periodontitis by thoroughly cleaning your teeth and gums twice a day. You should also consider flossing and using a mouth wash as part of your daily routine.
Having a regular check-up with your dentist is important if you want to avoid any forms of gum disease.
If you spot any of the early warning signs of periodontitis, you should make an appointment with your dentist at the earliest convenient opportunity. The earlier you catch the disease, the better your chances of treatment will be.
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