| The health of your teeth hinges on how healthy your gums are. When your gums are in poor health, it can affect the health of your entire mouth and can even be linked to health conditions in the body, like heart disease. Gum disease and infections can occur in the gums for a variety of reasons, one of the most prominent being poor oral hygiene habits. To prevent gum disease, it is important to brush your teeth after each meal and floss, this will prevent plaque from entering the gum tissue, under the edges of the teeth. |
By understanding the signs of gum diseases and infection, you can know when to seek the care of your Family dentistry Silverdale WA office.
Common Signs of Gum Disease and Infections
1. Pain and tenderness in the gums
2. Redness
3. Swelling in the gum tissue and in the jaw
4. Bleeding
5. Pus drainage
6. Fever
7. Foul breath
These signs do not always show right away and can be subtle at first. As the gum condition progresses, you may experience several or all of these symptoms combined together. Avoiding care for these conditions can lead to major damage in the teeth and eventual tooth loss. This is why routine dental examinations are so important. Through these exams, the dentist can find the earliest signs of gum disease and infection so they can be treated before they cause lasting damage.
Types of Gum Disease
There are two main types of gum disease and they can vary in severity. It is important to understand these conditions so you can get the dental care needed to prevent them or reverse them if they are in place.
1. Gingivitis — This is the first and mildest version of gum disease. This condition begins with redness, swelling and bleeding gums. If left untreated, pockets of infection can develop in the gums, loosening the teeth and eventually causing complete tooth loss.
2. Periodontitis — Once the gum disease has progressed and pockets form in the gums, the disease is now in the severe category. Dental treatment is needed right away to avoid major complications and even heart disease.
