Are you having issues with gum disease and looking to learn more about it? You'll likely have these questions about gum disease so that you know the essential information. 

What Is Gum Disease?

Gum disease is when you have a condition that causes your gum tissue to become inflamed. It's bad to have because your gums are what hold your teeth in your mouth, and gum disease can lead to losing teeth. Gum disease starts as a milder form known as gingivitis, which is when you have only a small amount of inflammation that causes your gums to bleed while brushing. While you can take steps to reverse gingivitis because no damage has been caused, you cannot reverse the damage caused by allowing it to advance to gum disease.

What Causes Gum Disease?

When you have bacteria that builds up on your gums and teeth, that bacteria is what allows the inner layer of your gums to pull away from your teeth. Pockets form in your gums, which fill up with even more bacteria. This contributes to the bone and gum tissue being destroyed and causes teeth to fall out. 

What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Gum Disease?

A common sign of gum disease is when you have bad breath that doesn't go away from regular brushing. You will also have gums that bleed quite easily when you brush your teeth. It may be painful to chew foods due to the inflammation, which will be noticeable in the form of swollen or red gums. You can even have loose teeth in extreme conditions, which will be noticeable at first due to how your teeth come together when biting. 

How Do You Diagnose Gum Disease?

Your dentist can help diagnose issues with gum disease early on by taking measurements of the pockets of your gums, and paying attention to when the depth of the pockets change and indicate gum recession. Those pockets will get bigger as the gums pull away from the teeth due to issues with gum disease. X-rays can even be identified through x-rays to look for bone loss.

How Do You Treat Gum Disease? 

Your dentist will perform a deep cleaning, known as scaling and root planing, to get rid of the tartar buildup beneath your gum line. This will help allow your teeth to heal and reduce inflammation. If you have an infection, an antibiotic can be used to treat the infection so that the area can heal. In extreme situations, bone grafting can be used to help repair deteriorated bone. 

For more information on gum diseases such as periodontal disease, contact a local dentist.