Many people recognize the term, gum disease, well enough to believe they would recognize the condition itself. However, one of the main reasons why periodontal disease often grows more severe is because the earliest signs can often be missed or overlooked. Today, we examine a few of these signs and what they could mean, as well as why you shouldn’t ignore the warnings if you start to notice them.

Occasional bleeding in your gums

Gum disease, also known as periodontal disease, is the product of certain types of harmful oral bacteria accumulating on and infecting your gum tissues. This infection can cause increasingly worse inflammation and damage to your gum tissues, which can lead to them eventually bleeding whenever you pass your toothbrush or floss against them. If you notice any spots of blood when you brush and floss your teeth, it may be easy to overlook the importance of it, especially if you don’t notice any discomfort along with it. However, if ignored, the damage to your gum tissues will grow worse over time, as will the signs such as bleeding.

Bad breath that grows increasingly worse

Oral bacteria can cause a number of different effects when they’re allowed to accumulate excessively. One of these includes chronic bad breath, which may occur if enough bacteria accumulate and convert nutrients in your food to smelly substances. However, increasingly worse breath may also be a sign of the progression of gum disease. Both the accumulation of bacteria and the diseased gum tissues can contribute to this, and no remedy will be able improve your breath with lasting results. In many cases, chronic bad breath will be accompanied by other signs of gum disease’s development and progression, including bleeding in your gum tissues and the visible pulling away of your gums from your teeth roots.

Noticeable recession of your gum tissues

Gum recession describes the separation of your gums from your teeth, which is a condition that gum disease can cause to occur rapidly. This recession creates periodontal pockets where bacteria can gather safely away from your toothbrush and floss, exacerbating your condition overall. If allowed to recede further, your gums can also lose their ability to properly support your teeth roots, making your teeth loose and potentially increasing your risks of experiencing tooth loss.

Take the signs of gum disease seriously

If you notice these or other signs of worsening periodontal health, then you should seek periodontal treatment as soon as possible. For more information, schedule a consultation with Dr. Kania by calling her periodontal office in Encinitas/San Diego, CA, at (760) 642-0711.