When inflammation and disease begin to attack your teeth and gums, the problem can snowball from a mild issue to a true medical emergency without your knowledge. In fact, without a diagnosis from a dentist in Anderson, your gum disease problem could be brewing right at this very moment. It’s a disease that few people are able to feel or see during the early stages, and as the stages of the disease become more advanced, the consequences can be irreversibly destructive.
Below, you’ll see that there are 4 distinct stages when it comes to gum disease, and each one is more serious than the next:
- Gingivitis- Bacterial plaque irritates the gum tissue and triggers localized or generalized inflammation that includes swollen, red, and lightly bleeding gums.
- Early Periodontitis– As the inflammation progresses, it begins to attack the connective fibers within the gums as well as the supporting bone structure.
- Moderate Periodontitis- The inflammation and infection begin to cause permanent damage to the connective tissues and bone around the roots of the teeth, causing the teeth to become loose and mobile.
- Advanced Periodontitis- As the supportive bone is destroyed, the teeth become unsupported and noticeably loose. In this stage, the teeth will show shift out of place, creating food pockets and attracting tartar buildup.
The stages of gum disease can be deceiving because they aren’t always noticeable to the untrained eye. There may or may not be pain. There may or may not be bleeding. However, the dentist can perform a number of tests and evaluations to identify the disease and determine how advanced it has become. It is important to note that bone loss and receding gums are sometimes impossible to regain, so seeing the dentist regularly and stopping the disease as early as possible is the best recommended defense. Learn more about gum disease by contacting a dentist in Anderson today.
