There are four stages of gum disease: inflammation (gingivitis), early periodontal disease, moderate periodontal disease, and advanced periodontal disease. Periodontitis first starts with gum inflammation, which is also known as gingivitis. In this process, your gums will bleed when you floss or brush your teeth. You may also notice some discoloration or plaque on your teeth. Plaque is a sticky film of bacteria or microorganisms that build up on your teeth, and this bacteria in your mouth can mix with starchy or sugary foods, such as soft drinks, pasta, bread, and fruit. The reason for tooth plaque can be poor dental hygiene, irregular brushing, or when you don’t attend dental cleanings on a regular basis. Another stage is the early periodontitis stage, in which your gum can pull away or recede from your teeth, and there are small pockets that can form between your teeth and gum. These pockets further cause harmful bacteria and allow your immune system to fight against the infection, and gum tissue starts to recede. Some signs of early periodontal disease are frequent bleeding during brushing and flossing, swelling, redness on your gums, and some bone loss.

The third stage is moderate periodontal disease, and the symptoms of this disorder can be the same as the early periodontitis stage. For example, you may experience pain around the teeth, bleeding, and gum recession. But, this illness can make your condition worse because it has more probing depths, which means if there are excessive bacteria in your mouth, it can attack your bones and your bloodstream, plus cause inflammation throughout your body. Some other symptoms and signs of moderate periodontal illness are puss, bad breath, and deeper pockets in the gum line. The last stage is advanced periodontal disease, so if you have advanced periodontitis, you can experience extreme pain in your teeth while chewing hard foods. It can cause a foul taste in your mouth and lets you experience chronic bad breath called halitosis. The connective tissue that supports your teeth can deteriorate. It can also damage your bones, gums, and all your teeth. You can understand that preventing advanced periodontal disease is important because it is a progressive condition that can result in the destruction of the jawbone and connective tissues. If untreated, it can cause teeth to loosen, shift, and lead to tooth loss. Thus, if you want to keep your gums and teeth healthy, you should schedule a quick appointment at the local dentist and consider some surgical treatments to get rid of your periodontal illness. Also, you should adopt good oral hygiene habits to prevent gum disease, bad breath, tooth decay, and other serious dental problems.

What Are Some of the Early Warning Signs of Periodontal Disease? Some of the early warning signs of gum disease include bleeding gums, bad breath, gum pockets, gum recession, bone loss, abscess formation, loose teeth, bite changes, and swollen red gums. Can You Fix Periodontal Disease? If you are facing early signs of periodontal disease like gingivitis or gum disease, you can expect that your dentist will help you get the possible solution and help you address this problem with regular dental cleanings and checkups. The experts can also suggest some good oral hygiene habits. For instance, brushing your teeth at least twice a day, daily flossing, healthy diet, fluoride toothpaste, quality mouthwash, and quitting smoking. Some surgical treatments can also be recommended for advanced cases, such as gum flap surgery, bone grafting, guided tissue regeneration, and tissue-stimulating proteins. Take note that periodontitis can only be treated, but there is no proper treatment made to cure periodontal disease forever. That’s why it is always suggested to get treatments from dentists at the early stages of periodontitis because they have special tools that they use to provide deep cleaning to your teeth and gums and ensure that you will have healthy and beautiful teeth. Can Periodontal Disease Kill You? According to the CDC report, nearly 47.2% of US adults under the age group of 30 years have some phase of periodontal disease, and the most common reason for this disease is the extreme bacteria that build up in the mouth and cause inflammation and infection around the teeth. If not treated well, this disease can kill you, especially if you have any other health issues like hypertension, type 2 diabetes, stroke, cancer, lung, or heart disease. This is not a one-time problem. The periodontal disease can last forever if you never visit a doctor for periodontitis diagnosis and treatments and if you don’t practice smart oral health habits. To recover from gum disease and early to moderate periodontal problems, you should see a skilled dentist as soon as possible.