Many common dental health issues, especially gum disease, become serious problems because patients fail to prevent them or address them in their earliest stages. For instance, gum disease is one of the most highly preventable conditions, yet it’s also the second-most common to occur, and it’s the main reason behind adult tooth loss. For many patients, it’s because they’ve ignored the warning signs of gum disease so long that the symptoms have become too severe to ignore any longer. At our West El Paso dental office, we can help you overcome gum disease and manage its progression at any stage, though we strongly advise not waiting.
1. Your gums constantly bleed at the sink
When you first develop gingivitis – the beginning stage of gum disease – you may notice small spots of blood when you brush and floss your teeth. These spots may come sporadically and rarely at first, making them easy to ignore. However, before long, the damage to your gums will become more severe and the bleeding will become noticeable every time you brush and floss. They may also bleed slightly from the pressure of biting and chewing when you eat.
2. Your breath is unrelentingly bad
Chronic bad breath is a common sign of gum disease, but it may not appear or remain relatively unnoticeable until the disease becomes more prominent. The smell may be a combination of excessive oral bacteria, which taint your breath as well as lead to gum disease, and the gradual erosion of your healthy gum tissues. Until you seek appropriate treatment for the disease, your breath will continue to grow worse no matter how many home remedies you try to alleviate it.
3. Your teeth are starting to feel loose
As gum disease grows severe, it causes extensive damage to your gums and jawbone structure. This damage can cause your teeth to grow loose within their sockets in your jawbone, causing them to move slightly when you bite and chew or run your tongue over your teeth. Loose teeth are a sign that gum disease may be quickly approaching its most severe stage, known as periodontitis. At this point, your risks of losing teeth to the disease are exponentially higher.
Seek gum disease treatment ASAP
If you have gum disease, then you’ll only be able to ignore it for so long before the symptoms become unbearably obvious. For more information about treating gum disease as soon as possible, schedule a consultation by calling Sunny Smiles in West El Paso, TX, today at 915-581-6688! We also have offices in East and Northeast El Paso, and we happily serve patients from Chaparral, Canutillo, Vinton, and all surrounding communities.