Gum Disease: Are You Sure You Have Healthy Gums

Some symptoms of gum disease are easily noticeable, but this is not always the case.

Many of you reading this blog, will have seen advertisements on TV for toothpastes which help to protect against gum disease.

To enforce the point, the adverts talk quite graphically about bleeding gums and other symptoms.

Although this is a sign of gum disease, and you shouldn’t bleed from your gums unless you are brushing excessively hard; just because you aren’t, doesn’t mean that you are free from the problem.

Symptoms

There are a number of other possible indicators that you might have gum disease, whether gingivitis or more advanced periodontitis. These symptoms include the following.

Sore or red gums – Overly red or sore gums are not signs of good oral health. Whilst there may be other causes, it is advisable to have them checked out by our local dentist who will be able to determine if gum disease is the cause or not, and treat you accordingly.

Receding gums – This is more common in older people, but is also a possible sign of gum disease. Once the gums recede, the dentin layer, usually hidden below the gum line, becomes exposed and prone to dental decay as it is not protected by an enamel layer.

Bad breath – Temporary bad breath can be caused by foods and drinks that we have eaten. Persistent bad breath though is often caused by the gases expelled by the ‘bad’ bacteria which exist in the mouth and degrade the gums. Whilst breath fresheners may mask these smells, at least to some degree, gum disease treatment at Much Hadham Dental Care will help you to eliminate this antisocial problem and improve your gum health too.

Moving teeth –  Where gum disease has advanced, bone loss can start in the jaw and teeth can loosen. When the jaw bone becomes compromised through gum disease in this way, your teeth may start to move.

No obvious signs – Some people experience virtually no symptoms of gum disease at all, especially in the early stages. For these people, it can come as a surprise to discover that they have the problem whilst on a routine dental visit. The good news though is that, providing you visit Much Hadham Dental Care on a regular basis, usually every six months, it can usually be reversed, so preventing any long term problems.

As stated above, the key to gum disease prevention and control is both good home oral health care as well as regular oral examinations by your local Hertfordshire dentist.

If you are new to the area and wish to register at a dentist, or even if you have lived here for a while and are seeking a change, we are happy to welcome you to our practice. Simply call us on 01279 842 567 and we will arrange an appointment for you.