2 Signs Of Gum Disease To Watch For If You Have Been Skipping Dental Appointments
If you haven't been visiting the dentist as much as you should, then you could have gum disease and not even know it. If you visited the dentist every six months like you should, then your dentist would catch the first signs of it and help you reverse it. The best idea is to visit the dentist for a professional oral health inspection to make sure your gums are healthy, but if you notice any of the following signs of gum disease, then it is even more important to schedule a visit right away.
1. Bleeding Gums
While this is a more well-known sign of gum disease, you may think that your gums must bleed frequently for the bleeding to signal something is wrong. Your gums may only bleed when you floss or when you brush, and they may bleed one day but not the next. Realize that any gum bleeding at any time is a sign that you likely have gum disease.
While this is one symptom of unhealthy gums, realize that if you smoke cigarettes or use any device or product that delivers nicotine into your body (like an electronic cigarette or nicotine gum), then the nicotine reduces the blood flow in your gums and may cause them to not bleed when they are unhealthy. So, if you use nicotine, then don't assume your gums are healthy if they don't bleed, and instead look for other signs of gum disease.
2. Gum Recession
You may not realize your gums are receding until you take a close look at them, because they can recede very gradually. Signs that your gum-line is not where it used to be include tooth sensitivity just at the gum-line, a notch or white line where your gums once sat on your teeth, and teeth that appear longer than they used to.
If you think your gums may be receding but are still not sure, then a dentist can easily check them by measuring the pocket where your gums meet your teeth. It is normal to have a small pocket, but when gums recede, they also separate more from your teeth than they should.
While a little gum recession may not alarm you if it is not causing you pain or sensitivity, it may alarm you to hear that up to 70 percent of teeth that loosen and fall out of people's mouths do so because of gum disease and gum recession.
The only way to truly know if you have gum disease is to visit a dentist (such as one from Children's Dentistry of Lake County) so he or she can look for the signs. However, if you have bleeding gums or gum recession, you likely do have it, and the first step to getting your gums back on track is getting your teeth professionally cleaned to remove built-up tartar and the bacteria in it. Then, you and your dentist can form a treatment plan to get your gum health back on track.
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